Riding with the Family – How we got our 2-year-old to ride without training wheels!
We get stopped every time we are out with Owen on his bike. People are amazed that a kid so young can ride without training wheels and have a lot of questions. I decided a post on the web could help some of you out there who want to get your kids into riding and are looking for ways to get started. Here’s what worked for us…
We started Owen on the Specialized Kid’s Hotwalk.
He got his balance bike when he was 2 1/2. It took about a week to convince him to get on it, but once he did it only took a couple of days for him to get the hang of it. He was cruising around the neighborhood with his feet high in the air, jumping curbs, and going off road in no time!
A balance bike is a kid’s bike without training wheels or pedals. The idea is that balance is the key to riding – if they learn balance, adding pedals is pretty simple – no training wheels required. Here’s the part where I admit I didn’t believe it would actually work. He learned the balance quickly, but you see much older kids out there who can’t ride without training wheels – could it really be possible a 2 year old (2 3/4 by the time I bought the Hotrock) could do this? YES!
Here’s a quick video if you’ve never seen one in action…
A quick aside for those of you wondering why we didn’t opt for training wheels. As most of you parents out there know, what works for one kid may not work for the other. In our case, Owen seemed ready and able to do it and the training wheel bike just didn’t work very well for him and what he demanded in performance from his ride (long story).
He’s now on the Specialized Kid’s 12 Hotrock. It comes with training wheels, but we took them off before he ever saw the bike. We decided he would never know it was an option and, therefore, never think he needed them. (I did give him a tricycle while he had the Hotwalk so that he would know how to pedal.) With his dad following close behind and giving a push when needed, he rode sans training wheels on the first try. It worked for him!
I’m sure there are a multitude of different variations to what we did with these two bikes to get your child riding. I encourage you to give it a try, if you have even a suspicion that your child is ready. I’m happy to answer questions about how it worked for us if you still have some.
Bicycle Haus sells the Specialized line of bikes, and BikeKidShop.com sells Strider Balance Bikes as well (a little different than what I used, but looks like a good option as well).
5 comments
How exciting Mary! This must be so much fun for all of you! Curiosity question: do you think you’ll put Owen on some sort of a tandem with you all as he gets older, or keep him on his own bike? Thoughts on the pro’s/con’s of those options?
Instead of a tandem for the kids, which can often be too big for the little ones, a trailbike is a great next step in learning how to ride. Trailbikes are independent bikes with just a rear wheel that attach to the parent’s bike via the seatpost or rack system. Kids can either pedal at their own speed or coast, while mom and dad do the major work. They are lots of fun too!
Hi Judy! It has been a blast to be able to ride with Owen! I hope that there will be a lot of opportunities to ride as a family in the future as his skills evolve (and, fingers crossed, he stays interested).
I think you are referring to the trailer bike Mel referenced. In case anyone out there isn’t familiar, you can take a look at one at http://www.rei.com/product/774425. I can’t make any recommendations based on experience and I have yet to research any brands, but I can say it is next on my list of things to buy. I think it will be good for family rides to the park or neighborhood restaurant, or rides that are a little longer distance than little legs can pedal on their own. For now, at 3 years old, Owen’s individual bike is good for neighborhood rides, nearby park trips and some shorter outings, but I really think that the trailer bike will open up the option of going longer distances as a family. (There’s a restaurant about 2 miles away that I can’t wait to ride to for dinner and this would be the perfect setup – Grazie, here we come!)
If anyone else out there has any input on how you’ve used this type of bike, pros and cons, or preferred brands, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Mary-
Wow! Owen it getting so big. He is really cruising around on his bike sans training wheels. I’ve seen lots of little kiddos at races on the Hotwalk… seems like a great option.
Thanks for your post!
Luisa
I spent a week babysitting a four year old in Bend, OR last summer. She had a “bike buddy” trailer that her dad used with her, and as far as I can tell he took her on all sorts of terrain. They definitely went mtn biking together on some of the easier trails in town. It seemed like an awesome way to actually get a young kid out to some really cool places! The only problem? Clara never wanted to ride her own bike because she couldn’t go as fast
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