Recommend me a balance bike please

My niece is 2 in October and, as the uncle who spends most of his time in Lycra, I would like to buy her a balance bike. The idea has had a VERY positive response from both parents so I now have to source such a thing.

She is 95cm tall, 2 years old and very active. I don’t mind throwing a bit of money at this as I know how off-putting a cheap, heavy thing may be. I would also like something with room to grow into as I don’t want it to be too small come the summer next year. I will also need a helmet for her.

Any ideas what to look at, what is good/bad/indifferent? I am somewhat out of my comfort zone here!

Something simple like a Norco/Addams runner bike (which is identical to a Haro Z10 Runabout below).

Solid tyres, very light. Don’t bother with brakes as little hands can’t use them – and that’s what wellies are for.

Both my boys used this – as did their friends. Will still get use even when you’ve bought them an Isla Bike Cnoc 14 to razz around on.

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/66780/Haro_Z10_Runabout_2014_Bike_HA1202?gclid=CjwKEAjw4PCfBRCz966N9pvJ4GASJAAEdM_KGbQ5Bh4dSPeQlf_wXjHpZ1Ljdu2o3ttpi7otxGvS7BoC6Izw_wcB

strider.

I went the Isla Rothan route for my son.

Yes they come with a premium, yes there are cheaper but it looks good, its light and it holds up well to abuse!

The Rothan has a child friendly brake lever and although its taken a bit of time to get used to is used a fair bit now.

Clicky

Helmet wise I went with one of these:

Clicky

The helmet has an integrated LED light on the fastener at the back. It can help in convincing the child to wear it as all kids like flashing lights!

And in action:

I got our son he’s second balance bike.. As his 10inch was getting small.
I did look at the specialised, but it wouldn’t have lasted long due to seat not going much higher.
Plus the local dealers attitude was all wrong. He told me that he needs to learn to pedal so get him a 14/16 inch pedal bike!

So got him this Hoy from Evans, it doesn’t have a rear brakes bit I’m going to fit one for him.
But plenty of room for growth as the seats as low as it can go, and plenty of height adjustment.

I got my daughter a pink Specialized Hotwalk when she turned two and she absolutely loved it. I hope her wee sister loves it just as much when she is older

It’s pink, has no brakes to confuse or worry about and get the child rolling. I preferred it to say the Ridgeback Scoot as the seat drops quite low so was easy for her to straddle initially. It was also £30 cheaper than the Isla Rothan.

That was my logic for the Hotwalk, but do not think you can go wrong with a Hotwalk, Scoot, Rothan, Frog or Hoy balance bike. The Haro one looks good too. The lighter the better, as it will be easier to ride and inevitably be carried by mum and dad.

Give them time to literally find their feet and watch them develop. Our daughter was moderately interested in her bike at first, but kept at it and is now cruising around on a Frog 48 and turns 4 next month! 🙂

Naff name, nice bikes, light, tough, adjustable

http://www.pukyonline.co.uk/balance-bikes.html

My youngest (2.5) now on it since his brother moved onto an islabike

I’ve got that Puky too. Great for a few flat miles. Easy to tug up hills. Pretty lethal when it points downhill though because of no fork rake (and no brakes obviously)

Any that fits will be fine, kids are less hung up about weight and names than adults.

Helmet with a light is a good encouragement. And little gloves to protect little fingers, though normal gloves will do usually.

Likeabike Jumper is brilliant too.

However I think if I was getting a 2 year old a balance bike knowing all I know now about the subject, I would get a Islabike Rothan or the Specialized Hotwalk.

Zoom/scoot worked well for my 2. Light, saddle goes low and useable brake, which they did then progressed straight on to 16″ isla

Islabike Rothan +1.

Awesome little bike and will survive being handed down to multiple siblings or being sold on.

As always with kids stuff it is worth checking eBay for nearly new bargains.

Strider or Islabikes Rothan.

We’ve got the Islabikes and a friend has a Strider, both really happy with them.

I’ve got a nice Spesh Hotwalk in the grown-up red and white paintjob that may be being sold soon. They are far nicer than Puky etc.

And I have a girly pink one for sale. North Lincolnshire if that helps.

Good advice so far, I think my shortlist is a Spec Hotrock, a Strider or a Rotham. My instinct is a strider at the moment.

I really don’t think much of the tyres on the strider (yeah, yeah what tyres for a balance bike…)
They aren’t pneumatic, so aren’t the best for off road or rough tarmac.
The puky wins hands down for standover.

Oh yeah South Wales btw.

The Puky we looked at had the lowest standover, but at 95cm that might not be an issue. However it was pretty cheaply made – the forks were tubes and the dropouts were simply the tubes squashed flat. I’d not have risked riding it myself, but the Spesh takes my weight perfectly. An adult can stand on the ‘running boards’ aka footrests 🙂

my littl’un’s happy on a TinyBike, had it since she was 2, now 3 1/2. The wheels are wider, flatter and smaller than the Rohan, which I think helped get her started. She blats along on it. She tried her mate’s Rohan at the weekend and it was good too tho maybe a little big for her.

http://www.minisocial.co.uk/tiny-bike.html

At 95cm she will definitely not need the smallest Puky. My 3 year old is 98cm and the Puky is small for him.

