Ride of Passage

Help your children learn to ride a bike and watchtheir confidence take off.

Read the full article here, at General Mills' Box Tops for Education Web site, or below:

Learning to ride a bike is a major milestone on a child’s road to independence. Robert Vines, bike consultant at Cycle Loft in Burlington, Mass., teaches three methods for helping kids learn while minimizing bumps and scrapes along the way.

GET READY...
Once you’ve consulted bike shop staff to be sure your child’s bike and helmet are perfect fits, you’re ready to hit the road. No matter which method you choose, remember: stay calm. “Every child is different and will learn at a different pace,” says Vine. “Be patient!”

GET SET…GO!
Take these training methods for a spin and see which one best fits your own family:

Training wheels
Good for: Children who want a constant safety net

When using training wheels, the bike should have some lean to it. This means that the training wheels are installed high enough off the ground so that the bike has to lean one way or the other before the training wheels make contact with the ground. Otherwise, the bike would be held perfectly straight which would prevent the child from needing to learn her own balance. Once your child learns pedaling, braking and steering, slightly raise the training wheels. As balance improves, the training wheels will no longer come in contact with the ground.

Running with your child
Good for: Athletic parents and children eager to learn

Hold the bike by the seat when running alongside your child, so your child can’t tell if you are holding the bike or not. This allows you to let go inconspicuously. Another option: Hold your child’s shoulders. (Never hold the handlebars; it’s dangerous.) You’ll be able to make slight corrections, and your child will learn to adjust for the bike’s leaning.

Undersized bike
Good for: Children with access to a sibling’s smaller bicycle

On a smaller bike, your child’s feet should be able to be flat on the ground, ready to stop a fall. Practice coasting down a slight grade on a grassy field--the grass prevents too much speed, and provides a softer landing. After several coasting sessions, have your child put her feet on the pedals.

Final step: have your child pedal the bike, and watch her take off and explore the neighborhood on wheels.