Recommend good steel balance bikes for 2 year old

[mum2JRC]

Hi

We're planning on getting our son a balance bike. He's not that tall (88cm at his last check 2 months ago). He's now 2yrs 4 months.
I've seen the Puky bike and quite like them. At the moment he woud fit the smallest one but would that last long? Should I aim for the one for a child 90cm + tall?

Any other suggestions on makes of bike would be great. I have been doing some research and the info on www.balancebikes.org.uk seems quite good.

Also is there any shops where you can try any? ( Any make)

TIA

My ds (2yrs 10 months) has got this isla balance bike.Older dd has got another isla bike and they are really well made and most importantly very light.

I can recommend the Rothan by Isla bike.
It had the lowest seat height of any I could find with proper wheels. Just 28cm at its lowest, still fine for our lad now he has a 41 cm in-seam a year later.
Its NOT trouser in -seam you want its floor to crotch.
TO measure. Stand child against a wall ( in shoes), use a book between their legs and against the wall to go as far up as possible, measure where book came to on the wall.
Isla bikes web site has good sizing info for each bike.

The smallest Puky doesn't last long, it fast looks very small and has such tiny wheels they can't go very fast.

another Isla bike fan here

dd has a puky.

She has a middle sized one as she insisted on a pink one and that didn't come in the large size.

Anyway, the saddle does come up a long way on it. So I imagine the smallest one would too.

She is 4yrs and tall for her age.

I like it because it is light. Hers has a brake. It is also very low in the middle section so easy to get a leg over/through to the other side to sit on the saddle, iyswim. This means a lot less falling over and over-balancing

BOy has ridden his friends(1 age 2 has a small, 1 age 3 has a mid/large) Pukys as well as his Rothan. Things I notice as differences...
The rothan has bike geometry. Now boy is nearly at full saddle height he is riding it like a bike, the puky retains a much more "upright" riding stance as the handle bars are very high compared to the saddle.
The Puky ( large/ mid not sure which, BUT not small) has a kick stand which boy thinks is the best thing EVER.
The Puky having such a low step over bit boy likes to pick his feet up to rest onto it, this worrys me a bit as he then can;t get them down to brake so easily as he does on the rothan where he just picks his feet up behind him.
The Puky looks like a toy, the rothan looks like daddies bike. a big thing for my lad.

so- yes the Puky is good, the Rothan is good, which you buy is down to personal choice. We will be buying boy another Isla bike soon as he is ready for pedals at 3.3... Going to try him on the Cnoc 14 & 16 at the York cycle rally in a fortnight.

Thanks everyone for your responses.

It's funny I saw a little boy in town today riding a Puky. I then was able to stop the mum and ask some qustions, even said where I could try them. Phoned the shop up and she is going to put the lowest 2 sizes of the Puky together for me

Going to google the Isla bikes now too

Thanks