How and when to teach your toddler to ride a trike

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Imagine that first feeling of hands on the handlebar and being able to &#;steer&#;. And your baby can still safely do &#;Look, no hands mummy&#; &#; thanks to the parent handle.

According to Dr Amanda Gummer, an independent play expert and founder of play organisation Fundamentally Children, it&#;s important to get babies enjoying an outdoor lifestyle before they&#;re walking.

&#;Getting children out of buggies and onto more active forms of transport helps their confidence and development from as young as 10 months,&#; she explains.

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The really clever twist is that when your baby gets tired after all that fresh air, some trikes have a reclining seat, allowing your baby to lean back and nod off.

What age can a toddler learn to pedal?

From around 1 to 2 years old, a toddler will have developed the gross motor skills needed to start learning to pedal a trike &#; although of course all children develop at their own pace.

A trike offers an early opportunity to learn how to pedal.

&#;With a trike, your toddler doesn&#;t have to have mastered balance,&#; explains Amanda. &#;Being able to pedal without needing to balance can help children progress more quickly. And of course, learning to pedal is a great step towards bike riding.&#;

Pedalling strengthens your toddler&#;s leg muscles for walking and running and helps with co-ordination, so it&#;s a great skill to practise.

&#;Trikes look like the bikes that older children ride so this is great for his or her confidence,&#; adds Amanda.

Trikes with a detachable parent steering handle enable you to push while your toddler is still building up to full pedal power.

Then, from around 24 months, your toddler should have the muscle strength to pedal more independently. Oh yes, and some trikes have the option to fold away foot rests at this stage to encourage toddlers to focus on pedalling (and not put their feet up).

3 games to encourage pedalling

• Set up a start and an end point and then time them to see how fast they can hit the finish line
• Encourage them to pedal all the way to the next tree or gate without mummy or daddy pushing
• If they have an older brother or sister, they can play cat and mouse chasing game &#; with their sibling as the mouse and your toddler as the cat (on a trike)

What age can a child learn to steer independently?

Between the ages of 2 to 4, your child is likely to be ready to learn how to steer. This is the time to remove the parent steering handle.

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&#;Toddlers have fun racing about on ride-ons and trikes, and these are great for giving little ones the independence they want,&#; says Amanda.

&#;Gripping and steering are also good for hand strength, which is important for things like writing and using cutlery to eat.&#; (Anything that gets your child to use cutlery properly must be a good thing!)

• Start with a large trike training zone so the turns can be wider and smoother to begin with
• See if your child can zig-zag from one side of the path to the other
• Build an obstacle course for your child to steer round like a pro rally driver

4 big discoveries to look out for

1. I can touch a tree
   The open design of a trike makes it easy for babies to look all around and even reach out and touch the things they see. Better than being in an enclosed buggy on a fun trip out, but you may just want to check what&#;s in their hands when you get home
2. I can make the wheels go round
   Being able to turn those pedals and sprint off on three wheels is one of those &#;moments&#; &#; great for proud parents to film, even better for little riders
3. I can steer
   Turn handlebars left, it turns left. Turn them right, it turns right. Next stop Formula 1 (almost)
4. Guess where I&#;m going
   We all know what a great game pedalling away from mum and dad is. And if you see a bit of trike envy, then it&#;s a great opportunity for learning about turn-taking and that all-important sharing

Pics: Getty

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Children who are too young can only ride tricycles because of poor balance. With their growth, riding a toddler tricycle is lacking fun. At this moment, changing the type of bikes should be considered.

A bicycle is a better choice for them. However, it is a process for children to switch from tricycles to bicycles. From tricycles to transition bikes, then to bicycles, are you clear on when to pick up the appropriate ones for kids?

When Can Children Ride a Tricycle?

Generally, 2.5 to 3 years old is the minimum age for a child to start riding a tricycle. At this age, kids will have the motor skills, coordination, and physical movement needed to pedal a tricycle. Kids' tricycles tend to be safer than kids' bicycles because they are lower off the ground, more stable, and less prone to tipping over.

However, there are several factors you need to consider when deciding if your child is ready to ride a tricycle.

• Height

      A child must be tall enough to pedal comfortably and freely park the tricycle.

• Physical strength

      The child needs to be strong enough to pedal and drive the tricycle.

