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Knowledge is not bricks, it does not burden. Especially when you don’t even think about when to start teaching a child, what to take into account when preparing a children’s bike, about choosing a route. And touches — every little thing has weight.

Interesting article: Balance bike or bicycle: 6 facts about each type of children’s transport

What is the best age to teach a child to ride a bike?

First of all, don’t rush. From 3 to 8 years old is the optimal time to master the skill of riding a two-wheeled bike.

Specialists from the American edition of Accident Analysis & Prevention conducted a study. And they found out that kids who were taught to ride a bike at 3-5 years old were more likely to be injured than those who learned to ride at 6-7 years old.

What bike to start with?

If you want to help your child curb the iron horse as early as possible, you should start with four options to choose from.

• Large or children’s wheelchairs, which have large inflated wheels, because this type of wheel will soften bumps on the road, as well as easily ride on sand and snow.
• Models with three wheels (for pedaling training).
• A balance bike has no pedals. You don’t have to twist anything, so it will be easier for the child to maintain balance and balance when riding.
• Bicycle with safety net. On such transport, the child will feel confident, and a pair of wheels, for safety reasons, will not allow you to fall. In addition, the insurance can be removed or raised at any time so that the baby trains to maintain balance on his own.

In the table, we have listed the strengths and weaknesses of each mode of transport, based on user feedback.

Informative article: How to adjust a child’s bike: 4 steps

Preparing the bike

Before training, it is better to double-check the transport for safety reasons. The mechanism is great designed so that it can be customized to the individual parameters of the driver. Check:

1. Handlebar height
It should be set so that the child’s body is at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the bike. So prevent unnecessary stress on the child’s lower back, back and arms. To change the height of the steering wheel, loosen the steering bolt, set the desired position and tighten the mount.

2. Saddle height
It should be such that when pedaling, the child’s legs are fully extended at the knees. Otherwise, pedaling will be heavy, creating an extra load. You can adjust the position of the saddle according to a scheme similar to adjusting the steering wheel: loosen, adjust, twist.

3. Serviceability of brakes
To do this, lift the front wheel of the bicycle off the floor, spin it at speed and press the brake lever. Ideally, the wheel stop should occur as soon as the handle is gripped. If it stopped only when the handle touched the steering wheel, you need to tighten the brake cable. To do this, unscrew the fixing screw in the place where the cable is attached to the brake lever. Next, set the optimal cable tension with pliers (so that when you press the brake lever, the wheel stops immediately) and tighten the screw again.

4. Tires, or rather, the pressure in them
If you don’t have a pressure gauge handy, you can put your child on the bike and see how much the tire sags under his weight. If less than 1 cm — you can go, and no — then you need to pump up the tires.

Proper preparation of the bike will avoid unnecessary stress on the back, knees and arms.

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Insurance and security

To protect a young cyclist from injury during training, protective equipment is indispensable. Three components must be in children’s equipment.

• Bicycle helmet

Its function is to soften the blow to the head when falling. The helmet is taken in accordance with the size of the head of the child and individually adjust the strength of its fixation with a strap.

Such devices reduce the risk of injury if a novice rider falls. Products should be such that the child in them can easily bend his legs at the knees and arms at the elbows. Protection should not restrict movement.

• Reflectors that can be attached to the bike and to the child’s clothes

With them, the young driver will be visible at dusk, in rain and fog.

It is also important to teach your child the basics of road safety: stick to one speed, look carefully around, keep to the right side of the road. It is best if you teach riding on special bike paths. They are most often marked and the child will get used to driving only in the lane allotted to him. Also on such tracks there is a high-quality asphalt surface, smooth turns.

Useful info: How to choose a children’s bike

Location selection

Many outdoor sports stadiums have bike lanes that are easier for beginners to learn. If there are no stadiums nearby, they choose a place where there are no cars, for example, a park, a square or a path on a playground.

It’s great if the track is evenly covered so that bumps and pits do not interfere with the movement of the young driver. It is desirable that the road was not just straight, but with turns. The student can then try turning.

Learning to balance

So, how to teach a child to keep balance on a bicycle. If the child is not familiar with the balance bike, we recommend that you first ride without pedals. To do this, seat the child on the seat, ask him to take the steering wheel and push off the ground with his legs. When the student begins to do this confidently, invite him to raise his legs off the ground while moving and drive this way for a meter or two.

The trick is that it is easier for a child to balance without focusing on the pedals. In addition, if he begins to fall in any direction, he will be able to rest with his feet, which will give confidence in his abilities and reduce the fear of falling. After riding this way for an hour, you can try to connect the pedals to the process.

Learning to pedal

In order for the little driver to learn to ride, stick to the beaten track.

1. They explain to the child that in order for the bike to move, you need to pedal. Let the driver sit on the seat as he feels comfortable and try to spin.
2. The straight leg should reach the lower pedal.
3. Press on the pedal not with the toe, but with the central part of the foot. Make sure that the child does not experience any inconvenience.
4. The second leg must be installed on the pedal, located in the upper position, and press on it. When she goes down, do a rotation with the other leg.

The parent teaching the young rider should be around and hold the bike at all times. You need to train until the student gets used to and can find the right pedal by touch.

Learning to slow down

Braking is just as important as pedaling and balance. Experienced cyclists use both front and rear brakes at the same time. A child who has just learned to ride a bike is unlikely to be able to master this skill, but it is important to convey to him the main points of safe braking.

In order for the child to work out the process of braking to automatism, two exercises are regularly performed.

1. Draw the finish line on the track where the child rides. It will symbolize the point in front of which you should stop the bike and, taking your foot off the pedal, lean on the ground. Increase speed little by little so that your student learns to slow down, moving both slowly and quickly.
2. Work on the reaction speed of the child. Let him ride the bike at a comfortable pace, but agree that when you say the word “Stop!”, the young cyclist should immediately brake and touch the ground with his feet. At the command «Let’s go!» the child moves immediately.

Do this regularly and be sure to pay due attention to the development of the reaction of a small driver. In the future, the quick response skill will come in handy on the road.

Do not force the baby to train when he has no desire, mood. Learning is more interesting in a playful way, so as not to discourage exercise on the bike.

Improving the skill

Practice is one of the most important elements of learning. So let the kid ride more often. A great option is when parents also participate in cycling trips. After all, the example of their adults is the best for a young driver.

Engage your child in driving in difficult conditions: on a bumpy road, bypassing potholes, riding along narrow paths. Train the skill of braking and quick reaction to road conditions. Then in the future, letting the child go on a bike ride alone or with friends, you will be sure of his safety on the road.

Now you know how to teach your child to ride a bike. Perhaps he will not succeed right away — so be it! They do not mold holy pots, so sooner or later everything will happen. Most importantly, be patient and persistent. And then there will be one more cyclist in your family. It’s just a matter of time.

By the way: Real transformer from GALILEO