U.S. #4687
2012 45¢ Child with Training Wheels
Bicycling
Issue Date: June 7, 2012
City: Minneapolis, MN
Quantity: 10,000,000
Printed By: Ashton Potter
Printing Method: Offset
Color: multicolored
The thrill of riding a new bike around the neighborhood with friends is often a child’s first taste of freedom.
The road to independence can be painful for a new rider and his parent. Learning the skills of balancing, pedaling, steering, and braking often results in scrapes and bruises. For parents, running behind the bike helping to maintain balance can cause sore backs and shortness of breath.
An easy way to learn bike riding begins on a gently sloping grassy hill with plenty of level land at the bottom. First, the child learns balance by coasting down the hill. When he has mastered that skill, steering and braking can be introduced on the flat area, using the momentum from the hill. After more practice, the new biker pedals when he reaches the bottom of the hill. The parent can be proud when his child has mastered a skill he will be able to enjoy for the rest of his life.
Learning to ride a bicycle can be as memorable to a child as the first day of school or losing a baby tooth. With his own set of wheels, he feels ready to try new challenges. Being a proficient cyclist means that child is a big kid, ready for even bigger adventures.