In the very beginning, it's all about proper balance. Our bikes make that easy.
Ride advice starts here
riding tips from the pros at woom bikes
From the first balancing act to the riding pro
Step by Step, our bikes grow with the skills of children. We are there for an excellent ride from the start, all the way to mastering pedaling and gears. woom accompanies the children with super-slim, thought-out bikes for ages one and a half to fourteen years. No training wheels, no problem.
First Steps (to proper balance)
Learn to Ride in 15 Minutes
Pedaling in no time—Cycling is child's play! And it's even easier with the right tips.
Click here for our tips
Click here for our tips
Cycling Like a Champ
Now it's all about dexterity; you can learn a ton about proper pedaling in just one day.
Tips for pros here
Tips for pros here
The First Step in Cycling: Finding Balance
Curiosity begins right when a child can walk. With a deep saddle and cleverly-placed high handlebar, the balance bike is comparable to your child's next steps after walking. Gradually, the steps to push the wheel forward gain in length, then they will begin to roll.
A helpful way to start your child's balance bike adventure is in a gently sloping area that ever-so-slowly has segments that slope down. Soft trails may be ideal. We always strongly encourage helmet and glove use. Let your child take control and start using their feet and mind for balance!
"The ideal time to get on a Balance Bike is between 1.5 and 2.5 years. The most important thing is that children want to get on the bike themselves - nothing can be forced under pressure!"
With the bike ready and hands firmly on the grips, the first few steps can begin. Children learn well by imitation: just go to a local park or somewhere near where other children may also be riding bikes for inspiration.
Step 1: Go
Tip 1: Make sure your child's saddle is the correct height. The child should have their feet firm on the ground for balance bikes and have the heels slightly up for pedal bikes yet the toes still on the ground.
Tip 2: In the beginning, the parent can support the child on the shoulders until after a few steps on the bike and, before you know it, they will be steady and off on their own.
Now that the child has learned to walk on the balance bike, they are gearing up for a run! Watch as the steps grow alongside the skill of your child.
Step 2: Roll
Tip 1: Once the child really begins to take off flying, you can incrementally raise up the seat to have their feet slightly raised when at a stand still.
The brakes on the balance bike begin to teach your child about proper bike riding! By using the right-hand brake, your child is being set up for success.
Step 3: Brake!
Tip 1: The child will begin to understand the cause and effect work of the braking. Right brake causes the rear wheel to brake. Teach the child to use both brakes, and never use the left hand brake alone. We consider this the safest brake to use in most cases, as the right brake may help to avoid a bike flip over.
Pedal bikes made easy:
Kids using pedals in no time
No training wheels, no problem. In an important moment, your child will take on a real pedal bike. If they have already learned on a balance bike, they have a head start; if not, we have them covered. All of our bikes can be used as a 'balance bike' with the pedals left off (which is how the bike arrives), allowing children of all ages and all skill backgrounds to become powerful, advanced riders using our pedal bikes when the child is ready for you to attach the pedals. No training wheels—no problem.
Ready to ride (and brake). With your help, your child's drive to pedal will be a piece of cake. With your guiding voice, their eyes set straight ahead as they take off, and a lightweight woom bike, they will be all set to master their riding skills. As they quickly grasp the pedals, the young rider will appreciate the color-coded green right hand brake that corresponds to the green back wheel brake. Riding has never been this much fun!
"Children usually learn pedal bikes between 3-5 years. The best way to help them master the learning process is to make them feel comfortable on a bike."
Before the child uses their woom bike, it is important to explain the functions of the bike to them to help them understand what they are about to control. You should also always enforce helmet use, and glove use is also encouraged for additional safety.
Step 1: Step into the pedals
Tip 1: For a quick overview of the bike, show your child how the crank works. Simply lift the wheel and turn the pedals in front of your child before they use the bike. Then use the handbrake to stop the wheel.
