Learning to... Ride a bicycle

Written by Tracey Hammett
Read by Francine Chamberlain

Daisy had a tricycle. It had three black wheels, a black seat and black handle bars. The rest of it was red… apart from the silver bell.

Daisy was very good at steering her tricycle. “Look mummy I’m going in a big circle.” Daisy was very good at pedalling her tricycle … “I’m going fast! Wooooohooooooooo!” And Daisy was very good at ringing the bell. Daisy always liked to ride her tricycle to the park when she went with Mum and Meg to feed the ducks.

One day, while they were feeding the ducks they met Mum’s friend, Debbie, and her daughter Tara. Tara was older than Daisy. She had a shiny blue bicycle – with two wheels and a rather big bell.

“My bicycle is bigger than your tricycle,” Tara told Daisy.

“Yes,” said Daisy.

“And I think my bell is louder!” said Tara, ringing her bell.

Daisy rang her tricycle bell just to check.

“Yes, your bell is the loudest,” said Daisy. “But I’m lucky… because my tricycle has more wheels than your bicycle.”

Tara thought this was very funny and she gave Daisy one of her heart sweets, it said: “You’re fab.”

Time went by and Daisy grew taller. “You’re getting too big for that tricycle, Daisy,” said Mum. “Perhaps you should give it to your sister.” But Daisy loved her tricycle: “I’m not getting too big,” she said.

Then, one afternoon there was a knock at the door. It was Mum’s friend Debbie and her daughter, Tara. Tara had brought her shiny blue bicycle. “Tara’s got too big for her bicycle now,” said Debbie, “she’d like Daisy to have it.” “Well Tara that is very, very kind!” said Daisy’s Mum. Tara grinned.

 “What do you say to Tara, Daisy?”

 “Thank you,” said Daisy, delighted.

 “I know my bicycle doesn’t have as many wheels as your tricycle,” whispered Tara, when she was about to leave, “but I hope you like it anyway.” Then she gave Daisy another heart sweet, it said “Lucky Day”.

It was a lucky day for Daisy’s little sister, Meg, too, because Daisy gave her the red tricycle. Meg was very pleased… she sat on it straight away… she even ate her lunch on it.

Daisy took her new bicycle into the garden. First she tried out the bell. It worked very well. Then she tried out the handle bars… yes… they could turn both ways. And there were brakes too. 

“You know how to steer and you know how to pedal, but I’ll have to help you with the balancing part at first,” said Mum.

So Daisy sat on the bicycle and she steered and she pedalled and she tried to balance… Mum held on to her shoulders and ran along with her.

 “Keep pedalling!” she cried

But the balancing part wasn’t as easy as Daisy thought. Daisy wobbled this way and that…

“Don’t let me fall!” she cried.

But she surged forward and Mum couldn’t keep up. It all happened very quickly… and before she knew it Daisy was lying on the grass and so was the bicycle.

“You let go!” she told Mum.

“Sorry,” said Mum. “I didn’t mean to.

“You let go!” said Daisy crossly.

“When you fall off, it’s good to try again.” Mum gave Daisy a hug.

“I don’t want to try again, I want my tricycle back!” said Daisy, seizing her tricycle from her sister. Meg got very cross. So Mum put the bicycle and the tricycle away for a while.

Later, when Dad came home, Mum said “Come on Daisy, let’s go to the park with your bicycle.”

“What if I fall off again?” said Daisy.

“We’ll practise on the grass, so you’ll have a soft landing!” said Mum. “There’ll be more space too!”

When they got to the park, Mum found an excellent place to practise. Daisy got on the bicycle and mum held her shoulders.

“Let’s go!” said Mum.

Mum gave the bike a little push and off they went … down the slope and onto the flat path. Wibble, wobble … wibble, wobble … went Daisy on her bicycle.

“You’re doing it!” cried Mum. “I can’t keep up with you!” 

“Wow”, thought Daisy, “it’s all me … and it feels like I’m flying!”

On the way home Mum bought Daisy a treat. 

“What would you like?” she asked her.

“Heart sweets please!” she answered.

Daisy couldn’t wait to tell Dad and Meg that she could ride her bicycle.

“I want to give the tricycle back to Meg”, she told her Mum.

“You can’t keep taking it off her every time you feel cross,” said Mum.

“Ok,” said Daisy.

So Daisy gave the tricycle back to Meg.

“My bicycle is bigger than your tricycle,” she told her, “and I think my bell is louder! But you’re lucky because your tricycle has more wheels than my bicycle”.

Then she gave Meg a heart sweet which said “For Keeps”.