Is a balance bike a waste of time?

[jollybobs89]

Looking to get my DD a bike for Christmas she's been asking for a frozen motorbike haha

Anyway she's 3 in February but should I go for a balance bike or a bike with stabilisers?

Any advice would be great!

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Balance bikes seem so great, and other children seem to do so well with them. Neither of mine liked theirs though, and each barely used theirs (5 year gap so at totally different times). I get the theory but it didn’t work for us.

They did take to riding with stabilisers and then riding a pedal bike without stabilisers perfectly well - Dd riding without stabilisers by 5 and Ds by 6, so it hasn’t proved a big problem.

We never bothered with them for our children. Mine just had a bike with stabilisers which we removed when they were ready. No drama or difficulty.

I brought an old bike and took it to a garage to remove the pedals. Cost me some biscuits!

Both were riding working days.

I would recommend the bike without pedals and then swap when they’re showing signs of being balanced

Balance bikes are so much better for training them on proper bikes than stabilisers.

DS1 was on a balance bike for a year and a half. At four he got a proper bike and could ride it immediately.

Far too early for a bike in my opinion. It will be heavy for her, you'll end up dragging it along after 5 minutes. Buy her a lovely balance bike and watch her go...my 2 oldest (lively, robust kids) never rode their bikes (even with stabilizers) until they were around 6. 3 years old is a great age for a balance bike. She will much prefer it, I promise you.

I’d say a bb is more useful from 1-2. After 3 a normal bike with the pedals off would be a better investment.

Balance bikes until around 4, then bikes with stabilizers after that. IF they are ready. Many aren't.

@GrumpyHoonMain

I’d say a bb is more useful from 1-2. After 3 a normal bike with the pedals off would be a better investment.

A better investment, but not much fun for a 3 year old in my opinion. Go for the balance bike - forget the investment being good, go for what will be more fun for her xx

Stabilisers are so old school. Do you remember being at school in the 80s and kids learning to ride bikes at age 8 or 7? You see all the 4/5 year olds cycling now. That’s due to balance bikes (and prob lighter bikes?)

My youngest balance biked from 2.5 and could go a pedal bike at 3.5.

Oh should say she was able to pedal at 3.5 but had to wait till she was over 4 for her sibling to get a new bike and hand down and was quite happy on the balance bike

Balance bikes are fab! I am nanny for 6 children all learned on the same balance bike which is still going for the 3 year old (eldest is 16!) it's a wooden one and they were all riding pedals no stabilisers by 4.

In terms of the cost (because some people have mentioned resale value and investment!) I really wouldn't bother with an expensive one.

Ds3's was a Paw Patrol balance bike from Argos - I think it was about £25. He's had it a year and has ridden it every single day - it's been thrown down and bounced around and not treated very gently at all - and it's still going strong, it's only being replaced as he's outgrown it.

On a balance bike at 3 they're riding around the house and garden and on flat roads to the park and back and similar - they're not going on 20 mile cycle marathons or mountain biking - so they don't particularly need to be 'good quality' expensive brands ime.

Mine didn’t like balance bikes, refused to use and preferred scooters but I saw plenty of tiny kids enjoying them whizzing around.

Anyway they learned to ride bikes at 5 pretty easily without stabilisers so I wouldn’t say you necessarily need stabilisers if haven’t used a balance bike.

@SurreyMumOfOne You can have it for free, if you can collect. PM if you'd like.

Balance bike is a hit here too. We just picked up a £20 peppa pig one in the toy store. It has been used every day for over a year and still going strong

in my experience stabilisers can be dangerous.
the ground is rarely perfectly level across the span of them, and so the rider can be tipped off, or unbalanced, disorientated.
also they do not give a realistic feel of what riding a bicycle is.

Thank you everyone so much for your replies!! Going to have a look at balance bikes today 😀😀

We have this balance bike that was handed down from my daughter. It's really light and is adjustable. We went from this to a normal bike without stabilisers when my daughter was 4.

I thoroughly recommened using balance bike. My daughter learnt to ride a pedal bike within hours post using her balance bike for a year before and my son (dyspraxic) took a couple of afternoons. They're really worth the money.

Forgot the link

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8649078?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=30f62ea9-9626-4cac-97c8-9ff3921f8558&istItemId=ixixxaxqr&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&$ja=tsid:59157%7Cacid:629-618-1342%7Ccid:9563523552%7Cagid:102230988190%7Ctid:pla-891287865076%7Ccrid:423314716931%7Cnw:g%7Crnd:13044421921047860695%7Cdvc:m%7Cadp:%7Cmt:%7Cloc:9045574&utmmsource=Google&utmmedium=cpc&utmmcampaign=9563523552&utmterm=8649078&utmmcontent=shopping&utmcustom1=102230988190&utmmcustom2=629-618-1342&gclid=CjwKCAiAkan9BRAqEiwAP9X6UeyF-S3kHVJJPihxAqgXXShfA5vb-pKYvP2RHqPWWJyIxg2CVaZxxoCWLsQAvDBwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

We did balance bikes at 2 and they were both riding pedal bikes by 4.

Balance bike all the way. Neither of mine got the hang of it until about 2.5 and then built up confidence. DS got hang of pedal bike on 4th birthday in 2 minutes. DD took longer to get the hang of pedals (starting was the tricky bit) but confident by 5. Both able to do long rides after that. Both now keen a d good cyclists as teenagers. As children, it meant we could do a reasonable walk with them on a balance bike

Balance bikes are great. Scooters aren’t the same thing so it’s not an either/or. If you’re going to get a normal bike and take the pedals off, make sure you get a really light one, not a Halfords one.

Depends on the child
DS1 got a brill balance bike (light, easy to use) at 2 and when he got on his first proper bike for his 4th birthday, he hopped on it and rode as if he'd been riding for years (no stabilisers)
He's a natural rider, loves his bike and has fab balance generally
DS2 (4) has had no interest in the balance bike and only wants to try (and fail) at riding the big bike with stabilisers. I suspect because he wants to be like his big brother.

My youngest never got the hang of balance bikes. She also struggled to get the hang I a normal bike. Bit her personality is definitely to give up if I doesnt happen immediately. She was riding by six years ild though, with a handful of grey hairs for me.