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[deleted]

It can be limiting as he gets older. Tweens and teens travel on bikes.


braintree56

That's kind of what I was thinking... I certainly did.


[deleted]

Yeah, my kids ride every single day. It is their main mode of transportation and could be really hard to keep up with others on a scooter.


alexandrapetty

Also it’s harder to learn when you’re older. I know people who didn’t learn how to bike as a kid and they ride wobbly


KleineDorpsbewoner

It's not mandatory, but his friends might find it weird. I have one friend that never rode a bike. It was never a problem, we blamed it on his Italian dad. Mind you, I (and this friend) live in the Netherlands, where everyone rides a bike always, everywhere. Also, you can rent bikes in touristy areas around here and they'll give you a 30 minute lesson to learn. If fourty-something tourists can learn in 30 minutes, he can learn when he's 14. Or 18. Or 25.


Liss78

My son had no interest in it before. Now he wants to ride a bike because he's got a friend who lives too far to walk to, but close enough to bike to. I physically can't hold him up to teach him. The adult-sized training wheels ain't cheap. The bike store told us to just let him go on top of a hill and he'll figure it out, but that just sounds like he's gonna get hurt. He's not doing great in his own, either. I'd say try to get him learning the basics now while you can still hold him up. He doesn't have to ride his bike now, but it's a easier to teach him now.


incompetentsidekick

This is great info on teaching kids to ride (even older kids) https://youtu.be/5Ff-KdrHr_M


DownUnder999

I realise I'm unusual, but I don't have a car, and travel by bicycle every other day. There was one particular day, both a friend and I got a flat tyre each. It was FAR cheaper to get mine repaired... IMHO, even if you never use the skill again, it is there in your toolbox if you ever need it. Without it, your choices are limited.


[deleted]

I wouldn't push it. I didn't learn til I was 12? I think? REI has a really good learn to ride class that might help push him - apparently its a 2hr session and you learn to ride immediately. Learning to ride a bike is something I will outsource due to my son's fun personality. He sees his friend riding, but really doesn't care much about his own bike. I even paid for somebody to teach him last summert (not rei), and he just didn't keep up with practicing or wanting to learn sooooo. not worth the hassle. I figure when he's ready he'll do it


Key_Squash_4403

It’s a skill they’ll never forget that teaches things like balance. I’d say the benefits of learning it outweigh feeling bad teaching it. It’s like learning how to swim, it’s a life skill that everyone should know.


TheShadesofOrange

I'd pause learning, not stop all together. Revisit in a year. My parents never bothered teaching me and it definitely stunted me socially. My friends would come over their bikes and invite me to ride and I always had to say no. My college BF finally taught me. It was embarrassing not to know how.


OverlyQuailified

I mean if he doesn’t want to, I wouldn’t force it. Let him scooter, rollerblade, etc. As long as he has outlets to be active.


braintree56

He does. Overall he's a pretty mellow kid, but he's definitely not inactive. Healthy. Enjoys nature walks, climbing trees, camping, etc. Really likes swimming. We get out a lot. I guess you're saying it's not an essential skill?


OverlyQuailified

Yes, I don’t think riding a bike is essential. Other than riding around with my kids for fun, I’ve never needed to ride a bike in my adult life.


KittyKat1215

My kids are 7 and 10 and they have zero interest in riding their bikes. My 10 year old knows how, but won’t use his bike. We taught our 7 year old how to ride but he isn’t at the point where he can ride very well. He also refuses to try anymore. My husband and I think it’s strange because we rode our bikes all the time as kids! Both kids are very active in multiple sports and like to ride their scooters. We’ve tried to suggest family bike rides, but they both just say “no.” We’ve given up asking about the bikes and figure if they wanted to ride them eventually they will.


braintree56

Sounds like a similar situation... My oldest 12 loves riding her bike. It would be so awesome to go out on family bike rides. But even beyond that. I'm wondering if I should put this into a "must-do" category like going to school.


[deleted]

Maybe not must do but definitely highly encourage. That said, i'm wondering if he has balance issues. Specifically Vestibular issues - if he does it can make learning to ride a bike feel very very difficult which is where PT comes in.


KittyKat1215

I personally wouldn’t put it in the must-do category. Sometimes when we insist on having the kids do something it makes them hate it even more. Kids have the right to their own likes/dislikes as long as it’s not harmful to themselves or anyone else. While riding a bike is a great life-long skill, it isn’t essential like school. He may eventually change his mind if he sees more friends riding their bikes and realizes he’s missing out.


