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John Mulaney said he is teaching his 4-year-old son Malcolm to ride a bike with a pair of sweatpants held around the child’s chest and armpits. Mulaney described the approach in an interview with E! News and said he could not take credit for inventing it.
Comedian John Mulaney says he is helping his 4-year-old son, Malcolm, learn to ride a bike with a pair of sweatpants used as a support sling—a makeshift alternative to training wheels that lets the child pedal while Mulaney steadies him. Mulaney described the method to E! News at the Nov. 4 premiere of Madden, while stressing that he did not invent the hack.
Mulaney told E! News correspondent Will Marfuggi that he knows how to ride a bike but found it difficult to explain the skill to his son. He joked that his guidance amounted to telling Malcolm to stop moving his arms around, a description that captures the challenge of putting balance into words for a young learner.
His workaround involves holding the legs of a pair of sweatpants while the garment’s crotch rests around Malcolm’s chest and under his arms. Mulaney said he walks behind the boy and holds him in case he tips from side to side. Malcolm pedals the bike himself, Mulaney said, describing the setup as “no training wheels—right to sweatpants.”
Mulaney also said he could not claim the idea as his own. The interview covered family life as well as his role as Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins in Madden, a film about John Madden and the video game franchise associated with his name. The movie was scheduled to debut on Prime Video and in select theaters on Nov. 18, according to the report.
A Makeshift Alternative to Training Wheels
The anecdote offers a small, practical glimpse of how Mulaney is handling a familiar parenting challenge: helping a preschool-age child practice a physical skill that is hard to explain verbally. His account emphasizes hands-on support and balance, rather than presenting a step-by-step lesson or claiming the technique is a proven teaching method.
For readers, the key detail is what Mulaney says he does: he holds the sweatpants and steadies Malcolm as the child rides. The interview does not establish how widely the method is used, whether Malcolm has mastered cycling, or whether the family recommends it to others. It is a personal story, not a safety assessment or product endorsement.
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Mulaney’s Family and Film Interview
Mulaney shares Malcolm and daughter Méi with actor Olivia Munn. Malcolm was 4 at the time of the interview, and Mulaney said his son would turn 5 during the upcoming holiday season. The source report also described Méi as 2.
The bike-riding discussion came during an interview at the Nov. 4 premiere of Madden. Mulaney plays Trip Hawkins in the film, which tells the story of John Madden and the video game empire connected to his name. The report included Mulaney’s comments about the game’s creators hoping it would inspire young players to take football outside, but that was separate from his account of teaching Malcolm to ride.
Mulaney also spoke about his son’s ability to explain what he wants. He told E! News that when Malcolm feels frustrated, he can sometimes say he wants Mulaney to leave because his mother will allow more television. Mulaney recounted responding that the issue was a disagreement over watching a show, not that Malcolm hated him.
““I have no idea how to communicate to him.””
— John Mulaney, speaking to E! News correspondent Will Marfuggi
How Malcolm’s Bike Lessons Progress
The report does not say how long Malcolm has been learning, how often he practices, or whether he can now ride independently. It also does not identify where Mulaney learned about the sweatpants technique; he said only that he could not pretend the idea was his own.
No independent safety guidance or expert assessment of the method was included in the interview. The details describe Mulaney’s account of what he is doing with his son, not a finding that the setup is suitable for every child or situation.
No Further Lesson Update Reported
The E! News report did not announce a follow-up on Malcolm’s progress or say when Mulaney plans to discuss the bike lessons again. The next scheduled event mentioned in the interview coverage was the Nov. 18 release of Madden on Prime Video and in select theaters.
For now, the confirmed development is Mulaney’s description of his current approach, not a report that Malcolm has completed learning to ride. Any further account of the child’s progress would depend on a later statement from Mulaney or his family.
Key Questions
What is John Mulaney’s bike-riding hack?
Mulaney said he holds the legs of a pair of sweatpants while the garment sits around his son Malcolm’s chest and under his arms. He walks behind the bike and steadies the child if he tips sideways.
How old is Malcolm?
Mulaney described Malcolm as 4 years old during the interview and said his son would turn 5 during the upcoming holiday season.
Did Mulaney say he invented the technique?
No. He explicitly said he could not pretend to have come up with the hack, though the interview did not identify its origin.
Can Malcolm ride a bike on his own now?
The report does not say whether Malcolm has learned to ride independently. Mulaney said his son was pedaling while he held the sweatpants and provided support.
Where did Mulaney discuss the method?
He spoke with E! News correspondent Will Marfuggi at the Nov. 4 premiere of Madden, where he was also discussing his role as Trip Hawkins.
Source: eonline.com
