4 yr old - balance or pedal bike?

[FruitBasedDrinkForALady]

DD's birthday is next week and as her balance bike is getting too small, I thought we'd get her a new one. She's only started getting interested in the bike in the last few months since her little brother got big enough to have a go so she's not very well practiced although she zooms around on the balance bike when she does go on it. Is it worth investing in another balance bike, or should we go straight for something with pedals and try her without stabilisers now? We don't have a massive budget, so I don't want to buy one and in a couple of months find the other would have been better. Thanks in advance!

Both my DDs went straight from balance bike to normal bike with no stabilisers. DD2 especially was never much fussed about the balance bike but earlier this week she just got on DD2's old bike and rode it. She is 5 and just recovering from a broken leg.

I would say go for normal bike - you can always take pedals off it for a bit if she needs more balance practice.

Well that sounds like a problem solved, I'd no idea you could take the pedals (and presumably chain?) off a bike! Thanks. Is it idiot easy to do? Now I just need to find one that isn't excessively pink and sparkly....

My 3 year old has had a bike with stabilisers and is very confident on it. A week before her 4th birthday we took the stabilisers off because if she could do it then we'd get her a new bike. So, took the stabilisers off and she had a break down! So upset, crying 'I can't do it!'. It lasted about 10 minutes and we went home.

We got her a balance bike for her 4th instead and within 2 weeks she was riding her other bike without the stabilisers! (now we have a near new balance bike to sell!:)

I highly recommend the balance bike (you can find them quite cheap on amazon) and see how that goes, but for my 4 year old it worked within 2 weeks!