On the telly, it looks so easy… but most parents know that in reality, teaching your child to ride a bike is a lot more challenging than you were expecting!
Worst-case scenario, it ends up becoming quite a stressful and frustrating experience – for both you and your child. It could even end up putting your child off cycling for life!
But help is at hand – as well as reassurance that it’s not just you are having this issue (it really isn’t…)
In fact, Mark, an expert children’s cycling coach who lives in Newton-le-Willows, says there are some really simple answers to the most common reasons why your child might be struggling to learn to ride a bike successfully.
And better still, he is setting up a brand new business – Fox Cycling Cheshire North – which offers fun cycle training skills for young children in Newton, Lowton, Golborne and Warrington.
Fox Cycling is now offering children’s cycling lessons in Warrington
The sessions are suitable for children aged 2 and over, starting with CycleTots sessions, which introduce your child to balance bikes and help them develop the core skills they need to eventually get on to pedals.
From around age 4, they join the CycleKids sessions, and once a Pedal Ready Assessment shows they’re ready for a ‘pedal bike’, that’s when the magic happens. Mark’s bold promise is that he’ll have your child riding independently after just a one-hour lesson (yes, really!)
Sounds like a zero-stress way to give your child a skill they’ll use and love for life!
Mark’s business is a franchise of the highly regarded Fox Cycling company, which was founded in 2010 and has since helped more than 5,000 children to ride, with amazing reviews from parents across the UK.
After being impressed by how well children respond to the Fox Cycling method, Mark wanted to make the service available to children in his own area.
Sessions take place at venues across Warrington, including the Tim Parry Community Centre on Wroxham Road, Warrington and Rixton and Glazebrook Community Hall, with more venues to be announced. All are easily reachable from Newton-le-Willows, Lowton and Golborne. Visit the Fox Cycling Cheshire North website for current dates and to book your child’s place.
Bikes and helmets are provided, or you can bring your child’s own if you prefer.
Places are limited as numbers are kept to a minimum per session, so make sure you reserve your child’s place so they don’t miss out!
The 3 most common mistakes when teaching your child to cycle
Here’s what Mark from Fox Cycling advises – and we bet most parents can identify with at least one of these!
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Using stabilisers
They feel like the obvious starting point – but Mark says stabilisers actually work against children learning to balance. They remove the need to find core balance, encourage backwards pedalling, and teach children to lean the wrong way into corners. That’s why Fox Cycling help your child gain their confidence on balance bikes from as young as two years old – no stabilisers needed, ever!
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The wrong bike
Mark says that many children’s bikes sold by high street and online retailers are too heavy and not set up for small bodies (despite being specifically labelled as a child’s bike). Having a bike sizing session makes a much bigger difference than most parents realise – a child who appears unconfident or reluctant may simply be on a bike that is working against them from the start. Part of what Fox Cycling offers is a bike sizing check, where your child will be fitted to a bike that’s perfect for their size right now.
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Too much parental involvement
With the best will in the world, we probably all realise running alongside your child, gripping the saddle, trying to explain what to do while they wobble and you panic, isn’t the most effective way to help! It is genuinely difficult, and the emotional stakes for both of you make it even harder.
And the solution?
It’s easy… Fox Cycling are now offering children’s cycling lessons in Warrington, at the Tim Parry Community Centre. As soon as they’re pedal-ready, Mark guarantees that he’ll have them balanced and pedalling in less than an hour!
Fun for them and zero stress for you… So what are you waiting for? Book your child’s place today. www.foxcycling.co.uk