Right. Kryton jnrs a tad short for his age. We want to get him a balance bike for his 3rd birthday in Jan. However, with all that we've tried he's only just getting to tip-toes when sitting on one.
On a mini bike with stabilsers he's fine though, just needs a tad more learning to use the pedals properly.
So I've heard its best for them to learn on balance bikes first?
Is that right and should we stick with it? Or not, and go for the mini bike with stabilisers?
Appreciated in advance.....
Balance bike and hope he grows
No skill to pedalling but there is to balancing
Both mine just got a push and off they went when they got off the balance bike and went on to pedal bikes
How small mine were small but still found a couple that were fine - what about taking the pedals of a non balance bike?
Put them on when he has that sussed - did that with the youngest
Yeah, balance bike all the way, my girl had a Ridgeback Scoot from around 2ish, much like Junkyards two, she was straight on a bike with pedals when ready,no stabilisers needed.
either.
Stabilers for my lad and he was around 5 when he learned to ride
Balance bike for my little girl, she was riding at 3 
Have to seen the smaller early rider balance bike (called the lite I think). She only had little legs, but it fitted her okay when she was under 3. Also they were a great company when I had a problem with it.
Balance!
Thumbs up by Richard Munro, on Flickr
But she was racin @ an early age on a 3 wheeler!
mountain mayhem 170 by Richard Munro, on Flickr
Both at the same time, when she had done some scooting around on the balance she would jump on pedaller. I made really big and very noisy stabalisers out of old lawnmower wheels and got her to try and pedal so she didnt make any noise - i.e. lean away from whichever one made a noise. Worked really well.
Balance bike.
My daughter learnt with stabilisers - no stabilisers at 6.
My son had a balance bike - no stabilisers at 3.
Both my girls learnt to ride on a cheap Raliegh with stabilisers.
The metal of the stabilisers was thin and bendy, so the wheels bent up from the ground. To keep upright they had to balance, which they did pretty quickly. When we took the stabilisers off at around age 3 1/2, they rode without them at the first attempt.
My son learned on a Ridgeback scoot balance bike and my daughter is learning on the same bike (albeit with some additional pink stickers...) - but from seeing friends kids learning on bikes with stabilisers I honestly don't think it makes any difference!
Both my son and his friend the same age started riding 'normal' bikes at exactly the same time.
For what its worth I'd say it is more important that the bike fits properly so in your case go with the stabilisers.
Has he not currently got a trike?
If he has then just leave him with that until he's big enough for the balance bike.
OR...
Do what we did and get a small bike, but take the pedals off.
Both my kids used small bikes (£1 each from the tip) for about 6 months with no pedals. When we put the pedals on, they both just rode off, turned around and came back without so much as a dab. Amazing to behold. I wouldn't even think of going down the stabiliser route as the balance option is just so obviously better when you see it in action.
Balance bike and hope he grows
Professional opinion - definitely balance bike - or as has already been said, take the pedals off an ordinary bike. Make sure you get one with a brake as well - some don't have one.
Stabilizers. Both of mine were riding without them by three. Just remove them when they can ride a scooter, take off one of the pedals and have them scoot along a kerb until they get the hang of it.
Our slightly below average height 18 month old just fits on her strider balance bike, so unless you're talking incredibly short, I'd guess it'd fit. Not cheap, but seems pretty solid so far (only a week)
I teach little ones for work, and the difference in ability and confidence between stabiliser and balance-bike kids is huge.
Balance-bike FTW.
APF
Cheers all - especially sugdenr for your offer.
Mrs Kryton wants to get him a Spec Hotrock, so we've found a deal and it looks as though I'll get pedal removing duties so we can double as balance bike now and proper bike later - great idea that.
Many thanks.
Um. If he's too short for a balance bike he's not going to be able to scoot a Hotrock. How short is he?
Agree with the above comments, an ordinary bike with pedals removed will work if your son is big enough. However, if you are finding it difficult to get a small enough balance bike, a Hotrock will be far too big.
Not all balance bikes are created equal. When I was looking for a balance bike for my daughter, the Islabike Rothan was a couple of inches shorter than the nearest alternative, and the only thing that would fit her. If you search recent discussions about balance bikes, I think someone mentioned an alternative that is as small as the Rothan.
My daughter had a balance bike, hated stabilisers stopped riding then one day just got on and road because she felt like it.
I learned - don't be pushy with your kids.
And then forgot it, hassled her into doing the biggest bombhole on Winterfold ( twice ) and have not been up there with her since - even though she did it no bother 
I am reminded of what I learned - don't be pushy with your kids.
I got my lad a balance bike when he was 2 and a half, he is 3 in 3 weeks.
He too is a short arse (shortest in his nursery year group).
When we got it he was on tip toes, he still is ish, but now he can push off on his tiptoes for couple of metres, when we got it, he couldnt even stand over it without it toppling over on top of him, all in 5 months
er.. why didn't you get him a smaller one?
In my experience, balance bikes only come in 1 size, I tried a spec, scott and a couple of unkown brands, in the end, only the Islabikes push along allowed him to get his toes on the ground, and that was with the seat post chopped!
islabikes is not the smallest by quite a bit
I stand corrected.
Although last time this came up no-one managed to suggest one that had a significantly lower minimum saddle height IIRC. It's true that they're not all the same size, though.
Shows the huge variation in sizes at that age, though. My lad's two and a half and there's about an inch of height left in his Rothan.
Very True Mike_D
I went to every bike shop in the west mids that had a push along, it just so happenend that my local shop (Islabikes) was the only brand that he could touch floor on.
He can count to 20 in french though :). I cant even do that.
Have a quick search (it's not difficult!) and I think you'll find more than one suggestion (one of which from me) for balance bikes smaller than an islabikes Rothan
my 2 yr old (who actually is French, so bilingual 
) has very short legs for her age and has been scooting around on her balance bike since 18mths old
my lad had 3-4 weeks on stabilisers then straight into the frying pad.
This was 3 weeks after his 3rd b'day
Have a quick search (it's not difficult!) and I think you'll find more than one suggestion (one of which from me) for balance bikes smaller than an islabikes Rothan
If your suggestion was the Amazon 10in wheeled one, then that claims 29cm lowest. Which is the same as a Rothan.
forget "claims" it's lower. (others are too)
Strider is 28 cm at lowest. Just fits my at most 50th centile 18 month old (25th at 1 but has grown impressively since!) . I suspect there is a bit of a range in what these measurements by people selling bikes actually mean though, as I've never seen a 2.5 yr old anything like as small as Rose, so I'd guess the difference is more than the 1cm number suggests. Lowest point on saddle is slightly lower than top of the wheel, is roughly 28 cm off the floor.
Also, there are videos on YouTube of strider bikes on just the wheel rims with 12 month olds on them! Obviously only good on carpet / grass though and probably only while they are at the walking stage.
forget "claims" it's lower. (others are too)
They claim the seat doesn't go as low as it actually does? They've missed a trick there.
Go on then, how much lower? I had to actually measure a Rothan (Islabikes gives a recommended minimum rider height but not a saddle height), got a minute to do the same to yours?
postierich - any idea where your daughters pink bike top is from?
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