[Closed] children's balance bike

In case it helps, we bought a "normal" bike, and took the cranks/bb off while he did the balance bit. Put them back later when he was ready...

Exactly what [b]fadda[/b] said ^^^

My boy started on a strider and has now inherited an Isla.

The strider is much lighter than the Isla which meant he could pick it up himself and get on whenever he wanted.

Cruzee bikes are even lighter.

I just got a cheap plywood one off ebay. No point at all in buying anything more expensive as they'll only be on the balance bike for a few weeks before they're ready to progress onto pedals. My youngest was literally three weeks on a balance bike and straight onto a pedal bike no worries at all.

How long they're on a balance bike for depends on how big they are (as well as how much they get on with it). Most 2 year olds are still a good way from being tall enough to ride a pedal bike. Our eldest started on a balance bike at about 20 months and got on a pedal bike at about 3 (straight off pedalling). Youngest started on balance bike at 18 months and was on pedals at 2 1/2... but he was too small to reach the floor so needed help starting and stopping! So at 2 you'd be lucky to find a pedal bike small enough to do the pedal-off thing with.

The limiting factor with a lot of the cheaper balance bikes (and some more expensive ones) is the minimum standover height. As long as it fits then they can ride it - the benefits of the more expensive ones depend on how much they're be riding them and what ground they'll be riding over. The better ones tend to not wear bits out, be more comfy to ride and handle better (which is important if they're playing off road or on pump tracks etc). Weight might not seem too important, until you sling it on the back of a trailer 😉

If you factor in generally good resale and don't mind stumping up the cost then the more expensive ones can be good value. We had a 1st generation Rothan, which was great. Latest Rothans are really lovely. If you want them to LOVE it then the Commencal ones look the absolute nuts.. http://www.commencal-store.co.uk/PBSCCatalog.asp?ActionID=67174912&PBCATID=2554755

🙂

Those and the specialized Hotwalk both have foot rests, which look like a good idea, but I haven';t had any personal experience of them. The Frog Tadpole looks like a cheaper version of a Rothan (ie very similar design but with cheaper detailing).

^^ jonathan speaks a lot of sense.
we got our boy a 2nd hand Kokua (like [url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/likeabike-kokua-/131514292650?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1e9edcd9aa ]this [/url] one)
he's been using it since he was 18 months old and is now 3 - we'll probably get him a pedal bike in the next 6 months because he'll be too big for the balance bike then.
it's like a proper bike, it's bomb-proof, it's light and it's fast.
we paid about £50 second hand but we'll probably get £40 back selling it on. £10 for 2 years use isn't too bad really when you consider they're £160 new.

Hi,

We got a Zooom of eBay. Did our daughter well and good enough to pass on to her younger brother.. I'd highly recommend a decent balance bike..

Second Hand Early rider here £50ish off here and still going strong after 3 years (ab)use. Cheap plywood jobbies delaminate after a few nights left out in the rain

Kokua Likeabike Jumper for Jr here. He's a bit small for it presently (these ones seem to be bigger than others I looked at eg Decathlon's offering) but enjoys standing over it with his helmet on. Proper Schwalbe inflatable tyres and cup/cone wheel hubs too.

Not cheap new, I got one on Ebay though for about half new price and expect i'll see much of it back on resale.

We got my son one of the Decathlon ones when he was 2, seemed smaller than some other balance bikes and he loves it. At just over 3 he's still using it, we have a Specialized Hot Rock 12 as well, but he's still a bit short to use it without the stabilisers.

Well put, Jonathan.

Little Miss CFH has a Hotwalk and loves it! Lighter and better built than most and more than good enough to pass on to her little brother.

2nd the decathlon ones - £30 a bargain.

Jonathan speaks sense 🙂

My youngest has the same kokua as brakes^^ He started off with a smaller one (Puky LRM) at 19 months. We got him the bigger balance bike at 2.5 even though he had already been riding a pedal bike since he was 22 months.

