Raise your hand if you don't remember the day you learned to ride a bike!Learning to pedal is one of the most important moments of our lives, one of those stages that usually get documented with a camera, camcorder and a host of relatives cheering us on. Have you ever wondered, however, how a parent can teach their children to ride a bike? It's not just a matter of training wheels and knee pads, there are some rules to follow that will make this experience as simple as possible. So here are some tips on how to teach children to ride a bike!

The rules for safe bike riding

1. No training wheels

We know this is the first thing you would have thought of and most people tend to do. Using training wheels prevents the child from developing a sense of balance, precisely because the wheels do all the work. Instead, it's better to use a pedal-less bike, so that by placing their entire foot on the ground, the child starts to develop their balance on their own.

2. Any age is the right age

There isn't a right age to teach children to ride a bike. You can start from the first few months with very simple bikes without pedals, progressing to bikes with pedals when they are a few years old. Actually, this largely depends on your child's learning speed.

3. Use some support tools

You can use some support tools that will make teaching easier and give your children more confidence. An example is the learning bar, which is attached to the rear of the child's bike and allows you to take control at any time. You can give your child confidence, but at the same time you can give them the right amount of space to learn to pedal on their own.

4. Be close without overdoing it

Stay close to your child, but not excessively because the first mistake not to make is to transfer anxieties and fears. At the same time, remember to protect him properly with a helmet, knee pads and elbow pads, but avoid overdoing it with further protections. After all, the speeds reached are certainly not dangerous!

5. Choose the right space

Teach your child to ride a bike in a suitable space, wide, without obstacles, but most importantly without curves. The first thing your child will have to learn is to pedal steadily while going straight, turns will come later. Always choose places where cars do not circulate, to avoid any possible risk.

6. The first pedal stroke is fundamental

There are several techniques you can use and now we explain three:

• The child can start by pushing themselves with their feet and then when they reach a good speed, they can put their feet on the pedals.

• The child can keep the bike braked, put one foot on the pedal, release the brake and take a nice pedal stroke that will give them momentum, afterwards they can try to put the other foot on the pedal as well.

• Finally, they can put one foot on the pedal, while with the other they can push themselves, only when they have reached a good speed can they try to put the second foot on the pedal as well.

7. Teach them to brake

Learning to brake is not secondary and must go hand in hand with learning to pedal. In this regard, pay attention to the brake adjustment, some might be too hard and in this case need to be loosened. You can also teach your child to put their feet down when braking, to maintain the right balance and better stop the bike.

Now that we've explained to you how to teach children to ride a bike in 7 easy steps, all you have to do is grab the bike, take your child to a safe place and start practicing: Your next family bike trip is just around the corner!