Pedaling a bike

[Tweakster]

Yeah that's ok Steph, DH would never allow it anyway LOL

[Mama2boys]

DS1 (5.25) is great with pedalling and a bit of a speed junkie but with Training Wheels on, we tried taking them off during the falland he was not rready I might lift them a bit in a few weeks and see if he can try and balance.

DS2 , just turned 2 and is trying to pedal but not great at it ok he barely pedals

[*Liz*]

Its interesting isn't it?? I like that your LO went straight onto a balance bike so early - mine held it - announced it was too big and wailed  . It is a strider and she is big enough really. She still does that now at age 2  . Whereas DS saw it - thought it was WONDERFUL and rode it round and round immediately. He was over 3 by then anyway - but I think he likes the fact that it looks like a real bike  .

So very individual.

Megan likes to go fast and she gets frustrated with anything that makes her slow and awkward. So she doesn't like her scooter unless it has the training seat on either.

But she is able to jump and turn forwards rolls already at not quite 2  . So very very individual.

Em - I would guess that they are just small with skinny legs and it is all rather a lot of hard work  .

[Tweakster]

Yeah Finn was the same with the balance bike - he got it for Finn at Christmas 2010 so Finn was only 20ish mths and it was too big, he was scared of it.  Tom was crushed.  After he turned 2 he would sit on it but that's about it.  Finally last fall at 2.5 he started bombing around on it and hasn't looked back.  Can't recall any tears at all with regards to the bike.

The trike he got when he was 18 mths ish but it was the Radio Flyer kind you push for them.  But he still did not like having his feet on the pedals.  Last spring and summer he cried every time he sat on it.  Now he can pedal but he's not great at steering and can't really manouvre the thing easily when he gets off track - so we've had quite a few tears with it still.  More practice this summer I think OR move him to the bigger bike like Ambrose.  But Finn's a very careful kid - he has a real risk assessment thing going on and seems to know what's dangerous lol. Like his momma. 

The scooter he likes but once he mastered it he was kind of like 'and...what's next?'

[~inbalance~]

DS1 can ride the scooter and likes it, but gets tired and lazy very quickly!  Honestly, I think I just have low energy children, lol.  He is almost 4 now and would much rather sit in the stroller than anything else. 

I do remember seeing one kid at the park last year who was about 3.5 going absolutely crazy on the balance bike.  He was flying down hills with big kids on big bikes, and I remember staring at disbelief and asking his mother how she was not freaking out.  She just kind of shrugged.  She did say she had such a hard time keeping up with him.  I said he must be exhausted at the end of the day, and she said not really.  So very individual and probably depends on personality, like you said Liz.

I have such low energy children, they could sit around inside all day, take long naps, and still go to bed and sleep all night. 

[nosenose]

I don't see a transition to a regular pedal bike for Finn for some time. First he needs to be able to do extended 'legs up' periods on his balance bike as well as mastering pedaling. I reckon we'll come a long way this year but no regular bike I don't think . It's slow going cos he doesn't like to run much and gets fed up with the bike pretty quickly (It's basically running with wheels under you innit!) 'I caaant do it' and needs to be picked up, won't even continue walking. I'm hoping that more running around will will make him like running around more. We'll see lol.

Out of curiosity, are you all talking about traditional 2 wheel scooters, or 3 wheel ones?

[~inbalance~]

I have both a two wheel one and a three wheel one, but he uses the three wheel one for now.  I think the two wheel one is too big and would be too hard for him to manage.  He's such a tiny little guy!  lol

[Tweakster]

I'm curious about the scooter with a seat Liz?!  What kind is it?

[*Liz*]

It is a mini micro 3 wheel scooter (and that is what J uses as well BTW Tom  , but at Christmas they brought out a seat so a younger LO can use it.
http://www.micro-scooters.co.uk/category/mini-micro-seat-and-o-bar/?src=home

So that is what Megan uses - and although expensive it obviously just converts to a scooter when she is done. It is very different from a regular ride on though as it obviously goes the speed of a scooter so she can lift her legs and go down hills etc.

Jacob is just starting to happily scoot places rather than sit in the buggy. But it has taken some encouragement, and we still use a buggy for a long walk or a day trip out. He isn't super high energy either.

There is no way we will move to a regular bike any time soon either. He runs fast with his balance bike, and easily controls his speed and turns corners. But not enough true balancing yet - and TBH I know it would scare him anyway - so he may as well just carry on doing something that he is finally starting to see as a fun thing - rather than pushing onto the next.

[Me.and.my.two.boys]

DS loves his balance bike too but he just isnt out on it enough to warrant getting him a big 2 wheel bike yet. Im planning it for his birthday in August so hopefully we will have plenty of practice on the balance bike between now and then so he is ready

[nosenose]

I do have to say, I don't see any rush in pushing our kids from a balance bike to a pedal bike. I reckon they can use a balance bike for years to come. They are VERY versatile...

Run Biker detour.m4v

You can learn lots and lots of balance and control without these pedal things getting in the way. I'm almost tempted to build one for myself so we can go on balance bike rides together

[*Liz*]

That is ace Tom  . I would LOVE to see DS to that!!

[okinawamama]

First he needs to be able to do extended 'legs up' periods

This is how we knew Ambroses' balance was good enough for the 2 wheeler. On the street that had the slight decline he'd keep his feet up almost the entire time from one end of the street to the other.

Liz, Those scooters you've attached are SO cool!!

[nosenose]

On the street that had the slight decline he'd keep his feet up almost the entire time from one end of the street to the other.

Yep, that's what I'll be looking for. My guess is that by then he will be able to pedal well anyway so the transition is available to him if he wants it. No pressure before then

[*Liz*]

That is a helpful pointer - thanks Steph  .

I still do wonder if I should get a trike to practice pedalling as well though  . But I know he can't do the nursery ones yet either.