Bike in Cyprus

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Step 5 – Stopping: When they are used to stopping with their feet, get them to practise with the brakes.
Make sure they know which brake works which wheel. Remind them to use the back brake first so they don’t go over the handlebars!
Step 6 – Now pedal: Once they have mastered coasting, steering and braking, replace the pedals and ask them to rest their feet on the pedals as they coast. When this feels natural, encourage them to pedal. This might take an hour, a few hours, or even a few days – just remember to take it at their pace.
Step 7 – Steering: When they can pedal, encourage them to turn the handlebars to one side and ride around you in a circle. Remember to tell them to look where they want to go and to turn the handlebars in that direction.
Step 8 – Practice: Like anything, the more they ride their bike, the better they’ll get.
My kids are too young to ride
Don’t forget that even if your kids are too young to ride a bike they may be able to enjoy the outing in a child seat or bike child trailer. Advice and guidance on the correct seat or carrier and the age from which children are able to go in these should be obtained from cycle retailers.

As a parent or carer, you know your children and may feel confident teaching them the basics. If not, check
out the national cycle training scheme Bikeability (www.bikeability.org.uk), designed to teach children and adults to ride.
If you are going to teach the kids yourself, here are some steps to help you:
Step 1 – Lose the pedals: 90% of riding is about balance. Most adults will have learnt to ride with stabilisers, but experts now think they delay the learning process because they do all the balancing.
A learner bike – which has no pedals so they can’t hit the learner’s legs – or a regular bike with the pedals taken off is the quickest way to get them riding.
Step 2 – Get ready: Make sure the learner can put both feet on the floor. They should wear a helmet and be prepared for scrapes by wearing long-sleeved tops and trousers.
Step 3 – Getting going: Find a smooth area and stand 5-10 metres away from the learner. Ask them to stand with one leg either side of the bike and, pushing with their feet, to steer towards you. Tell them to keep pushing and look at you instead of the ground – it will help them to go straight. To begin with, get them to use their feet for stopping.
Step 4 – Keeping going: At this stage the learner is likely to push along with their feet the whole way.
Get them to repeat the exercise but this time see if they can coast without using their feet some of the way. As they get better they’ll go further and rely less on using their feet.

Cycling is a fantastic way to get up and about, stay healthy and spend enjoyable time with family and friends.
But before setting off on your bikes, there are some important things you need to know and do.
This guide is all about helping you to keep your kids safer on their bikes, without spoiling their fun. There’s advice on what to wear and things to look out for on the road, and there’s plenty of information for adults too!

Teachiing kids to ride
Most kids can’t wait to master the skill of balancing on a bike. They can start learning to ride from as young as 3 but remember, it takes time and patience to teach someone to ride a bike, and takes some kids longer than others.