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Original poster

Best balance bike for second birthday?

17 replies

BeatrixPottersAlterEgo · 10/06/2020 20:48

DD is turning two soon and she's long mastered the little plastic ride on car we have for her. I was thinking about getting her a balance bike,after seeing videos of very tiny toddlers whizzing about on them!

Do they go very fast? I can run at a fair clip when I need to, but certainly couldn't catch up with normal adult bike speed. How long do they tend to last for in terms of size? And are there any good budget brands?

OP posts:
Digestive28 · 10/06/2020 20:52

You get one second hand easily enough, kids grow quick so no need to spend lots on a new one. They can go fast but not ridiculously so, a fast paced adult walk but take a while to pick up confidence so you have time to increase your fitness!

Equimum · 10/06/2020 20:56

They go fast but it’ll probably take a while for her to get up to speed. Be aware that some are quite heavy. DILs bought DS a lovely wooden one, but it was Too heavy, and by the time he could manage the weight, he was too tall. Isla bike Rothans are expensive, but wifey available second hand, retain their value, and are super lightweight.

User0ne · 10/06/2020 20:58

She certainly won't be riding at adult speed. You'll almost certainly find it excruciatingly slow for the first 2-3 months at 2yo!

You should try to get a bike which weighs no more than 1/3 of her weight. At 2yo that generally means an expensive bike.

Both mine have used the same Islabike and it's been fab. They hold their value well and we will sell ours when Ds2 is ready for pedals.

I need to run to keep up with Ds1 who is 3.5 and has pedals.

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NotGenerationAlpha · 10/06/2020 21:00

We got islabike for our girls and it’s really good. Remember you can sell it back second hand. The older one now has a frog bike and it’s really good too. Both can ride a pedal bike by 4.

TiggeryBear · 10/06/2020 21:04

We've got an Early Rider balance bike it's so lightweight. I can't wait for DC2 to be tall enough to ride it.

Scotinoz · 10/06/2020 21:07

Islabike Rohan was great and did both our kids. But used then sell on to fund the next one. It has one of the smaller frames so good for little ones. Youngest whizzed on a balance bike on her 2nd birthday, and pedals on her 3rd.

Needallthesleep · 10/06/2020 21:16

We have a Puky (terrible name, great bike, got it second hand). My DD wasn’t fast on it until about 2.4. Now she can go incredibly quickly, not too far off adult bike pace when she gets her speed up.

INeedNewShoes · 10/06/2020 21:19

I got DD Decathlon's own brand balance bike. She’s quite short which ruled out a few others. For her first pedal bike I’ll definitely be going down the Isla/Frog route but I have to admit I’m impressed with the £50 Decathlon balance bike!

peajotter · 10/06/2020 21:33

We recently got the indi from Halfords as the seat goes really low and it’s very lightweight. We already have a larger balance bike for probably age 3+ but dc was too small for it.

Check the inside leg measurement and seat height, and the weight. We went small and cheap and have gone for better quality/more expensive for bikes our kids age 4+ when they’re more independent.

Sometimes123 · 10/06/2020 21:36

Early rider balance bikes are perfect, not just because of their weight...but if you look at their structure, they are designed so that your child is sitting at the right position. The geometry is perfect for little legs and little arms
My son started on an early rider balance bike and learnt to ride a pedal bike (without stabilizers) a few weeks before his third birthday. My son is now 6, and my 22 month old has started on the balance bike. Can't recommend it highly enough. (My husband is a keen mountain biker, whereas I personally didn't have a clue) but he was insistent on the balance bike and it worked!

Clarabellawilliamson · 10/06/2020 21:41

My OH did extensive research into this for DS second birthday. We went with the vitus nippy from wiggle (£45). It's SO light. He hasn't quite got the hang of it yet, but to be fair we haven't really taken him out much. Pleased with it so far though!

HoneyWheeler · 10/06/2020 21:41

Jeez my son was whizzing after about a week and he's 2.5! Not adult speed but I do have to clench my bum a bit when he goes downhill!!

We bought him a Chicco Red Bullet - it was about £30 and easily adjustable- he can manoeuvre it very easily. It's quite retro looking, like a little 70's chopper. I'm really happy with it!

missingmum · 10/06/2020 22:06

We got ours from Argos, super light, nice colours and a day to adjust only £25!

missingmum · 10/06/2020 22:08

Easy to adjust not a day!

rogerthatoverout · 10/06/2020 22:12

Our DD loves her Frog tadpole balance bike - it's lightweight and been brilliant for her. She's a petite 3 year old and is now speeding around on it.

valentinoandme · 10/06/2020 22:15

The Chicco Red Bullet's are great! They're really light without costing the earth!

EcoCustard · 10/06/2020 23:16

We bought the Halfords Indi balance bike for dc2 she loved it, on a decathlon bike now without her stabilisers. Her sister took possession of it a few months prior to turning 2, she is 3 next month and now on a decathlon bike. It was cheap, lasted two kids and much better than the pricey one their brother had. I gave it away last week on free cycle as it’s still in great condition apart from a few stickers peeling off.

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