It is important that your child only attempts pedalling once they can balance well and stop with control. This is important as once the pedals go on, they will start to ride at higher speeds. Once you and your child feel that they are ready, you’ll need to put the pedals back on if they've been removed. Very soon they'll be pedalling for the first time and feeling like a real cyclist!

Once the pedals are back on, double check that your child’s saddle is at a comfortable height. Their feet should now not be completely flat on the ground when they are seated, but raised a little. You should also check that your child’s bike is in a fairly low gear. This will ensure that they don’t ride too quickly when pedalling for the first time!

Demonstrate to your child how they can now rest one foot on a pedal in the 6 o'clock position and push along the ground with the other foot. They should first practise doing this a few times without lifting their other foot onto the other pedal. Practising stopping this way will help them transition to using both pedals. Once your child feels ready, they can push along with one foot on one pedal and then lift the other foot onto the other pedal to start pedalling! This is when your child will feel like a real cyclist for the first time! Ensure that your child practises starting and stopping in this way until they are more confident. If your child is nervous about pedalling for the first time, you can always walk or run alongside them if this helps build their confidence!

You should teach your child to always ride with their fingers covering their brakes and with their thumbs on the underside of their handlebar grips. Covering their brakes at all times will enable them to squeeze them gently to slow down, or more firmly when stopping. Remind them that, so long as their thumbs are underneath, they don’t need to grip onto the handlebars tightly!

Teach your child to slow down and stop using both brakes. You should teach them to look forwards (rather than at the ground) when stopping, and to keep both brakes on after they've stopped. Teach them to also stop with both feet on the pedals – only putting their feet down the moment after they’ve stopped. Demonstrate this to them so they get the idea, then give them lots of opportunities to practise. One fun way to do this is to ask your child to ride over and stop in a particular area made out of cones or drawn on the ground using chalk!

Be mindful that this is the point where the risk of collisions or losing control (usually when stopping) increases so ensure that your child does not ride too fast initially. You can help them here by prompting them to alternate between pedalling and gliding with both feet on the pedals – gliding will help them manage their speed and slow down.

How to Transition Onto Pedals and Teach Starting and Stopping

Unii shares how to support your child’s transition onto pedals when teaching them to cycle.