First Bike Ride

Tonight, Collin rode his bike for the first time.  After I got home from work. Grandma H helped me load Collin and his bike into the car so we could go to the bike shop for Tom "The Bike Whisperer" to teach Collin how to ride his bike.  I told him on the way what we were doing and he said, "Let's do it another day.  I don't want to today."  I told him we were already loaded up and ready to go.  I was not turning back.  He was not happy about it but we kept driving.

When we got there, he clung to me when he saw Tom.  He told me that he did not want to ride his bike and get killed.  This came from a conversation he had with Daddy earlier in the week.  Daddy asked why he did not want to learn how to ride his bike.  Collin said that he was afraid of getting killed.  Daddy said that would not happen.  He might fall off his bike but he would not get killed.  He talked more and Daddy figured out that Collin WAS afraid of falling off his bike and getting hurt but that he associated hurt and killed.  Once he settled that, Collin was a little better.  You know that had to be a tough conversation discussing death.  Glad I was not there.

Tom had Timmy and Christina help teach Collin.  At first, they took the training wheels and pedals off the bike.  Collin pushed the bike around the shop to work on balancing.  Once he was really good at that, they went outside.  During this time, we could not watch so that Collin would not worry about us and focus on what Tom was saying.  Once Collin was comfortable, I could watch and then participate in helping him learn to ride.

Within 10 minutes, Collin was riding his bike.  Tom said that he as really good balance and control of the bike.  He was already jumping off the bike and standing up when he was ready to get off.  He even used his brakes appropriately....so all he really needed to learn was balance and have confidence that he could do it.  Once he could ride, Mimi and Daddy came out to watch him.  He did great!  We wanted to celebrate but he did not like all of the attention.  We did got to his favorite restaurant, Napoli's, so he could have pizza.  He tried hard to not fall asleep during dinner.  I am sure he was tired after all that work.  Great job Collin!

Timmy helping Collin learn to balance

Look at him go!

Riding to Christina

Me getting instructions of how to continue to practice with him when we get home

Timmy running after Collin

A little blurry, but this is me pushing him

This is a video of his first long ride.  Tom said the steering back and forth is very normal and will get better once Collin practices more.  By the end of the lesson, he was already better than when he first started.