Learning to ride a bike is a significant milestone for your child and can be an exciting and fun experience for both of you. Teaching your child to cycle does not need to be challenging so long as you follow certain steps, which we’ll explore in this article.

Here are some helpful tips before you get started:

Go at your child’s pace

Before you begin teaching your child how to ride a bike, talk to them about the process and explain that it will be fun and be done at their pace. Make sure they understand that learning to cycle can take time.

Remember that if it takes your child a little longer to master balance, this doesn’t necessarily mean your child does not have a talent for cycling! Parents can sometimes be too eager to introduce pedalling before their child has learnt the basics of how to balance. Try not to do this as it may increase the likelihood of falls, which can greatly impact your child’s confidence and willingness to learn. You can help by setting realistic expectations and being patient with your child's progress. Remember, every child learns at their own pace, and with patience and persistence, your child will be riding confidently in no time!

Stay positive

Praising and encouraging your child's efforts can also help boost their confidence and motivation. It's important to remember that learning to ride a bike is a process, and it's essential to celebrate your child’s progress – however small – along the way.

Remember that learning to cycle is a new experience for your child, and they may feel nervous or anxious. You can help remove this fear through using a balance bike approach to start with. Also, remember to be supportive and encourage them to keep trying, even if they struggle.

If your child falls, remain calm and reassuring, and help them get back on the bike. Your positivity and encouragement will help build your child's confidence and keep them motivated.

Remove the fear of falling

Many children are hesitant to ride a bike because they are afraid of getting hurt or falling off the bike. One way to help your child overcome their fear of falling is by removing the emphasis on pedalling and instead starting with a balance bike approach where your child first develops their balance through scooting and gliding. Balance bikes are designed to help children learn to balance on two wheels without pedals, reducing the risk of falling. Once your child is comfortable riding and balancing without pedals, you can gradually introduce pedals when they are ready to take that step.

Make it fun

Teaching your child how to ride a bike is a significant milestone in their development and should be an exciting and fun experience for both of you. Learning to cycle should be a fun experience! You should celebrate their success and incorporate fun activities to keep your child engaged and entertained! To keep your child engaged and motivated, you can break up practice sessions into smaller structured sections where they gradually develop their skills.

Focus on balance and coordination

Riding a bike requires balance, coordination, and a range of motor skills that your child may still be developing. It can be harder for some children to learn to ride a bike than others. Remember to go at your child’s pace.

To help your child develop the necessary motor skills, before cycling you can encourage your child to practise balance and coordination exercises such as standing on one foot or hopping. You can also help by breaking down the process of riding a bike into smaller, more manageable steps, such as learning to balance first – a balance bike is great for this – and then adding in pedalling later. You should also focus on particular coaching points that will help your child develop their balance (we’ll explore these later) and encourage them to ride at different speeds (riding very slowly is a great way to develop balance and coordination when cycling).

Another very important thing: When your child is learning to balance, you should avoid holding onto their handlebars or saddle as this will take away your child’s sense of control of their bike. Instead, let your child develop their steering and balancing technique more naturally. You shouldn’t really need to physically support your child when they learn to ride if you use a balance bike approach at the beginning.

Consolidate and then challenge

Your child should build up their skills through learning new techniques and then repeatedly practising them. Remember to practice, practice, practice so that techniques become easier and more instinctive. At the start of your next session together try to recap what you covered in your last session. This will reinforce what your child has just learnt and help them make the next step up. They should progress onto more challenging techniques when ready whilst not becoming complacent and forgetting the good habits that they’ve just learnt!

Once your child is ready, think about ways for them to progress. If they can signal with control with either hand, can they progress onto doing so whilst gently applying a brake at the same time? Can they swerve in and out of cones in a tighter slalom? Can they ride very slowly in a small area that gets progressively smaller without putting their feet down?

Use a routine-based approach

A routine-based approach to cycling can be helpful to ensure your child builds good habits. Breaking down techniques into short sequences can make it easier for your child to remember the key steps. Examples of this could be when teaching the technique for getting on and off a bike as a routine: Teaching this as a specific sequence will make your child less likely to forget the key steps such as keeping the brakes on and tilting the bike towards them to lower the saddle before getting on or off. Another example is when teaching your child the sequence for starting a journey: Teaching your child to look behind the moment before they start – as part of their starting routine – can help ensure that this process of checking becomes instinctive.

If teaching your child using routines, just ensure they understand that routines in our cycling must always involve good decision making. So no “lazy” checks behind, but rather proper looks that enable them to make informed decisions such as whether it is clear to go!

Demonstration-led learning

Most of us are visual learners so rather than verbally explaining at length to your child what they should do, you should combine concise verbal coaching with demonstrations where you show them how to perform certain techniques. You should therefore ideally have a bike with you when teaching your child to cycle!

Suitable length of sessions and taking breaks when needed

Learning to cycle can be emotionally and physically tiring for some children – particularly at the start. When your child learns to cycle, you’ll find that they find the process less physically demanding each time they practise. Sessions should last a suitable length of time to optimise your child’s learning. Younger children may benefit from shorter, more frequent sessions. Remember to give your child sufficient breaks to ensure they have enough energy to practise to the best of their ability.

You may find that shorter sessions that take place frequently are the best way for your child to learn: Little and often may be the best way to go!

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