Ride a Bike in 5 Easy Steps

Today was our first day of a five day session at Pedalheads. They promise an over 90% success rate for losing the training wheels in the first week. How do they get those wheels off so fast? Well, they do everything that we do, but in a camp like setting, where EVERYONE is doing it, and the instructor says so (instead of mom) and it's all a big game!

Firstly - make sure kids can ride bike with trainers on

Secondly - force them to ride on grass (it takes some effort, but is soft)

Thirdly - tell them that the training wheels are what is slowing them down and making it hard

Fourthly - tell them to eat their snacks while you remove their training wheels

Last - push them really fast and say "Keep pedalling! You're doing it!"

All morning Leif was obsessing about not wanting to go to Bike Camp. He already knew about the possibility that they would take off his trainers, and he knew about the grass riding and was not interested in either of those. But he was the first one to ride really far all by himself, and he is in for such a treat when they finally set him loose on some firm ground! Laika took a little bit longer to get the hang of it, but by the end she could also keep going after her push.

We have four more afternoons of Bike Camp and then lookout SeaWall!