Learning to pedal is a major milestone in every kid's biking journey, and it&#;s something that as parents, we might feel anxious about tackling.
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Perhaps you&#;re already imagining the tears and tantrums. What if you get it wrong and it puts them off riding bikes forever? Are they ready, when&#;s the right time, and do they even want to try it?
But thankfully, teaching your little one to ride doesn&#;t have to be an anxiety inducing experience for you, or them, so long as your little one is ready to make the transition.
Read on to discover the 3 key indicators that your kid is ready to transition from their balance bike and discover the world of pedalling:
Although there&#;s nothing to stop a pedal bike being your kids first bike, we strongly recommend your kid gets to grips with a balance bike from an early age. Not only are they super fun and easy, helping little riders get stoked on 2 wheels - but they also teach your kid a tonne of key riding skills. Ticking off those skills on a balance bike means when it comes to learning to pedal - all their attention is focussed on the task at hand (or should I say feet?).
How to tell that your kid is a balance bike ninja:
1/ Balancing is second nature
Your little one will be gliding for long periods on their balance bike, only using their feet to propel themselves &#; and not putting them down in-between glides.
2/ Steering is a breeze
They can shift their weight on the bike and steer between obstacles. They can make tight turns without falling.
3/ They know how to stop
It&#;s a good idea to get a rear hand brake for your kids' balance bike, and make sure they&#;re using it confidently before introducing pedals. On a pedal bike, they won&#;t be able to put their feet down to stop, so if they&#;re confident using a hand brake &#; that&#;s one less thing to learn and draw their attention away from pedalling.
As the parenting adage goes &#; it&#;s about stages, not ages. There&#;s no golden rule for what age your kid should start pedalling, and every kid will develop at different times.
Below are 3 indicators that your little one is physically ready to pedal:
1/ They&#;re strong enough
Your little one&#;s first pedal bike will likely be a 14&#; or 16&#; bike, and be constructed from heavier materials than their 12&#; balance bike. As such, you want to know your kid can handle the weight. Climbing playground equipment is a good indication they&#;ve got suitable arm strength.
Keep in mind that a kid's bike ideally shouldn&#;t weigh more than 30% of their body weight. For example, if your 4 year old weighs 37lb / 17kg, that translates to a 11lb / 5kg bike max weight. By the time you get to 16&#;, only the more premium bikes would meet this criteria for our 4 year old example. As such, you might choose to start on a 14&#; bike, or wait a little longer for your kid to mature - it&#;s a balancing act (see what I did there?)
2/ They&#;re tall enough
Your little one&#;s new pedal bike is not only going to be heavier, it&#;s also going to be bigger. With this in mind, it&#;s important to make sure your child is tall enough to comfortably ride their new bike.
The key here is saddle height. Your kids inseam (the distance between their crotch and the ground) should be 1-2&#; higher than the saddle height of the bike. For example, if the bike&#;s minimum saddle height is 20&#;, you want your kids inseam to be at least 21&#;.
Kids bikes vary a lot, but for 14&#; wheel bikes you&#;ll find a minimum seat height of around 15-16&#;, and for 16&#; wheel bikes you&#;ll find a minimum seat height of around 18&#;.
3/ They&#;re coordinated
Riding a bike requires a set of complex coordination skills &#; balancing, steering, leaning, using a hand brake - and all at the same time! That&#;s why we recommend learning most of those skills on a balance bike first, before learning to pedal.
Here are some key indicators of co-ordination development, that suggest your kid is ready to hit the pedals:
Catching and kicking a ball
Brushing their own teeth
They can handle fast changes in direction &#; for example when running
They are running, jumping and skipping easily
The development needed for anti-phase leg motion (aka pedalling), typically comes long before they&#;ll be pedalling a bike, at around 20 months. You&#;ll notice this develop in your child if they have other pedal based toys, such as trikes.
