Balance bikes?
Discussion
ridgeback scoot for my 3.5 year boy, who at the weekend rode his 6 year old cousins pedal bike no problem without any need for stablisers in the interim.
He's had it since his second birthday but only really started using it this spring, he has had a couple of off's but get's straight back on and is raring to go. My only problem is he is still too small for the 16" Mongoose BMX bike in the garage so I'm going to have to get a 14" pedal bike for him. Took a couple of weeks to get the hang of it.
If you get a balance bike, I would recommend the ridgeback or islabikes, they are both light weight aluminium with smaller components.
He's had it since his second birthday but only really started using it this spring, he has had a couple of off's but get's straight back on and is raring to go. My only problem is he is still too small for the 16" Mongoose BMX bike in the garage so I'm going to have to get a 14" pedal bike for him. Took a couple of weeks to get the hang of it.
If you get a balance bike, I would recommend the ridgeback or islabikes, they are both light weight aluminium with smaller components.
I am sure some kids love them but my daughter wouldnt go near it, she much preferred going on her trike and then a bike with stabilisers. She is nearly four now but is quite small so could barely touch the ground with a balance bike whereas she can pedal away on a `proper` bike.
She has just a little pink thing from halfords, about £50, she isnt bothered as long as it is pink and says `princess` on it!
My advice would be to go for a proper bike. I thin kthe balance ones are a bit gimmicky and not of much use.
She has just a little pink thing from halfords, about £50, she isnt bothered as long as it is pink and says `princess` on it!
My advice would be to go for a proper bike. I thin kthe balance ones are a bit gimmicky and not of much use.
I just took the pedals off a normal kids bike and let them get the hang of balance using that. It helps if you have a slope nearby where they can go down without having to use their feet.
Once they look comfortable just put the pedals back on and they're cycling. Keep the seat lower than ideal at first to build confidence so the can get their feet down easier.
Once they look comfortable just put the pedals back on and they're cycling. Keep the seat lower than ideal at first to build confidence so the can get their feet down easier.
Edited by el stovey on Tuesday 28th September 12:45
Great video of some balance bike skills here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ht-F7cg4kE/
I think kids will grow out of them far to quickly though...
I think kids will grow out of them far to quickly though...
Edited by Matt106 on Tuesday 28th September 12:48
Our first son was on a balance bike and loved it. It took a couple of hours for him to ride a pedal bike (no stabilzers) at 3 1/2 years old.
My second son is now on a balance bike and just coming up to his 3rd birthday and will be ready for pedals around christmas time
We got ours from isla bikes (Isla bikes fetch decent money in the second hand market as well).
I think they are well worth it.
My second son is now on a balance bike and just coming up to his 3rd birthday and will be ready for pedals around christmas time
We got ours from isla bikes (Isla bikes fetch decent money in the second hand market as well).
I think they are well worth it.
Edited by R6dug on Tuesday 28th September 12:50
we bought a http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/rothan.html
for ours when she was two and a half. She wasn't quite big enough for the one with pedals.
Now at 3, she can coast feet up for about 10 mtrs and goes like the clappers on it.
Best thing about it is it's weight. She can carry it, which makes it easier when she rides it into the bushes/wall/fence/etc.
We paid £100 and they go for half that on ebay used, so for £50 it's a good price.
It will last her and her younger sister.
Read up on them, and if you're interested pop along to Ludlow and get the child measured up. They're really good people there. All they do is kids bikes so they know what they're talking about.
for ours when she was two and a half. She wasn't quite big enough for the one with pedals.
Now at 3, she can coast feet up for about 10 mtrs and goes like the clappers on it.
Best thing about it is it's weight. She can carry it, which makes it easier when she rides it into the bushes/wall/fence/etc.
We paid £100 and they go for half that on ebay used, so for £50 it's a good price.
It will last her and her younger sister.
Read up on them, and if you're interested pop along to Ludlow and get the child measured up. They're really good people there. All they do is kids bikes so they know what they're talking about.
jimbouk said:
Daughter's third birthday approaching....
I've een looking at the 12" specialized bikes but they seem heavy and hard to pedal, i've now come across 'Balance bikes',
Wondered if anyone had tried them, look like a good starter solution...
