Morning oh great knowledgeable dwellers of STW…

I have a little girl coming up to her second birthday and have heard good things about balance bikes..

Seems like a huge range out there – any tips on choosing one? Recommendations welcomed too..

thanks in advance.

TM

I bought a cheap rubbish bike that had pedals on the front wheel from Argos, but my lad couldn’t reach them. So I took the stabalisers off, cut the pedals off and chopped the seat post down and he used it as a balance bike for a year or so and loved it.

He’s been riding a proper 12″ wheel bike with out stabalisers since January and he’ll be 4 in July!! He’s a nutter on it as well, gets out of the saddle when he hits a hill and generally scare the life out of his mum. Just about to buy him a 16″ wheel bike!

So I wouldn’t worry too much about which balance bike it’s about the kid. After all a balance bike is a just bike with no pedals, nothing more nothing less.

I bought the kazaam which is lovely, really nicely made

You could always get a normal one and take the cranks off. Then put them back when she’s ready. Two bikes for the price of one.

Scoots are really good but a zoom is the same bike but cheaper

Agree with ads. Anything that fits will do just fine.

I asked this a while ago and ended up plumping for the Islabike Rothan. My nephew loves it.

I bought my middle one a Specialized Hotwalk back in Feb. I was looking for a Islabike Rothan but started looking a little late (whoops)and expected to be able to buy them very much off the shelf but not the case. After frantic ringing round LBS I managed to get my hands on a Hotwalk and to be honest I am very pleased with it (as is he). The only thing it’s short of compared to the Rothan is the brake but that isn’t a biggie.

He has taken to the balance bike a lot better than his older brother to a normal tiddlers bike with stabilisers. They also fight like cat and dog as to who is going to ride it.

Kid ehh, I love ’em but couldn’t eat a full one!

I know they’re a bit pricey, and I know kids are happy riding all sorts of things, but I still can’t recommend the Islabike Rothan enough. Our’s is currently on its second rider and going strong. They’re very well designed and very well made, will last years and will still be good to sell/pass on.

The only really critical thing about balance bikes is that they can reach the floor well, which can be a problem with the “take pedals off a little bike” technique, and also with dedicated balance bikes, depending on how early/small you’re starting.

With both of our’s it took a few weeks to click properly, but once they’ve got the feet-up balance thing going then they’re away. Number 2 started doing that a month or so ago:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jon_b/6804314502/in/photostream

He’s now doing loads of super-slow feetup turns which is great to watch. Switching to a pedal bike took about 40 seconds for the first one (at 3 and a bit) – just got on and rode 🙂

Depends on kids size, mine was on a Tiny Bike at 18-19 months just turned 2 and have now moved him to a Hotwalk for the same reasons as , you can find a shop with a Hotwalk to try.
Tiny Bike is brilliant especially for the smaller toddler, Hotwalk is ace too but bigger.
See my Proud Dad post I did today. Jimmy is 2 and a month.

I think the thing you will struggle with is finding one they can touch the floor on.

Jnr FD got one for his 2nd birthday about 3 weeks ago.

We couldn’t decide between a Cheap Halfords one or Ridgeback Scoot. We ended up going for the Ridgeback as we got the bike and a decent helmet from JD Cycles for £90.

I couldnt justify the cost of the Isla Bike.

I honestly do not know why any one would spen over a hundred pounds on a balance bike for a 2 year old kid. Apart from to impress the neighbours.

and before you say it, i’m not jealous and yes i can afford one.

Funky dunk you missed the Tiny Bike then it’s a full 100mm lower seat height than the Hotwalk we moved on to.

We got a decent one from Decathlon. Worked a treat and ready for son number two any time soon. Only cost £30 and gets my recommend, gave him the balance skills, had a brake and he is now pedaling away and racing me around the park.

How about this?

I went cheap off ebay, and am glad I did.

My little girl doesn’t like the bike much and prefers her scooter.

Islabike pride is a wonderfull thing. 😀
I have a ten quid wooden balancebike here that is 9 years old has been used by about 12 kids and lived it’s entire life outside in all weathers. The original wheel bearings are almost seized now but bang some new ones in and it’ll be good to go for another few years

A popular question on here:
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/balance-bike-for-2yr-oid
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/which-balance-bike-3
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/which-balance-bike-1

More at http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=site%3Asingletrackworld.com+balance+bike

We’ve just bought a second hand Isla Bikes Rothan for £90 of eBay for our lil’uns 2nd birthday next week.