If your kid is a balance bike ninja, and they're developed enough to physically handle the task of pedalling a larger bike &#; there&#;s just one crucial factor left to consider. And it&#;s a biggie&#;
If there&#;s one point to take away from this article &#; it&#;s that there really is no rush for your kid to move on to pedalling if they&#;re not actually keen.
Being the zen MTB parent coach you are, it&#;s important to take your own expectations out of the equation. Just because your friends' kids of the same age are all ripping around on pedal bikes, doesn&#;t mean your kid should be too. After all, angsty parent pressure to get pedalling often has the opposite effect on your kids motivation.
Long story short, your kid is likely to ask for pedals when they&#;re ready, but to help stoke their interest, try taking them for a bike ride with some friends of the same age who are already pedalling. Try swapping bikes and having a go &#; seeing their friends on pedal bikes will have them asking questions about it in no time. Easy peasy!
Once you know your kid is ready to hit the pedals, it&#;s time to get out there and give it a shot. To help you along the way, here are our top 5 tips for making sure their pedal progression a success.
1/ Keep the balance bike around
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The most important thing is to keep your kid stoked on riding bikes. Being able to give their pedal bike a go, but know they can jump back on their balance bike, is key for keeping the good times rolling and the motivation high.
2/ Take the pedals off their new bike
When first introducing a pedal bike, remove the pedals themselves from your kids' new bike, and let them use it as a balance bike for a while. It will mean they get their balancing, braking and steering locked in on the new steed, before they have to worry about actually pedalling.
3/ Try a turbo trainer
If you have one, why not set your kids' pedal bike up on a turbo trainer &#; that way, they can learn the physical motion required to pedal, without having to worry about balancing, steering or braking at the same time. You might think this sounds the same as training wheels, but &#;
4/ Don&#;t be tempted by training wheels
Training wheels are for kids who can&#;t balance yet &#; and we know that your little one is already a balance bike master thanks to their runner bike experience. Training wheels can introduce a tonne of bad habits and might even set your little one back a few steps! Learn more about why stabilisers suck over on our blog.
5/ Try a tow rope
One of the biggest challenges for a new pedaler is setting off from a stationary position. Try using a tow rope to give them a slight pull from standstill &#; just to initiate the motion. The benefit of this approach is that it keeps your little one looking up at you, as opposed to down at their feet, which is far better for learning to ride.
When did your little one make the leap from balance to pedal bike, and did you discover any good tips along the way? We&#;d love to hear how it went for you, let us know below in the comments.
There are a lot of factors to consider when buying your child a bike but one of the most important is the bicycle's braking system.
Which brake type to use draws some divided opinions. Some parents see no problem with kids using coaster brakes (aka, foot or back-pedal brakes) when learning to ride, while others are opposed to them right from the start. Either way, there are two fundamental truths here:
In this article, we'll break down the differences between coaster and hand brakes along with their pros and cons so that you can make a sound decision about what's best for your child.
The coaster brake was introduced at the tail end of the 19th Century to do a couple things. On the one hand, it allows a bike to move forward without forcing the pedals to turn. In other words, you're able to "coast" along while sitting still. Additionally, its location on the inside of the rear hub allows it to act as a brake when the pedals rotate backwards. The harder you pedal backwards, the more braking power you generate. This power takes the form of friction between the rotating and stationary parts of the wheel, slowing down and eventually stopping the bike.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission requires that bikes with seat heights under 25" be fitted with coaster brakes (although bikes with seats under 22" don't need coasters as long as they meet certain criteria). As a result, these foot brakes are standard on smaller kids' bikes, or those with wheels typically between 12" and 16" in diameter. Above this, brake systems begin to diversify since most kids move onto hand-based versions fairly quickly. Coasters are also more common on cruiser bikes than most other styles that require the ability to back-pedal.
Coaster brakes are relatively easy to learn. Pedal forward, you go. Pedal backward, you stop. In fact, constantly referring to them as back-pedal or foot brakes while teaching your child is a good way to drive this idea home. Hand brakes require a bit more skill to operate. This isn't a bad thing, it just means you need to be in tune with your child's progress when it comes to hand-eye coordination.
