Teaching your kids to ride a bike is one of the classic moments in fatherhood. In this episode of The Lab, the dads of DadLabs talk about some of the parenting techniques they used when teaching their children how to ride bicycles. They also talk to a bike expert who explains some of the bike gear that parents will be useful for safety such as training wheels and helmets. The DadLabs guys spill the real story on how to manage one of the great, but potentially disastrous, moments in Dadhood. DadLabs ep. 225 The Lab.

DADDY BRAD: Welcome back for another week in the lab. I’m Daddy Brad.

DADDY CLAY: And I’m Daddy Clay. And we’d like to reflect for a moment on the iconography of fatherhood. The tapestry of images that spring to mind. Daddy Brad, when you think of “Dad” what’s the fist thing that springs to mind.

DADDY BRAD: Beer.

DADDY CLAY: No, not beer. The classic, Norman Rockwell, father/child moments.

DADDY BRAD: My kid opening me a beer?

DADDY CLAY: This week, we’re talking about teaching your kid to ride a bike.

DADDY BRAD: Teaching your kid to ride a bike is one of the classic moments of fatherhood. Something we all look forward to as a moment we’ll embrace for a lifetime.

DADDY CLAY: And like all parenting moments that we hope to embrace for a lifetime, there’s a huge potential for frustration, disappointment and meltdowns.

DADDY BRAD: The kids can misbehave, too.

DADDY CLAY: The first thing that you want to do when beginning this process is to roll back your expectations a bit.

DADDY BRAD: Riding a two-wheeler is a big step for a little kid. It may take several tries. Take the pressure of yourself and the little one as much as you can.

DADDY CLAY: That way everyone has more fun.

DADDY BRAD: Helmets. They’re a no brainer. Except they protect your brain. Which makes them a brainer.

DADDY CLAY: We were shocked to learn that polls still indicate that only about half of bike-riding kids wear helmets. Despite that fact that wearing a helmet reduces the chances of a head injury by 85%.

DADDY BRAD: Bike riding is risky, resulting in as many sports related ER visits as any other activity.

DADDY CLAY: Stitches and one broken arm for us.

DADDY BRAD: We still love our kids riding bikes, you just have to be safe.


DADDY CLAY: For learners, you might also consider knee pads or gloves. To prevent scrapes that can set you back.

DADDY BRAD: Learning to ride a bike really starts when a kid is just two or three. Trikes are a great way to learn to pedal. And balance bikes might help your toddler transition right to a two wheeler.

DADDY CLAY: Don’t tell but my three-year-old will find a Skuut under the tree this Christmas.

DADDY TROY: Most families will start kids out at about age four or so, on a bike like this one, with training wheels. Make sure that you adjust the training wheels properly. Initially, when the bike is perpendicular, both training wheels should be just off the ground. You want to start encouraging the child to balance. Every few months, readjust the wheels, giving more clearance. Use this method and over time, the child will teach him or herself to ride. The training wheels come off and away they go.

DADDY CLAY: The training wheel are off and it’s time for that big daddy moment. You’ll want to pick a grassy field like this one. Flat or with a very slight grade.

DADDY BRAD: And away they go. It’s a big moment for a kid. And for a dad.

DADDY CLAY: If you think about it. The Dad launching the kid on that first bike ride is one of the few sort of visual cliches of men as parents. That and throwing a baseball. It’s one of the few things that Dad’s really own in terms of parenting.

DADDY BRAD: So you taught the kids to ride?

DADDY CLAY: That’s all for us, here in the Lab.

DADDY BRAD: You’ve got to be kidding me.

DADDY CLAY: I don’t believe in running.