Jnr FD is 2 next month and I’m considering getting him a balance bike. He’s tall for his age so don’t see standover being an issue.

You can pay stupid amounts for them but what would be wrong with this from Decathlon for £30?

Ergonomic brake lever. Progressive drum brakes. Restricted steering.
Ease of use Lightweight (3.5Kg). Tool-free quickly adjustable saddle and handlebar.
Durability Puncture-proof solid tyres. Steel frame.
Anatomic design One size. Suitable for children from 2 to 4 years between 85 and 100 cm.
Guarantee : 3 Years

Got my lad one for his 2nd birthday, he LOVED it, took off straight away, was freewheeling along with feet off the ground in no time.

So much so that I was very quickly regretting not getting one with a brake.

And yes, you’d be mad to spend money on an expensive one.

One thing – puncture proof tyres – NO grip when it’s a little wet.

no its a good age, got mine on them at 2yrs, I left them lying around the house and they played with them on their own with little help/pressure from me.
both boys riding without stabilizers by 3yrs old. now regularly ride around the woods on some of the same trails i ride at 4 & 6yrs.

My mates lad had one for his 1st birthday. Suffice to say he is a demon on it now he’s almost 3, i know he’s getting a proper bike for his 3rd birthday which we expect he will take to like a duck to water.

perfect age – do it

That looks like a nice little bike for the money. I payed similar for a chinese special.

we bought it for jnr’s 2nd birthday and to be honest he as a bit dis-interested.

he’s coming up to 3 now and pays it a lot more attention now.

If he’s good enough he’s old enough. But kids develop at different speeds. It’s not a race remember.

My son got his at 2 – main thing is to make sure you get one that’s not too big as a lot are for 2 year olds – my son’s very tall for his age but barely fitted on his at 2.

He didn’t use it much at 2 but from 2.5 to now at 3.5 he’s using it more and more. He’s been mtbing (easy trails!) on it too and he’s outgrown it so he’ll be progressing to pedals soon.

Oh, just one other thing, if you can get one with brakes, try and find one with brakes above the chain/seatstays because I noticed my son catching his feet on them quite a lot because they’re under the stays. So much so that I took the brakes off.

Got one for my lad for his 2nd birthday, but he couldnt reach the floor until about 2 +4months. As said previously, you’ll need to check the size.

I take the point about the tyres so maybe a Halfrauds one for £40 will be better.

I think at 2 he may be too young, but maybe by the end of the summer he will be showing a bit more interest. He already loves looking at my bike and shouts ‘Bike’ every time he see’s it 🙂

Daughter got hers for 2nd birthday, was a smidge big for her but she was definitely ready for it after a couple of months.

We stumped up for the Ridgeback one and I’ve no regrets – very light, uses proper bearings in the wheels so rolls scarily well and strong enough to take my weight too 🙂

I’m sure the cheaper ones are good enough for the sort of general use they get though.

That halfords one looks the same as the one my son has (branded ‘Balance Boy’). It is relatively big – just remembered that it was so big that even for my son being tall, for the first 6 months, I had to bodge the saddle to lower it by taking it off the seatpost and ziptieing it to the frame directly which dropped it by an inch or so.

bought one for some friends son @ 2. he didn’t fit on it but enjoyed pushing it along. fitted by 2.5 and now he loves it. the fact it didn’t fit him meant he picked it up and played with it pretty casually – no ‘learning to ride a bike’ pressure etc.

clubber – Member

Steel, rigid, singlespeed, flat bars – he’ll fit right in 🙂

My daughter got hers for Christmas and she’s only 18 months now!

Got it on the grounds that she refused to get off the ones in Evans when i was there having a browse – It’s almost too large for her but she loves even walking around with it like a hobby horse and likes to wear her helmet round the house.

We got one of the Puky ones as they were the smallest (and had to get her a new helmet as her old pink one would have clashed with the red – new bike tart inc.)

Should add that my daughter is quite tall!

I just bought my daughter a Isla Bike Rothan for her 2nd birthday, and it’s great. I had one of the cheaper wooden ones for my first daughter and the seat height was an issue. I honestly think you can justify the price as they are great and the resale value is very good.