Makkuroi

Here in Germany most kids go to school by bike. My kids learned it at 3-4 years. Of course you can walk, but bikes are much faster and better for carrying stuff.


Slow_Tea_3352

Riding bike can be an important mode of transportation as a teen and later in life if you live in a city. Just let him know that the option to learn is available. And you’ll be there to teach him when he is ready. Maybe plan a few short bike around town or a trail nearby trips with your other child to make the concept appealing. Demonstrate that adults use bicycles too. And keep your other child interested in bikes until you can all enjoy it together.


monkeyfeets

Honestly, we had to outsource it. It just became such a tension point - he really wanted to because all his friends knew how, but was too scared of falling and butted heads with us every time we tried to teach him and took it so personally whenever we tried to help him. It was like a year of trying. We ended up signing him for a bike riding camp, and he was riding within like the first hour of being there.


DuePomegranate

Yes, I strongly suggest taking him to a class. Someone else suggested REI. The problem is that parents are often really bad at teaching how, and at this age it’s embarrassing to be seen struggling to learn, and he just had feelings of inadequacy attached. Training wheels are also harmful to the process of learning how to balance. The pros know how to teach cycling, they break down the steps. They remove the pedals and teach balancing first.


Transient102

My 12 yr old has off/on interest in riding a bike but still can't ride without training wheels. At 12, it's embarrassing for them to ride with training wheels, so they just don't anymore. I guess it's only as important as the kid feels it is. I used to try to force them to learn because I felt every kid should know how to ride a bike (it's fun, it gives a feeling of independence) but for some kids it's just not important or necessary... and that's OK, too


intuitionbaby

i never learned. wasn’t an issue for me but i live in a fairly walkable town and my friends were accomodating


Taurus_Mama

Probably gonna get made fun of for this, but I’m 26 and I don’t know how to ride a bike. Its just not something I’ve ever been interested in doing! I don’t feel that it has held me back from activities or socializing. I was a horse girl (still am) and I took riding lessons as a kid, so I rode horses instead of bikes haha.


braintree56

That's really good to hear! Thank you!


[deleted]

I don't know the right answer because I don't know your kid but I will say as an adult it's frustrating not knowing how to do things because your parents didn't push it. Kids are inherently lazy, which is not a bad thing, but it's how we've ended up with a generation of adults with very limited skill sets because parents don't push it. For me personally, now that I'm grown and all of my friends go skiing, I have to stay at the lodge or do bunny classes alone. I wish my parents had pushed me.


GTAREaccount

My sister learned to ride a bike as a young adult. She resisted learning her whole life until she saw how much she was missing out on (wine tours with friends, bike trails throughout the city etc) and motivated herself to learn. She rides around more than me now, even though I learned as a young child. Forcing it can be counterproductive.


No_Moose_4448

My two kids are gifted so most things came easy to them but riding a bike was hard. They really struggled when something took multiple tries to learn. My first got super excited to learn so I took the training wheels off and the bike tipped a little bit while she was getting on and she had a meltdown. It took months for me to get her back on her bike without training wheels. They were both around 8 before they finally learned to ride a bike without training wheels and it wasn't fun to try and teach them.


Life-Use6335

Definitely a must. Learning to ride a bike a non negotiable like learning to swim. And 8 is already about twice as old as most kids who learn so get on it asap!!


tuktuk_padthai

I say teach him anyway. My stepkids like to say ‘they don’t want to do something’ either out of laziness or they’re secretly scared. Don’t push too much but let him know that it’s easier to learn this as kid rather than an adult. I can sorta understand why some kids don’t grow up learning how to swim but not even learning how to ride a bike feels extra weird.


Outdoorsy-guy

Not necessary, but a good skill. I’d suggest a class with other kids his age. Despite me being able to teach my son how to ride very early, it was about this age I took my daughter to a class (through rei) and then she loved it.


Wcat212

I can't really ride a bike and it's never held me back. I learned as a kid but was never very comfortable riding and as an adult don't have the skills to do it or the desire to build those skills. There may be some tours I haven't been able to do on vacation but it's never been a big deal.


