I bought my 4 year old twins two wooden balance bikes about 18 months ago; to be honest they’ve never really taken to them even though they’re bike mad. One in particular lacks a lot of confidence when she goes on hers.

I don’t want to be a pushy parent but I’d love to take them out riding with me as they grow up (providing they want to of course) so want to make it as easy as possible for them to get hooked.

I’m just debating whether to ditch the balance bikes and go for the more traditional kid’s bike; I’m pretty sure the added attraction of doll carrier and bar tassels will appeal to them.

At this age I’m not bothered about stabilisers I’ll worry about that in the future.

Anyone had similar problems?

cheers

my lad was off stabilisers before he was 3. He never had a balance bike at att.

Not had a similar problem,but none of my 3 kids used a balance bike.
All 3 learnt on pedal bikes,2 at the age of 4 but my middel kid didn`t learn until she was 6.They do it when they are ready.

GFs son is 7 and still cant ride.She tried him with a balance bike,which he just wasnt interested in.Now he has a pedal bike which he can balence on but doesnt seem to realise that you need to pedal to mkee it go.To be fair he isnt the most sporting kid and doesnt really have much aptitude for most physical activity though he will ride his scooter all day.

Down to the individual kid as much as anything!

I haven’t had similar problems, but I suspect your instincts are correct. The most important thing is that they’ve got something they want to ride, and to a degree it doesn’t really matter what – bike with stabilisers and tassles, scooter, trike, etc. They’re all heading in a “bike” direction.

At 4 they’ll certainly be big enough for a whole range of funky pedal bikes, so they should have a good range of suitably embarrassing (for you) rides to choose from 😉

My daughter had the Early Rider balance bike which looks great but is actually a piece of sh@ as geometry is all wrong for confident bike handling. She got used to it though and at 4 was riding a 20″ wheeled Isla bike.

Why not just borrow a couple of bikes first, see how they get on. I don’t think stabilisers are bad at all.

Maybe at 4 that might be a good idea yeah. I think of a balance bike being for younger kids.

Our lad’s the other way – he’s nearly 4 and loves his balance bike so much he won’t look at his new pedal bike. It’s sat in the garage since Christmas and he walks past it every day to get the old balance bike out.

get them to a bike shop and try out some kid’s bikes? At 4yo, they should be able to push pedals round.
As above, they’ll do it if/when they’re ready – all you can do is give them the tools and the encouragement/sweets 😉

When I was growing up in the 70’s all the kids in my school could ride bikes. Balance bikes didn’t even exist. And none of us wore helmets 🙂

Were we especially talented back then? Of course not.

I don’t rate balance bikes personally. They’re completely unnecessary.

My eldest never used one. We just took his stabilisers off one day and spent an hour with him helping him learn to ride on just two wheels.

A few bumps and grazes, but picked it up pretty quickly. I was quite surprised. Maybe he’s just naturally got good balance or something.

Anyhow, buying a balance bike for him would have been a huge waste of time and money.

I would suggest it’s a waste for anybody.

Parents just need to spend some time helping their kids ride a bike. You don’t need any special equipment.

IMO, balance bikes give kids something to raz around on while they are too little to ride a proper bike, and have the added bonus of giving balance lessons.

Get them some proper bikes, they’ll be riding without stabilisers in no time, just don’t be too pushy, all kids pedal backwards at first!!

My daughter still rides the balance bike (a £5 second hand normal kids bike that I took the cranks etc off)as fast as she can down hills etc. She rides her shiny new bike with stabilizers around the house and wont even take it outside 😯

joao3v16 – Could yours ride pedal bikes at the age of 2?

Mine definately can’t although she’s desperate for pedals but doesn’t understand the process of pedalling yet.
Next spring at the age of 3 1/4 she might but I can see the balance bike getting plenty of use still.

JoeyV3.14 – Bikes are unnecessary, as are all toys and sporting equipment, we do however gain a tremendous amount of enjoyment and learning from them tho.

Don’t really see what there is to deliberate about TBH, Buy your kids whatever toys you want, it’s whether they appreciate/respect/share their possessions that matters, not how many/what they have. If a toy is un-used then by all means get rid of it in any way you wish but if it’s not taking up valuable space why rush?

Our balance bike has been a treasured object for both our children. It’s meant they can “join in” with cycling from a very early age and has given them an amazing sense of independence. So at that level it worked for us.

It has also worked at a “learning to ride” level. Transition from balance bike to pedals (at 3 and a bit) took literally about 30 seconds. No trauma or drama, just off and riding and enjoying it. What’s not to like?

