Kid struggling to learn to ride? Hire a bike coach - New York News
Taking off the training wheels on that first bike is a child's rite of passage into becoming a big kid. But for 8 year old Max Goldberg, the right to ride did not come easy.
"I kept wiggling and I couldn't balance so I kind of got annoyed," he says.
After two years of falling and frustration, Max's mom hired Howard Roth, a Long Island based bike coach with his own method.
"Max's problem was there was a fear factor," Roth says. He developed his technique to help his twin boys learn to ride two-wheelers 10 years ago. That's when he published the ebook, "Riding Made Easy."
Roth says balance on the bike is the key, and training wheels can hurt a child more than falling down.
"Lower the seat, take off the pedals and work with them to find their balance," he says.
Private lessons start at $90. Roth has clients of all ages and also works with children with disabilities throughout the tri-state area. And he says he isn't the only bike coach out there.
"There's a moment when they ride when they are astounded at themselves, they are amazed at their abilities, and they can't believe they can do it," he says.
"It's really fun and I really like it," Max says.
In the end it's just like riding a bike
