Sam learns to ride a bike!

Sam's ten. He's never shown any interest in learning to ride a bike, despite our nudgings. Finally this summer I told him we needed to get that skill under his belt. So we went out maybe 4 or 5 evenings total, all summer, and he cruised around the driveway on his bike, with the pedals removed. The idea is to get your balance and then to put the pedals on after. On the 3rd evening or so, I made a little course where he and Josh could cruise through and touch the various cones and obstacles to get some practice turning. 

Finally last week we took them to the parking lot of a local park. It was just after sunset but we had half an hour of light. After practicing a couple times more, I put his pedals back on.

Here he is just before learning to ride a bike:

And here he is just after:

I don't think he expected he was about to know how to do it, but it was easy. Since he already knew how to balance, once the pedals were on he immediately took to it and started zipping around the parking lot. He was ecstatic, as were we! In the following days he's wanted nothing more than to ride around the neighborhood with his friends, or alone.

Afterward he thanked me for teaching him to ride a bicycle. I really wish I had that on tape! It will certainly be one of the sweetest interactions of his childhood.

Yesterday we went out and got him a bike. The one he learned on was a little hand-me-down from some friends, way too small for him (but consequently good for learning on, because his feet reached the ground very easily). We went out immediately to Meridian Park which has a nice complex of paths and trails for the boys and I to ride on. (Susan's bike is being refurbished.)

Joshie is riding a little balance bike of his own. He's not yet sold on pedals--though he did give them a quick try last night. Maybe soon, he too will be riding...