He is 4.5 now and still rides the balance bike almost everyday - he uses it to do stuff he can't do on a pedal bike yet. Like this

Bought a Strider for our son's second birthday. A real struggle for a week or so, left it 5 months over winter, and he then picked it up very quickly. At 3yrs 3 months this Xmas bought a Spesh Hotrock which is basically the same size frame but with pedals but again it took a while for him to learn to pedal and I kept the stabilizers off. The first issue was the extra weight on any gradient whereas he could get his Strider up just about anything. The second issue is in order for his feet to touch the ground while sitting on the saddle, his legs can't extend while peddling so difficult to get the power through the pedals and he is quite short for his age. He rides it up and down outside our house, but still much prefers his strider `stunt' bike. I even take it apart so it will fit in a suitcase for holidays abroad. He has a friend who is over 4, didn't really do the balance bike thing, and he is really struggling on his Hotrock, even with stabilizers and being much taller.

Our 18mth old is on a cheapo Trax from Halfords with 10" wheels. He was so keen on copying his big sister riding her Stomp Stompee I had to find a tiny balance bike that he could fit on at the age of 15 months. I wouldn't recommend it to any bigger/older children as to be fair its a wobbly badly built piece of crap. As soon as he's big enough he'll be on his sisters Stompee (she's currently learning to ride a pedal bike) which strikes a good compromise between quality and price at £50 delivered.

We have an older Hotwalk (no foot rest) and it's endured 3 boys progressing to pedals with aplomb. Was a reasonable outlay at the start, but it's proved its value, and even put up with me riding it drunkenly down a mountain (I didn't fare so well). Money well spent.

The conversion to pedal can take a while. The youngest ours went was at 3, on his birthday - but he had 2 older brothers to keep up with. Still switched between the 16" bike and the Hotwalk for some time. In fact they all still get the Hotwalk out and hoon about on it, and it's now out on long term loan to another family they keep asking for it.

Tip - the Hotwalk saddle and post allowed us to drop the seating lower when moving on to the 16" Hotrock, which helped the transition for the less tall.

In case it helps, we bought a "normal" bike, and took the cranks/bb off while he did the balance bit. Put them back later when he was ready...

😆 utter genius. Plus you get a choice of lots more bikes.

We bought a Strider -its been used to death. Paid for its self ten times over in 1.5yrs. Battered and loved. Its going nowhere- its his first ever bike and as such stays for the memories for later.

I even had to go knock on a Romanian/drug den neighbour who was in a social landlords house... to get it back once but thats another story........

it's a clever idea, but the vast majority of pedal bikes are too big for kids under 3

It was my boys 2nd birthday last weekend and I got him a Islabikes Rothan. I got it used from the preowned islabikes for sale group on facebook. If you put up a wanted ad you'll likely find something. There are obviously cheaper options but I'd be expecting to get back the majority of what I paid in a year or two so works out cheap.

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What I noticed about the Strider and compared to some cheaper balance bikes apart from less weight, is the lower centre of gravity of the frame and better stand over. Ironically the chain stays have kind of foot rests on them for cruising but when cornering hard, its inside foot out front and outside foot to the rear 😀

our daughter absolutely loves bezzing about on her trax bike we bought off here for £12. she's 18months old and quite small for her age - far too small for a proper bike yet but no doubt she'll be away on one in a year or so. one of these and a bargain for £25 now 😀 can't see the point of spending more they're only kids after all and hardly chasing strava times or getting airborne (yet) 😉

[url= http://www.c1.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/balance-bikes/trax-balance-bike-10 ]link[/url]

Daughter had the Decathlon Strider Balance bike.
Cheap and fairly good quality wise.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/run-ride-kids-balance-bike-pink-id_8237694.html

can't see the point of spending more

to impress the other parents!

can't see the point of spending more
- to impress the other parents!

ha we let the skills do the impressing round here 😛

bought one of these for my daughter when she turned 2 last year

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she loves riding it and it also has the footrests on the rear stays too. only £30 from Amazon. she wont be getting a new bike this time around as she is ready to go on her brothers old bike now...although i might have to spray it pink to convince her its her bike now!

Isla.
Ended up with 2 both from about 18months and both pedalling at just over and under 4. Both still play on them 4 years later (yougest more) even though they can pedal fine.

Best bike purchase ever that owe me nothing for the amount of use and fun. If I were to sell the pair I'd get 75% of my money back?
I'm not selling though.

If your worried about cost then worry more when they motor through 14/16/20/24" wheel bikes.

Also whatever Jonathan said.