Look at that face! Oh the joy of mastering a balance bike! Your child can soon be balancing with the best of them – all that’s required of you is to provide time, a safe place to ride, and plenty of positive encouragement.
Little or no instruction is needed because for the most part, kids instinctively figure it out how to use a balance bike by themselves. The advice below provides an outline of the natural process your child will go through in learning to ride a balance bike on their own.
What are the Stages of Mastering a Balance Bike?
There are 4 steps most riders go through in learning to ride a balance bike.
Stand and walk
Sit and walk
Sit, run, and balance
Sit, run, and glide
Stand and Walk (Typically between 18 months to 3 years)
Table of Contents
Collage showing a child standing and walking over a balance bike.
What your child will do: When first learning to explore a balance bike, kids ages 18 months to 3 years typically stand over the bike frame and walk the bike as their first step. They don’t even try to sit on the bike and often resist the suggestion to do so. Some kids will walk the bike around the whole block, while others will only walk it several feet.
How long will this stage last? The duration of this stage can vary greatly, but for almost all riders, it will be the longest learning stage. Some kids learn to sit and walk the bike during their first ride, while others can take months to get comfortable sitting down. The younger the child, the longer the standing and walking stage generally lasts.
What you can do to help: During this stage, and all stages really, it’s best to follow your child’s lead. Allow them to walk on the bike as long as they need to. For kids who are slow to progress, be sure to provide them plenty of opportunities to ride as well as limit or prevent their interaction with tricycles or pedal bikes with training wheels.
Sit and Walk (Typically between 2 to 3 years)
Collage showing a child sitting and walking on a balance bike.
What your child will do: Eventually kids learn to sit on the balance bike’s seat, but once they do, they will still continue to walk the bike for a time. At this stage, the excitement for riding their bike tends to build as they begin to catch on to the idea of what a balance bike can do for them.
How long will this stage last? Like the “Stand and Walk” stage, the younger or more timid the child, the longer the “Sit and Walk” stage usually lasts. But once your child gets comfortable with sitting and moving at the same time, they realize that if they want to go fast, they have to run instead of walk. As a result, once sitting and walking is mastered, kids advance to the “Sit and Run” stage pretty quickly.
What you can do to help: During this stage, getting your child around other balance bike riders can be very beneficial. By watching other kids happily ride their bikes all around them, they will start to realize that bikes are really fun! Kids with competitive personalities also tend to try to keep up with other kids, which can help them transition to the “Sit and Run” stage.
Really timid riders, however, may become frustrated at how slow they are on the bike compared to others, and lose confidence in themselves. Like all things in parenting, try your best to determine if their personality will benefit from or be hindered by interaction with other balance bike riders.
Read our guide on bikes for toddlers for more information.
Sit, Run and Balance (Typically between 2 and 4 years)
collage showing a toddler riding different balance bikes in different areas
Parents: be prepared to get in shape! When your child learns to run on their balance bike, you better be ready to keep up with them because they quickly learn to run fast!
What your child will do: During this phase, kids learn to run on the bike and also master balancing. Most kids can figure it out on their own, but if they need some direction and don’t have the opportunity to be around other kids riding balance bikes, there are plenty of videos available on YouTube. Check out our own fun video showing our Baby Bike Tester rocking the pump tracks.
How long will this stage last? Stage 3 is the shortest stage – once kids learn to run, they easily advance to gliding as well. Adventurous kids quickly transition through this stage (sometimes within a day!), while timid kids could take a few weeks.
What you can do to help: Much more efficient than a tricycle or a bike with training wheels, kids are uninhibited on balance bikes and quickly learn they can go just about anywhere on their bike. As a result, it’s best to allow kids to practice in open areas where you don’t have to worry about them accidentally running into the street at the end of the block, or quickly rolling down the driveway into the street. Be sure to take the time to instruct them about where they are allowed to ride and where they are not.
Sit, Run, Glide and Explore (Typically between 2.5 and 4 years)
collage of images showing a toddler riding a balance bike
What your child will do: During the last stage of balance bike mastery, a child experiences the final and most exciting part of their ride – the glide! This comes as a natural step for most kids and they figure it out on their own.
In this final stage of balance bike riding, anything is possible because your child is now a master of their bike! From skateparks and bike jumps, to single-track trail riding and pump tracks, preschoolers can essentially go anywhere and do anything on a balance bike.
How long will this stage last? Many parents think that a balance bike is simply a means to an end – a tool to get their child to learn to ride a “real” bike. While this is partially true, the reality is that balance bikes are typically much more efficient, fit kids better, and are way more fun to ride than small pedal bikes (12” and 14”).
Don’t rush your kid – let them enjoy their balance bike until they express a desire to ride a pedal bike. They could be happily riding their balance bike for years!
What you can do to help: For those kids who may need guidance in learning the glide, having them roll down a driveway or a grassy hill can help them learn more quickly. And for exploring – take your kids on trails, buy small ramps, go to the bike park! Your child’s balance bike adventures will largely be determined by where you take them to ride.
