Push bike or stabilisers?

[teddy50]

We're looking for a 2nd birthday present for our daughter, and thinking about either (a) a 2-in-1 push tricycle/bike (no pedals), or (b) a 12 inch bike with stabilisers.

Extra info: daughter was a late walker, and not especially coordinated.

Which is better? I've always thought push bikes were a bit pointless, but I do see children enjoying them. Maybe stabilisers will be a bit tricky for a little one? Which would you buy?

I don't know of your budget but the littlebig bikes might be worth a look since they can convert from being a balance bike to a bike with peddles, so would last longer and save you having to buy a new bike when your dc is ready for peddles (I think based on what you said she might struggle a little at the moment with the peddles)

I'd go for a two wheel balance bike instead of either of those options. The kids I'm looking after at the moment all started on a balance bike at around the age of two and transitioned into pedal bikes with no stabilisers easily at around three and a half.
The three wheel scooters (like micro scooters)are great fun and easy to ride at two years old as another option.

Agree with @NannyR get a balance bike. My son transitioned straight from that age 5 to a bike without every using stabilisers.

We got our balance bike from Decathlon, great value and build quality.

Thanks all

@NannyR model A converts from trike balance bike to normal balance bike. So you'd recommend A over B then?

@sleepismysuperpower1 that's ah great idea thank you, and price is similar to B. It's less pretty though

Personally, I'd just go for something with two wheels from the start and not bother with the trike option.
This is the bike, the little girl I'm looking after uses, it's really light and easy to ride and it's had very heavy use from three children and still going strong.

Just go with a proper balance bike 2-wheels. They learn how to balance and learning how to ride with pedals after that is really easy.

Get a proper balance bike we had a strider and it was excellent. Top tip get the lightest and most carriable one you can as you do end up carrying / hooking over the back of a buggy a lot!

We've decided to go for a scooter instead, for something more lightweight and infallible! Is mini micro scooter the way forward?

Scooter (gave one to DS for his second birthday and he loved it) or balance bike (gave one to DS the following Christmas and he loves it).

Stabilisers are so last generation

Yes micro is the best

Yes mini micro deluxe 👍

Daughter went straight onto a bike as had got her balance sorted

I think the mini micro scooters are worth paying extra for. They are really robust and smoother riding and steering than cheaper alternatives.

Thanks again everybody- I'm off to get a mini micro deluxe!

'Stabilisers are so last generation' - haha are they! But they're so useful! I still look at a balance bike and think what's the point of this contraption 👵🏼

Well I could show you a video of my DS speeding along on it with glee and you'd see the point

Balance bikes help a child learn balance.
Trikes and stabilisers prevent a child from learning balance.
I used to volunteer in kids’ cycle coaching, and have seen countless children get in a pedal bike a ride with minimal practise after learning balance on a balance bike. My DD had never even tried a pedal bike on her own until she was 3y 4m and got on and rode by herself. She’d done about 15 months on a balance bike. DS similar, but he needed about 30 mins practice to “get it”.
Pedalling is as much an intellectual skill as a physical one, which won’t happen until the child’s brain is ready.
Ideally, a pedal toy (often found at nursery etc) and a balance bike is beat, but Mastering a balance bike will provide the smoothest and easiest transition to independent cycling.

And please, whatever you do, don’t buy your child the cheapest, heaviest bike/trike/scooter you can find. These can be a significant proportion of a child’s body weight and really off putting for little legs.

this may explain balance bikes better than me

Yes a balance bike all the way!

Well I could show you a video of my DS speeding along on it with glee and you'd see the point

Couldn’t agree more.

Stabilisers are awful. The tricky bit is the balancing so they don't help with that, and unless you have perfectly smooth pavements, all the stabilisers do is beach up on either side of the patches in the pavement so you go nowhere! Plus the child gets a complex that they couldn't possibly take the stabilisers off. They also increase the drag as they're too small.

Balance bikes are far, far better.

My dyspraxic son learned to ride a bike at 6, not bad going for dyspraxia, but he was already competent on a balance bike and scooter.

Definitely a balance bike. My 2.3 year old can zoom around quite fast on hers now, it only took her a week or two to get the hang of. We’ll be switching to a bike with pedals when she’s ready. Stabilisers hinder balance development.

I was initially sceptical of the balance bike but dd had one from the age of 2.5 and at 4 jumped on a pedal bike and never looked back.
I had imagined it would take a bit more time but she honestly just got on the bike and started pedalling, I was amazed.

It really regret not getting balance bikes for my twins who are 7 and still haven't mastered cycling.

All the kids I know who started on balance bikes were cycling properly very quickly.

Thanks for all the additional insight and science - I'm sold! So scooter for birthday, balance bike for Christmas then... #spoilttoddler