When to start son on a bicycle?
Discussion
For Chrsitmas 2010 we purchased my son a balance bike. At first he didn't use it, prefering his scooter, but in the last 6 months he's been loving it and is quite profficient on it, although still prefers to use his feet to slow rather than the actual brake, and requires constant reminding to use the brake.
This year at Christmas he'll be 3yrs and 7 months old, is it too early to get him on a pedal bike? I'm keen he doesn't get a bike with stabilisers and just goes straight onto a normal bike, but I'm just wondering if I'm jumping the gun and should leave him on the balance bike a bit longer. He currently doesn't pedal on anything, using either a scooter, balance bike or running (he loves running), so I am slightly worried he'll struggle to cope with pedaling as a concept.
He's currently got an Isla Rothan and we'd be looking at an Isla CNOC 14 or CNOC 16. And on the basis that I'm not a standard PH'er and don't have a Ferrari in the garage this is a significant investment for me/him and not a decision to be taken lightly.
Cheers for the help.
This year at Christmas he'll be 3yrs and 7 months old, is it too early to get him on a pedal bike? I'm keen he doesn't get a bike with stabilisers and just goes straight onto a normal bike, but I'm just wondering if I'm jumping the gun and should leave him on the balance bike a bit longer. He currently doesn't pedal on anything, using either a scooter, balance bike or running (he loves running), so I am slightly worried he'll struggle to cope with pedaling as a concept.
He's currently got an Isla Rothan and we'd be looking at an Isla CNOC 14 or CNOC 16. And on the basis that I'm not a standard PH'er and don't have a Ferrari in the garage this is a significant investment for me/him and not a decision to be taken lightly.
Cheers for the help.
I would say he is the right age. My eldest was riding without stabilisers at 3 years 8 months, having progressed from a balance bike.
His first bike was A Specialized Hotrock 12, now at 4 years and 4 months he has progressed to a Hotrock 16.
I bought a second hand Hotrock as I knew it would take a battering with him falling off, and that he would out grow it quickly (it is now sat there in the garage for my youngest who is 2 to grow a little bit - he sits on it but cannot pedal yet).
The Hotrock can be picked up for £50 - £70 on E bay. I paid about £60 / £70 for each of mine, and they were both bought from E bay within 10 miles of where I live.
His first bike was A Specialized Hotrock 12, now at 4 years and 4 months he has progressed to a Hotrock 16.
I bought a second hand Hotrock as I knew it would take a battering with him falling off, and that he would out grow it quickly (it is now sat there in the garage for my youngest who is 2 to grow a little bit - he sits on it but cannot pedal yet).
The Hotrock can be picked up for £50 - £70 on E bay. I paid about £60 / £70 for each of mine, and they were both bought from E bay within 10 miles of where I live.
My eldest was riding when he was 3y9months. Since then, my colleague had got his kid riding his Islabike Cnoc 14 at 2y10m. That's not a typo. His kid is not even three, and is riding pretty confidently - well enough that he has to run to keep up, and the kid can reliably stay on paths.
He's about the right age.
My son spent a good eighteen months on a Puki balance bike before graduating to a proper bike on his fourth birthday. But he could have moved over earlier - I just timed it for his birthday.
His first pedal bike was a Ridgeback MX 14 and he rode it four miles the first day (on the flat of course).
He moved up to an MX 16 at the age of 5. That lasted two years.
He's just moved onto a Specialized Hotrock 20.
As the names suggest these were 14, 16 and 20 inch-wheeled bikes.
My son spent a good eighteen months on a Puki balance bike before graduating to a proper bike on his fourth birthday. But he could have moved over earlier - I just timed it for his birthday.
His first pedal bike was a Ridgeback MX 14 and he rode it four miles the first day (on the flat of course).
He moved up to an MX 16 at the age of 5. That lasted two years.
He's just moved onto a Specialized Hotrock 20.
As the names suggest these were 14, 16 and 20 inch-wheeled bikes.
Edited by angusc43 on Tuesday 11th October 15:43
whatever you buy don't get carried away with the feeling to get something expensive. the child is not even 4. the cost of childrens bikes are outrageous. i was hunting round for a 16 inch wheel bike for my 5 year old. islabikes, ridgebacks, anything aluminium frame (that;s the key because it's light). the costs were outrageous an no one in their right mind would spend that sort of money unless they had major vanity issues.
i ended up buying a tatty old aluminium frame bike off ebay for....99p. put a new seat (£6), brake cable (£2), handlebar grips (£4) and stripped off the paint and resprayed (£10). Cleaned up the chains and other compenents, drop of oil here and there and voila... my son loves it and won't get off it. light and easy to ride. what more could you want.
don't get caught up in the madness!!!
i ended up buying a tatty old aluminium frame bike off ebay for....99p. put a new seat (£6), brake cable (£2), handlebar grips (£4) and stripped off the paint and resprayed (£10). Cleaned up the chains and other compenents, drop of oil here and there and voila... my son loves it and won't get off it. light and easy to ride. what more could you want.
don't get caught up in the madness!!!
Rob_T said:
whatever you buy don't get carried away with the feeling to get something expensive. the child is not even 4. the cost of childrens bikes are outrageous. i was hunting round for a 16 inch wheel bike for my 5 year old. islabikes, ridgebacks, anything aluminium frame (that;s the key because it's light). the costs were outrageous an no one in their right mind would spend that sort of money unless they had major vanity issues.
i ended up buying a tatty old aluminium frame bike off ebay for....99p. put a new seat (£6), brake cable (£2), handlebar grips (£4) and stripped off the paint and resprayed (£10). Cleaned up the chains and other compenents, drop of oil here and there and voila... my son loves it and won't get off it. light and easy to ride. what more could you want.
don't get caught up in the madness!!!
