Happiness is....

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
...watching a five year old discover the joy of riding a bike. I've got him doing laps around my parking lot. We've made solid progress within the last two weeks. In the last couple days he can ride fine. Stopping is sometimes an issue. He can't start on his own yet but he's close.



He is still getting the hang of it.


Sometimes it gets real frustrating!!! :getsome: For an unknown reason he would just panic and stop. I need to watch what I say when the camera is rollin.
 
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GSTim

Formerly M3Tim
BB,

Hate to say this, but get the guy his own bike! :p

The pink is not helping things out!:D

Seriously though, that is great. My son is 6 and he wants to join me in the woods in the worst way. Just got him a bike with gears and I'm going to take him out this weekend. ihear that Mercer county park is good for small riders.

Tim
 

mike_243

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
I need to watch what I say when the camera is rollin.
it's amazing how good the videos pick up what we don't want them to...:)
taught my daughter to ride some 20 odd years ago you forget how frustrating it can be for both...
 

Nimrod

New Member
Great Stuff !

When I was teaching my boys.... we would go to the local school (around the corner)..............you know how "things are these days".

We would go on the weekend, the gates to the school are locked / closed, wouldn't stop the boys and I, no sir = Private Playground

Well... one weekend we're learning to ride bikes in the school lot, its nice, no cars, whole place to ourselves:) Then school security rolled up on us, (my boys 6 years & 4 years old). Security was not happy................. Couldn’t believe it, the guy actually called in "Backup" (serious).

After like a 10 minute conversation, the Guards determined the 6 and 4 year olds did not fall into the "Security threat" classification and let us continue.

So we rode around so more, and then go home... wife asks how things... told Mrs. Nimrod "fine"..... Then the boys blurt out "MOM! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE POLICE TRY AND ARREST DAD>>>:rofl:” funny stuff
 

Fogerson

Former Resident Nerd
Awesome stuff Ben. 'Just wait until the first time he goes mtn biking with you; it is the best!

Teaching my son was a piece of cake. My daughter was a little tougher. The difference? Razor. My son rode his scooter a lot before I put him on a bike. It literally was a 5 minute deal to teach him to ride a bike.

After some frustration with my daughter, I had her start riding Timmy's scooter. It was like magic. 'Teaches 'em balance and if they get in trouble they just step off instead of crash. Works like a charm.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
M3Tim said:
Hate to say this, but get the guy his own bike! :p

The pink is not helping things out!:D

Thankfully, he is not pitchin a fit because of the color. It's a long story. A new bike is coming soon.

He had a friend over recently who wouldn't ride it "because it is pink". I nearly drop-kicked his a$$. :getsome:
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
awesome...my some is 15 months and I can't wait to get him on one of those bikes with no pedals---only another few months....he already loves when I ride around doing wheelies and loves to grab the greasy chain when it is in the garage
 

walter

Fourth Party
Great stuff Ben. My daughter is really enjoying her bike that the Easter Bunny brought her. Its the first thing she wants to do when we get home from school.

Kev, those pedal-less bikes are cool. My girl was whipping around Halters on it like a lunatic. She was a bit to big for it so she "settled" for the purple "lil Puddin"
 

crash_in_nj

New Member
My son got his first mtb for his b-day last fall. I'm going to take him out next weekend for his first shot at single track...
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
I hear that Mercer county park is good for small riders.

Tim

Yes MCP is a good place for the young ones. There is very little change in elevation. The MUT connects everything. It's easy to get to good spots while avoiding others.

Clayton (monmouth cty park) has smooth trail but is hilly. My 8yo daughter spent a lot of time walking the bike up hills.

Allaire SP is also kid friendly. Smooth, flowy trails without many obstacles.
 

Wobbegong

Well-Known Member
BB,

Hate to say this, but get the guy his own bike! :p

The pink is not helping things out!:D

Seriously though, that is great. My son is 6 and he wants to join me in the woods in the worst way. Just got him a bike with gears and I'm going to take him out this weekend. ihear that Mercer county park is good for small riders.

Tim


Tim, we'll ride mercer once it dries out. There are plenty of good trails at mercer for a kid to ride.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
Great, I might bring the whole crew on Sunday so they can see what real trails look like!

Don't bring them there this Sunday unless you want to show them what mud looks like. MCP is a swamp and takes forever to dry. Ok, I may be exagerating a little but this weekend is too soon.
 

GSTim

Formerly M3Tim
BB,

Sorry, I meant I was going to bring them to the TM at 6-mile on Sunday. Thought that not riding this weekend was a given.:D

I think it's going to be a swamp at 6-mile also, still, Kids + mud = :D

Tim
 
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RNG1

Well-Known Member
Cool stuff, I went throught this with my son last summer when he was 6. Fogerson hits it on the nose. For anyone about to teach their kid, put them on a scooter of any kind for 15 minutes and then put them on a bike and it is like a miracle. I spent a half hour pulling my hair out watching my son put his foot down every half pedal turn. My neighbor came walking over with an old piece of crap scooter and said put him on this. He did that for a little bit to get the feel of what it means to have to balance (obviously you don't balance when you have training wheels), he then got back on the bike and just rode off, it was amazing. We may do this little local trail by the house soon and we are both looking forward to it. Now I have my daughter who is 5 who has to do everything he does...
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
awesome. i ride around the neighborhood with my nephew sometimes. i'm trying to teach him how to jump. it's awkward for him because he just got a new bike, the next size up, so he's still adjusting to it.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
Progess is being made. I dropped his seat all the way down. This allows him to push off better when starting.



After he did this we went for our first excursion through town. We rode about a mile to the high school for a LAX game. We had issues but he managed to make it home.
 
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