The Day the Training Wheels Came Off. Seeing My Son's Broad Back at 'Fujidenko Cycle Land'

My eldest son (5) has been feeling cramped and bored with his kick bike, and lately, he has finally started to show interest in a real bicycle.
We decided to go to 'Fujidenko Cycle Land' in Hyogo Prefectural Harima Central Park, where I heard you can ride many fun and unique bicycles.

It is a large park located in Kato City, north of Kakogawa and Ono.
In the center, you can enjoy various activities such as 'fun bicycles' for the whole family, battery-powered cars for toddlers, and inline skating, and you can also rent bicycles with training wheels.
And it's very cheap.
It is a very fun place for the whole family.

The merits of a kick bike.

My son has never ridden a bicycle before, nor has he ever practiced.
He had become quite proficient on his kick bike.
We chose a kick bike from a domestic brand called SPARKY, rather than a Strider.
The reasons were:

• It has a brake on one side

• It has a kickstand

• It has rubber tires, so the feel is close to a real bicycle

Although he was clumsy with how to use the brake and how to release the kickstand when he was around three, he has mastered them now.

Now, back to the story, the goal for this day was just to seehow well he could ride a bicycle with training wheels.I had the feeling that if he got used to the bike, I might buy him one with training wheels from Asahi or online.
After enjoying the fun bicycles for a bit, we finally headed to the rental bicycle corner.

First, there were bicycles with training wheels around 16 to 18 inches, and we happened to find one with a 'handle' on the rear carrier.
Although 'Fujidenko Cycle Land' has a somewhat Showa-era vibe, the bicycle lineup is extensive, and I was surprised to see some good Bridgestone models.

I thought pedaling might be difficult even with training wheels, but he got used to it surprisingly easily.
Although I taught him a few tips about the brakes and handlebars, perhaps thanks to his kick bike practice, he was able to do it right away. It only took about 5 minutes.
Since my son was able to do it, he rode around in circles many times, and the training wheels didn't seem to be a problem.

Practicing on a bike with training wheels. ~The struggle between dad and child~

That being said, I was worried that if he got too used to training wheels, his sense of balance and other bike-specific sensations might be overwritten, so I decided to have him try a bike without training wheels.

The classic scenario of'Don't let go!!' 'I've got you,' while letting go anyway.

At first, he was shaking like a newborn fawn, and he was jerking the handlebars all over the place.
I thought it was a battle of whose stamina would give out first, mine or my back while I was hunched over supporting him.I also tried that trick of saying 'I've got you' while letting go several times.

Actually,
he was pedaling normally.Although he didn't have any spectacular falls, perhaps because he felt it wasn't going very well, my son immediately started sulking.

'If you give up this easily, you won't be able to buy a bike.'
'Your little brother (2) is already able to ride a bike with training wheels, you know.'
Even though I was fully intending to buy him one with training wheels at first, I provoked him with these childish remarks, and he reluctantly started practicing again.
Yes, behind the scenes,

my two-year-old brother was actually starting to ride a bike with training wheels like a pro.

The moment of destiny... He did it!!

With the 40-minute rental time nearing its end,
I chased after my son, dashing relatively quickly so he wouldn't lose speed and could maintain his balance.
...It felt like an eternity, but that moment was definitely drawing near.

And then, the moment of destiny arrived.
The moment I let go during one of his many attempts, the bicycle began to move forward on its own, wobbling but steady.
The moment he realized Dad had let go, his smile exploded.

“I did it!!!”

As I watched my son’s back move further away and felt the lingering sensation in my hands that had been supporting him, I felt a mix of complex emotions, but
I was really glad he learned to ride before my lower back gave out.
I realized that even though I had been recording with an action camera, I was so desperate that I barely captured that “moment.” I really messed up.

Overwhelmed with emotion, I’m done!

Since he learned to ride so quickly, it felt a bit anticlimactic, but
during the remaining 5 to 10 minutes, my son kept riding around the circuit.
I offered a few tips, like running to build momentum since starting to pedal is difficult, and he managed to master those relatively quickly as well.

By the time the session ended and we took a break, my son looked proud of himself for having learned to ride.
Honestly, there was nothing left for Dad to teach him.

Overwhelmed with emotion... I'm done!
I realized that my son had grown up before I knew it.
The joy of him being able to move forward on his own without the “support” of training wheels, mixed with a slight sense of loneliness, faded into the slightly sweaty, early summer air.

Conclusion

It’s just between us that we added another 40 minutes for an “encore” session and rode the 1.5km course together.
I believe the secret behind him learning to ride in such a short time was the existence of the “kick bike.”
Perhaps getting used to equipment similar to a real bicycle from an early age helped him develop the necessary sense of balance.
I don't know for sure, though.

For a long time, one of the biggest jobs in a dad’s parenting journey has undoubtedly been “taking off the training wheels,” which istruly a major event.This is a role for Dad, not Mom, and it’s like
a master passing on a secret technique to his disciple,a scene like learning the Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki in Rurouni Kenshin. I never imagined that such a huge mission would be completed in just one day—no, in just a few dozen minutes.

And so, with those complex feelings in mind, Dad is now desperately searching for a bicycle for his son online.