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I'd like to get my son a balance bike. He's just turned 2 and has inside leg of 30cm. This means he'll fit the Islabike Rothan.... but it's not cheap! I'd seek one second hand but under current circumstances that's a bit tricky. He's too tall for his ride on toys now, like the Scramble Bug, but he might struggle with a larger balance bike.
So, the main attraction of the Islabike is it's way lighter than anything else. The Frog Tadpole is 4.1kg but the Rothan is 3.1kg. That's a huge difference.
Is there anything else worth looking at? If he was older/taller/bigger then a cheaper, heavier bike might be worth looking at. But with summer here I don't think we should hold out and just make the most of it.
The bike would go on to be used by his sibling, so it would hopefully get 3-4 years of use overall. The Islabikes also seem to hold value so accounting for that makes the cost more palatable!
My son loved his Islabikes Rothan from around 2 onwards. I'm hoping I can sell for <£30 less than I bought it for (second hand, ~£110 IIRC), and they're so simple there's barely anything that can go wrong. I'd agree with your instincts about weight but don't have any experience of any other balance bikes.
Islabikes are a quality bit of kit. Importantly you need to remember the golden rule of buying anything like this for a 2 year old...
You will spend as much time carrying it as he will riding it.
So that weight matters
Also: I bought a Rothan for my daughter and when she's outgrown it I sold it on the classifieds on here for not much less than I paid for it new
we had (a few years back now) a Norco balance bike. https://www.norco.com/bike-archives/2008/156/ this one. Superb little bike. Think they still do similar ones, but as my youngest is now 10, i havnt gone looking too far.
We had a Zoom balance bike, can't say the weight was any issue for our two, or me carrying it, think it was about £80 in Porthleven.
Got used extensively through Penrose walking the dog. I gave it to a local pre-school and it was still going when I left the village this year, boy had it from 2 and turns 9 this year.
At 2 my daughter wasn’t that interested - we went with a Halfords Indi for £30 (think they’re £25 at the moment). Believe me it isn’t heavy - surprisingly. I went round a few shops and it was noticeably light - mainly because it’s quite small.
She grew out of it only recently and I’ve moved her onto a Wiggins Pau. That is also light / has proper wheels with blow up tyres / a v brake on the back. During the lockdown she’s really got going on it and is bombing along with both legs up balancing at times. Until she managed to eject herself over the handlebars this lunchtime that is! Wasn’t fully concentrating and had to swerve to avoid hitting a parked van that was up on the pavement....cue a few tears but luckily no injuries!
The Pau is a good colour for a boy - I actually picked mine up secondhand and stripped it / had the frame powder coated pink and I ordered vinyl paw patrol stickers to customise it when it came back.
She loves it!
Halfords Indi:
Wiggins Pau £80 currently:
We had a Strider bike. Cost me £40 off eBay, should sell it for similar. It did the trick, she wasn't interested at first, but she was only 18 months when I got it. Then all of sudden it clicked and she loved it and now she's pedalling on a 14" bike, and she's not quite four.
Puky terrible name, great bikes
LRM is 3.5kg & my kids all had no problem with them
Long/short rides up to 5km , swinley green, skatebowl , Stepdown area makes it very easy to handle
We bought 1st one new for about £70, it's now just finished with son no 3 & been passed on to his cousin.
Had to buy another for his twin sister , but that was £25 on eBay in mint condition
I'd buy S/H, they'll outgrow it so quickly !
Edit just seen vitus nippy is £45 new & weighs 1.9kg ! Seems like a great option
Can't go wrong with an Isla but probably less important to invest in a balance than the first pedal bike. As above, weight is key for your benefit not theirs as you will be carrying it.
The one thing I would say not to do, which seems all the rage with MTB 'names' on Instagram, is to fit bars that are twice the width of the kids shoulder span and a lovely disc brake on the rear for them to slice their fingers off on.
Yeah that Vitus also looks a good option tbf.
At coming up 3.5 I’m trying to get her to understand the concept of the back brake to slow down rather than her feet - in preparation for a bike with pedals. I like the look of the Vitus 14” bike in pale green but I think it’s a bit expensive for something she’ll go through quite quickly. I might look secondhand / see if they have a sale on later in the year.
+1 for the Halfords Indi at that age. We got one for our daughter.
When she outgrew that, we got her a Banana Bike GT - in yellow, of course! It's a great little bike. We might have one for sale soon (ahem) because she's now hankering after her first pedal bike.