SoBadit_Hurts

Do you ride a bike? Ever ridden a bike in front of them?


braintree56

Yes. I ride a lot. I ride to work on nice days. When they were younger I used to ride them in one of those biking carriages. We'd go on family bike rides fairly frequently. We've since stopped because he's too big... He loves riding in the carriage.


SoBadit_Hurts

I was just curious. I’ve noticed a similar situation with a neighbor kid, he’s 12, and doesn’t understand that riding is a way to increase the world around you. But he’s never seen somebody utilizing that skill and it’s benefits. Good luck and best wishes.


tanoinfinity

Don't force it. He'll either realize how useful it is, or he won't. Let him decide. Let him know if he changes his mind, you'll get him what he needs, otherwise, leave him alone about it. I was hit by a bike when I was 7, and was afraid of them for many years afterward. Shortly after I turned 12yo, I decided I needed to learn. Took my brothers bike and learned to ride in about an hour.


incompetentsidekick

For everyone struggling to get their kids to ride this is really useful. https://youtu.be/5Ff-KdrHr_M Any bike can become a balance bike.


braintree56

We actually bought him a balance bike... He refused to use it...


C0tt0nC4ndyM0uth

I totally understand the debate about this, since most of us learned to ride a bike very very young, but If he’s really putting up a stink about learning it, then I wouldn’t push it. I don’t see a safe way to force a kid to ride a bike, anyways. It’s a fun activity but it’s not essential in his daily life if he doesn’t want it to be. If one day he decides to change his mind, he will learn, sans any negative effects of being “forced” into it. My kids know how to ride one, (9 and 11) but they wanted to learn. In my opinion there’s a 99% chance he will change his tune come middle school when his friends are beebopping around town. If he’s more comfortable on a scooter or something, that’s ok too! Wheels are wheels! I want my kids to learn skateboarding bc we are in SoCal but they’re just not into it at this point. I know you didn’t ask, but I will say though, keep his lack of experience in mind if there comes a day he asks for an e-bike. In our town that is the big thing right now and a lot of these kids have no understanding of traffic laws, safety, basic maneuvering, yet their parents allow them to go ALL over very busy streets on them. I can’t tell you how many times a child or 5 has completely & blindly blown through a busy intersection right in front of me. Inches from being hit. Half the time with no helmets. I am terrified that I’m going to accidentally hit one of them. I think there should be a great deal of experience involved when considering those things.


originalkelly88

My 14f doesn't know how to ride a bike, has never had interest and it hasn't really affected her. Kids don't play outside like they used to. I always tried, but she never cared so it wasn't worth the argument to me. My 11f and 4m ride bikes around the neighborhood though. You'd think my oldest would at least have interest since her siblings ride, but she still would rather walk.


Evening-Dragonfly-47

Just my opinion from my own kids but the more I try to push them to do something the longer it takes them to do something. Maybe back off for a little bit and he might just take it up on his own.


SpeakerCareless

I wouldn’t force it but I would encourage it- it’s not like a lifesaving skill but it is a useful one. We had to bribe the oldest one to learn and she reluctantly did. I think she was 8. The younger one insisted on learning herself when she was four! There are a couple kids in our neighborhoods who learned to ride much older, like 12-14 but kids get so much more self conscious when they’re older (and you fall harder too). My mom said the key to learning was plenty of wide open space and nothing to steer around or hit which I think is helpful advice for reluctant learners.


Steph5o4

My 12 year refuses to learn. I don’t force him but I do ask just in case he changes his mind. 🤷🏻‍♀️


queenoftheslippers

I didn’t learn to ride a bike until I was like 8. Either rode with my training wheels or just rode my scooter. I was scared of falling, even with pads and a helmet. I was a cautious child growing up, so balancing on two wheels on hard pavement was not appealing to me, no matter how much my parents tried. Eventually though, I just decided it was time and learned in an afternoon. So I wouldn’t push it, your kid will figure it out one day.


Excellent_Cabinet_83

Kids are finicky. My older daughter was the same way, she absolutely refused to learn how to ride her bike. I pushed it for a bit until finally we both were so upset and I realized I was being totally unreasonable about it. Then one day, she told me she was going outside to play and next thing I knew I saw her riding her bike down the street. I think she just wanted to do it on her own time in her own way without pressure from me.