When I was growing up in the 70’s all the kids in my school could ride bikes. Balance bikes didn’t even exist

In school you say? My son could ride a bike over a year before he started school.

Of course you don’t need a balance bike – if they’re big enough (as is the case for the OP’s kids) you can take the pedals of a normal bike and let them scoot that. However most 2yos aren’t big enough for that, and a balance bike lets them learn some of the skills of riding a bike before they’re ready for a proper bike. Far, far more useful than trundling around on stabilisers IMHO (though that too has it’s place – mine spent a while with them learning to pedal, until he started taking corners so fast that they were making him fall off, at which point they got removed under protest).

Of course your kids don’t need to learn to ride a bike before they’re at school either, but for obsessives on here it does bring forwards the date at which you can take them for rides – really enjoying riding with my son now, as I go pretty much the same speed as him on my uni. My littlest one is now really enjoying the balance bike which got passed down, and doubtless will be riding a proper bike sooner than if we’d not had it.

Do whatever is right for them, if you think tassles and a basket for dolls will make it more appealing then do that. My eldest has a balance bike and wasn’t at all interested until I put a bell on it, now him and his younger brother are often fighting over it.

+1 for jonathon.

My two had a balance bikes from the age of 18 months, riding that properly by 2 years(an old pedalbike that cost £4 from a car boot sale with stabilisers sat in the garden which was used intermittently), age 3 1/4 onto pedal bike with no stabilisers taking about 3-4 minutes to get the balance of the pedal bike right.
Aged 4 and 5 they can now ride better than their older half brother who’s 14.

To answer the original person – the wooden balance bikes have always seemed pretty rubbish to me; not really designed for riding, more a nice looking thing (like a lot of the trendy wooden toys really). I really rate our Strider Bike, which is a more bike-like balance bike, and really incredibly well designed – they’ve really thought everything through, all the details are just right, from the bar grips to the wheels, to the super-light frame, the nice bits to put your feet up on when scooting downhill, and the slightly odd but very practical braking system.

Although at that age, I’d maybe be thinking kids bike (and take cranks off if you want to).

I don’t rate balance bikes personally. They’re completely unnecessary.

My eldest never used one. We just took his stabilisers off one day and spent an hour with him helping him learn to ride on just two wheels.

A few bumps and grazes, but picked it up pretty quickly. I was quite surprised. Maybe he’s just naturally got good balance or something.

Anyhow, buying a balance bike for him would have been a huge waste of time and money.

I would suggest it’s a waste for anybody.

Parents just need to spend some time helping their kids ride a bike. You don’t need any special equipment.

Balance bikes are brilliant. I can’t understand why anyone would not get one. You’ve completely missed the point of them – what they do is allow for a painless way of learning 90% of the skills to ride a pedal bike. They also allow kids who are keen to bike, to ride really early too.

My 1 year old (okay 23 and a half months old) is happily riding half a mile down the hill to the park every day now, and riding back from childminders; today we went to the shops, along the bottom road to the park, and all the way back up our road, which must be a good mile and a half (and with a good few metres of ascent too). I bought it at 18 months because she kept going for other kids bikes in the park, and because with all the bike trailer rides she made it pretty clear she wanted a bike like daddy; it is one of her most treasured possessions – every morning and when we get home, she gets on it and starts riding it up to the door!

Anyway, enough boasting – I don’t think Rose is particularly skilled or special or an early developer – she only learnt to walk at 14 months or so, I think it is almost entirely to do with having access to a good balance bike and getting the chance to learn at this age. I know a bunch of biker friends who also got balance bikes early, and without exception, their kids are on pedal bikes at about 3 if not earlier (one friend was being taken for 5 mile mountain bike rides with his not quite 3 year old). Most of them didn’t even fall off when transitioning to the pedal bikes either.

It is all very well for people to say that their kids learnt to ride stabiliser-less bikes without them, of course they did; everyone did, but I bet it took blooming ages, and I bet they had some falls (or ‘a few bumps and grazes’, or had to waste ages riding around with stabilisers (and if they were anything like me, they almost certainly tipped over their stabiliser bike turning corners in a hurry!). Why not let them learn the main skills of riding a bike (the balance), on something where it is easy to fall off without bumping yourself.

So yeah, you don’t need a balance bike, but you do have a choice between:

a)Letting your child hurt themselves and bump themselves and graze themselves, and learn to ride at 5 or 6.

b)Letting your child learn to ride in pretty pain free manner, and learn to ride smoothly well before 2 and to pedal at 3.

