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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to skip balance bike

78 replies

blondieblonde · 27/09/2016 14:03

Our DD is nearly 4 and wants a bike. She's never had one before, though at playschool they have tricycles she can ride.

Would I be unreasonable to buy her a proper bike and start teaching her to ride on that? Or should I buy her a balance bike to get her started, though she's quite old and might not need it for long.

Anyone taught their kid on a proper bike and skipped the balance stage?

OP posts:
Noodoodle · 27/09/2016 14:59

I'd never heard of a balance bike until the last couple of years, mine completely skipped them and learned on normal ones. But each to their own. I see some tiny kids riding proper bikes at ages mine couldn't manage it. So no not BU at all, your choice.

NoMudNoLotus · 27/09/2016 15:02

Balance bikes = waste of money & unnecessary.

RatOnnaStick · 27/09/2016 15:03

Ds1 was afraid of bikes til the summer before he was 4 when he started noticing lots of children on bikes. He was scared they were too wobbly so stabilisers were right for him. He got his bike at christmas and they came off in the spring following. When he was ready it took about half an hour to learn to balance. Never looked back.

Ds2 got a balance bike at the same Christmas just before he was 2, mainly to stave off the jealousy Hmm. He didn't take to it for 3 or 4 months in which time Ds1 used it, then he was away and now at 3.9 he can pedal without any stabilisers at all.

5BlueHydrangea · 27/09/2016 15:06

Can't see the point of balance bikes myself. My DD's both learnt on normal bikes with pedals on, wouldn't have occurred to me to take them off!
Dd2 was 3.5. She taught herself in the garden with great determination! No stabilisers either. Is a very confident cyclist now at 6.

Natsku · 27/09/2016 15:17

DD had stabilisers first as we were given a bike with them and they are a pain, either you have them level with the wheel in which case they learn to turn wrong, or you make them so they're a bit higher and then if you're on a gravel path or something similar they can end up completely stuck. I'd go for a balance bike or taking the pedals off a normal bike.

That said, she was a bit over 4 when we took the stabilisers off and she learnt how to ride, turning and everything, in ten minutes flat so they stabilisers weren't that bad for her.

notfromstepford · 27/09/2016 15:24

Balance bikes are fantastic - or as pp have said get a normal bike and remove the pedals. DS is 4 and has been riding a pedal bike since he was 3 without stabilisers - and that's all down to the balance bike he had from when he was 2.
Only took a year because all the pedal bikes were too big for him! She'll get the hang of it in no time.
Every child is different though - if you buy a bike with pedals and stabilisers you can then see what is best for your DD and adapt the bike accordingly.

WhisperingLoudly · 27/09/2016 15:28

Balance bikes are brilliant - my (then) two year old was whizzing around on one for a couple of months and then without any other picked up a neighbours bike and was pedalling confidently before she was three

strawberrybootlace · 27/09/2016 15:36

One of our dc learned to ride with stabilisers and could cycle properly at about age 6.

The others had a balance bike (inherited from a friend) and were cycling on bikes with pedals at 3. Not sure I recommend this TBH as they could cycle well but had no sense of danger.

Notso · 27/09/2016 16:00

DC1 and 2 just had regular bikes with stabilisers. DC1 was riding hers after two afternoons of no stabilisers. DC2 just did it straight away.
By DC3 and 4 I had discovered Mumsnet and was sucked in by the balance bike. They got one each last Christmas.
They hate them. Both of them. Now I feel I've missed a whole summer of bike riding because of the bloody balance bikes. I've just given one to DSIS and one to BIL.
Dc3 and 4 will be getting bikes with stabilisers for Christmas.

Imfinehowareyou · 27/09/2016 16:11
is a really awesome video showing you how to teach your child to ride a bike. Worked for my DC.
schbittery · 27/09/2016 16:20

I have 3 dc. dc1 had a balance bike, dc2 and dc3 wouldn't use it. dc1 went from balance bike to normal bike without stabilisers at 31/2 (no exaggeration, he now does track cycling). dc2 finally learnt to ride a bike just before he was 8 (no stabilisers, i dont bother with them) after much gnashing of teeth, but he does have slight mobility issues. dc3 is nearly 6 and learning now, again no stabilisers but has been towed for ages.

i reckon balance bikes speed up the process and stabilisers slow it down, but ultimately, next summer when we go out riding with the 3dc, finally not having to tow any of them, there will be no noticable difference.

