When we first set out to teach our daughter how to ride her bike, I pictured a fun afternoon with a warm breeze laughing as she peddled faster and faster until she was riding around the block with ease. The reality of teaching her to ride a bike was anything but easy — she just wasn’t ready. This post is sponsored by Schwinn.
Fast forward four years and setting aside past difficulties, we set out to teach both girls how to ride their bikes in one afternoon. (Dad’s idea, I thought he had lost his mind!) On this day, bike riding was finally what I always dreamed it would be. Within minutes, both girls were riding with smiles!
At eight years old K is finally a confident bike rider and so is her four-year-old sister. (What a difference personality makes!) And once again, my girls taught me some valuable lessons.
Let me share my tips I have learned for teaching kids to ride a bike:
- Wait until your child is ready and willing (super important!)
- Talk it up ahead of time
- Choose the right bike (learn about the SmartStart bike below)
- Choose a cool safety helmet
- Lead by example
- Make it a family event
- Wait until your child is ready (this bears repeating)
By letting my girls tell me when they were ready to ride (now), everyone went into the activity with excitement. And now all they can talk about is riding their bikes after school. Both girls now ride up and down the street with ease, and dad’s new goal is to remove those training wheels by the end of summer.
Schwinn SmartStart Bikes
If your little one is ready to ride, the first step is to choose the right bike. Schwinn now offers SmartStart bikes that are specially designed for kids to help them learn to ride. Designed to be lightweight for increased stability, SmartStart bikes are safer because they are less wobbly. (Super important for nervous riders!)
Schwinn SmartStart 16 inch bikes are available in the Burnout for boys and the Jamboree for girls.
Established in 1895, Schwinn is the go-to resource for the recreational bike rider. Like all Schwinn bikes, SmartStart bikes have a limited lifetime warranty for as long as you own the bike. Shop Toys”R”Us for the largest selection of 16” bikes for kids to get your rider equipped to learn.
Schwinn SmartStart Bike Giveaway
Get ready to ride! One lucky winner will receive a Schwinn prize pack worth more than $400 that includes an adult Schwinn bike, a backpack, a Schwinn BluTunes Speaker, two Schwinn bike bells, two Schwinn bike locks, a wheel pump, and two water bottles! Additional prizing will also be awarded.
To enter, use the widget below.
These are all great tips. Bike riding is so much fun!
Fantastic tips you have shared. Thank you so much for your tutorial on teaching your kid to ride a bike. Your step-by-step directions on how to ride a bike is fabulous. Now, we are boasting to everyone we know about your unique techniques via video and link. Thank you for all you do! Much is appreciated. This was a great confidence builder for her. Thank you very much. Now I would really like to take up cycling as a good exercise. Keep up the great work.
These are helpful tips. That girls’ bike is so cute, too!
Oh those are all great tips! Our little one is just out growing his bike from last year…so we need to look into a new one. These tips really help!
I will be saving these tips. We have a balance bike. My son never used training wheels. Hoping the same for my daughter.
My kids are about to turn 6 and are outgrowing their current bikes! Time for us to choose a comfortable fit bike for them and maybe for us too!