Bicycles

Is your child ready for his or her first bicycle? Most youngsters learn the basics of pedaling, steering, and braking on a tricycle or "big wheel" cycle, and around age 4 are ready to try a two-wheeler with training wheels.

A bicycle with training wheels gives children more practice riding without worrying about balance. Between ages 4 and 8, your child will probably develop enough coordination, agility, and a sense of balance to graduate to a bike without training wheels but you are the best judge of your child, however some children are mentally ready at 8 or even earlier and some not until age 10 or older. Let your child's interest in biking indicate whether he or she is ready and keep in mind that most children younger than 5 don't have the strength or coordination to use hand brakes.