Hand brakes require an array of cables running along the frame of the bike. Coasters don't. This simplifies the bike, and it's especially nice for anyone using folding or take-apart models. Many people also like the cleaner appearance of a no-cable bike. Aesthetics should of course come second to safety, but if that's what it takes to help get your rugrats out on the sidewalk (and out of your hair), then go for it.
On the whole, bikes with coaster brakes are cheaper than their hand-brake counterparts, both up front and over time. The internal nature of the braking system and its minimal components lead to coasters requiring little maintenance, if any. Keep this in mind if cost is an issue, particularly if your kid is zipping up the motor-skills chart.
Being positioned within the rear hub means coasters are less susceptible to wet conditions. That doesn't mean your child won't slip and slide on damp ground, it just means it won't be because of the brakes. This is a good thing, especially for all the kids out there who can't wait to peel out of the garage seconds after the storm passes.
Kids grow at different speeds. Some are well on their way to handshake-crushing grips in no time, whereas others take a little longer to get there. Coasters are good choices for younglings who struggle to either reach hand brakes or activate them fully. That said, they're not age-specific. A foot brake is a reliable alternative for riders with arm or hand disabilities, amputees, and others who lack the coordination and dexterity to properly use hand brakes.
How often do you pedal in reverse without even thinking about it? Well, they do, too. Back-pedaling is a natural movement in certain situations like riding uphill or trying to maintain balance. On bikes with a coaster setup, this obviously engages the brakes. The resulting experience can be frustrating, possibly lead to falls, and even delay pedal-skills development.
Typical "launch" position for the crank arm (the bar connecting the pedals to the gears) places the pedals roughly between the 2 and 4 o'clock and 8 and 10 o'clock locations on either side for optimum leverage. Coaster brakes don't allow you to easily get to this position from a stand-still. Since you can't pedal backwards, you have to push the pedals into position as you roll forward. That same launch-position leverage is also ideal for braking with coasters. But, this requires your children to anticipate stopping and properly position their feet ahead of time, which isn't always possible when the dog darts out of the bushes directly in front of them.
Foot brakes are generally heavier than their hand-based counterparts. While that difference may seem negligible to fully-grown riders, the weight of the child's bike is much closer to the weight of the child than yours is to you. So, every pound can matter when it comes to tinier kids and toddlers. Plus, smaller bikes have smaller crank arms, which reduce leverage and braking power. This creates potential problems for the weak-legged, especially if the bike is already half as heavy as the child.
Although coaster brakes require very little maintenance, once they do need to be looked at, you may as well get a brand-new ride. As the brakes are broken in, they develop what's called "dead space." Gradually, more back-pedal power is needed to engage the foot brake. Repairing the worn-down internal components can cost as much or more than a full-on wheel or bike replacement.
Coaster brakes are fine for the boardwalk, but they can be downright dangerous for the backwoods. Mountain bikes, among other specialized styles, simply can't use coasters. For one, coasters inherently require your feet to be on the pedals at all times, but this doesn't help if you need to take them off to stabilize yourself going over bumpy terrain. Avoiding rocks, trees, and other hazards may involve back-pedaling, which is clearly a no-go with back-pedal brakes. While this isn't as big of a deal when your youngsters are first starting out, shifting to hand brakes is inevitable as they get more serious about MTBing, BMXing, and road racing.
If your child's bike chain suddenly breaks or slips, we've got ourselves a situation. Unlike bikes with hand brakes on each side of the handlebar or bikes with both hand brakes and coaster brakes, coaster-only bikes have no plan B. Junior may have no problem Flinstoning his way to a stop on flat ground with plenty of runway, but it's a different story if he's flying downhill or rolling through streets with occasional traffic.