The Spesh is awesome with the footrests – I have seen a 7 year old stand on them and do a spine in the skatepark 😀

I.got my nipper a bulldog bat. It’s chuffing light and if you can get one of their ex display models on their eBay store you save a bomb. bulldog bat

Sorry for bringing the tone down…. But anyone tried these ones from Halfords? Bumped into someone today with one, seemed pretty light and well built for £35. I would not normally be buying bikes at Halfords but seemed good for the money.

ocrider – Member
I really don’t think much of the tyres on the strider (yeah, yeah what tyres for a balance bike…)
They aren’t pneumatic, so aren’t the best for off road or rough tarmac.

They’re fine off-road and a good chunk lighter than all the others. Makes a big difference when they can pick it up themselves.

And when they decide you need to carry the bike.

I’ve got a pink Ridgeback Scoot for sale if your interested, couple of small scratches from storage but otherwise very good as the daughter refused to use it as it didn’t ‘have pedals like daddies’
Should come with seat post extension (pretty sure I know where it is) so would last a few years

Was thinking about £50 (cost £100) plus any postage or based in derby for collection and was going to advertise it along with a load of other stuff next week
Email me if your interested and can get some pics sent

Same as this, top right

Its a nice pink, that’s the most important thing for your niece and her parents 😉

People say don’t get one with a brake but now my little one is riding her bike she constantly tries to stop by putting her feet down, which usually results in a speed wobble and a fall, teaching her to use the brake is proving difficult, would probably be worse if she had of had 2 years on a bike without one at all

My daughter has a Frog Tadpole.
Really well put together bit of kit

Frog Bikes

Went for a Cube Cubie in the end. Was very impressed by it, light, looks well put together, great colours and the fella in my LBS did a cracking deal on it as well as it was the 2014 model. Happy days.

I’ll 2nd the Frog Tadpole. Ace little bikes and we sell loads of them!

Puky LRM followed by a Stompy Stomper here. Both bikes are very light and good quality. They make the Specialized Hotrock look both heavy and expensive.

My little lad has a frog tadpole, proper nice bit of kit. He’s ready for a pedal bike now – well he can pedal one with stabilisers easily.

On his tadpole he’s feet up and away, loves a bit of single track and is big ok cake after a ride.

He’s also got MET lid off on-one with the little red light on the back and loves that too

Went for a Cube Cubie in the end

Have fun. Getting a balance bike was the best thing ever 😀

Looks like you got one already but just seen the new CRuzee balance bikes in my local bike shop.

Very similar design to the strider but about half the weight again. I thought the strider was light.

It’s where my money would go if I was buying again.

They are ALL good. We chose the Strider due to how simply and comparitibly light it is. Also its used by the balance bike/british Cycling sessions as their loan bike. I can see why.

Heres our lad on his when he was two:

After much research I just bought my twin girls Zooom balance bikes. I think they are the same as the Scoot but with a lower price tag. Excellent bikes.

Strider here too. Loads of adjustability (handlebar and saddle height) and it’s very light which is nice. Easy to pop the front fork out too which is handy for tight squeezes into the car for holidays. Can get a foot brake and pneumatic wheels too if you you want to upgrade later. Blobby Jr only really getting going on it now at two and a half, didn’t want to put him off it by going too early, seems to be loving it though. Need to get him down the pump track now 🙂

Edit… and they have a race series 😀

I can help here unless you’ve actually got something in which case it’s too late!

Kip Jr is 92cm tall, inside leg 36cm and is nearly 4 1/4 years old.

She’s had a Strider since she was 2 and is still too short for a pedal bike. The Strider was great but now she has more confidence we see it’s cons.

1. Solid tyres have no grip when flying around around at high speed and leaning over, especially on loose stuff. You can upgrade but that’s more money.
2. Brakes – there aren’t any. This is now starting to be a pain as she whips around the skate park and down hills. She’s going too quick for her shoes to be good enough. You can get a foot brake but again it’s more money.
3. No rake on the forks (as mentioned about the Puky I think) means wobbling when flying down said hills, this is not confidence inspiring!
4. She is starting to look a bit big on the bike as the reach is short. Her taller friend who has one looks really out of place on it.

She played on a friends Frog balance bike and that was wicked. Grippy tyres, brakes, wide bars for bigger kids. If she’d been taller at 2 we’d have gone for that but the Strider was the smallest we could get.

Islabikes Rothan is ace.

Our daughter has had hers since she was 2.5 and still riding it at 5 (with the extended seat post option). It has proper tyres, proper wheel bearings and a decent rear brake. The frame is awesome too. A lot of these bikes have no brake, which is crazy as they soon start ripping around on them. Comes in pink for the girls as well!

Moshimonster..
Its a bit of an odd one why most balance bikes don’t have a rear brake..
My little man is a nutter on his..
I machined up some mounts so I could fit a rear brake on his..

If anyone needs mounts drop me a mail..

That’s awesome! Email on its way