Viewing 26 posts - 1 through 26 (of 26 total)
  • When to start with balance bike
  • flyingmonkeycorps
    Full Member

    As per title really – MiniMonkey is coming up 1 and I’m starting to think about getting her on a bike.

    When did you get yours riding and what did you use?

    Klunk
    Free Member

    2yrs and a bit, for our granddaughter (this years christmas pressie from us, second hand Isla rohan lovely thing light and well made)

    dhrider
    Free Member

    My daughter was 1 at the end of Oct. I tried her on one at Christmas but she still
    isn’t quite ready.

    I think at Easter I’ll get her one.

    The other problem is balance bikes are still quite tall so even tho my daughter is tall for 1, she still was stretching to get her feet to the ground.

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    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    When they feel like it. My son was just under 2 and he took to it very fast! But you want a really low slung one at that age, some balance bikes have really high saddles and main tubes considering how they’re ridden.

    stumpy120
    Free Member

    My daughter isn’t quite 1 yet and I’ve got her one of these:

    Beehive Toys My First Bike,… https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073QQ2WP3?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

    She’s not quite big enough (she’s quite small) but understands the concept (the legs flap but don’t quite reach the ground) and loves getting pushed about on it

    joebristol
    Full Member

    I got one for our little girl at 18 months. I just left it round the house until she got interested in playing with it – I’d say she was almost 2 before she started wanting to get on it. Since then she likes to take it out if we’re walking the dog and plays with it in the garden. For Christmas I got her a bigger balance bike with a back brake as she was outgrowing the really small one we started on. She’s swapped really easily from one to the other as I had the new one powdercoated pink and covered it in paw patrol stickers!

    If anyone wants a really small and light (and cheap) balance bike the Halfords Indi is perfect and only £30.

    The new one is a Wiggins Pau – also pretty light and decent quality for the money. Much cheaper than the fancier brands.

    nealglover
    Free Member

    We got one of these when he was about 18 months and that was about right. Two back wheels really close together for extra balance initially.

    slowoldman
    Full Member

    I got my nephew’s little lad a Wiggins Pau last Christmas (he was 3 so I figured overdue for a bike). It is a nicely made bike.

    tomd
    Free Member

    I tried to get our eldest on to one too soon (just before she was 2). Didn’t really get very far with. Put it away until she was 3 and she got going on very quick and hasn’t looked back. Progressed to pedal bike in 9 months.

    Her little brother is taking an interest at about 20months so will get him going. Little sister will be a while yet.

    I guess all I’m saying is have a go but be prepared to adjust expectations. If it’s not fun don’t bother. It’s not a race.

    richardkennerley
    Full Member

    I got my daughter a Stryder bike from eBay maybe around 18 months old. Didn’t push her too much to use it, just left it around and gave the odd bit of encouragement. She started to enjoy it more about three years, and recently we’ve been watching Danny mac and Fabio on YouTube which she loves and that’s made her completely fearless. She’s heading down stairs, wants to ride on benches and walls, all sorts!!

    flyingmonkeycorps
    Full Member

    Thanks all, that’s really helpful. Plan is like most of you have said, just to have something around the house that she can try out if she wants. She’ll be out in the Weeride from around Easter, so I’m hoping she might want to try for herself.

    The Halfords Indi looks ideal, and it’s on offer for £20 at the moment. I’ll spend a bit more when she gets properly into it but I don’t really see the point yet.

    That Beehive looks really cool too, I’ve looked at a couple of scooter type ones. She has like a bee on castors someone gave us too, so hopefully she might have a go on that too.

    damascus
    Free Member
    stevemuzzy
    Free Member

    Height and confidence walking are the factors, son was on one at a year and competent by 18 months, daughter is 2 in march and just starting to go it round the street properly. We bought a super cheap “my first bike” from smyths so didn’t matter if it gets trashed then a wiggins pau when the lad was getting it.

    flyingmonkeycorps
    Full Member

    Also I’m loving the pictures of happy kids on bikes in this thread!

    TiRed
    Full Member

    Never. Tricycle, stabilisers then two wheels. I know. I’m a Luddite. But both of mine were pedalling on two wheels before their third birthdays on a 12” wheeled Raleigh with solid tyres.

    snownrock
    Full Member

    Both my sons were around two when they started on balance bikes. They had an early rider “spherovelo” in the house which neither really got in.

