If you have ridden a bike before, you’ll agree with me that it is always a fun-filled experience. Many people are in recent times turning to bike riding as an exercise activity. The Covid 19 lockdowns have increased bike use for exercise and exposure to the neighborhoods to break the monotony of being indoors due to the transport sensations. Though it requires effort to teach adults how to ride bikes, it is even tricky to teach an older kid aged. However, we have gathered enough tips that you require to teach your older kid how to ride a bike and allow them to cruise the terrains with their peers altogether in the summers.
- Prepare the kid mentally to be willing to learn.
Talking to the kid about the possibility of learning without hassle will make the kid have confidence. However, please do not tell the child that they may be on the bike by themselves after five minutes of learning. There is a possibility of the kid learning fast, but being an older kid could be coupled with fears for falls and hurts, which may take some time before they master the skill.
- Introduce the kid to the bike, to the brakes in particular.
Show the child around the bike and let them know how the parts of a bicycle function. Showing them around the bike makes the kid acclimate because a bike can intimidate a child, making them fearful.
- Ensure that the kid can put their feet flat on the ground.
This will help them feel steady on the ground by building some confidence in them before even riding. Let her sit on the bike and test the brakes a few times. Hand brakes are suitable for beginners like the kid because they can even saddle up while applying the brakes.
- Start the kid at the top of a slight incline.
Support the child down the slope and gradually withdraw the help to make them learn. Make it a game by using a stick of chalk to make a mark and beat the child. Try this a few times, and once the kid can do this for a reasonable distance, you can now introduce extra practice sessions. Let her try the same, but this time with her feet resting on the pedals. There will be some twisting side to side while trying to keep balance. As the practice goes by, she will become used to it and improve on balancing until she knows how to balance it fully.
- Stand in front of them and keep reminding the kid to maintain eye contact with the path.
Encourage her against looking at her feet because it can lead to losing control of balance. Particularly when trying to find the pedals, tell her to try looking forward.
- It’s time to build your student with some steering knowledge.
This should teach your kid how to make slight turns. Pick a point off the straight line and make sure your child aims for it. It should require a slight turn but nothing technical. In the opposite direction, add a point to have the skills to take turns in both hands. As the knowledge instils in her mind, move the points, so they require sharper turns. It is allowed if the kid puts her feet on the ground since it helps keep balance as she takes some turns moving from points to points.
- Now, at this stage of the practice, the child should be able to pedal.
Encourage the kid to do some pedaling as she takes turns. Doing this several times makes the kid gain more confidence. You can opt to hold the back of the bike’s seat as the kid learns how to steer into the direction the bike is leaning to avoid imbalance and falling. Assign her to do it without supervision but keep watching and offer help where the need arises. The kid will find it fun, and she will enjoy doing it. Your encouragement before even starting the practice will be fulfilled.
- Teach the kid how to make the bike started.
You know, starting the bike requires the most balance. That is why we don’t start by starting the bike in bicycle practice. It is until the balance has improved that you now introduce how to start the bike.
- You should first position one pedal past the top of the turn and place the child’s foot on it.
Then push off like a scooter with the other foot on the ground while the pedal foot pushes down. Keep repeating this because it is a cycle. It looks evident until it is time for a child to do it. To a child, it is a new operation that needs a lot of explaining.
- The essential thing that you should remember is that this is fun, not life and death.
If the kid fails to show enthusiasm and interest, you should take a break. If the kid happens to fall, she should try another one more time before quitting. This helps her gain confidence that even if she gets hurt, she will not give up trying. Riding a bike comes naturally for humans, with only a few training hours for proper coordination of balance and direction. Riding a bike for the first time can be intimidating, but it becomes more straightforward once you take your first ride. Riding a bike is an exciting activity that gives kids and even adults a feeling of joy, satisfaction, adventure, freedom, and confidence.
The above mentioned tips should help you train an older kid learn how to ride a bike. However, you need to be ready to handle the prejudices and fears that comes with being an older kid to physical training. Ensure that the kid wears the safety gears to help them manage their fears and have the motivation to start the training. Make the training in an environment where the kid will not feel ashamed and intimidated.