Photo Credit: Yan Krukau via www.pexels.com

Teaching your kids how to ride a bike can be daunting, but with the right preparation, you’ll find it a happy and rewarding endeavour. There are endless benefits to cycling for children, so the sooner you face the music, the better! Follow this guide to ensure the introduction to cycling goes without a hitch.

Select the right equipment

First things first: select the right equipment for your child. Start with the all-important helmet and trainers and consider other safety gear such as knee pads and elbow guards to protect against bumps and scrapes when they (inevitably) fall off.

Evaluate the height of your child and select a bike in a suitable size. You should allow room for them to grow into it rather than erring on the side of caution because they need to have relatively straight legs when cycling. If you’re planning countryside adventures, invest in a multi-purpose gravel bike which is well-suited to riding on roads and rough tracks.

Find a safe place to practise

Once your child is set up with their equipment, find a safe place to practise. This could be your street – taking care to watch out for cars – or a paved pedestrian area in your local park.

Make sure you’ve got plenty of space with few obstacles blocking the path so peddling can get underway safely.

Start with balance and the basics

Time for the tricky bit – getting your child confident with riding unassisted.

There’s nothing wrong with keeping stabilisers on to begin with while children get acquainted with how to brake safely (early and lightly). Using a slight downhill slope can be helpful too so it’s less effort to get moving.

Once they’ve mastered the basics of peddling and braking, remove the stabilisers and let them try using the bike while you hold it upright and ensure their course is straight. When they seem ready, try letting go after a few paces and let them continue independently. Even if they fall over, treat it as a victory and show them how far they travelled under their own steam.

Before you let your child loose with their bike, ensure they have properly mastered balance. It’s easier enough to go straight, but slopes and corners can be challenging for early learners. Teach them how to balance the bike with their whole body while peddling slowly, and how to handle corners calmly and safely.

Build confidence with family rides

After the initial lessons, schedule some family rides to build your child’s confidence on the bike. You’ll find plenty of family-friendly cycling routes on the doorstep which are relatively short and flat, built for bikes and include several places to stop and rest with refreshments. Opting for car-free tracks which have separate paths for pedestrians will help to prevent any accidents.

Choose your cycling line-up with care. Have an adult or older child lead the way and make sure another responsible rider brings up the rear to monitor the situation and encourage new cyclists to keep going when things get tough!