Family (Biking) Matters is a monthly column that addresses questions and issues you may have as a person or family biking in the city. Don’t forget–– families come in all different shapes and sizes! If you have a question, write to hillfamilybiking@gmail.com.–– María Helena Carey
Family (Biking) Matters: I’m seeing more and more tiny 3-4 year olds on fully-fledged pedal bikes while walking my infant around the neighborhood. When I was a kid, my parents taught me how to ride a bike starting with training wheels when I was 5 or 6. It seems like balance bikes are all the rage these days, but when/how should I get my kiddos started? Bikes for Tykes
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Dear Bikes for Tykes: Your eyes do not deceive you! There are more and more kids learning to ride pedal bikes at younger and younger ages. I know kids as young as three and-a-half who have learned to ride a pedal bike in a matter of a few hours! And you are correct, the balance bike is the key to this relatively early success on two wheels.
That balance bikes help promote younger development of pedal biking skills is no coincidence: It’s science. Balance bikes encourage active postural control (i.e. sitting up straight), requiring children to maintain an upright position while moving. The design of balance bikes simplifies the learning process by focusing on balance first, followed by pedaling.
So how and when should you start your own child’s journey toward biking independence? I can largely speak from my own experience teaching my daughter how to ride a bike on her fourth birthday and from similar experiences of my peers.
Step 1: Purge everything else on wheels
Yes, that means scooters, tricycles, cars,and whatever else your child can ride has to go. All these devices are easier to ride than a balance bike, so your child will gravitate to them instead.
Step 2: Buy a balance bike for your child’s 2nd birthday
As with all developmental milestones, every child is different, but as a rule of thumb most will be ready for a balance bike by their second birthday. And making it a birthday present brings an air of importance that your child will pick up on.
Not all balance bikes are created equal and I strongly recommend the Woom 1 for two-year olds and Woom 1 Plus for three- to four-year olds. These bikes are relatively expensive, but they have two features that most do not: real rubber inflatable tires and hand brakes. Both of these features better simulate riding a pedal bike and make the ultimate transition that much easier.
Before going right to the Woom website, I recommend checking out secondhand marketplaces. Moms on The Hill (aka MOTH) is a great place to start and post your own ISO (In Search Of) instead of banking on someone putting a bike up just when you need it. Woom also has a trade-in program, so you can purchase used bikes from them as well.
I also recommend the Woom helmet. I tried helmets from Nutcase and Bern that never fit my daughter’s head properly and the Woom helmet design is second to none.
Step 3: Practice Every Day
It’s highly unlikely your child will jump on a balance bike and start whizzing around the block. It will take time and lots of practice. I recommend taking 5 minutes every day before work/childcare and going up and down your block. Each day they’ll make improvements and should be pros in a matter of a week or two. Once they have the hang of it, make balance biking their primary mode of transportation for trips up to one mile. Instead of walking or taking the stroller to the park, have them ride.
If your child is apprehensive about getting on a balance bike to begin with, show them Youtube videos of kids on balance bikes, bring them to a Hill Family Biking ride and ride with them on your bike. All these acts of modeling behavior will get them on their balance bike in no time
Step 4: No Training Wheels, No Cry
For my daughter’s fourth birthday, I bought her a Woom 2 pedal bike and the freewheel kit. Due to United States regulations, all 14-inch bikes must be sold with coaster brakes, which are detrimental to learning to ride. Woom sells a freewheel kit that you can either swap out yourself or take to a local bike shop like The Daily Rider. Allowing kids to pedal backwards to gain their balance and start with proper pedal position is critical to learning to ride.
Even with all this knowledge, I got anxious and plopped my daughter right on the bike and expected her to pedal, forgetting that she’s never really pedaled anything before. She got scared and we had to come back the next day. First, I showed her a video of a kid riding a pedal bike by first using her feet to get going like on a balance bike and then getting up on the pedals. And instead of riding in an alley or park, we just went down our block with the goal of getting to Lincoln Park.
First she would use her feet, get up on the pedals and then pedal backwards. But after two blocks of this, she got it and she never looked back. Within a week, we were taking 2-mile rides on the Anacostia River Trail and now she rides her bike everywhere.
Step 5: Hill Family Biking Littles Ride
Inspired to get your little one on two wheels? You’re in luck, because the first-ever Hill Family Biking Littles Ride is on Saturday, November 23rd at Lincoln Park. Join us for a one-mile on-street ride on the slowest streets we could find. This ride is aimed at ages 2-6. After our ride, we’ll have snacks and storytime with DC Public Library. Older siblings are welcome to bring up the rear.