So my darling daughter at 3.5 is really getting the hang of her balance bike and wants to upgrade. I don’t think she’s ready for pedals and I suspect a proper bike is too much of a size gap from current.

Really, she just needs a bigger framed balance bike. However, darling daughter has left me with a rather challenging set of requirements, new bike must be:

1) pink (obviously)
2) has a basket upfront
3) has a rear baby carrier (not a real baby you understand!)

I understand such a bike is potentially below the esteemed standards of the STW fraternity, but if anyone can recommend a good supplier of pimped up balance bikes I’d be forever grateful.

Cheers
‘hero-dad’

make you a billet one

There are loads of little pedal bikes that fir the description. Could you get one of these and whip the cranks off until she’s ready?

Get down the recycling centre and whip the cranks of something suitable.

Jamie that’s still so ace!

p-j – how much? 🙂

Normal bike, just take the pedals off till she’s ready for them.

My grandson (2 1/2) has just graduated from a balance bike to a bike sans peggils and he’s fine. Keeps wanting to try the pedals then says “take them off grandad”

my brother made it for his little boy – let’s be honest me made if for himself more than his kid, i’m fairly sure his boy would have been happy with a 40 quid halfords job.

i seem to remember the metal alone was about 300 odd quid (we probably bought more than we needed though) but the wheels really are two piece bolt up billet ones – no need to rant them with tyre levers to get the tyre on, just unbolt them to seperate the rims. then there is the tyres, seat, clamp, tubes, grips, a proper aheadset 44mm bearing but with a threaded steerer, and a quill stem/bars to allow lots of height adjustment.

the idea of the faux suspension forks was to make it look a bit motorbikey, but the yellow didnt come out much like ohlins. i think black all round would have been cooler perhaps.

i expect we would have to charge a grand.

SOLD! Understood. On that basis, I’ll probably pass!

Try her with pedals – you might be pleasantly surprised. If she’s really not ready, as above just take the pedals/cranks off of a standard bike.

3.5 is old enough I reckno for a real bike, they come in 12″ wheel. Apparently the size makes the cul-de-sac come alive.

for £1 you can buy a Tesco trolley and she can put all her dollies in it and trundle down to the shops to fetch your milk and eggs on a morning.

I’m well into child labour. She could find dad’s slippers before one.

I had thought about the crank removal, but the bikes I’d seen looked sealed in. Will check on the wonder that is Halford. Hopefully it’s put together property.

Strider bikes do a bigger one, there is also a race series the strider cup

http://www.striderbikes.co.uk/

isla bike one, its stunning. i’ve got one in the shed that i keep meaning to dust off and sell, but i keep stalling as its such a nice bit of kit.

If it’s for a child (especially a small girl) putting knobs on it is probably going to get you a call from social services.

3.5 is old enough I reckno for a real bike, they come in 12″ wheel. Apparently the size makes the cul-de-sac come alive.

My 3.5 year old is riding a 16″ wheel,and he’s no giant. Is fairly deranged on his 12″ balance bike though, so the more sensible rider might want to be double sure that feet can touch the floor.

Ridgeback have a bigger balance bike called the ‘Scoot XL’ coming out in a few weeks, it has 14″ wheels so a bit bigger *insert ‘come alive’ joke here*

Getting basket and baby seat on there could be a fun challenge though.

Make your own blingy one here.

This is a cool looking balance bike!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stomp-Stompee-Kids-Childs-Training-Balance-Bike-VERY-Light-Weight-BLACK/271232470698

^ that one.

bung on a seatpost mounted rack with a box on it for the baby carrier
basket, ebay, £10

Check out scotts walker and small pedal bikes. The contessa girls bike come in pink
scott kids

The walker Worked perfectly for my boys, add a hand brake early bedore progression onto pedals.

The Stomp is lighter than the Scott, looks better than the Scott, already has a back brake and I bet is a lot cheaper!

molgrips – Member
3.5 is old enough I reckno for a real bike, they come in 12″ wheel. Apparently the size makes the cul-de-sac come alive.

The thought of cul-de-sacs coming alive made water come out of my nose.

Black magic I tell ye

looks better than the Scott

really? 😉
The geometry on that Stompee couldn’t be farther from a real bike so I’m not sure how that would be progression from her current balance bike.

OP, You’d be surprised how quickly kids that have grasped the balance bike concept can pick up pedals… if she can coast along without having to feet check all the time, theres a good chance (with patience and fun) she will get pedals pretty quickly. If she’s still only walking the bike, then nope, no pedals yet.

/2p

3.5 it’s big enough potentially for a proper bike. My now 4.5 year old is on his second pedal bike now. Was riding without stabilizers a week before his fourth birthday. It should have been sooner but I think we introduced the full on bike too early (2.5) and he needed them then despite his proficiency on the balance bike and then he got used to them and wouldn’t give them up until the day he announced “I am big now I don’t use stabilizers take them off daddy!” and then pedaled off down the garden.

What am I trying to say?

If big enough and ready enough big bike with pedals is doable. If not persist with balance bike but no idea what product to solve you original query.

make your own balance bike doll seat . . .