Puky terrible name, great bikes
Agree. We went with the one that has a brake in order to ease the transition to a pedal bile and it worked a treat.
originally bought sophie a Verenti Nippy Balance Bike from CRC - the vitus one looks the same. it's light. moved up to a halfords carrera coast (on offer) one after she out grew the verenti
Older specialised Hot walk. Top tube is shaped as a carrying handle, foot plates to stop feet getting caught on the ground and causing a crash, 2.0 tyres for when he starts riding off kerbs. I think it weighs 3.5kg.
https://www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/product/2480/2016-hotwalk-boys/
Stryder bike here . Eldest rode it for a couple of years and his little brother ( just turned 2) has been making pretty good progress on it during lockdown .
The Hoy Napier is a quality bit of kit.
https://www.evanscycles.com/hoy-napier-2020-balance-bike-EV347644
I'll be selling my daughters one soon if interested? Pretty spotless. Its Blue.
I had one of those £25 halfords jobs followed by a specialized hotwalk. The halfords one was rubbish, the hotwalk was great, my kid loved both of them equally
We bought our midget son a Woom 1 balance bike. Hadn't heard of them before but they had the lowest standover height of all I looked at, plus were light and have a back brake. My son has been zooming around on it for ages now. It's so stable because it's got a noticeably longer wheelbase than others I've seen. Not cheap and haven't seen any second hand, but now we're seriously thinking about getting the Woom 2 pedal bike 4 months after he started on the balance bike properly (if he'd just grow another couple of centimetres!!).
I wouldnt go to a pedal bike too quickly, if hes enjoying the balance bike let him carry on, they need a decent amount of leg strength before pedalling is an option
We had a Isla for my boys, both got on very well with it.
I think it’s really important to have a rear brake on the balance bike as it teaches them to brake before pedalling (and to learn to do wicked skids on the grandparents courtyard).
Puky terrible name, great bikes
Agree. We went with the one that has a brake in order to ease the transition to a pedal bile and it worked a treat.
Agree +1.
I'm a complete Islsbike fanboi, having had four brand new for our kids, but we had a Puky Kettler and it was great. It was also only about twenty quid or so.
Don't see the point in spending much on it. ( Unless your kid takes ages to learn of course, on which case perhaps it is slightly more worth it)
Edited because I've just realised we didn't have a Pukey but a Kettler. 29 Euros of awesome.
Another huge fan of the Puky.
My 4 yr old lad still uses his even tho he has a Frog pedal bike.
He’ll be devastated when he has to completely move on from It!
we had a LikeaBike jumper for 2 of our kids. Brilliant wee thing and worth a look for a second hand one.
we had a LikeaBike jumper for 2 of our kids. Brilliant wee thing and worth a look for a second hand one.
Really glad to hear you say that as I have done that very thing and am awaiting delivery.
Wiggins Pau, with discounts got it for 80. Looks grest, proper tyres and son loved it. Moved onto daughter now and still looks like new.
Another confirmation that the Like-a-bike Jumper is a rather good thing. Even has suspension and comes with two seatposts. Little bit smaller than other 12" wheel bikes.
Got it second hand and about to send it on to a friend for his kids once mine has decided they no longer need it.
Lot of progression during this lock down, definite need for brakes now as already racked up a hospital visit for chin stitching after rather cocky hotlaps around the village.
New bike is a Black Mountain, little bigger, slightly challenging looks, but light, balance and belt drive, expandable, decent kit. Not a cheap option, but on par with early rider, Isla, Frog
I'd second weight and nippiness being essential.
I've got a Firstbike glass fibre effort for my boys as it gets good reviews and more importantly a friend was selling it!
It's 3.5kg so reasonably light but is a bit bulky and flexy due to to plasticness. Wouldn't recommending at all.
When child one went on to a peddle removed Islabike Cnoc 14 at 3 he was blown away even though it was heavier.
Child 2 is getting either a rothan or strider this summer. Definitely worth the spend, especially second hand as you'll basically get it all back.
I can recommend this easy rider, we have second child on it now (they both started around 2y old). Its more expensive, but very good cannot recommend it enough.
https://earlyrider.com/collections/balance-bikes/products/classic?variant=19541941452887
We had a Cruzee balance bike.
It was stupidly light ~2kg. Bought off CRC for £70 but I'm not sure if they are still made. Shame as it was a really great little balance bike
Thanks all so far, loads to consider!
I think I can rule out the Frog as it's quite a lot heavier than all others. Seems I can't go wrong with the Islabike Rothan though.
The Wiggins Pau looks like a good alternative to the Rothan, but can't find any standover/saddle height measurements and typically Halfords/Cycle Republic online descriptions contradict themselves. One bit says ages 3-4 and another section says ages 2-4! Also the Hoy Napier looks great but no brake. The Early Riders, these seem marketed to adults (Ritchey finishing kit?!) but look good.