I like that it is well made, has a lot of height adjustment available in the seatpost and has a brake.

Obviously keeps its value pretty well too – just bang it back on eBay when you’re done with it and it works out very cheap.

Everyone loves purple.

Everyone,
Thanks for the replies – very helpful!

GrahamS – I am rubbish at searching for things on STW – appreciate those links 🙂

TM

+1 for the Rothan. After much umming and aahing I went for the Rothan for my 2 year old son. He’s just now starting to show a real interest in it, as is his little brother. In the end I decided on the Rothan because:

– Standover height was lower than most
– A friend has one and it looked very well built
– Lighter than most which keeps mum happy as she’s the one that has to cart it around when he drops it to go and investigate something else
– Brake, not critical but good to see he’s exploring it already
– Seem to hold their price well on eBay etc.
– £100 plus seems a lot but it’ll do at least two of them before being sold/passed on and I’ve spent more than that on a stem and a seatpost for one of my four bikes. Hard to be tight for the kids when you’re a bike tart yourself.

Oh, which ever one you get if junior is a little disinterested fit a bell. Worked a treat with mine!

Tony d

Hard to be tight for the kids when you’re a bike tart yourself.

Yeah – you’ve got a point there 🙂

Oh, which ever one you get if junior is a little disinterested fit a bell. Worked a treat with mine!

Nice tip 🙂

TM

GrahamS – I am rubbish at searching for things on STW – appreciate those links

No problem, I was only aware of them because I’d been looking too 😀

£100 plus seems a lot

True, but they sell second-hand on eBay for ~£90.

I’d go Isla if you can afford it, I went cheap and bought something like that Tidlo (it may actually have been that) and my daughter never took to it, found it uncomfortable. I’m sure she would have been better off on an Isla, much better thought out, proper saddle. She finally cracked 2 wheel riding last month at the grand old age of 7. Expensive but you do get resale value.

That’s a good point Bimbler – other than a child seat on mums/dads bike this is their first experience of riding. If you’re keen to get them riding it must pay to make it as enjoyable and easy as possible.

Clicky

Right – I’ve taken the plunge and gone for a shiny new Rothan. The ebay secondhand market does look quite active and she’s only had predominantly secondhand toys thus far…

Thanks for all the help – great resource this forum 🙂

TM

Take a look at the new “Juno” balance bike from Earlyrider.
Looks like a giant monkey nut.

http://www.earlyrider.com/product/early-rider-spherovelo-juno/

We bought Rothan, oldest son loved it and it was fantastic to see him getting his balance. Hope Youngest son will be on it in a few months. Oldest has moved on to islabike with pedals and started riding having never used stabilisers about a month ago – proud dad moment! As noted expect to get most of money back on Islabikes when boys grew out of them.

We took the view that’s been mentioned here which is that we spend a fortune on our bikes and stuff and so if we want the kids to hopefully enjoy it then it’s only fair that we get them decent kit too. We bought a Rothan for £120, both kids had a 18months use of it and we’ve just sold it for £80 (mates rates – probably could have got a wee bit more on eBay or gumtree). So each child had a top notch bike at a cost of £20 each. Not bad going I think.

Rothan
Lightest on the market for when you have to carry it as child has got bored and wants to run/walk/pullflowerheadsoff

Attention to detail is very good and the brake will come in useful before the step up to pedals. Not currently on the bike. I’d possibly have got a Specialized if it had a brake.

Team Isla by tomlevell, on Flickr

I’m hoping they are going to do another colour soon as I need a second one in 6months ish.

I love the Strider Bike again very light only 2.9kg, Few pointers to think about when buying a balance bike

* Decide if you want wooden or metal, think about durability or bike and weight.

* Important to think about the weight of a bike as not just you picking it up but also your Toddler.

*Seat height adjustment, have a look at how easy the seat is to lower move up and also will the seat go low/high enough for your toddler.

* Does the bike have an integrated foot rest, for when gliding, if so is this in the same position as pedals would be.

Good luck in getting a bike.