Bikes without a foot-based braking setup use what's called a freewheel hub. Similar in function to coaster brakes, a freewheel hub allows the wheel to turn even if the pedals do not. However, unlike with coasters, pedaling backward doesn't stop the bike.
With a freewheel system, stopping is controlled by the hands, not the feet. Most bikes have two levers on either side of the handlebars. The left brake controls the front wheel, and the right brake controls the rear one. Activating the brakes tightens a small cable running from each brake to each wheel, causing two sets of pads to slow them down. Traditionally, these pads have been applied to the wheel's rim. These days, some bikes are using specialized discs on the hub instead. We go more into rim brakes vs. disc brakes here, but for now we'll just focus on hand brakes as a general category.
To start from a resting position or to engage the brakes, certain pedal positions are better than others (as discussed above). With coaster brakes, you're basically subject to the position where you last stopped pedaling, and this isn't always ideal for your next move. A freewheel system with hand brakes takes this problem out of the equation. Pedaling backwards as necessary while riding also helps beginners regain their balance more easily.
Hand brakes offer more control over modulation, or braking power. Whereas coaster brakes are essentially on or off with very little wiggle room in between, hand brakes allow you to be more precise with the pressure. Being able to control braking force on downhill or slippery surfaces is pretty important. Furthermore, coasters are rear-wheel-only devices. Using handbrakes to slow both wheels stops the bike faster. Plus, because weight shifts onto the front wheel when coming to a halt, the front brake actually provides more stopping power.
Although coaster brakes require almost no maintenance, when they go, they go. Hand brakes, however, can be serviced when the pads eventually wear down. If all's well with the bike otherwise and it's not time to size up just yet, a quick stop at the local shop for a tune-up will do just fine.
While it's not true that every coaster-brake bike is a low-end bike, they do tend to sit toward the bottom of the price scale. A big reason why is the wheels. Traditional hand brakes squeeze the rim, which means the wheel itself needs to be of high quality. If it's not, it can bend more easily and end up rubbing the brake pads and reducing its overall integrity. Foot brakes don't require wheels to spin "true" (i.e., without a wobble), and therefore wheels on coaster models tend to be lower in quality.
Odds are very, very high that your kids will eventually ditch the coasters for good. Starting them out with hand brakes from the get-go&#;for instance, on a balance bike&#;eliminates the need to re-learn how to brake once they've gotten used to back-pedaling to stop. If you're an active family that wants the little ones to get out on the single track with everyone else as soon as possible, this gets them there more quickly.
For youngsters just starting out, stopping requires a bit more skill and thinking if they're braking by hand. On top of this, most of these brakes have just been plain hard to use for kids with smaller and weaker hands. This has changed in recent years, though, and more children's models are coming with youth-specific handles that are easier to reach and operate.
The most important thing to teach anyone, young or old, when they're learning how to use hand brakes is to never use just the left brake. Even at seemingly-mild speeds, locking only the front wheel can lead to the rider accidentally flying over the handlebars from the forward momentum. Intentionally pulling an "endo" is best left for more experienced daredevils.
Most hand brakes work because of the friction created between the brake pad and wheel rim. When these things are wet, they're not as effective. However, disc-style hand brakes are becoming more prevalent and work fine in wet conditions.
Unfortunately, smaller bicycles don't always come with quality hand brakes. Finding a kids' bike with well-designed brakes may require a bit of a search, and when you do find one, it's likely to cost you more than the other models. Plus, hand brakes require maintenance over time, which could lead to additional out-of-pocket expenses at the bike doctor if you're not a do-it-yourselfer in this department.
The vast majority of people will switch to hand brakes at some point (and if you happen to be at that point, here are seven ways to teach your kids how to use them). But, that doesn't mean they're the best choice for every child. Consider the following rules as a starting point for any parent.
Whichever you decide, make sure your kids prove they know how to stop safely before they take to the streets. Happy braking!
If you want to learn more, please visit our website 16 Inch Balance Bike.