I think the 80 quid or whatever you spend on a balance bike, is worth it for 3 more years of enjoying riding a bike. Particularly if you like riding bikes, and think that enjoying riding bikes is a good thing.

If you compare it to other things, our expensive (80 quid) balance bike is pretty cheap really, I mean right now the cost is well below £1.50 per ride, which is pretty cheap compared to other things she likes doing like swimming (£3.50 a go, or with membership and us going twice a week it works out at about £1.20 a go), soft play (£4 a go), ‘fun club’ (£3 a go), going out to the cafe for cake (£5 a go). In a couple of months time, it’ll be down to about 60p a ride.

ps: While I’m boasting, here are a couple of videos I did of Rose at bang on 23 months; this week she is scooting almost all the time with her legs up now, except for braking and speeding up.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaZFdENbjeE[/video]
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0keiYRXHluo[/video]

Edit: Oh, actually, there is one extra cost to balance bikes that I forgot; our malt loaf bill has gone up significantly – that tiny midget there can get through half a loaf of soreen on a single trip to the woods (and I need the other half to power me up for keeping up with her).

I think the 80 quid or whatever you spend on a balance bike, is worth it for 3 more years of enjoying riding a bike. Particularly if you like riding bikes, and think that enjoying riding bikes is a good thing.

Don’t forget that if it’s a quality one (as an £80 one doubtless is) then you’ll get a lot of that back secondhand too, so it will actually cost you a lot less than that.

Not sure I agree with you about the wooden bikes – I prefer the metal ones (we’re standard STW middle class and have an Islabike Cnoc) and they’re what I’d recommend to anybody, but some of the wooden ones are pretty decent. There’s a little kid the same age as my littlest who whizzes about on his one (styled like a motorbike – the last thing I’d choose) on the school run, which suggests it works quite well.

Still not sure I see the point of balance bikes. Just buy an appropriately sized bike and remove the BB/cranks and chain for a short while if you think they need to learn that way. Most kids just get on a normal bike and learn that way. Seems like a bit of a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist to me.

Most kids just get on a normal bike and learn that way. Seems like a bit of a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist to me.

Do you still use a horse and cart?

The motorcar was a solution to a problem that didn’t exist surely?

Caves were just as good as houses for shelter were they not?

Still not sure I see the point of balance bikes. Just buy an appropriately sized bike and remove the BB/cranks and chain for a short while if you think they need to learn that way. Most kids just get on a normal bike and learn that way. Seems like a bit of a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist to me.

Because, for example, a 12″ Hotrock saddle is almost 15cm higher than a Rothan saddle in their lowest positions. Taking the pedals off a 12″ bike simply isn’t going to work for most 2yo’s. It will of course be fine for older/taller kids.

I’d be interested to know how many people on STW learned to ride using a balance bike…

Do you still use a horse and cart?
Does your kid use a boneshaker? 😉

Just buy an appropriately sized bike and remove the BB/cranks

The BBs are often those cheap cup’n’cone jobs that don’t really bear removal or more precisely re fitting, even if you do retrieve all the bits from under the fridge. At least they are on the two bigger Speccys we have.

I’ve had 3 boys worth out of a fairly modest investment in a Specialized balance bike, eldest two were riding confidently on pedal bikes @ 3 and a bit. All moved onto pedals within 10 minutes practice on grass, all the balance and steering instinct is already done.
Also sped up the school run from a very early age.
Plus it’s worth it to see peoples expressions as a 2 year old scoots past – you can see the thought process as it sinks in there are no pedals.

I’m a fan having seen the results on my children, my neighbours children and the comparison with friends children who didn’t have them, who still seem to be on stabilisers or the like at 4 or 5 – it seems to be impacting on their enjoyment of the freedom.

Youngest is now on the balance bike – just turned 2. Still at the pushing it around and walking straddling it stage, but it won’t be long before he’s chasing his brothers.

Does your kid use a boneshaker?

it is rigid. 🙄

I’m not the one saying that you shouldn’t move with the times though so I don’t get that comment really.

^^^ This, we have a Rothan which my eldest (now 2.5, got it for 2nd bday) can easily standover and maneuver (sp?). There’s no way he could do the same on a Hotrock.

Edit: Bugger, thread moving too fast! ^^^ What doof_doof said.

*Hijack*-

Wooden balance bike looking for new home, 2 previous owners, garaged etc.

email in profile.

Are the wooden balance bikes too much like toys than real bikes and that’s why they are rejecting them?