I take your point but don't forget the bikes are easy to sell on for c 50% of the original cost after a year or two. So a £100 bike ends up costing £50, etci ended up buying a tatty old aluminium frame bike off ebay for....99p. put a new seat (£6), brake cable (£2), handlebar grips (£4) and stripped off the paint and resprayed (£10). Cleaned up the chains and other compenents, drop of oil here and there and voila... my son loves it and won't get off it. light and easy to ride. what more could you want.
don't get caught up in the madness!!!
Or as the other poster pointed out you can buy them s/h. I've just sold my son's second bike to a friend (as I did the first one) and I will be buying my little girl's next bike from another friend.
JQ said:
Cheers for the responses. I'll have a look on Ebay tonight and see what's available, but I may well buy new as we have a 2yr old son who will be inheriting all this stuff, so want to make sure it will last his ownership too.
If you can, try him out on different sizes/models. My boy is not particularly tall so at 4 he needed a 14 inch-wheeled bike (or at least he needed to get the 14 inch Ridgeback rather than the 16 inch Ridgedback). Some of his mates could probably have just about managed a 16 inch wheeled bike at the same age, though.And the frame geometry/seat drop, etc varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Specialized saddles go particulary low, for example.
JQ said:
I may well buy new as we have a 2yr old son who will be inheriting all this stuff, so want to make sure it will last his ownership too.
what exactly are you expecting number 1 son to be doing to the bike during his tenurship exactly? seriously, there is no need to waste your money on a new bike. a secind, third or fourth hand bike will be fine. they are only 4!!! only reason i'm banging on about it is because it took me such an embarrassingly long time to work it out for myself....what you save you can put towards the ferrari you've never had!
Slight warning... My son became proficient on a balance bike very young, so I bought him a nice lightweight pedal bike with easy-pull brakes. I gave him this without stabilisers when he was a little under 4yo and helped him start and stop (by running alongside - running is not something I've much experience with 
) and despite the fact that he seemed to manage really well, he hated it and wouldn't return to cycling for another year. It just scared him.
Don't push him.
My son loves his bike now, and at 6yo he has been riding up to 14 miles with me at weekends and whilst on holiday. None of his peers/friends ride anything like this distance.
) and despite the fact that he seemed to manage really well, he hated it and wouldn't return to cycling for another year. It just scared him.Don't push him.
My son loves his bike now, and at 6yo he has been riding up to 14 miles with me at weekends and whilst on holiday. None of his peers/friends ride anything like this distance.
Rob_T said:
what exactly are you expecting number 1 son to be doing to the bike during his tenurship exactly? seriously, there is no need to waste your money on a new bike. a secind, third or fourth hand bike will be fine. they are only 4!!! only reason i'm banging on about it is because it took me such an embarrassingly long time to work it out for myself....
what you save you can put towards the ferrari you've never had!
Oh yes,what you save you can put towards the ferrari you've never had!
Much to other halfs better judgment did we even keep the Hotorck for number 2.
JQ should have pointed out, number 2 was too big for it when it came around after moving from balance bike so we ended up buying one for Crimbo.
Will speak to SWMBO and see it you can just pick up cost of transport and we will ship it for nowt. Would seriously wait until the wee one if proficient before buying new bikes.
Edited by hbzboy on Tuesday 11th October 16:06
My son cycled just before his 3rd birthday. He is now 8 and mad about cycling. UI bought him a bike computer from Ebay fro about tuppence. We set it up and then he rode round and round the garden for an hour and a half and proudly showed me he'd done 13 miles. We went out a couple of weeks ago on one of my training loops and he did 30 miles without stopping.
I do love Pistonheads. When I came on here 12 months ago asking for advice about getting a balance bike and asking if anyone had tried the £50 one from John Lewis I got absolutely slated and told if I did not get an Isla bike it was nothing short of child cruelty.
I must admit I'm so glad I did bite the bullet as it's a fantastic piece of kit and when you compare the weight to those of his peer's bikes it's amazing.
hbzboy - definitely interested in the bike and can offer some cash on top of postage. Let me know what the other half says.
I must admit I'm so glad I did bite the bullet as it's a fantastic piece of kit and when you compare the weight to those of his peer's bikes it's amazing.
hbzboy - definitely interested in the bike and can offer some cash on top of postage. Let me know what the other half says.
JQ said:
I do love Pistonheads. When I came on here 12 months ago asking for advice about getting a balance bike and asking if anyone had tried the £50 one from John Lewis I got absolutely slated and told if I did not get an Isla bike it was nothing short of child cruelty.
I must admit I'm so glad I did bite the bullet as it's a fantastic piece of kit and when you compare the weight to those of his peer's bikes it's amazing.
hbzboy - definitely interested in the bike and can offer some cash on top of postage. Let me know what the other half says.
Will do.I must admit I'm so glad I did bite the bullet as it's a fantastic piece of kit and when you compare the weight to those of his peer's bikes it's amazing.
hbzboy - definitely interested in the bike and can offer some cash on top of postage. Let me know what the other half says.
Night shift tonight but will call and post pics etc tomorrow.
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