Balancing bikes

[Mrwillywonkasbitch]

I'm thinking of buying my girls a balancing bike each for Xmas. What are people's opinions on them and can anyone recommend a certain brand/make please

We got a Pucky LRM for DD (2.8) and she loves it. It's very sturdy yet lightweight to carry. It will fit her for ages. Got on e-bay so quite cheap but a really good bike.

Excellent idea! We got our DD one when she was 2 and she got the hang really quickly (been flying down the street, legs in the air!). As the name says, it teaches them to balance. Sorry can't help with brand as we're not in the UK.

Getting a balance bike is definitely the way forward. Moving up to a pedal bike is so easy once they have learnt to coast along on a balance bike.

The best ones are the Islabike Rothans www.islabikes.co.uk/products/bikes/item/rothan. Not cheap but hold their value extremely well, you'll be able to sell for 90 or so when you want to move up to a pedal bike.

My son has just turned three, we have sold his Rothan and his is now pedalling on an Isla pedal bike.

Another recommendation for the Puky balance bike. My daughter used it all the time from almost 3 until she got on her brother's pedal bike at almost 4 and cycled off on it.

Our DSs did well out of a Ridgeback balance bike.

brilliant idea for presents and isla bike fans here. Weight is an issue and most people who I know have bought cheaper heavy ones have struggled as can be too heavy for the children to push easily. My advice therefore would to just be aware of the weight whatever make you buy.

Balance bikes are brilliant. My 4 year old had one and loved it. We've just bought him his first bike with pedals and he could ride it properly after about 3 goes, no stabilizers. It's all thanks to the balance bike. I'd been skeptical but have since had to admit to dh I was wrong!

We bought a second hand wooden one, was fine but a bit heavy.

How old are they? It's important that the bike goes low enough that they can put their feet flat on the floor and is adjustable enough that it will last them until they are ready for pedals (3-4yrs old) Get one as lightweight as possible, heavy unwieldy bikes are no fun to ride, or for parent to carry if they get fed up. We had an Earlyrider Lite, suitable from 20months, still going strong 3 children later. We bought it 6 yrs ago though, there is a lot more choice now. My older children have gone onto Islabikes, if I was buying one now I'd probably get a Rothan.

Thank you for all the feed back I've been skeptical too about them but you've helped me decide. My girls are two and always try to play with other children's at the park. So I'll keep the light weight advice in mind thanks again

They're great. We bought dd an Islabike for her 2nd birthday. She's got into it gradually but now at 2.6 is really keen on it and suddenly starting to glide - balancing. It's amazing, has happened quite fast, once she started using it regularly.

We bought it from ebay. Not cheap but very sturdy and adjustable.

We have a Bike Star one, bought from Amazon, and it is great. Really chunky air-filled tyres, and it was cheaper than lots of others, but feels very good quality.

We didn't get the more lightweight aluminum one as a bit more expensive, but just looked now and it is the same price as the steel ones now here. I would really recommend it.

I, personally, would get a second hand one. My 2 cracked it in an afternoon and wanted to move on to a big boys bike as soon as possible.
Depends if they have the staying power to keep playing with it. Perhaps they were too old when they got their ones?

The 'lightweight' Bike star one linked to is 5kg. Rothan is 3.5kg and Earlyrider lite 3.2kg
My 4 yr old is on a 5.5kg pedal bike, no way would he have managed the weight at 2 yrs old. It depends how big and strong they are (my kids are all diddy) but it makes a big difference to being able to enjoy it straight away.

We got a Puky LR1 (so not the smallest but the next size up) and it's been great. It cost about 80 quid new. Have just bought an Islabike for DD to graduate onto, and DD2 will get the Puky. I read that the wooden ones can be heavy though even though they look nice. Decathlon also do a balance bike which will be decidedly cheaper than either the Puky or Islabike Rothan and they got good reviews.

just did stabilisers and bike here - cheaper, and they seemed to manage just fine - old fashioned view I know...

We were advised that they learn balance better on a 2 wheeled scooter. We've got a bike with stabilisers on for DS1 at the moment but only because he can't actually touch the ground! Gift he's going to grow into! The plan is for him to get the hang of the pedalling motion while we're waiting for him to grow & then remove the pedals/stabilisers to turn it into a balance bike & once he's got the hang of that we'll put the pedal's back on & hope he can combine the 2 concepts!

I bought DS1 a balance bike for Christmas when he was 3 - but unfortunately MIL then randomly bought him a horrible cheap bike with stabilisers 3m later, so he never really got into using the balance bike :(

DS2 though, he's found it (he's just 2) and is currently a little too short in the leg for it (as Ds1 was when he first got it), but he's definitely interested! Hoping it might get some use after all now :)

I really don't like the way kids are "let loose" in our local park on balance bikes - there is a lovely little slope - but half the time the kids are just too young to understand how to stop properly - and canvas shoes rip apart easily on a tarmac path.

Please make sure they can stop properly before setting off, please make sure they don't get so far ahead that they bang into elderly folk (has happened twice in the last year at our local park)

2 is very young, they are still learning how to BE people let alone how to avoid them...