Does the Puky have a steering limiter?
The brake/no brake thing has made me realise that he's going to destroy his shoes! Any footwear recommendations too? Probably worth getting an expendable pair for biking. So far his shoes have survived well enough to be passed on but I think balance biking might change that...
The Pau fits my little girl who I think is 90cm tall at the moment.
The saddle is quite low at present - I’ve put it up once so far and it’s got plenty of height adjustment still to go as she grows.
It’s quite a lot bigger than the Indi which I sold last week for £15 despite having some scuffs on it.
I’ll see if I can measure it later for you.
BTwin one for <£50, 3.5kg, has a rear brake. Child 1 is fairly tall but skinny and weak and she got on fine with it from about two and a half. Has just graduated to a Frog40, pedals off for now.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/runride-500-balance-bike-orange-black-10-id_8349386.html
Measurements for the Pau:
So height from the ground to the seat tube collar is 30cm. Height from the ground to where the top tube meets the head tube is 42cm (the higher of the 2 top tubes). Mid point of that tube is 35cm above the ground. Wheelbase from front of the front tyre to back of the rear tyre is about 90cm. Height of the handlebar grips from the floor is about 54cm.
The saddle is currently 40cm off the floor and looks like it could go 3cm lower. Without undoing the seat clamp bolt to see minimum insertion I’d imagine it could go at least 4-6cm higher but don’t quote me on that one.
Just to throw in the mix:
Fadda Jr had a cheapo bike from toys R us with the cranks etc removed to use as a balance bike. Once he was strong/confident enough, cranks went back on and he continued to enjoy it until he was about 4, I think.
He was always (and still is) tall for his age, which probably helped...
Measurements for the Pau:
So height from the ground to the seat tube collar is 30cm. Height from the ground to where the top tube meets the head tube is 42cm (the higher of the 2 top tubes). Mid point of that tube is 35cm above the ground. Wheelbase from front of the front tyre to back of the rear tyre is about 90cm. Height of the handlebar grips from the floor is about 54cm.
The saddle is currently 40cm off the floor and looks like it could go 3cm lower. Without undoing the seat clamp bolt to see minimum insertion I’d imagine it could go at least 4-6cm higher but don’t quote me on that one.
Great info thanks! That means the Pau would be too big for him now, as the saddle would be ~37cm off the floor
I wouldn't worry about lack of brakes on a first balance bike. Can't say I've noticed excessive shoe wear either.
I thought it would be an issue when I first looked, but the reality of it is I can't see when they would have been used when she was that young, only at 3 things have really sped up. Even though she has brakes now, she has no interest in slowing down.
Great info thanks! That means the Pau would be too big for him now, as the saddle would be ~37cm off the floor
In which case the Halfords Indi is a good cheap stop gap until he’s big enough for the better balance bikes with back brakes etc. You might find he doesn’t even want to use it to start with - I just left it on display round the house until she showed some interest in it.
I got the Pau secondhand from Facebook classifieds for £35 in good condition. It cost £100 by the time I’d had it powdercoated pink though.....
I wouldn’t worry about lack of brakes on a first balance bike.
Agreed for the first balance bike. Just an extra thing to remember/fiddle with and slows them down in a bad way. 18 months to 3 years on a simple balance bike, then 3+ years on a Islabike/frog/etc with peddles off but brakes. When ready peddles on and bingo.
This thread has reminded me that I've got a Islabike Rothan (I think it is) in bits in the garage....
I bought it last year to rebuild, but I never got round to it after stripping it down!
If anyone wants to take it in bits, you're welcome to make an offer!! haha
Or I might put the effort in to rebuilding it during lockdown.
A
18 months to 3 years on a simple balance bike, then 3+ years on a Islabike/frog/etc with peddles off but brakes. When ready peddles on and bingo.
Pretty much what I'm weighing up at the moment. I have to work out where he's likely to be height wise in a year and am wondering how long a first pedal bike is likely to last. Assuming legs and height grow at the same rate, and using a growth chart, something like the Islabike Cnoc 14 Large or 16 would only last 1.5 years ( ~10cm growth on the 50th percentile). Is that right?
Assuming legs and height grow at the same rate, and using a growth chart, something like the Islabike Cnoc 14 Large or 16 would only last 1.5 years
sounds about right, solution is to keep having kids to keep the bikes in use!
my eldest was straight onto 20" at 5, middle one was a bit less sure and ended up on 16" for a while
got the twins on cnoc 14s last week (both SH, one we had from their brothers + one I got from ebay recently & awaiting some decals for) with pedals off, they took to them straight away & mastered the brakes straight away
try pedals when the weather improves again, theyre 3 years 9mths
After building a steel balance bike for my daughter I bought one of the Virus ones for my nephew. It was considerably lighter so I bought one for my daughter too.
