How to transition your child from a Tricycle to a Bicycle

The decision to transition your child off his or her training wheels is often a difficult one. As a parent, you may dread the possibility of witnessing a crash or tumble. Unfortunately, this is often part of the process. While getting the right bike in kids bike sizes can give your child the best chance of success, the achievement of transitioning is ultimately one your child must make on his or her own.

Choose the Right Trainer Bike

There are currently several good options for training your child to exhibit the balance necessary to ride with fewer than three wheels. A tricycle is probably the most common and classic children's bike. Tricycles are perfectly acceptable options for teaching pedaling skills for keeping up with adults and older siblings. They don't, however, teach children to balance very effectively. Unfortunately, transitioning directly from a tricycle is more likely than other options to result in spills and minor injuries.

As they transition kids away from their first trikes, many parents opt for bikes with training wheels. Training wheels allow kids to practice balance, as training wheels are slightly offset to allow a bike's two main wheels to work alone. Although training wheels are a tried and tested method of weening children off the security of a tricycle, they can create an overreliance on the support of additional wheels.

Recently, up-to-date parents have been using balance bikes. Balance bikes are built somewhat like your men's or women's step through bike and allow your child to reach the ground with their legs. Balance bikes have no pedals, so they are designed specifically with balance in mind. Together with a tricycle, balance bikes can help kids develop riding skills significantly earlier than they might otherwise.

Choose the Right Time

There is no one "right" time to switch your child to a standard bike. The right time is whenever your child has developed the maturity, balance, fitness, and coordination to successfully ride a grown-up-style bike. You should judge this for yourself but understand that the sooner you get your kid used to riding a training bike, the sooner they can progress to the next step.

Use the Right Safety Equipment

Whenever you feel that your kid is strong and coordinated enough to make the switch, choose a day to go for it. Although it may take more than a single attempt, the process can take as little as ten minutes. The single most important piece of safety equipment is a helmet, so don't cheap out on this critical safety item. You may wish to pad your child like a knight at a jousting match with various elbow and kneepads, but these can sometimes throw a small child off balance. Watch over them carefully and prepare to be amazed as they ride off by themselves.

Riding a real bike is a milestone in every child's life and you should be proud when yours has finally done it. Remember, safety first, so make sure to invest in a good, safe, lightweight bike from a reputable manufacturer.