When Michael Natividad learned to ride a bike at 7 or 8 years old, he knew his training wheels were ready to come off when he leaned on them while zipping around corners.
His daughter, on the other hand, was barely 3 when she sped away from him on her tiny bicycle, he said, admitting to feeling a bit robbed of a special moment.
“I kept thinking of that opportunity holding her up, but I did it for all of maybe one minute,” said Natividad, of Rohnert Park, California. “I was looking forward to that for three years.”
A big difference was that Loralani, now 4, never used training wheels. Instead, like an increasing number of children, she had learned to ride a balance bike first, at around 2.
Balance bikes look like miniature bicycles without pedals. An adjustable seat can be lowered for children to put their feet on the ground. Some models come with attachable pedals, so kids can use them as their first real bike when ready.
Now, as some companies market balance bikes for children as young as 8 months old, the question is, at what age should kids learn to ride a bike?
Annie Pezalla, a professor of human development at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, said the 8-month marker “raised my eyebrows” but she saw the logic behind the claim. That’s because the part of the brain largely responsible for coordination, the cerebellum, goes through a huge growth spurt from about 6 to 8 months.
Still, Pezalla recommended caution. Rather than a particular age, she said, it is more important to consider milestones that occur at different times for different children, such as holding their head up on their own and taking a few steps while grasping onto something.
“Once those milestones have been reached, then I think it’s the perfect time to get on one of those balance bikes,” she said, noting they usually happen between 9 and 18 months.
She added the caveat that early attempts should be made in a very safe space, like a carpeted room.
Pezalla said training wheels are going out of style because they don’t teach proprioception, the body's ability to understand where it is in space. It's what allows one, for example, to walk without thinking about each step. So when training wheels come off, kids have to relearn how to balance.
Research also shows that children who start with balance bikes get a leg up, said Cristiana Mercê, a sport sciences professor at Santarém Polytechnic University in Portugal. Over five studies published on balance bikes, Mercê and her team have demonstrated that balance-bike users learn to ride regular bikes in less time, and up to two years younger, than peers using training wheels.
Bikes with training wheels are too large for most young children. Balance bikes offer the chance to explore many behaviors that training wheels don’t, such as pushing with both feet, one foot, and gliding without pedaling, she said.
The variety of movements makes it easier to transition to a traditional bicycle, Mercê said. “You can balance without pedaling, but you can’t pedal without balancing.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ bicycle guidance doesn’t specify an age, instead saying most kids learn to ride at their own pace between 4 and 7. It explicitly warns against “purchasing a larger bike for the child to ‘grow into.'”
But the guidance hasn’t been updated since 2011, years before balance bikes became more popular.
Deferring to the AAP’s age range, Pezalla said the transition to a pedal bike will probably occur as a natural progression with little instruction. At first, children straddle and walk with the balance bike, then sit and walk and finally, run, sit and glide.
“It should go in stages with no expectation that, gosh, an 8 month old is going to be gliding on this thing,” she said.
After that, the gap between gliding and pedaling is negligible, Pezalla said, noting that she wishes she would have known to teach her 10-year-old twin boys to ride with balance bikes. Learning these motor skills early conveys several benefits that transcend a new way to get around.
“It represents a deal of independence and self-confidence in a way that’s not possible any other way,” she said. “And I think teaching kids how to ride a bike earlier has all sorts of benefits, not only to their coordination, their balance, but their sense of self-confidence and agency as well.”
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18 Comments
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Hawk
My kid was on a balance bike at two, from which she graduated to a kid's bike at three. The kid's bike was a little heavy so I took the pedals off until she was a bit stronger and could use the brakes with her hands, at which point I put the pedals on. She learned balancing and pedaling really quickly. Now, at five, she handles the bike really well and just needs to learn the road rules. Soon I'll get her on a mountain bike and she can come with me on weekends.
The biggest challenge was getting her grandfather to back off because he wanted to teach her to ride. That's my job.
Gene Hennigh
My daughter had a heck of a time. I'd run behind her, holding her up straight. When she saw that I wasn't holding on, she'd crash. Then one day, two of her friends came over and asked her if she'd like to go bike riding. She jumped on her bike and went with them. All it took was having friends to go with. I was amazed. Then she and I would bike a little after dinner so she could learn the rules.
I have to admit I felt a little sad that she learned almost instantly to bike with her friends. Seemed like I was an inadequate Dad. Still felt proud as she biked off. (She was about 5.)
Laguna
Thanks for the posts, Hawk and falseflagstever. Memories of the time my kids, now in their late twenties, were tots are precious.
When I bought my son his first bike, a generic model from the home center, to instill confidence, I emphasized repeatedly that it was a "special" bicycle made just for him. We're at the park practicing, and here comes a boy with the EXACT SAME BIKE! My son didn't say anything, but his gaze at the other boy's bike was long.
