Comment by krisoft
> I did so in the usual manner - have her sit on the seat while I grab the handlebars and run along side her, then release the bike and watch her panic, freeze, topple over, and kick the bike in frustration.
This part confuses me a lot. Where I'm from you teach kids to ride by attaching a broom (or similar) stick to the back of the bike. That way you can gently hold them when they mess up the balance, but they still get the appropriate feedback that they need to balance on their own. As a plus you feel when they are getting better at it, and the "release" is softer. It is not an all or nothing process, you just hold the stick less and less, and suddenly the kid is cycling on their own.
I couldn't imagine doing the same with holding the handlebar. It would be hard to do. Would mess their feedback loop up. And what is worse it would telegraph to them when you are releasing them thus making it more likely that they panic.
Does anyone really do the "grabbing the handlebars" method to teach kids to ride a bike? Is it a regional difference?
You can also use a scarf that goes under their arms and run along with them ready to catch them with the scarf when they are going to fall. This way you apply 0 force and they get all the feedback. It did help that they stared on a balance bike with no pedals before making the transition to the bike with pedals.