I haven’t totally mastered this YouTube thing. I spent most of the week attempting to upload the video so I could link it. But if this is posting…then I must have found success somehow!
Last week we cashed in on our REI dividend and 20% off coupon and bought our daughter a pedal bike. (Novara Firefly). So far the bike seems to be of great quality. But then, this is not a bike review.
Rather, I wanted to show you how easy it was for our daughter to learn to use a pedal bike WITHOUT training wheels, after she’d been on a Strider Bike for the last 2 years.
Here is her first attempt (Sorry the “part 2” in the title was an oops!):
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzmIsDGsseg
And her second (or it might have been the third 🙂 ):
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvOJ1IXbl0A
As you can see, her seat is set low, so she can easily reach the ground. This helps the child feel more comfortable and stable during the learning process. I started by instructing her to just coast down the driveway, like she would with her strider, and push with her feet. Pedal bikes are heavier, so I figured it would take some getting used to.
Honestly, it wasn’t nearly the climatic event we thought it would be. It didn’t take days on end. She wasn’t even frightened by the idea. She just did it. And while I would like to accredit it to my instructional prowess, it really comes from the use of a balance bike.
Tune in to The Kid Project throughout the next week to see reviews of locations and bike parks to take your kiddos to! There are some good ones!
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My four-year-old daughter is presently transitioning from a balance bike (Strider) to a Novara Firefly. Do you have any tips for teaching her about braking? She puts her feet down to stop, ala balance bike, and gets banged up every time. Were there any other “a-ha” moments you had while helping your girl master her pedal bike? Thanks!
I wish I had a tip to share. We didn’t have that problem but can easily see how you would. Honestly we sort of wished we would have gone to a bike with hand breaks but then often their hands aren’t strong enough to pull the breaks… I’d probably go to a easy downhill and have her practice breaking to get a feel for it. Our girl adjusted in a week or so. She kept dragging her free to stop like on a Strider.
Thanks for your response, Alyssa. Have a great week!
A year in – happy with the firefly? Looking for my 4 yo. Thanks!
Yes and no. We opted for the 12 inch one and the bike has performed very well, our kids just grew out of it soooo fast! Not sure how to solve that problem. But the bike has been great.
Great Post. Will you please tell me the perfect age of riding a balance bike?
We started our kids around age 2 but they were very motivated… I’d move forward based on their motivation and coordination but any age around there is good!