Tip 2: The seat height should be adjusted so that both legs of the child can reach the ground and only the heels are slightly in the air. In other words, do not have your child flat-footed on the ground for a pedal bike, you want partial tiptoeing.
Tip 3: Be close to your child during their first bike experience. Be there to encourage their very first rides.
Now is an important moment for your child! Even if you help the child stabilize, they must feel the ride themselves!
Step 2: Begin riding
Tip 1: Once the child starts to get the hang of using their bike, your guiding hands can slowly move away as they notice their own power.
Tip 2: An ideal place to practice is somewhere without too many distractions, and without too many obstacles. Slightly-sloping ground can also be very helpful to let your child gain some momentum.
During the first riding attempts, it is key to walk beside the child to prevent a fall. After just a few tries, the child will be eager and happy to go it alone - just make sure they have proper braking down first.
Step 3: Brakes and standing
Tip 1: Children often use their feet to stop their bike - we want them to drop this habit for proper safety. Teach the child to use both hand brakes when slowing or stopping. Never use the front brake alone (the child must learn which levers controls which brake). Our woom 2 and 3 have green color coding on the right brake lever, and this matches the rear wheel brake pad. Easy teaching!
The last step to independence (and an adventure on two wheels) for the child is to have them take off! Learning this is easy once you have a few important bases covered.
Step 4: Take off
Tip 1: Children typically have a dominant leg (the leg they naturally use to kick a soccer ball, for example!). Let the child take the dominant leg and place it on a pedal at about the 2 o'clock position. Once they push into the pedal, they can push off using the other leg that will then take hold of the other pedal.
Tip 2: Alternatively, the riding can continue to be practiced with the physical; help of an adult, even having the adult hold the bike as the child begins to propel.
Refine, improve, learn ...
Skill Training
The Riding Horizon is Expanding. The riding horizon is expanding. Kids start riding on roads and off-road and also work on cornering. Riding uphill and downhill is part of their exploration. A single speed is no longer enough and kids now need gears to shift. woom bikes offer an easy to use and quiet gear shifter. This will help them learn shifting quickly and use it when exploring more challenging terrain. Some use their bike just for fun or ride with friends or use it for competition or all of the above. It's important to introduce new concepts or new terrain to continuously challenge our kids. Coaching and teaching kids on bikes will immediately pay off.
Little Rider. Whether it's for riding around the neighborhood, a commuting bike for school or just to ride around with friends, the woom bike is a powerful transportation device. By making going out on a bike such a pleasant experience, your little rider will become confident and happy—even if they learned how to ride already, they will be pleased with the woom bike's infrastructure and will take their riding to new levels.
"With a nice, long day of practice at the local park, a kid can learn to ride a bike with ease."
For the woom 4, 5 and 6, we introduce gears with a SRAM grip shifter. Gears 1-3 are ideal for starting out, and then go to higher numbers (4-8) for cruising. Smooth gear switching is fastly learned - simply encourage your child to shift gears while riding with the simple goal of making the gear changes quiet. This indicates proper gear changing.
Shifting gears
Tip 1: Practice grip shifting on a flat surface (this makes understanding gears easier). Teach the child basics: go faster, gear up. Go slower, gear down.
Tip 2: Now move to a slightly hilly environment, this is where the real fun starts! With some force to ride against due to the ground sloping up, gears will finally 'click' with your child.
Now that the child has learned to walk on the balance bike, they are gearing up for a run! Watch as the steps grow alongside the skill of your child.
Step 1: Roll
Tip 1: Once the child really begins to take off flying, you can incrementally raise up the seat to have their heels slightly raised when at a stand still.
The brakes on the balance bike begin to teach your child about proper bike riding! By using the right hand brake as the primary brake, your child is being set up for success.
Step 2: Brakes
Tip 1: The child will begin to understand the cause and effect work of the braking. Right break causes the rear wheel to brake. We consider this the safest brake to use in most cases, as the right brake typically helps to avoid a bike flip over that the use of the left-brake only may cause in extreme speeds.