How to Help Children Ride a Two-Wheel Bicycle

Learning to ride a two-wheeler is an exciting milestone in the life of a child. This major childhood development helps kids develop balance and coordination, increases strength and provides a cardiovascular workout, according to Cris Rowan, pediatric occupational therapist in "Today's Parent" article "Learning to Ride a Bike." When teaching your child to ride a two-wheel bike, remember to be supportive and not push for it to happen too fast.

Things You'll Need

  • Bike
  • Helmet
  • Elbow pads (optional)
  • Knee pads (optional)

Instructions

    • 1

      Make sure the bike is the right size for your child. Make sure he can stand over the top of the frame with both feet planted firmly on the ground. Look at your child when he's on the bike and see if he can rest his hands comfortably on the handlebars.

    • 2

      Lower the seat of the bike so your child can put both feet flat on the ground while sitting on it. Avoid lowering the seat too far -- your child should be able to sit comfortably with her legs straight and her feet on the ground. Inflate the bike tires to the proper pressure.

    • 3

      Provide your child with a helmet and other safety gear, such as long pants or knee and elbow pads. Make sure his shoelaces are tucked in to his shoes. Talk to your child about the importance of wearing a helmet every time he rides his bike.

    • 4

      Find a good location for your child to practice riding her two-wheel bike, such as a grassy field or empty parking lot with a slight downhill slope. Take your child to the top of the hill and encourage her to lift her feet off the ground and coast down the hill. If you are in a flat area, encourage her to scoot along until she feels secure lifting her feet to coast.

    • 5

      Allow your child time to get a feel for balancing on his bike. Avoid steadying the bike for him. Challenge your child to count how long he can balance on his bike each time, and praise him for improvements.

    • 6

      Introduce steering and turning to your child once she masters scooting and coasting. Make sure she feels comfortable with her progress before moving on. Start with big, looping turns and progress to smaller turns gradually. Challenge her to steer between cones or toward a specific target on the ground.

    • 7

      Teach your child how to ride using the pedals once he has mastered coasting, turning and steering. Use a gentle hill to allow him to start of coasting, then begin pedaling while he is rolling. Repeat until he feels comfortable going from coasting to pedaling.

    • 8

      Add exercises that allow your child to get practice using the brakes on her bike. Instruct your child to apply both brakes at the same time, since using only the front breaks can cause a rider to go over the handlebars of the bike. Challenge your child to stop at certain points by braking rather than coming to a stop by friction or stopping by using her feet.

    • 9

      Show your child how to start moving from a stopped position on his bike. Instruct him to stand with one foot on the ground and the other on the opposite pedal, raised almost to its highest point. Coach your child in pressing the pedal down to begin moving forward.

    • 10

      Raise the height of the bike seat as your child becomes comfortable with the skills you taught her. Start by raising the seat slightly, and continue moving it up in small increments until she feels secure riding with the seat at the proper height.

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