Good-Bike, My Darling

Not unlike a lot of parents of a child of this age, we set a goal of teaching our six-year-old how to ride a two-wheel bike this summer. Our challenges were thus: (1) she’s averse to boo-boos and the prospect of picking up boo-boos, and (2) her general equilibratory sense is still more obtuse than acute.

From the Sunday newspaper’s magazine section, I learned what will be a neat trick if it works: to take off the training wheels completely (the article claims that these learning-to-ride staples only benefit their manufacturers), as well as the pedals, when teaching the art of bike riding. The idea is for the child to first learn how it feels and what it takes to balance a bike from a stationary position, and once she gets the hang of that, to do the same in short, parent-guided passes through a parking lot (or even a grassy area). The pedals are introduced only when the child builds confidence in her ability to stay upright while gliding.

We’ve yet to try the technique, but we’re eager to do so. I’ll keep you posted like a bike seat.