Tips to Transition from Training Wheels

Kids are excited to ditch their training wheels and start riding a bike just like their parents, sans training wheels. But making the switch isn’t always easy. Parents and kids may require some tips to transition from training wheels. The first tip is to keep safety in mind. A ProLids helmet can help with that.

Tips to Transition from Training Wheels

Parents can use some simple tips to transition from training wheels to help their children make the jump from four to two wheels. There are two methods to help kids familiarize themselves with riding a bike. One method is to use a balance bike. Balance bikes have become more popular for many reasons.

The biggest reason people choose a balance bike is because it teaches kids balance and steer. Balancing on a bike is one of the crucial aspects of riding a bike. Some people suggest that balance bikes are a better first step. However, some parents prefer to stick with the classic training wheel system.

Kids may learn less about balancing with training wheels because they will be reasonably stable with four wheels. But they will learn how to pedal and steer. To sum it up, a balance bike will teach kids to balance and steer, and a bike with training wheels will teach kids to pedal and steer.

Parents must decide which path they want to take or both! Allow your kids to use a balance bike and then add training wheels to their first bike until they get comfortable pedaling. That’s when it will be time to remove the training wheels and where these tips to transition from training wheels will be needed.

Safety First

Some may have other suggestions, like teaching your child how to turn, pedal from a stopped position, or stand stationary while sitting on the bike. However, these things will come naturally as they continue to ride. Instead, parents should focus on ensuring their kids practice good bike safety.

This will start with picking out the right bike size for your child. A local bike shop can help with that. Lastly, proper protection is essential. Learning to ride a bike comes with falls; there’s no way around it. But we can use ProLids helmets to ensure those falls aren’t too harmful.

Knee pads and elbow pads will also protect against some scrapes and bruises. Now, you can use these tips to transition from training wheels to make learning easier for your child.

Head to a Park

The space a child learns to ride a bike should be a safe space. The front yard may not be as safe as we hope for a kid learning to ride a bike. We have to be worried about cars driving by, which can make the learning process more stop-and-go.

Instead, try visiting a nearby park that has pathways kids can use. A skatepark may have more open space, but there will be a lot of other kids riding bikes, skateboards, and scooters. Avoid skateparks when your child is just starting out. Eventually, they will be confident enough to utilize skate or bike parks.

Makeshift Balance Bike

One of the best tips to transition from training wheels is to turn their first bike into a balance bike. There’s no need to remove the pedals or anything drastic, but you can remove them if you’d like. Instead, just have your child practice gliding along on their bike by pushing off the ground with one foot.

This gliding tactic will help them get familiar with controlling a bigger bike. They will also learn how to balance on the bigger bike. Make sure your child is looking forward and not at the ground, have both hands on the handlebars, and encourage them to see how far they can glide without having to put their foot down. Making it a game is always easier with kids.

Practice Braking

Riding a bike is all about moving forward. But sometimes, we need to brake to stay in a safe area. Kids’ bikes may come with one of two braking methods. One method is to push backward on the pedals. Kids will need a parent’s help to practice braking this way.

You can hold the bike in place and have your child sit on the bike and pedal forward and then back to see how braking works. You can even push them forward while holding onto the bike and let them see the braking in action.

Another method is the handlebar brake. Parents can walk alongside the bike as their child rides and practices using the hand brakes. Braking is one of the more hands-on tips to transition from training wheels.