Looking to get her a pedal bike soon, that's another minefield!
Well. My opinion:
It's a balance bike. Doesn't need to cost more than £30.
We got a Chicago red bullet. It cost £20 on Amazon. It weighs nothing. Did the job. Boy is now on a quality pedal bike and I've just bought him another in 20 inch wheel form. That's when the money needs to be spent.
Youngest is now on the red bullet. Really light. Does everything a balance bike needs to do. Both kids done for £20. But then the other dads may judge me.
I think if you are spending £100 on a balance bike then the majority of that is for the brand. Just my opinion.
Wot he said ^^
We got a birdtech from amazon, was 15 quid at the time and did a great job, it's a balance bike, no need to spend over 100 quid on one, the important thing is making them get the skills to progress, so going down slopes and starting to corner.
She's progressed to a bike now, a frog which does the job, although i have to say i like the islabikes better, biggest thing for me is to make sure they progress from the balance to a bike without having to use stabilisers, they just make it longer to learn.
Continuing on the cheap theme, there's the Banana Bike LT at £40
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Banana-Bike-LT-Lightweight-Toddlers/dp/B06VTD32J1/
Don't look too closely at the welds!
I've seen the Chicco before, can't find a saddle height measurement though (it's probably the critical measurement for a balance bike, but missing from so many). I have to say I'm not too keen on the Chicco, the geo looks really short and upright. A comparison:
As I mentioned above, my daughter had the Indi Bike from Halfords first of all.
It was the smallest balance bike we could find that was lightweight & seemed like the best value for money.
We knew it wouldn't last her that long, but she was really keen to get started & this seemed like a no-brainer for £25.
It was actually much better than I expected it to be - she loved scooting around on it & it gave her confidence. The limiting factor in how long we could keep it was the saddle height adjustment, but then the whole point of it was something to get her started.
It looks virtually identical to the Vitus Nippy Superlight balance bike - I'd be amazed if it's not the same basic bike (only difference seems to be the handlebar clamp) - and the Vitus is almost twice the price.
We then moved onto the Bananbike GT - I think the GT just has spoked wheels with pneumatic tyres, while the LT is a bit lighter & has plastic wheels and foam tyres. I thought that because she was getting more adventurous & faster the pneumatic tyres with a decent grippy tread was more important than a slight weight saving.
It's a great looking bike, really well made with proper headset and stem etc. The wheels are nice & the tyres seem grippy.
Here's a couple of pics from her first go on it - saddle is a bit low..
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I get that certain brands might be better built with good resale & will survive for several kids etc. but to be honest the banana bike is really well built, will easily survive being used by several kids coming up through the ranks (my daughter's looks virtually new) & when a bike costs £45 as opposed to £120 or almost £200 (Islabike Rothan) resale value is virtually immaterial.
We're now moving onto first pedal bike territory & I really can't decide if we should hang on & wait for her to be large enough for 16" wheels, or get her a 14" wheeled bike to tide her over.
Seeing the spectrum of bikes I can now see how you can get from a £30 bike to a £180 bike. On specification/features these bikes aren't equal, but the key is which of these really matter. Some online buyer reviews you see on the cheaper bikes are fairly dismissive of more expensive ones, saying this bike is fine, why pay 3x more? Well, there are things the cheaper bikes lack, but are they needed:
- Steering limiter (this seems essential for a average sized 2 year old)
- Low seat starting height (essential for a smaller child)
- Large range of seat adjustment (essential if they're going to use the bike for longer)
- Rounded/flush bolts
- Rear brake (even if you remove it at first)
- Pneumatic Tyres/Proper wheels
I think it comes down to either:
- Cheaper balance bike, then either another balance bike or first pedal bike fairly soon after
or
- Islabike Rothan, which could span both the first balance bike and second balance bike range but... it's not a pedal bike
Can't find the BananaBike GT for sale. Is it only sold on Amazon? They only have the LT version for £40. How much was the GT?
EDIT: using the CamelCamelCamel price tracker it looks like the GT was around £40 too
We’re now moving onto first pedal bike territory & I really can’t decide if we should hang on & wait for her to be large enough for 16″ wheels, or get her a 14″ wheeled bike to tide her over.
Do you know where she is on the growth chart? Might not be on a 14" for long. If you know the min and max heights for the 16" you'd be able to get an idea from the chart as to how long it would last.