    What worked for us was a “toddle bike”, a great bit of kit from Amazon for about £30. Got them used to scooting around so they were ready for a balance bike when physically big enough.

    stox
    Free Member

    My lad has absolutely loved his Puky balance bike. It came recommended on here. He has a Frog pedal bike now but still loves a go on his Puky.

    milko9000
    Free Member

    I went way too early at, um, 1 year old but basically I wanted to get the gulf blue ‘n orange Production Privee one to match my Shan and I doubted it would be on sale for long. He was super excited to ‘help’ me build it and we kind of held him on it for a ride now and again but he was probably 2.5 before actually being big enough to get much out of it. Still, it eventually saw plenty of action and he seemed to have a natural urge to race around showing off (almost exclusively to attractive mums, which at least cheered me up jogging after him).

    There are titchy very light ones that are a better bet for an early start, that’s for sure. The main thing I’ve found with these and so many other things is to be so careful about how you apply any pressure to keep trying it, to keep their confidence up, and so on. Anything they’re not enthusiastic about you stand a chance of sending them backwards instead of making progress.

    northernsoul
    Full Member

    We bought our eldest a toddle bike (http://www.toddlebike.co.uk) at 16 months – loved it, rode everywhere on it (inside the house and out), progressed easily from there to a balance bike a year later and then to a belter as his first pedal bike about a year after that.

    buenfoxa
    Free Member

    Mine was 2 years 5 months when he started on a wiggins balance bike. Soon wanted pedals so he had a Frog 40 for Christmas ‘19 and was fully pedalling it within 3 days at 2 years 9 months.

    Impressive what balance bikes can do for them. Gives them so much confidence.

    daern
    Free Member

    My kids are a bit older, and I’ll just add an alternative perspective from my own experience.

    My kids both had balance bikes when they were little, but neither of them were remotely interested in them and barely sat on them until they were exposed to bikes with pedals. Once my son was pedal-powered, something clicked and he moved through stabilisers to solo riding in a matter of days and was happily riding about independently when he was 3yo.

    By all means give them the opportunity, but don’t worry to much if they don’t take to the balance bike. Give them a bit of time and they’ll start riding when they are good and ready!

    Any my own son? He’s just turned 11, rode over 3,000 miles of MTB and road in 2019 and is well on his way to achieving his track (velodrome) accreditation. I reckon he’s done OK 😉

    Kahurangi
    Full Member

    We got a Kidz Motion Diddy Jiggy at one year old balance bike.

    It was a good play thing to have around the house – at the early days it’s another way to learn to walk by holding on to the handlebars and straddling it.

    Getting the bike early meant it was always around and there to be played with as much as they want and to compare to Mummy’s and Daddy’s bikes 😀

    kimbers
    Full Member

    Also a fan of the Puky balance bikes

    No top tube means they can get on & off easy our kids ranged from 18 to 24 months before they were happy on them

    Helps if you can let them ride in the house to get the feel of it 1st

    mashr
    Full Member

    Toddle-bike before 1 in our house (literally in the house), then balance bike from around 2. Current 7-month old has just received his first bike. Admittedly this is because one came up nearby that was new and very cheap, but it’s still fun to wheel him around the house on it

    stevious
    Full Member

    Another vote for toddlebike here. This is my wee guy at 13 months (before he could actually walk).

    View this post on Instagram

    Doesn’t have to be me riding

    A post shared by Steve Crawford (@onepicperride) on

    It’s light enough to carry just about anywhere, and seemingly good fun to scoot about on.

    As others have said, I’m trying not to be a pushy parent about it. He seems fairly keen of his own accord though – not sure how patient I’d be if he wasn’t at all interested!

    stumpy01
    Full Member

    As mentioned once or twice above – the Halfords Indi balance bike is excellent value for money & pretty light too.

    Our daughter is quite small for her age & it was one of the only ‘proper’ balance bikes that she could fit on – the saddles didn’t go low enough on most of them.

    She’s now on a Banana Bike, which is a great balance bike but she’s had a bit of a growth spurt & is getting near to the max seat height on it. She’s not yet had it for a year – I thought it would last her longer.

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