Balance bikes are great for teaching children to learn to ride a bike for the first time. In contrast to bikes with training wheels, they do not have pedals or brakes. Because they don’t require pedaling or braking, balance bikes allow children to learn how to push off, balance, and steer before introducing the other two complicated steps. This way, when they are ready for a regular bike, they are already confident in their coordination abilities.
- Fit your child with a helmet. Explain to them that it’s necessary to wear a helmet so their head is protected if they fall. Make sure the helmet fits snugly and the straps are tightened against their chin.
- Show the different parts of the bike to your child. Explain they sit on the seat facing forward. Show them the handlebars and explain that’s where their hands go.
If the bike has brakes, walk with your child alongside the bike and have them practice squeezing the brakes.
- Adjust the saddle. Have your child stand with the bike between their legs. The saddle height should be set to where they can sit on the bike and both of their feet are flat on the ground.
- Lean the bike toward your child and swing their leg over the top. Have them stand next to the bike and, standing on the foot furthest away from the bike, lift the other foot up and over the bike seat. Their food should land on the other side of the bike.
- Sit on the seat with both feet flat on the ground. Hold the handlebars to stabilize the bike as your child leans back to sit on the seat. Then, have them grasp the handlebars.
Your child should not have to be lifted up onto the seat.
Riding the Bike
1
Walk while sitting on the bike. Have your child to walk as they normally do while also sitting on the bike. This will allow them to get comfortable with the feeling of moving forward on the bike while moving at a slow pace.
Make sure your child is looking forward instead of their feet. They need to learn to watch where they are going to steer in the right direction. It helps to have someone standing up ahead of the child on the path for the child to focus on.
2
Use one foot to push off from a stationary position. Lift the foot off of the ground. Extend the leg out in front of the body and place the foot down on the ground out in front. Push off the foot.
Using a flat road or sidewalk when your child starts out will ensure they don’t pick up too much speed on hills.
You may hold onto your child to help stabilize them. However, do not hold the handlebars. Your child needs to get used to steering on their own.
3
Alternate using both feet to continue pushing the bike forward. Go back and forth between putting the right and left leg on the ground and pushing forward. Make sure the push is strong enough to where the bike does not come to a stop.
4
Hold both legs off the ground and glide forward. Once your child has reached a fast enough speed, about 5 mi (8.0 km), lift both legs out in front of the body so they do not touch the ground. Allow your child to glide along while steering the bike.
Feel free to walk or jog alongside your child in the beginning to make them feel more comfortable. However, once your child has gained more confidence, allow them to go on their own.
Tell your child to “push, push, glide.” This is an easy direction they can repeat to themselves
5
Slow down and come to a complete stop. Help your child learn how to decrease their speed to be able to stop. If the bike has brakes, walk alongside your child and demonstrate how to squeeze the brake.
If the bike does not have a brake, show your child how to decrease the number of steps they take to slow to a stop. Use a path that starts on a shallow slope downward and then slopes upward. The upward slope will help the bike slow naturally.
Remind your child that if they feel they are going too fast, all they need to do is slow down enough to put both feet on the ground. Tell your child that they can lightly drag their feet on the ground to help reduce their speed.
Introduce them to a balance bike at a young age.
The general rule of thumb is, kids can start riding a balance bike at 2 years old. But, some toddlers can even start at 18months. This will all depend on your child and their development.
Be prepared before they get on the bike.
Make sure you and your child are all prepared to ride a balance. Just like riding a normal bike, all the safety precautions are needed. This includes wearing a kid’s bike helmet and strapping on some knee and elbow pads for extra protection. You can read more about kids bike safety here.
Getting the right size balance bike.
It’s important that your kids can firmly plant their feet on the ground whilst sitting on the bike. This will ensure they’re able to walk and push off on the balance bike comfortably. If the balance bike is too big, they might have some trouble keeping the balance bike upright.
Be encouraging and be patient.
It’s important to stay positive when teaching your little one to ride a balance bike. Remember this could be unfamiliar territory for them and you need to be patient. If you find that your child is a bit anxious about getting on, give them some reassuring words and if they’re still not able to get on, you could try another day.
Learn the stages of riding a balance bike.
Riding a balance bike may seem like an easy task, but if you understand the 3 main stages there are to riding a balance bike, you’ll find teaching your kids to ride one much easier
Standing & Walking.
Have your kids stand over the bike frame and let them move the bike at their own pace. Some kids prefer to do this first and they like taking control over the bike. Even though they’re not yet sitting on the seat, this is a good step to know they’re comfortable with the balance bike. Let them do this for as long as they need. It’s important to know that most kids remain in this stage the longest.
Striding.
The next step from the walking/standing stage is striding. This is when they’re comfortable enough to sit on the bike. Again, they’re not yet gliding, but your kids will enjoy being at ease with the balance bike and moving it as they please. Most kids will be using their balance bike to stride and that’s perfectly fine.
Find out more at: https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/sites/www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/files/vla-resource-bike-law.pdf