Paddingtonthebear · 27/09/2016 16:33

I do see the benefit of balance bikes. Kids can use them from age 2 and learn proper balance quicker than waiting to learn on a big bike. DD had a balance bike at 2yrs and rode off on a pedal bike at 3yrs old within ten mins of us buying it, no stabilisers. All the kids I know under 4yrs who can ride a bike without aid had 1) a balance bike and 2) a pedal lightweight bike.

Of course they will all get there eventually. But it's great fun for a kid to able to ride a bike independently. They can do it at 3-4 yrs so why hold them back with stabilisers until they are 5,6,7..

DoItTooJulia · 27/09/2016 16:35

Watching with interest because ds2 is due a bike (he's 3 and a half) and ds1 didn't learn to ride a bike until he was 9, we tried everything but he was only ready when he was ready. Hoping ds2 picks it up quicker!

nearlyreadytopop · 27/09/2016 16:41

Balance bike all the way. I really don't see how stabilisers can be classed as "more fun". Any I've seen in action have looked like a pain in the arse and teach the child little about balance.
Balance bikes are class, DS went straight to a pedal bike at 3. He's 5 now and will occasionally go back to the balance bike as its his stunt bike

e1y1 · 27/09/2016 16:54

Yes definitely don't bother with balance bike.
The thing with a balance bike is, that once it is mastered, the BB is no good anymore; whereas with a bike with stabilisers, after the have mastered them, the stabilisers can come off and be used as a normal bike.

a7mints · 27/09/2016 16:58

Your question is bonkers.Balance bikes have only been popular for a few years.

swissy56 · 27/09/2016 17:02

I would get a balance bike even if you use it for 6 months it will be worth it and you could sell it or buy a second hand one instead. My DD will start riding a bike for Christmas and she will be 4.5 then my other DC took ages to get the hang of a bike after using stabilisers. My DD whizzes around on her balance bike and she is 4. The other thing is she has much more control of the balance bike. If she use a bike with stabilisers she topples off it with she hits uneven pavement.

bruffin · 27/09/2016 17:03

Millions of children learned to ride before balance bikes,I used to go to CP Holland a lot for holidays and only 1 balance bike we saw there belonged to English family and the child was a menace on it.

swissy56 · 27/09/2016 17:05

Also the bikes that come with stabilisers are unbelievable heavy and a young child has difficulty moving them around.

Get a balance bike you will not regret it I promise. Smile Ask any of the staff in Halfords and I can guarantee they would recommend a balance bike!

Usernameinvalid16 · 27/09/2016 17:08

e1y1 they can still use a balance bike once they have mastered it.

nearlyreadytopop i agree with you. Dd (2years old) loves hers and its taught her how to balance really well. She goes speeding down hills with her legs up in the air and laughs her head off. I won't be buying her a pedal bike as they look heavy and not much fun.

bloodypatterdalebarking · 27/09/2016 17:08

Not read the whole thread but we bought my dd a "proper" bike at 2 as she was desperate to be like her big brother and sister and unfortunately she is still at over 3 too petite to be able to use the balance bikes. We had a parent handle on it to start but not she can quite confidently ride with stabilisers on the flat.

swissy56 · 27/09/2016 17:09

Being able to balance on a bike is the main part of riding a bike!

Chilver · 27/09/2016 17:14

Skip the stabilisers and buy a normal bike, take off the pedals and crank shaft and let them use it as a balance bike and then have it as a normal bike.

We did this for our DD at around 2.5yo, by 3.5yo she was cycling properly with pedals. (Oh, and we have a big flag on a long pole attached to her bike so she can be seen easily when cycling)

In Scandinavian countries they do this and generally children are all cycling way before children in the UK do.

Minisoksmakehardwork · 27/09/2016 17:17

Dd1 never had a balance bike. She learned to ride the year she turned 6. Ds1 couldn't pedal, so we ended up getting him a balance bike. He rode his bike without stabilisers aged 4, just 6 weeks later than dd1 had done.

As we had the balance bike, we got another for dts. They too rode their bikes without stabilisers aged 4.

I was honestly cynical about balance bikes - another gimmick to force parents to part with their cash. But in my family, they were certainly worth it.

However; they really don't come up big enough for anyone of average size over 4 years old. Best bet would be to buy the right sized bike and remove the pedals while she get the hang of balancing and then add them once she's whizzing along.

A friend of dd1's is 9 and only recently had stabilisers taken off her bike, but it was a problem getting them big enough.

ReallyTired · 27/09/2016 17:26

An alternative to a balance bike is a 2 wheel scooter. Two wheel scooters are still fun after the child has learnt to ride a bike.