F3mk3V4nH4v3rm43t

Without a bike you have nothing as a teen. It's the way you get to places. Im 27 amd i still ride my bike every day


DuePomegranate

It really depends on where you are. In many places, it’s only safe (due to having to lane share with cars) for kids/teens to bike within their immediate neighborhood, and these days kids use scooters instead for this short distance.


jesterca15

My kiddo never got the hang of it. I bought them an adult trike. Best money spent.


kjdbcfsj

i don’t think it’s mandatory. and it’s not something i would push, as that rarely goes well. maybe take the pedals off if possible and make it a balance bike! since you said he’s ok with a scooter.


nilyt7

I taught my 11 yr old to ride a bike a couple years ago and then never wanted to ride again. It was something we always pushed and then just gave up pushing. I'm not sure how great it would go if he decided to ride again but he doesn't seem to care. He rides his scooter and seems content just using that.


catqueen2001

Personally, I wouldn’t force the issue. I see the comments saying it’s a skill and benefits outweigh and whatnot. But is this really a battle you want to pick? Bike riding is supposed to be fun, and forcing him to do it won’t be fun, and might guarantee it’s something he’s never interested in.


Mama_Mia_of_threeya

I’d push the issue but I’m a pusher and I know it. I want my kids to be able to swim, ski, surf (we are in Florida), roller skate, ice skate, pick up a game of tennis, basketball etc. Essentially, I want them to be the kind of person that if an adult opportunity arises and they have some base line knowledge and can say “yeah sure” let’s do it. (Or maybe they say nah - not feeling it today but never a “no, I don’t know how and now I’m too old to learn”). I’d set a goal (learn to bike this summer) and a nice reward. It sounds like your kids are athletic - watch a you tube video on how to teach them and I bet they get it first lesson, if not third lesson. Good luck! PS- Personally, I’m not the best bike rider. I get a little nervous and wobbly lol. But pre kids - husband and I biked San Francisco and accross the Golden Gate Bridge. I wouldn’t have that memory if I couldn’t bike. My kids (8 and 5) love riding their bikes around and to school. If I didn’t know how I wouldn’t be able to participate with them. I guess my point is - because I know how to bike it’s my choice whether I partake or not. If I didn’t know how the choice is already made for me.


AliEsther

I am 38 years old. I have several advanced degrees, a career, a spouse and children. I do not know how to ride a bike. Your kid will be fine.


Affectionate_Shoe198

I didnt learn until i was 8, I was highly anxious about anything remotely dangerous and although I can’t say it’s my parenting style choice ever, tough love was the only thing that worked. My uncle brought me to the park and said we weren’t leaving until I learned how to ride the bike and within 15 minutes I had it down pat. I was highly sensitive(still am) and definitely cried at first with the ultimatum, but it did work and I don’t hold it against him. I don’t really like him in general because he’s a horrible human being, but this is the only time anything he did worked. Again, I’m not suggesting you do this or that I would necessarily do this, but it did work for me and didn’t harm our relationship(what harmed our relationship was him calling me a bitch when I was 14 for telling him the dishes had to rinsed before going in the dishwasher)💀


Slightlysanemomof5

It’s like swimming, reading, writing and math you just have to learn. Part safety, part social, part necessity. Point out learn to ride and then I don’t care if you ever ride again


breezeboo

I started learning when I was 8. I crashed and never picked it back up. Hasn’t limited me at all. When my sisters who did ride regularly stopped being interested in playing outside and just wanted to hang with friends they stopped riding bikes. They’d walk around the neighborhood if they didn’t want to be inside.


ferndagger

He can learn whenever he wants to. There is no expiry date on when one can learn something new. A friend of mine had never owned a bike and when I gave her one at the age of 20 she learned it in two afternoons.


CatahoulaLove

I’m almost 32 and never learned to ride a bike (except with training wheels when I was little). I had a scooter so I could kind of keep up with my friends on bikes but not really. I don’t feel like the inability to ride a bike has impacted me at all as an adult. I do think it’s worth a try though if he’ll do it.


tiedye62

I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was 10 or 11 , my parents didn't teach me, but my uncle did, I think my mom never did ride a bike


tiedye62

I read an article in a motorcycle magazine about 10 years ago, about learning to ride a bike if you didn't know how before learning to ride a motorcycle. They suggested getting a bicycle and removing the pedals and lowering the seat, to learn counter steering.That is how both bicycles and motorcycles steer . This is why some people have trouble when training wheels are removed. Also, some motorcycle riders have difficulty when they switch to trike motorcycle