I’m ridiculously excited that we’re going to get my almost 2 year old a balance bike this week. An early birthday present. The poor lad’s had an awful cold and could do with a treat.

We’re going to get him a Haro Z Series as, living in S.E. Asia, there’s a choice of 1.

As I said, he’s almost 2, a little short for his age but a) loves bikes b) isn’t afraid of anything. We have a wee ride for him which he adores and, if he sees me touching a bike, goes and gets his bike helmet and shoes and stands by the front gate. He has a trike but is too short to reach the pedals. He enjoys it but it’s one of the ones with a long handle behind that he’s pushed along in.

His love of being on a bike with me is easy, but how do I translate that to using and enjoying a balance bike? Lots of praise etc of course. Did you start by holding the seat and handlebars and scooting them along a little? Set him off on the flat? A slight slope? The top of a bloomin’ big hill?

He’s great at copying (and enjoys it) so thought I could lower the seat on my bike and scoot along balance-bike-style

I made a balance bike for my grandson just before he was 2. He’s a bit short too. I decided I would do no coaching at all, just let him get on with it. He loved it from the start but just walked along on it for a while. They only “get it” when they see another kid riding and don’t want to be left behind.

Can the other ‘kid’ be scooting along on an Inbred with the saddle right down? 🙂

Did you at least help your grandson straddle it ie. you held it while he got on?

My daughter (20 months) is a little small for the bb I made her. She still wants to get on it and scoot by sitting on the downtube. I just hold the tips of the bars very lightly to keep the bike upright. Can’t wait til she’s doing it on her own.

Give it to him with no expectations, he’ll figure it out very quickly. We met our first play with in the house for a while just rolling it along before he could even straddle it. Once he figured the rolling concept of 2 wheels we made it fun to help him understand how he gets on and off then, off he went.
Number 2 needed no such as I stance as he learned from watching his big bro.
Have fun, its great to watch them learn!

My daughter was just over 2, she started by just walking with it which is good to get them to feel the weight and control it for getting on/off. As she progressed she started taking strides that got longer & longer until she could raise her feet & roll. Then after more time she got confident & would put her feet up on the chainstays & wiz about. just before she progressed onto the big girl bike I taught her to use the brake.

My approach was to be encouraging but not push her to hard, I let her do it in her own time as I felt the more comfortable she felt the more time she would send on it & the quicker age would learn, as for helping I never touched the bike (other than to help her get on when she was very small) just let her get on with it. I did on occasions get my bike out so she could copy & I feel it does work.

We got her an isla bike for Christmas at 4 1/2 and she has transitioned seamlessly, I was hocked at the fact she pretty much just rode the pedal bike first time, great feeling!

Don’t worry, he will probably just get it – so don’t over think it.

With a bit of flexibility you could demonstrate the actual thing for a bit of amusement…its a bit like mini moto 😉

I think balance bikes are a waste of money, just get a small bike take the pedals and stabilisers of and put the seat right down. Both my boys did this and managed to ride quickly.

Just buy a proper bike, take the cranks off. Couple of weeks later put em on and teach him to ride a bike.
Or just teach him to ride a bike and not a scooter.
My experience with my kids is teach them on the proper kit, made the mistake of using stabilisers with 1st daughter, 2nd daughter just learnt to ride a bike.
Just think how would you teach your child on any other sporting kit ? Would you teach them to say board on a pair of skis, give em one roller skate ?

Balance bikes generally have a lower saddle height than even the smallest pedal bikes.

After having been on a balance bike, both my kids rode with pedals unassisted on their first ride on a pedal bike. But they just wouldn’t have been anywhere near tall enough for a standard pedal bike but without pedals at the age of 2.

Balance bikes are ace.
Can’t see many 18 month old children being able to fit and ride on a pedal bike with the pedals removed.
We’ve probably also skipped the smallest wheel size pedal bike anyway so no extra cost in that respect.

Lighter the better for carrying it when they decide they want to walk or climb up stuff.

Just give it to him and let him use it in the house or safe flat area to start with. The thing to watch out for most is when they get the coasting with feet up but haven’t worked out how to stop…

+1 on the fact pedal bikes are too big for a 2 year old to jump on, if you buy a quality one resale is good so cost is minimal, compare it swimming lessons excellent value for money!

I take my grandson down the local skate park.,. “can we go to the half pipe Grandad?”

The big kids let him have a scoot round for a bit. He’s coming up to 4 now. I got him a pedal bike and tok the pedals off and he can’t quite do the pedalling yet and asks me to take them off again, then put them on, then take them off again…

A slight slope helps but with run off or soft grass, just let him play, he’ll get it when he’s ready and it’s the best way when they start peddling proper like 🙂

Thanks for the replies.

As a few people said, there’s no way he could fit on even the smallest of pedal bikes for a while. As a teacher, the sports pitches are ours for the using after school so we’ll e able to use a nice soft area.

Don’t rush it. Let him go at it at his own pace. He’ll pick it up once he understands that you can ‘walk’ and it goes. Steering will be mad, but again that will come. Then he develops balance and can go longer with a foot up.

I think balance bikes are a waste of money, just get a small bike take the pedals and stabilisers of and put the seat right down. Both my boys did this and managed to ride quickly.

A difference of opinion is good and expected, however I bet you wont find any parents that used balance bikes with their kids that thought it was a waste of time or money.

Balance bikes are normally geometry appropriate for the size..my kid started walking on his at 20mths, gliding soon after and had it well figured out and competent/confident riding down bmx start ramps and skate park bowls before he turned 2.

Or just teach him to ride a bike and not a scooter.

if we’d started on a ‘real bike’ not a ‘scooter’ he wouldn’t have been able to even touch the floor until well after that, so the money we spent was totally worth it.

Check out the difference between a Specialized Hotwalk 12 and a Hotrock 12. Vast frame differences that facilitate smaller riders earlier!

Then consider that Norco/Haro do a 10″ wheeled run bike that will let even the shortest legged kids get started compared to a 12″ pedal bike where a small kid wont even reach the bars.
I’m a believer in run bikes!

And the weight difference is massive too.

That’s the little Haro that my choice is limited to. Luckily, it seems like a good little bike.

“Would you teach them to say board on a pair of skis, give em one roller skate ?”

I wouldn’t teach them to juggle with 12 flaming machetes though 😕