Having 3 girls I guess I can get the value out of them, I am building a fleet of purple Isla bikes.

Go for it, earlier the better, they either do or don’t take to it & no amount of effort on your behalf will change their progress. Our youngest was riding before he was three, he just took to he whole thing. Hardly even rides his bike now as he’s obsessed with football and has been since he turned five.

My daughter got hers when she was 2. Worked a treat and she was pedalling a bike a few weeks shy of her 3rd birthday.

I used the “resale value” argument to myself, but now she’s pretty much out-grown it I can’t bear to part with it!

Go for it.
My two just walked around with it between their legs for the first few months, – but hey, they were happy.

Ignore the naysayers, solid tyres are the way to go. Last thing you want is a mass of punctures to fix every night. (
(Brakes are optional too – that’s what wellies are for, and I bet Dany Hart doesn’t use his much)

We were only having this discusssion in the pub last night. I got my little ‘un on her Rothan when she was 2. She was off like a shot. Now pedalling away on her little Hot Rock. The stabiliser-free transition to a proper bike really is a doddle from a balance bike

My son (just 2) has more ‘kit’ that I do. Currently he has:
-balance bike (not too great on that)
-scuttle bug (brilliant bit of kit – zooms around on it)
-scooter (4 wheels, again, brilliant on it)
-Smart trike (great as can be pushed around in it, and will ‘grow’ with him)

Spoilt – of course, but he is a little legend!!

DrP

I got my lad one for his 2nd birthday. He uses it, but rarely takes his feet off the floor, even now he’s 3. Much as I hoped he’d take to it straight away, I’m just happy that he enjoys using it. He’ll either be into bikes or he won’t. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed 🙂

Here’s my boy when he was 2 1/2 having it large on a balance bike! Went straight onto a pedal bike without stabilisers at 3. Guess a lot depends on their height and strength and whether they enjoy it or not. My son’s a nutter now at 4 and and zooms along on his CNOC 16, standing on the saddle and doing skids everywhere!

[video]http://vimeo.com/16906700[/video]

My son is 18 months now and getting quick on his Toddlebike, planning to get him a balance bike soon for outdoors now the snows melted. He’s an absolute speed freak on his Bobbycar lol.

My little girl (2 ‘n a 1/2) loves hers and does little bunny hops like her dad – with her feet on the ground, yeah I can’t even bunny hop.

2-2.5 seems about right. Just over 2 here and can get around the block quite happily.

We got an Islabike as I cant stand bikes with sloppy bearings and bad finish.
Key selling points for us were:
Lower seat height than most
Brake
Good resale
Steering lock so when he comes off it doesnt scissor the him onto the frame.

How much do Isla bikes resale for though, as they are stupidly expensive.

Just over 2 here and can get around the block quite happily.

Excellent, your computer skills are pretty good too!

but what would be wrong with this from Decathlon for £30?

Plenty, the tyres to start with, the weight, the quality of the build and probably the geometry…
If I where you I’d try to get an Isla second end.

How much do Isla bikes resale for though, as they are stupidly expensive.

I merely mentioned in a thread that the youngest binners was ready to move up from hers, and was immediately inundated with offers to buy it. Sold it for £75.

As with most things, you get what you pay for. When I bought it new I looked it over and thought “I wish the bikes I’ve bought over the years were as well built as this”. They really are a quality piece of kit!

hughjayteens – you’ve posted that before and it always makes me smile. 😀 My 7 year old is equally daft fearless. I’ve got some video of her absolutely hooning down Lee Quarry. I’ll see if I can get it posted up

My lad got a Scoot for his second birthday. Loved it, but had to be helped for a good feew months. Got the hang of it by 2 1/2. He’s now 3 1/2 and I need to change the seatpost for the long er one. He got a Cnoc14 for Christmas, but doesn’t like pedalling it, he prefers to freewheel downhill (and uses the brakes) so he feels more comfortable on the Scoot.

But, he watches the Midweek movies with me every week and knows he needs to learn to pedal if he wants to ride up and down proper big mountains 🙂