Taylor is Biking!

Fast forward two years later... Taylor is a big 4 and a half years old now and can ride her bike without training wheels!

Last week out of the blue, Taylor asks me if I can take off her training wheels because she says she is a big girl now, and would like to give it a try.  She hasn't been biking much at all lately, maybe a couple times in our backyard.  Keep in mind this is a California backyard, not a whole lot of space back there. So yesterday after work I nonchalantly asked her if she wanted to learn to ride a bike today?  She excitedly erupted out of the couch and said yes!  I told her to go put on some jeans and a long sleeve shirt, and of course like any curious kid would, she asked why?  I didn't want to scare her and tell her it was to protect against her fall.  Conveniently it was a little chilly out, so I went with that story.

I recalled when my dad taught me how to ride a bike and all the cuts and bruises that I went through at the age of 5.  I was then thinking how Taylor would react to her first fall and if she would get right back on the bike?

Taylor looked so confident as she strapped on her helmet.  She grabbed her bike next without any trepidation.   This really caught me by surprise because I remember the butterflies going through my stomach on my first time.  My daughter just looked so anxious to overcome this next step in her life as if this was her right of passage way to graduate to "big" girl status.

Like any dad, I thoroughly inspected her bike, making sure there was enough air in the tires and all the nuts and bolts were all tighten up.  Her training wheels were off and all systems go.

I ran over some basic instructions on steering and  keeping her eyes straight.  I told her I will start out guiding her with my hands and let go when she starts pedaling fast but will catch her should she fall over.  So after 10 minutes of guiding her up and down our cup-de-sac I let her go solo....

To my amazement she started biking on her own!  This was such a proud dad moment, I just couldn't believe she did it.  I started to cheer, but then realized she does not know how to stop.   So I ran alongside her to make sure I would catch her before she fell.   Her bike got squirrely and she tipped over.  She was a little shooken up, but got right back on and said she wanted to do it again!