The take-the-pedals-off, lower-the-seat, and let-them-scoot method really works. Susan spent probably a total of thirty minutes, last fall and this spring, practicing balancing on her bike. This is her third run with the pedals back on. I love her oblivious pedaling away, knees all scrunched up, and Tom’s watchful scurrying behind her. Sometimes when I’m beyond frustrated with Tom as a husband (and with me as a wife), I am reconciled by him as a father. Which is probably why we had kids.
susan rides her bike from shannon johnson on Vimeo.
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Susan, you’re like your Dad. He was a natural rider like you are. Riding a bike is like learning to walk. A baby falls a lot, but she gets up and keeps trying. Fall, get up, fall, get up, over and over. Come to think about it, that’s what life is like: we fall, but we get up and keep at it until we don’t fall anymore.
I liked your laughing.
It blew me away to see her instantly start riding like this. Watching this video, I realize that I look like a goon running down the neighborhood street in my pajamas. I foresee a video about composts and garden boxes coming soon….
Your laughing is the best part.
What is this technique your talking about? I have one who needs to learn right now and I have no idea what to do. You’d think since it’s my 5th I’d be a pro. Nope.
Jane Reply:
May 18th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
My niece learned to ride a bike at 3 with this method. Her parents had actually bought her a skuut bike http://www.skuut.com/, but we had already done a poor man’s version with Sally. When she was almost 7 and still not confident riding (after some spills, and long winter breaks, etc), we took off her pedals and lowered the seat so she could easily reach the ground with both feet. Then she scooted along and lifted her feet to coast, putting them down to steady her whenever she needed.
The idea is that they learn to balance and THEN to pedal, instead of having to learn to both balance and pedal at the same time. Both of them honestly spent only about a total of 30 minutes doing the actual balancing — but in like 2 minute increments over days or months. Until one day they suddenly asked to have pedals back on, and Voila!
(I read the tip on a site that BooMama or Rocks in My Dryer linked to; wish I could remember which one.)
Charlotte Reply:
May 18th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Interesting idea. I’m going to try this (as long as the pedals we have are the easy unscrew kind).
LOL, she just told me at school today that she was riding her bike without the training wheels. She said she never even fell!! She’s quite the grown up little gal isn’t she? But yeah, maybe raise the bike a bit. lol
Love this! So fun to see you guys in action!