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Tom Peperone has owned Wheel Base bike shop in downtown Frederick since he and a colleague opened it in 1985. The Frederick resident calls himself "pretty much a road-rider," because he leads two bike rides of two to three hours each every week. In total, depending on the weather, he rides his bicycle between 60 and 100 miles per week.

"I think biking is a great exercise," he said at his shop last week. "It's low-impact, and it is also a great form of transportation. And it's fun."

Originally from Montgomery County, Peperone moved to Frederick to open the shop because he says Frederick County's agricultural roads and watershed are such great places to ride.

"People come all the way from Baltimore and Washington to ride on Frederick's hidden farm roads and in the watershed," he said.

What is the proper age to start teaching kids to ride, and how do you know if they are ready to learn?

Peperone: Basically, you know they're ready to learn if they can walk down the stairs without holding the railing — so 3 or 4 years old. I've seen kids riding a two-wheeler at 3 years old. The kid has to want to learn how to do it, and the best thing for that is the peer pressure of other kids in the neighborhood riding two-wheelers. It's almost impossible to force your kid to do it.

If your child is nervous or afraid to get out there and start riding, what is a good way to encourage him or her and help overcome that trepidation?

Peperone: Well, generally if they have the training wheels on, it's not an issue, but once you take off the training wheels they can fall. So the best way is to take the training wheels and pedals off, and then have on them sit on the saddle and have them push off with both feet and ride the bike like a scooter so they can learn that balance. Another good way is to get them a scooter so they can learn to balance like that.

Are training wheels necessary for learning, or are they more of a burden on skill-building?

Peperone: Usually, what people do is they buy their kid a bike that is too big for them to learn to ride, and they ride the bike with training wheels, and it makes it very difficult for them to ride without the training wheels because their feet can't reach the ground. There's a new kind of bike that doesn't have training wheels, but it's low enough for [children] to reach the ground ... They're called training bikes or learning bikes. We sell them here at Wheel Base.

What do parents need to know about helmets? Are there certain features all bike helmets need to have?

Peperone: The biggest thing I see with helmets is parents don't go to a bike shop and get a good helmet, they go to a department store and get a cheap helmet which tends to ride back, so if the kid falls forward, there's no protection for their face. A good helmet will have an anti-tilt mechanism.

Are there any other safety measures parents should take regarding children bike-riding?

Peperone: The bike should be in good working order. The Cub Scouts do a bike rodeo every year, and they'll have 75 kids there, and only five of those kids will have bike-shop quality bikes. Toy store bikes can be less safe, they can be assembled incorrectly, and they have lower quality parts in general. Toy store bikes are only designed to work for one season. Parents should go to their local bike shop and get their kids' bikes checked out. We don't charge anything to look at your bike.

How do you know when your child is ready to ride on the street?

Peperone: I don't think a kid should ride on the street unless they have adult supervision. You have to obey all the rules as if you were driving a car, all the traffic laws. It's a good idea to wear bright clothing, make sure the helmet fits properly, and not to ride at night.

What precautions should you take when allowing your kid to ride a bike alone for the first time when he or she gets a little bit older?

Peperone: They should definitely wear a helmet that fits, they should be riding a bicycle that fits, and the bike should be checked out to make sure it's in good, working order. They should wear bright clothing and they should always be in control of the bike — two hands on the handlebars, things like that.

E-mail Connor Adams Sheets at csheets@gazette.net.