Training Wheel Bike VS Balance Bike

For most kids, it isn't easy to switch from tricycles to bicycles directly. A transition bike is necessary to compensate for the deficiency that riding trikes don't exercise their balance. Trainer bike and balance bike, which one is better for kid riding?

Toddler Bike with Trainer Wheels

A training wheel bike is like a regular bicycle but with training wheels or stabilizers.

Advantage

1. Training wheels support keeping the bike upright, suitable for younger children.

2. Riding a training bike doesn't require much balance on the child's own.

3. The training wheels can be removed when kids can balance themselves.

Disadvantage

1. Children will get used to relying on training wheels for balance. There is no benefit to practicing balance.
2. Teaching kids to ride bikes with training wheels is more time-consuming because kids have not been trained in the ability to keep balance.
3. Training wheels/stabilizers add extra weight to the bike. It is challenging to handle bikes on rough roads.
4. It isn't easy to steer when riding a bike with stabilizers.

Balance Bike

Advantage

1. As the name suggests, balance bikes are perfect for teaching kids to balance in sitting and riding a bike.
2. Balancing bikes help kids get used to the steering and teach them the steering limits.
3. The balance bike assists children in learning to control their speed and stop without falling.
4. The balance bike easily rolls over various obstacles. Uneven surfaces are a breeze for it.
5. Balance bikes are lightweight. They are half the weight of a pedal bike, and easy to ride-kids go further.
6. Balance bikes provide more fun and independent riding. Because the balance bike starts early. Generally, children can start exploring balance bikes when they are 18 months old. However, it is usually not until the age of 3 that kids can ride a bicycle comfortably.
7. Transitioning to a bicycle is effortless because kids have learned how to keep balance on a bike!
8. It is a money-saving way to make a balance bike out of any kids' bicycle by removing pedals and lowering the seat.
9. The balance bike is a narrow, child-friendly frame that provides a more natural fit than most small pedal bikes.

Disadvantage

1. Children get bored quickly. They will love to ride bikes like some of their friends.
2. Balance bikes can't practice kids' pedaling skills.
3. It takes time and patience to graduate from the balance bike if kids learn to ride bicycles.

By comparison, balance bikes are more worthy for kids than trainer bikes as a transition bike from tricycles to bicycles.

At What Age Do Children Get Their First Bicycle?

Children learn to ride a bike at the average age of 3-7. But no matter when they start, every child follows the same path to mastering riding.

• Balancing

• Steering/handling

• Pedaling

• Hand-eye coordination

• Reaction time

• Braking

Here are some ways to know whether the kid can ride a toddler bike independently.

1. Kids can safely move their center of gravity in and out to steer into turns.
2. It's easy to make a sharp turn as they try to avoid hitting something.
3. Children can safely cycle long distances without getting tired.
4. Kids can effortlessly avoid a fall or ditch while avoiding any potential accidents.

One Purchase to Getting Four Riding Experiences

The Besrey 7-in-1 toddler tricycle is designed for kids aged 1-5. It has 4 modes to be switched by simple and quick disassembly, meeting the needs of baby walker trikes, guided trikes, toddler trikes, and balance bikes.

With 5 adjustable heights of extra-long steering push handle, the guided trike allow parents to guide kids to learn to ride, or tots push the tricycle by themselves.

The push rod steering linkage is patented and makes the handle and wheels steer in the same direction to create a smooth experience.

The 11.8-15 inch height-adjustable supportive soft seat and 180° front and rear adjustable handlebars provide a comfortable ride.

The tricycle frame is made of aviation-grade materials for durability. The tricycle is designed with a stable triangular structure and a 42° steering angle to prevent it from rolling.

The 6-bearing wheels drive smoothly on cobblestone roads, grass, asphalt roads, etc. The tricycle is a foldable design and compact shape and can be easily stored in a trunk or room without too much space.

Conclusion

For buying bikes, a multiple-in-one bike is a high-cost performance ratio. For the time to ride bicycles, parents need to research and observe children's progress on the transition bike to determine if it's time to ride a new bicycle. It is a process from riding a tricycle to riding a bicycle, requiring parents to pay more energy and time on kids. They need to be encouraged and supported.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of children tricycle with pedal. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.