Learning to ride a two-wheeled kids’ bike is best accomplished in several steps. Ideally, the child should have a tricycle even before he can walk. It is important to remember that a trike should be used on flat services, preferably in an enclosed area, or even indoors. Remember, trikes don’t have brakes and can easily escape! While children don’t learn to balance on a trike, they will learn to steer and pedal. Around age 2 1/2, you can start looking at kids’ bikes with training wheels. Remember that there should always be a bit of “camber” in the bike. Set the training wheels at slightly different heights to force your child to balance.

Children learn balance at different ages. This usually occurs between 4 and 9 years of age. A good way to teach balance before conquering a kids bike is on a scooter. You can try to teach your child to ride a bike as early as 3 years old, but until they master their balance, it will be frustrating for both of you. The age of children to ride a bicycle depends on several things. They must be physically capable and mentally ready to learn, their comfort level must be reached, and it must be fun. If it’s not fun, your child won’t learn.

So, is your child ready for adventure and you are ready to take them off on your outdoor bike? Don’t buy a special kids bike at this point, you just want them to learn to ride and they’ll outgrow it quickly. Here are some gradual steps you can take to help them on their way.

Have your child sit on the bike. Make sure that he is not too small. He should be able to sit on the seat with both feet flat on the floor and legs straight. Now ask him to “slide” the bike and get a feel for his balance.

· Once he’s running, ask him to pick up his feet and slide a bit. You can give him a little push from behind. This will force you to balance the bike. Ask him to practice applying the brakes. At a young age, foot brakes are much easier for young children, as they may not have the manual force for handbrakes.

· Does the balance look good? Ask him to turn and drive. Maybe you’ll get around a few obstacles while cruising along the coast.

· Carry out a check. Can your child look up while he drives and drives? Can he spin well? Is there a smile on his face?

· Now we are going to pedal. You’ll probably have to help out a bit here. Never hold on to the handlebars, you want your child to drive. Don’t hold the back of the seat, you’re rocking for it. Hold his shoulders. It’s awkward, but he’ll feel the pressure of your hands as you balance him and learn to do it on his own.

Once your child is riding, there are many specialized kids’ bikes available, from lightweight aluminum frames to mountain bikes and derailleurs. Have fun with this and remember the old adage, “it’s like riding a bike…”