Hawk
falseflagsteve,
Absolutely. Quality time with your kids. Love it.
Once she has the road rules down and can appreciate a bit better what the traffic is doing around us, I'll get her on the roads. I already have a few courses and routes in mind. Of course, before that, there's always rivers to ride along, mountains to ride up and forests to ride through.
Cycling has always been a big part of my life. Great for the environment, physical and mental health, and saving a bit of coin on gas. Sharing it all with my kids was always something I looked forward to.
spidersenses
Both our kids learned to ride by themselves without trainer wheels by the age of 4, but I noticed a lot of local kids are slower to learn. We bring our kids up to be fearless, which makes all the difference, I think.
Hawk
If you hadn't taught her balance and propulsion, she wouldn't have been able to go off with her friends. You did a good job there.
Japantime
Tokyo has a lot of free traffic safety parks. It allows kids to use any bicycle for free and follow traffic rules. I recommend this to any parent. I haven’t seen these in other countries. It looks like Japan is leading the way with bicycle safety for kids.
timeon
In Japan "striders" as they call balance bikes are very popular, my kids started at around 2 years old, then they learned how to ride bicycles at the local "traffic park" mentioned by Japantime. Which are great, and also free!
starpunk
About the time my generation was preschool age we rode 'Big Wheels' before we rode bicycles themselves. On day 50 years ago this past June my dad tried to get me and my little sister to learn how to ride bikes just weeks after getting them. He screamed like a cretin Neanderthal at us on one Sunday afternoon when he took the training wheels off and we both crashed. He kept snarling and sassing off to us 'It's going to be next summer before you two learn to ride your bikes!'. But later that same June (summertime, school was out) during the afternoon when our dad was at work, we both learned to ride our bikes on our own. Maybe it was the very next week. What kind of guidance you get (or don't get) makes all the difference.
falseflagsteve
My some could do from the age of 5, had stabilisers at first. Took a while for him to gain confidence but soon after he wanted to cycle about all the time, still does, bless him.
GuruMick
How old ?
Whatever the bottom age requirement to become an Uber delivery kid.
kohakuebisu
My kids learnt on a balance bike with smaller wheels than the ones pictured or a Strider. We have a big house with a flat floor, so they actually learned indoors. We have a kitchen-hallway-dining room loop they would do at super high speed. It was really funny to watch.
There are Strider races around the country for super keen parents. However, competitive Strider involves the kids essentially lying on the bike and running at high speed. It doesn't look like anything that would cross over to bmx or mountain biking.
John-San
The Parents should learn the what to do's and the don,t do's. Check out Owen's seat stem. It is well over extended. It needs at least 50mm below positioning bolt to be deem safe. Owen need to progress to a bigger bike. My grandsons were on there balance bike as above on their 2nd birthdays. The youngest was sending it down hills at 2 1/2
itsonlyrocknroll
Toddlers should learn to ride before they can walk, they stand then placed on a bike, and led around the living room.
Ok that deranged.
I think it is wise kids learn that road and pavements/sidewalks are shared spaces, those four wheeled metal objects could be in the hands of seniors in there 80's with eye sight to match.
itsonlyrocknroll
Absolutely, GuruMick never to young for that first taste of Deliveroo/Uber takeaway/grocery gig economy zero hours, that first back pack.
It beats being sent up cleaning chimneys. .
fooliojp
When should a child start riding a bike?
As pictured... As soon as they can balance on a Balance bike, which is quick! They can start riding a peddle bike. Some of my proudest moments watching my boys go from balance to peddle bike!
falseflagsteve
Hawk
Good job done there mate. Love exploring other parts of the city with my son, sometimes out for 6 or 7 hours. One of the best ways to do things together especially in cycle friendly Japan.
Antiquesaving
Wow a "study" was needed?
People really over expect!
3 years? What child takes 3 year to learn to ride 2 wheels?
Neither of my children had training wheels, they went from tricycle to bicycle and it took about half a day for them to get the balance as I pushed them.
And honestly my daughter has not so good skills right to this day and she still got the hang in less than a day.
People over think everything today.
Apparently the younger generations need to be told the "best way" or " right way" by so-called expects.
The best times in my childhood, the best times my 2 now adult children had in their childhood (and they repeat these all the time) came with a lot of bumps, bruises, scrapes, cuts and yes even a few trips to the hospital to get stitched up!
I watch the younger generation in the West and I wonder how sad and socially awkward it must be when they grow up, instead of making friends on their own, it is play dates set up by the parents, instead if just heading out and getting a little dirty riding your tricycle/bike or even crashing them with friends, parents seem more worried about themselves" missing out " on something!
No wonder in recent survey in north America employers said 20% of candidates brought a parent to the interview!
Let the kids grow at their own pace and let them make their own mistakes and own experiences.