[Closed] Balance bike

We had a selection at the Big Bike Bash for kids to ride. The smallest kid I saw on one couldn't stand without the bike to lean against.

When put on the bike it just sat there for a while looking bemused.

Parent pushed it along a bit and baby giggled and started pushing itself.

A was going well until it ploughed straight into the hay bale and fell off.

I guess the moral is that they can start really young but be careful where you point them

I bought a Ridgeback Scoot when my missus was only 3 months pregnant 🙂
Gave it to my boy for his seond birthday. He loved to sit on it and be pushed, but I had to hold the handlebars, which doesn't half kill your back.

He got to grips with it properly about 3 months ago, he's just turned 3.
He's just beginning to understand about the brake (which helps when he heads off downhill!)

I think Puky do a smaller one, I've seen a lad who couldn't have been more than 2 on one.

My son is generally pretty early to do stuff (walked at 6 months...) but found a balance bike challenging until around 2 yrs and it took until he was around 2.5 for him to really get the idea (though he still tends to walk it rather than scoot it). No doubt some will manage earlier than that but don't count on it basically.

PS my son says that the brake is for falling off as that's what happens everytime he pulls it 🙂

They can ride one when they can ride one - one child is so different than the next it is impossible to say how old yours will be when he can.

My daughter got hers when she was 2 months old, a bit early I suspect. It stood untouched for 2 years. Now she's 4+y.o. and still charges through the rooms and corridor of our flat on it. Despite having a regular bike.

I'm going to be getting one for our son in October when he turns 2. Unless I see a cheap one second hand between now and then...

our eldest loved his, would scoot for miles. he didn't take to a normal bike easily though

our youngest can't be arsed with it

as said, all kids are different

I got one for my lad when he was two-and-a-bit, and he's only just starting to get the hang of it and enjoy himself now, at nearly three. But some of his friends were scooting about properly well before they were two. Depends on the kid.

Our 3-yr old has been very happy with one of these.
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Height-adjustable seat so he doesn't grow out of it too soon and, usefully, the handlebars can't turn too far so he doesn't do the classic 90 degree handlebar turn and subsequent face plant.

V. cool Chaos. I want one!

We got one for our son for Christmas - he was 18months at the time. He had a go round the house but was not too interested for a few weeks. After a month or so he got more interested, we took him to the park at about 20 months and he saw the older boys on their bikes and was trying to copy them riding off kerbs and trying to do wheelies (hard with no pedals). He'll be 2 tomorrow and is very good on it now, can go at a speed which has me running to keep up and can do about 3km's in distance. He doesn't understand the brake (just jumps off) and I often have to pull him up the hills (I wrap the dog lead round his stem to save my back).

He loves it, when I ask him if he wants to go on his bike he shouts 'bike, bike' and goes to get his helmit. 😀
It's the one toy that he can play with for more that 5 minutes, he's rubbish at concentrating on inside toys

He eventually gets bored of it and I have to carry it - dog lead helps here too as you can use it to make a shoulder stap to carry the bike. with.

Got my daughter a Ridgeback Scoot for her 2nd birthday, she struggled to use it for quite a while as she was slightly too short for it (even though she was tall for her age). By 2.5 to 3 she was bombing all over the place on it and now she's 4.5 she still likes to use it as much as her pedal bike.

I got a little Thomas the Tank 10" bike and attacked it with a hacksaw so my 15mth old grandson can sit on it.

I've decided not to push him into anything, and let him discover the features himself. it's the toy (toy?) he makes a beeline for when he comes round. He loves just walking about astride it and is starting to get the hang of the steering. No scooting along yet, but it will come.

It does get a lot of comments!

We were lucky to find one at half-price with a bit of shop damage as they are a little expensive. That said I think the re-sale price will be good and in any case we're hoping there'll be a No. 2 who'll take it on. (it was suitable from around 18 months or so I think)

Look up 'Skipper Balance Scooter' if you're interested.

Get hold of an old kids bike for free and just take off the pedals/cranks/chain.

Ta-da.

Instant balance bike.

depends on size and strength of the kid, ours are still tentative at 2.5 but they are small (due to being premature) and I've seen much younger toddlers doing better on them.

I bought them really early, super keen to get them on the bikes and they have sat in the shed for nearly 2 years now.

Cool replys. Although every baby is so different I think I purchased to early. Wife said I was an arse she might be right for once.

our kid is a big hefty brute.. 21 months but built like a three year old..

We were trying to hold off on the balance bike until his second birthday.. but the start to the summer has shown an obsession with bikes wherever we go (our little 'un's not much better either 😉 ) so we relented today and took the plunge on a weeride balance bike.. it's arriving on wednesday

I dunno who's gonna be more excited.. me or him 😀

Get hold of an old kids bike for free and just take off the pedals/cranks/chain.

Works for older kids, but a typical two-year-old is unlikely to be able to straddle a bike with a bottom bracket. Proper balance bikes have very low seats.

As above - if your child is larger than average you can get then going earlier. Our lad was on his at just over 2 and was riding a proper bike unaided at just over 3 and a half. He is however a flipping giant. He's still 4 but is as tall as most 6 yr olds!

If you want to start them off early then a balance bike is better than just removing the pedals because of the standover height.

I bought my Daughter one when she was about 1.5. It took at least a year before she was scooting along on it. But it only took her about 4 goes to master a proper bike when she started. And no stabilisers.

I got my son a Ridgeback Scoot for his 2nd birthday (in tangerine 8) ), and as above, he is just now pushing himself along really well (he's just turned 3). He's always loved it, though, and has been going on it in the back garden for as long as he could get his legs over it.

In any case, I was quite impressed with this kid (especially the move at 4:01):

Lil Grips is a giant 26mo and we got her a Spesh Hotwalk for her 2nd birthday. First time she saw it she was pleased, then suspicious, then a few days later she went on her first 'ride'. She still just sort of walks on it rather than sitting in the saddle and scooting.

If only I could have posted a link to this thread for my brother and sister in law, they've just spunked xxx pounds on some crap Ben 10 bike for their youngest, with crank arms all of 3 inches long that require "legs like wiggins" to attempt anything more than a 1/1000 gradient!!! Did the same for their eldest and wondered why he's only just learnt to ride at 6??!!