J
For my son, we bought a bike that was slightly too big for him at 3, then Halfords do some stabalisers that are designed to bend as you go round corners, so it help the little ones to have the feeling of the bike leaning before the come off stabalisers.I've een looking at the 12" specialized bikes but they seem heavy and hard to pedal, i've now come across 'Balance bikes',
Wondered if anyone had tried them, look like a good starter solution...
J
A couple of months ago (he is now 4.5 years old) I also raised the stabalisers a little in height so the wheels touched the ground less.
Last weekend, I took them off completely. He got on the bike I held his seat for about 10 feet then let go. 1 mile later he was still riding round the park, turning all the corners and upright, peddling along, no stabaliser.
This was a really good aproach for him. He had time to get used to the bike (power ranger one, his choice) that he liked and grow into it. He could cycle for 4 - 5 miles with us with stabalisers on, now their off, and he's just as good.
Might be different for other kids though.
Mr F
Ybike - I know someone who has started with the plastic Ybike at 2 yrs and now onto the aluminium Ybike Extreme and raves about saying it is great and indestructible even when hijacked by older kids: http://www.ybike.co.za/home
It's South African but available easily enough in UK and seen it on Amazon.co.uk. Price seems better than most stuff out there too.
I don't like the plastic wheels on the normal model because of the noise they make on concrete. The extreme has soft wheels so no noise but kid needs to be 98cm tall to ride it ok. The plastic one is for 18mths and upwards.
It's South African but available easily enough in UK and seen it on Amazon.co.uk. Price seems better than most stuff out there too.
I don't like the plastic wheels on the normal model because of the noise they make on concrete. The extreme has soft wheels so no noise but kid needs to be 98cm tall to ride it ok. The plastic one is for 18mths and upwards.
Davi said:
My son loves his ridgeback scoot. He's had it since he was 2, and been able to "scoot" on it since about 2 yrs 2 months. He also has a bike with stabilisers and gets really wound up by them LOL
Also contemplating balance bikes and beginning to wonder if they actually a hindrance to riding a normal bike. Despite the claims they all make about balance bikes helping kids cycle sooner I wonder if because of their easier nature and ability to be controlled easily by the feet the kids will not want/like a normal bicycle and delay cycling properly?Abit of a different example - I have a Puky trike that has a free-wheel hub so that when our son was little he could sit on it and be pushed along with the pedals jamming on his feet. Now he is over 2 I lock the pedals on so that they turn when the wheels rotate but he hates this and uses his feet on the ground instead to push along instead of pedalling. I can't help but wonder if I bought a simpler (cheaper too) trike with no free-wheel hub he would be happy with the concept of using the pedals and the fact the pedals will turn when the wheels turn...
Dino D said:
Davi said:
My son loves his ridgeback scoot. He's had it since he was 2, and been able to "scoot" on it since about 2 yrs 2 months. He also has a bike with stabilisers and gets really wound up by them LOL
Also contemplating balance bikes and beginning to wonder if they actually a hindrance to riding a normal bike. Despite the claims they all make about balance bikes helping kids cycle sooner I wonder if because of their easier nature and ability to be controlled easily by the feet the kids will not want/like a normal bicycle and delay cycling properly?We went for a Specialized version. Cost about £80 and all 3 kids have loved it. They still argue over who gets to use it now.
My son got it for his 2nd birthday, and we kept it indoors so he could use it whenever he wanted to. He was great on it after a few months, then went straight onto a pedal bike with no stabilizers at 2 yrs 9 months. Looked very funny such a little chaps cycling properly!
If you have the space indoors - go for it.
My son got it for his 2nd birthday, and we kept it indoors so he could use it whenever he wanted to. He was great on it after a few months, then went straight onto a pedal bike with no stabilizers at 2 yrs 9 months. Looked very funny such a little chaps cycling properly!
If you have the space indoors - go for it.
Minnsy said:
Deffo get balance bike... my 2 1/2 yr old is manic on his... he's copying all the stuff I do, only better.. He has one of the wooden ones..
Don't show them Jackson Goldstone (Matt106 link above)on Youtube/Vimeo what ever you do, cue my 3.5 year old doing drops of the kerbs and wanting to go to the local skatepark.Edited by OneDs on Wednesday 29th September 11:06
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