At What Age?

[LuvDog]

Good to know... Even on the lower setting?

Yup... it's nothing bad enough to discourage you getting it. It's just an FYI... depending on how old your son is, just make sure he's hanging on to the bars when he twists the throttle.

[Stoneman]

All indicators are he's more than willing for this step. We can't keep him off our quads and he's always begging me for a ride. He recently started telling us he wanted his own, and he made a HUGE scene at the bike shop when it was time to get off the bike and leave...

Odd thing about shopping this weekend: on the li'l quads, he couldn't even come close to reaching the pegs. On the dirtibikes though, no problem...

[R1]

so my buddies 5 yo is currently trying to ride a dirtbike.

he was started on training wheels and now that they are removed he keeps trying to lean and the bike keeps falling.

on the other hand my 9 yo cousin started w/o training wheels and it took him about a week to be up and riding at 4....

neither of them had any ability to ride a 2 wheel bicycle at the time they learned

now my cousins dad governed the bike to a walking speed and held the bike up while walking along side it and gradually kept increasing the speed til he was running along side the bike then he would let go and the speed would keep him balanced.

my buddy cant get his kid to go fast enough to keep the bike balanced he gets scared and he tried to turn and leans and the bike falls.

probably already mentioned in here, just thought i would point out the differences between the 2 types of training....

my buddies kid is relying on the training wheels and its making it hard for him to learn balance.....

[Paul_E_D]

Strider! It's a 2 wheeled bike with no pedals. The kid just pushes it along with his feet. No training wheels. Balance and countersteering are learned progressively without all the crashing. I would never try to tell a parent what's best, but I've seen these things get kids riding at under 3 years old.

[brewmaster]

Personally I think a regular bike or what Paul is suggesting (the strider) is the best start. Every kid is different so it's really all up to you.

My daughter wouldn't ride her bike without training wheels until age 6. Once she did she took off pretty quick. In fact I always told her the basics, look where you want to go (not where you think your going), use your feet for balance and brake smoothly, get right back on if you fall, bla bla bla. You know the drill. Of course I figured shes a 6 year old girl she isn't going to listen to me.

So I'm watching her whip down the street from the front porch. She is going pretty fast and she needs to turn around to come back up to the house. Well it was spring so a bunch of sand is on the road and well she hits it full speed in the turn.

Her front tyre starts sliding and I she her turn her head and look right back up the street! Of course this didn't save her and she hits the pavement real hard, shoulder, hands, elbow all scraped up. She picks the bike up, obviously in pain gets on and rides back up.... NO tears! She then asks me why looking didn't work, I tell her sometimes it can't cure all problems but that she did great. She smiles and gets right back to riding...

All that and she had NO interest in riding a motorcycle....until now! She is eight going on 9 and wants a bike. I honestly figured she had no interest, even after I told her she could have one back when she was 6.

Moral of the story is let them develop the skill and interest at their own pace, if at all.

[Stoneman]

You guys are all cracking me up. I'm not asking for suggestions, at least at this point. The question was and still is '...when did you all start your little ones?'. I've reiterated that a coupla times too. If you have no children or have children but haven't started 'em yet, I'm not sure you can answer my question. Which again is WHEN DID YOU START YOUR LITTLE ONES?

[Paul_E_D]

You're so literal!

[Stoneman]

You're so literal!

[R1]

I've reiterated that a coupla times too. If you have no children or have children but haven't started 'em yet, I'm not sure you can answer my question. Which again is WHEN DID YOU START YOUR LITTLE ONES?

HEY! I gave you a completely unrelated story that had nothing to do with your questions

Shitbag!

p.s.

i didnt read your stinkin thread.

[brewmaster]

What part didn't I answer????

[Stoneman]

HEY! I gave you a completely unrelated story that had nothing to do with your questions

Shitbag!

p.s.

i didnt read your stinkin thread.

Did you call me a shitbag???

[Stoneman]

What part didn't I answer????

You haven't gotten your kid on a dirtbike yet!

[brewmaster]

You haven't gotten your kid on a dirtbike yet!

No, but at least now I think and know she is ready. Isn't that the question?

[Stoneman]

No, but at least now I think and know she is ready. Isn't that the question?

So at what age did you get your little ones into dirty riding?

Post #1, second paragraph, first sentence...

[brewmaster]

Post #1, second paragraph, first sentence...

Gotcha!

[OreoGaborio]

I like turtles.

Shitbag.

[R1]

Did you call me a shitbag???

indeed i did

considering this threads diversion of topic was still pretty much on topic i felt it was deserving

plus i have never met you before so through a puter screen i can seem alot tougher than i am

in real life i might say it under my breath or only once you walked away....

now as to your original question....

i dont have kids so i can only tell you my little anecdote that aparently you didnt appreciate.



get your kid a bike teach him to ride then buy a 250f

if wifey dont like it then buy "her" a 250f but make sure you do the initial break-in and that the break-in period lasts just long enough to realize "you" need a 450

better?

[mzdagrl]

Cadence is obviously still too small, but we are already talking about her first bike.....I'd like to wait til she can pedal one, though. It would make me feel better.

[Stoneman]

indeed i did

considering this threads diversion of topic was still pretty much on topic i felt it was deserving

plus i have never met you before so through a puter screen i can seem alot tougher than i am

in real life i might say it under my breath or only once you walked away....

now as to your original question....

i dont have kids so i can only tell you my little anecdote that aparently you didnt appreciate.



get your kid a bike teach him to ride then buy a 250f

if wifey dont like it then buy "her" a 250f but make sure you do the initial break-in and that the break-in period lasts just long enough to realize "you" need a 450

better?

MUCH better. And it's MISTER shitbag to you...

[R1]

MUCH better. And it's MISTER shitbag to you...

[Stoneman]

Well...we 'acquired' an old (but supposedly running when it was 'put away' two years ago) Yamaha 4Zinger. Shaft drive 60cc with no real gears. Other than needing some obvious carb work, everything else seems in pretty good shape. Can't wait (either one of us!) to get it running...

Actually took your advice Paul, but for other reasons than this. We got him wunna those Stryder bike things - or whatever they are. Pretty cool little things, he has a ball on it...

But we got him an electric quad a while back so we could guage his ability to 'ride'. Within about a month, he was finding things around the house to '...builda jump...' with and tossing blankets on the ground so he could '...wide it tru da mud!' He's beat the shit outta the thing and is entirely bored with it's lack of speed & power and he's a little more than upset that he can't '...wode a wheewie' yet...

Soooooo...I'm havin' a helluva time finding a FREE service manual download for it. Maybe I'm a bit Google-impaired, but I'm not having any luck with the freebies. It's the same engine & drive as the TriZingers, but still no luck. The 4Zinger is the YF60, and the TriZinger is the YT60, I believe. Years are not important...

[csmutty]

Damn...I was a late bloomer compared to some of you guys.

[Pittenger5]

Damn...I was a late bloomer compared to some of you guys.

I got my first bike for myself on my 23rd birthday

[lrrs313]

I got my first bike for myself on my 23rd birthday

I was around 20 when I got my first dirt bike.

[csmutty]

Ahh ok so I am kinda normal. I got my first dirty toy when I was 10. Had to save up for like 3 years to get it and spent about the same amount of time convincing my mom lol.