Balance bike or tricycle? Training wheels or not? Every parent has their theory on the best way to teach their child to ride a bike... because every child is different! Here is our advice.

At what age should a child learn to ride a bike?

To ride a bike, you first need a good sense of balance, then effective motor coordination to master the pedaling effort... All at the same time! This can be a significant challenge for a young child, depending on their age and motor development. Initially, it's advisable to learn each skill independently, especially if you're eager to ride with your child. So, if a child can ride a two-wheeled bike between three and eight years old , they can enjoy the pleasures of cycling much earlier.

Balance bike and tricycle

A balance bike has two wheels, a saddle, but no pedals. The child sits on the saddle and pushes off with their legs to move. They develop their sense of balance with each stride. They also have to manage the handlebars to steer – moving their right arm allows them to turn left, and vice versa.

On a tricycle, the child doesn't need to exert any effort to stay on the saddle without falling, but they must learn to push one pedal at a time, at the right moment, to move forward. They also face the same steering challenge as with a balance bike.

So, which balance bike do you choose? It's often a parental preference, sometimes tinged with a certain nostalgia at seeing our darling climb onto a good old tricycle! However, if we're interested in our little one's development, it's important to know that balance is easier to master than coordination for a young toddler. From 18 months, especially if the child has been practicing walking (without falling!) for several months, they can start using a balance bike. As for the coordination required for pedaling, that comes a little later, around two and a half or three years old.

With or without training wheels?

The choices made earlier will impact the transition to a "real" bike. A child who has been able to practice their balance on a balance bike can often do without training wheels. At least, physically, they are ready... Psychologically, it might be another story!

As for years of practicing on a tricycle, they don't prepare a child as well, simply because the pedaling effort on a bike with training wheels will be mastered in a few minutes by an older child (4 years and up). It's the child's temperament that will indicate whether they need training wheels to practice or if they can do without.

The height of the training wheels can also be adjusted to prevent the child from using them as crutches... which wouldn't help them at all in the long run! You remove the training wheels when the child is ready to take the plunge. And that usually involves more "psychological work" than training!

Making it easier to learn to ride a bike

In all cases, prioritize a practice environment where the child won't have to juggle a host of other elements. For example, a space without cars or pedestrians, without extreme slopes and without sharp turns. An alley, a schoolyard, a deserted parking lot, or a large park are generally good choices. Finally, a child who has the chance to practice almost daily will master their bike more quickly than one who only sees their bike a few weekends a year, only on sunny days...