The Training Wheels Came Off

Just a few weeks after getting his new bicycle, Calfgrit5 told me he was ready to take off the training wheels. When I came home from work, it was the first thing he said to me: “Dad, I want to try riding my bike on just two wheels.” I got my tools and took off the training wheels.

I held his bike for him so he could mount up, and then I held onto the back of his seat to help him balance as he started pedaling. I held on for just a few seconds as he rolled into the cul de sac, and then I let go of him. I continued to jog along beside him in case he lost his balance, but he kept going just fine.

I had to explain how to land on one foot after braking, but after a couple more runs beside him, for only a few seconds each time, he was totally able to handle the bike all by himself. Within five minutes, he was riding around the cul de sac, and in and out of the driveway completely on his own. He looked like he had been riding without training wheels for years.

A week later, he rides across grassy fields, he drops down off of curbs, and he races me and Calfgrit9 through the school’s empty parking lot. He’s awesome to behold. I think his practice riding on his scooter built up his balance over the past several months.

With Calfgrit9, when he was 6 years old, it took a lot of convincing, and weeks of repeated practice to get him riding comfortably on his own. But then, he didn’t have the scooter experience beforehand, and he didn’t have a big brother to keep up with.

There’s a kid that lives down the street from us — he’s 6 or 7 years old — who still has training wheels on his bike. He loves to come play with the Calfgrits, and he comes rushing over whenever he sees them outside. He has outgrown his bike by at least a year, and one of the training wheels is bent up in a totally useless position.

The little boy has to ride leaning to one side, with the good training wheel, so he doesn’t fall over. This is rather sad. He comes pedaling up the street to ride around the cul de sac with my boys, and I just want to stop him and fix his training wheels.

I’ve never seen his parents watching, even from their yard down the street, when he’s out riding around. I don’t know if they even know where he is when he comes over to our yard. And what’s wrong with the dad (or mom) that they either haven’t noticed the problem with his bike, or they haven’t bothered fixing it?

I mean, I can understand if someone can’t buy a new bike of the correct size (even though they could get a used bike for cheap), but at least fix his training wheels. If you aren’t going to help him learn to ride without them, don’t leave him struggling with a broken and useless wheel on one side.

Bullgrit