I’ve got an 18m/old wandering around the house on a Toddle bike, he doesn’t really ride it, just straddles it and literally walks it about the house. But getting on and off of it alone has done wonders for his balance and coordination, he knows it as his ‘bike’ and enjoys playing with it, pretends to fix it with toy spanners even.

I’m kind of just putting it there for him but doing a surprisingly good job of not being pushy with it, I thought I’d be terrible! Will be getting a Rothan for his 2nd birthday in the Autumn and again just going to leave it about.

For the life of me I can’t get my 2 year old to ride her Strider balance bike fro more than a few meters, although I might try adding a bell as per tip above.

I made a little balance bike for my Grandson when he was about 18mths. I also made a point of not coaching. He loves it, it’s always the first thing he looks for when he comes here.

He was just walking with it at first but when he was 2 he saw some other kids riding theirs and it clicked. He’s 26 months now and on it all the time, scooting up the path and riding back down with his feet off the ground.

Very proud Grandad.

I’ve got an 18m/old wandering around the house on a Toddle bike, he doesn’t really ride it, just straddles it and literally walks it about the house.

yeah, Rose at 18 months played with it, put it back in the corner, then got it out at 20 months or so, and did the walking thing, then we showed her it could go outside, and before we knew it she was running it down to the park. Then she decided to ask for it every evening after tea for a quick spin round the block, and now she has got the hang of it, she wants to go everywhere on it (except the 20% hill to childminders, which she’ll only ride down, and even then only with daddy holding herfor the steepest bit!)

Can they ride small-wheeled scooters? If so buy new 16″ bikes, take off stabilizers, teach them to scoot on the bike, then pedal away!

my lad was off stabilisers before he was 3. He never had a balance bike at all.

This^^^. Balance bikes are a nice idea, but I never saw the need.

Does your kid use a boneshaker?

HAHAHA. My two learned on a rigid 36yo Raleigh Bluebell with solid rubber tyres and removable stabilizers. I loved that bike (Till my sister put it in a skip 🙁 )

Well my Son was riding a bike at 4 months old. He’s now 4 years old and can do 70mph on his Yamaha R1!

Honestly, all this talk of ‘my 2 yr old could ride a pedal bike without stabilisers’ . There must be some very tall 2 yr olds with huge leg muscles about!

I bought my Son a balance bike for his 3rd b’day. It was too big for him at first, but even when it did fit he never used it. I then got him a stabiliser bike for his 4th b’day which he uses all the time. Nowt wrong with stabilisers.
BTW, My Son has 5 friends that live in our Street. NONE of them were riding a bike properly/unaided before the age of 4.

Honestly, all this talk of ‘my 2 yr old could ride a pedal bike without stabilisers’ . There must be some very tall 2 yr olds with huge leg muscles about!

Care to enlighten us as to where somebody said they had a two year old pedalling without stabilisers?

Balance bike, Yes. Pedal bike, No.

My sons both pedaled a 12″ bike before three without stabilizers. Most of the kids down the road were stabilizer-free by 4yo. I should know, I taught most of them!

Balance bike:

Boneshaker:

🙂

I bought my 4 year old twins two wooden balance bikes about 18 months ago

4 year old twins. I’ve been there, so good luck.

Must be able to use peer pressure, surely?

I know one who learnt pedals at two and eleven months, that’s the youngest, and the others were three when they switched.

I also have met loads of 4 and 5 year olds who can’t, who have never got into balance biking.

I bought my Son a balance bike for his 3rd b’day. It was too big for him at first, but even when it did fit he never used it.

There are some real rubbish balance bikes around – big, heavy, hard to manouvre – if your 3 year old couldn’t get on it, it was probably a massive piece of junk. They aren’t nice to ride, and kids notice that, they really
feel the weight. friends kid with a big heavy balance bike just wanted to steal Rose’s obviously lighter and nicer one.

DezB – Member

I’d be interested to know how many people on STW learned to ride using a balance bike…

I’m guessing none as they’ve only been around for 10 or so years.

I probably spend as much time carrying ours as it’s ridden on a typical ride but that’s fine as I bought a Rothan as it’s the lightest on the market :0)
Looking at tyre upgrades at the moment. Any recommendations anyone?
I don’t need tubeless.

Flatfish, when you say enlighten us, you mean you?

Ok then,i refer to the 2nd post,

“My lad was off stabilisers before he was 3. He never a had a balance bike at att”

If he was “off stabilisers” before 3, doesn’t that make him 2?
Oh hang on, he may have had stabilisers on his scooter, or a pram perhaps..

Is that ok for you?