Balance Bike - Advice Needed

**Tealady** · 04-12-2011, 01:27 AM

We'd like to get out two year old son a balance bike for Christmas.

They seem to vary widely in price from about £30 (plastic wheels, tyres no brake) to alot more (pneumatic tyres, metal spoked wheels, brakes). Just was wondering if it's worth buying a slightly more expensive one, or wether a cheap one will suffice?

We have an ridicluously expensive Pashleys Trike (present from my Mum for his sister a couple of years ago) for him to grow into, but that won't be for a while yet. Plus I daren't get it out for mindees as my Mum would go nuts if they were to damage it. Therefore we probably need something durable.

**christine e** · 04-12-2011, 08:47 AM

Are there any reviews on Amazon?

Cx

**Becci26** · 04-12-2011, 10:00 AM

Hi,

we bought a balance bike for my DD when she was younger, they were only just coming out then and not many different types. She had a wooden one with no brakes and nothing flashy (just a red seat lol) and was fab, if I were to buy another one I would nuy one very similar again and not worry with brakes etc (how likely would they be to use brakes? My dd just used her feet) hth

**moggy** · 04-12-2011, 10:06 AM

I found at 2yo they can't use brakes any way. If you are planning to use it out of the garden (for trips to park, out and about etc) I'd go for light weight and easy to carry as they do tend to ride for a while and then have enough/want to walk and you are stuck carrying it! We loved our basic wooden one with pump-up tyres, no brakes.

**gigglinggoblin** · 04-12-2011, 10:17 AM

We got one of these and ds loved it. Its not flashy but he learned to ride it really quickly and we used to take it all over the place, when he was too tired to walk he could still ride. People used to laugh at us (in a nice way) locking it up at the cycle racks in town but he was too fast to be safe taking it into the shopping centre! I would definately recommend it, it isnt as big as the wooden ones I have seen but I think that helped his confidence

**amanda1309** · 04-12-2011, 11:07 AM

My niece had a wooden one with a red seat don't know where it was from but it was really simple but she loved it. My sister is a cm and its been used by other minds and it's still going strong.

Not a lot of help I know

**Tealady** · 04-12-2011, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by moggy

I found at 2yo they can't use brakes any way. If you are planning to use it out of the garden (for trips to park, out and about etc) I'd go for light weight and easy to carry as they do tend to ride for a while and then have enough/want to walk and you are stuck carrying it! We loved our basic wooden one with pump-up tyres, no brakes.

Didn't think of that... Thank-you

**nannymcflea** · 05-12-2011, 10:15 PM

We just took the pedals off our dd's bike, then put them back on when she was ready to ride, saved buying another bike.

**mama2three** · 06-12-2011, 08:23 AM

My friend and I bought our sons balance bikes , their birthdays are a day apart.
She went for the lightweight wooden one , I went for a metal one that you can add the pedals onto when they are ready http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playskool-Gl...dp/B00196VBIO-

Although J was confident quicker on the wooden bike ( only a day or so quicker than Q ), overall Q got used to the balance and weight of the bike , quickly wanted the pedals putting on , and was riding in no time at all. almost 2 years on J still wont try a 'proper' bike as they are so much heavier than the wooden ones - so though hes learned to balance on the wooden one the skills havent been transfered into riding a 'proper' bike.

Bit of an essay sorry! But Id definately go for the metal version!

**Becci26** · 06-12-2011, 08:34 AM

That's interesting to read Mama2three as my DD had no problem transferring to a pedal bike. We gave her a bike for her 4th birthday and that was that, I think we put the balance bike away so the option wasn't there. It's interesting to read the differences in children

**mama2three** · 06-12-2011, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by Becci26

That's interesting to read Mama2three as my DD had no problem transferring to a pedal bike. We gave her a bike for her 4th birthday and that was that, I think we put the balance bike away so the option wasn't there. It's interesting to read the differences in children

without stabilisers? thats great. J will do a bike with stabilisers but to my mind the point of a balance bike is to miss out that stage.