Scoot and glide
Ready when: Walk beside the bike, brakes, get on and off (b2) done.
What you are learning
Balance, the main skill in riding. The child sits on the bike with the pedals off and pushes along with the feet, then lifts both feet and glides. Once a child can glide for a few seconds, pedalling comes quickly.
Words on this card Saddle, Brake lever, Scoot, Glide
- Saddle
- The seat of the bike.
- Brake lever
- The levers on the handlebars that slow the wheels. Each lever works one wheel; check which is which.
- Scoot
- Pushing along with the feet on the ground while sitting on the saddle.
- Glide
- Rolling along with both feet lifted off the ground.
Set up
The bike with the saddle low and pedals removed (or the left pedal off); a flat smooth space.
Weather: dry ground
Show it first for the one teaching
- Lower the saddle so both feet are flat on the ground when sitting.
- Sit, look ahead to the end of the path, fingers over the brakes.
- Walk the bike along while sitting, then push with both feet together.
- Lift both feet and roll for as long as the bike stays up.
Your part while they practise
Walk alongside, do not hold. Praise the glide, not the speed.
Step by step
- Saddle low so both feet reach the ground.
- Scoot with both feet together, then one after the other.
- Try to glide with both feet off the floor.
- Stay seated, look up where you want to go, fingers over the brakes.
How much: 10 attempts, 4 rounds 10 min a session 4 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Cross the river
Mark two chalk lines; glide across without wet feet and widen the river as gliding improves.
Who plays: the child against their own best; you widen the river.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Draw two chalk lines 1 m apart: the river
- Scoot up to it and glide across with both feet up
- Each time the child crosses dry, move one line 50 cm farther
- 10 crossings
- Fair play
- A very young child starts with a river of 50 cm.
- Points
- 1 point for each dry crossing; 1 more point when the river is wider than 2 m.
- Fouls
- The crossing scores nothing
- A foot touches the river
- Looking down at the front wheel instead of the far bank
- Getting off the saddle
- Winning
- Beat your best from 10 crossings.
- 4 points for 1 star
- 8 points for 2 stars
- 12 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
A slight downhill slope.
Raise the saddle a little each week; snake around cones.
What you will see, and what to say
- the child looks at the ground
Look at the end of the path
The bike goes where the eyes go. - the feet drag
Lift both feet and glide
Feet up, even for one second.
Self-check
A glide with both feet off the floor for 3 seconds.
Stop and get a coach when
The child is frightened; go back to walking beside the bike.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains balance, the main skill.
awiseathlete.com/sports/cycling/cycling-b3