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Balance bikes

Sikochi

Maximum Pace
Sep 13, 2010
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Was looking into getting a balance bike for the little one, but didn`t want just a balance bike as they will soon be redundant. They have this one in our local Sports Depot which you can add a chainset/pedals to after they have mastered the balancing aspect. Does anyone have any experience with it, or can anyone suggest an alternative? Cheers.
http://www.henshinbike.com/
 
What I did with my kids was buy regular bikes and take the pedals off until they could scoot and balance. Then put the pedals back on. All that was needed was a 15 mm wrench. Never used stabilisers/training wheels.
 
Thanks. Yes, that is the alternative. Which way round is better??? For the Henshin, I like the width of the tyres, and the lack of basket. Choice of kids bikes here isn`t so great... I was started off on stabilizers; took me a long time to actually learn to ride a bike, from what I remember.
 
The strider is a very good start. My daughter spent very little time on training wheels after the strider (A couple of rides) My son is now tearing around on the strider. Once he grows out of it he will get a peddle bike.

One of the issues of adding peddles is the size of the kids, they grow so quickly, so the option of adding peddles I would say would be fairly redundant and you will be looking at upgrading before long anyway.
 
Didn't overthink the selection of bikes available. My parents happened to be here, so went to Toys 'R' Us with granddad. "Want that one!" Done deal.

bravado_little_britain_want_that_one_red-white2.jpg

If no big toy superstore nearby, Amazon.
 
I agree with the Blob, once he is ready for real riding he'll want a bigger machine. Also when he starts riding a big bike he'll still want to play on the strider. Like having a road bike and a BMX.

Luke was on the strider today and he's 5 and a half.

By the way, if you're a weight weenie, you'll be horrified by how heavy kids bikes are!

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time
 
What @Half-Fast Mike said.

There's really no need for a balance bike. Basically, they're just a way for the shop to sell two bikes instead of one as a kid's first bike. Sheldon says about them:
There are a number of companies pushing re-invented draisines as an intermediate step between tricycles and bicycles.
These are a waste of time and money. You can achieve the same effect simply by unscrewing the pedals from a real bicycle.
 
By the way, if you're a weight weenie, you'll be horrified by how heavy kids bikes are!

As they say: "Durable, light weight, cheap - pick any two!"

Kids' bikes needs to withstand some abuse and they shouldn't be too expensive because kids will outgrow them soon.
 
For fast growing kids, I think "cheap" is the key word.

Younger one is now 21, and at one point was quite good on a unicycle. I forget how that happened.
 
Dedicated balance bikes like Strider is very light, making it easier for little kids to handle. My son at three went from the strider to a small bicycle with no training wheels.

Now eyeing those kid Trek bikes to get him something reasonably light weight to help him get over some of the mole hills in the area. (He's small for his age¥
 
Didn't overthink the selection of bikes available. My parents happened to be here, so went to Toys 'R' Us with granddad. "Want that one!" Done deal.

I`m not good at this. My middle name is procrastination...well i think it is...umm maybe not...let me think about it.
 
Thanks for the comments. So 3 votes for a strider/balance bike and 2 for a proper bike sans pedals. Oh dear, i hear procrastination calling again...
 
Get the real bike, you'll be buying one in the future anyway. I bought second hand on Auctions, kids don't care if they aren't new and they out grow them at this age in about a year. You can flick a second hand one on again and not lose too much cash.
 
It really depends on what age you are talking about. I had my daughter on a strider from 1 year old, much younger than you would ever consider a pedal bike. She moved onto a pedal bike when she turned 4. IF you kid is 4 then you may want to skip the balance bike because they are at an age when they can deal with controlling the power they can generate with pedals.
 
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