What do two year olds dream of for Christmas? A spaceship? A unicorn? Or something even more unreasonable… like full carbon balance bike?
If you’ve got a young one that’s just about found their feet, what better time to get them hooked on biking with this featherweight balance bike. The next generation of mountain bikers can get a head start with the Specialized Hotwalk. At £999, it might seem completely ridiculous, but there’s a lot of thought gone into making this, the ‘ultimate balance bike’.
FACT 9r Carbon – as used on Specialized race bikes 
Grips 38% smaller in diameter for tiny hands 
When they’re tired out, it’s less weight for you to carry…
The full FACT 9r carbon frame uses the same material as Specialized road and mountain race bikes. This has resulted in a nimble 2.1kg bike, that should be light, responsive and manoeuvrable for little ones. The fork and handlebars are carbon, too.
The balance bike has been tested for a 40lb weight rating, so if you’ve got a two year old weighing in at almost 20kg you know they’ll be safe on the Specialized Hotwalk.
Chipps probably remembers bars this narrow 
With no pedals or gears, it’s the perfect first bike
Handlebars and grips affect the rider’s control and, in turn, their confidence. That rule applies on a balance bike just as much as any other. The handlebars are made of all-carbon so they’re as light as possible for optimal manoeuvring. They are 38% smaller in diameter, creating a better grip for small hands. The grip ends are also designed to easily support the bike when resting on the ground, protecting that carbon frame.
Specialized Hotwalk Specification:
- Weight 2.1kg
- All carbon Fact 9r frame
- Carbon wheels
- 38% smaller diameter carbon handlebars
- Rhythm Lite Tires
- One size fits riders up to 35in / 88cm, up to a weight limit of 40lbs / 18.1kg
- £999
“My bike is better than yours, mum!” 
Future pros need quality components from day one
I’d say its not quite as good as the £30 one I got for my lad from Decathlon a few years back, because that had a brake, a quite effective one at that. It was cheap but well designed and stopped him quickly, and boy did he need it. The idea of a balance bike without one seems only for people whose kids don’t actually want a balance bike that can go anywhere beyond their own drive.
@Andrew Reay
Joke of the year contender!
Both mine learned to ride on an alloy hotwalk, getting to the point where they would glide along with their feet on the little footrest, lapping a little pumptrack in such a way they were riding riding. Easy enough at that stage to switch them to the hotrock which was identical but with pedals. So the £999 version doesnt even have the best feature of the alloy one ♂️
Doesn’t have a bottle cage. I’m out.
Actually I’m out for a bunch of reasons about Spesh. Them and Trek are two brands I now wouldn’t touch with a very long bargepole and its not down to their bike qualities.
Come on Singletrack, have a word with them raising a few of the comments mentioned here and let us know what the fiercely litigeous asshats they say?
Kind of hypocritical for middle aged men to say this is wasteful, when they’d happily scrap their previous carbon fibre frame for a new carbon frame with a 0.5° head angle change.
At least this will be a useful balance bike for….oooh…maybe 999 years?