Trike or balance bike?

[Whatshallichoose]

Dd will be 15 months old at Christmas and we would like to get her a bike. We were planning on getting a trike but someone told me a balance bike would be good. Please can someone enlighten me - what is the difference and which is best both now and for the next year or so

I found a balance bike great - it teaches them how to balance so when they get a bike they only have to learn to peddle. I struggled to find a suitable trike as lots of them are more designed for parents to push their children around on rather than for them to learn to peddle. However ds3 had the benefit of his older brothers scooters, trike, bike with stabilisers and a balance bike and he learnt to ride a bike in about 10 minutes!!!

As an easy way to quickly learn ride a 'proper' bike, you can't beat a balance bike. But maybe 15 months is too young for a balance bike? We got one for DS2 and he didn't really get into it until he was perhaps 3 1/2 (at which point you couldn't see him for dust.) And he also learned to ride a proper bike in minutes.

If you do get a Balance Bike though, consider one with a brake. Our's didn't and DS2 didn't realise that pedal bikes go a lot faster and that braking by putting your feet on the ground isn't a great idea!

Have a look at the puky 4 wheel push bikes. Both of mine had one from around 15 months, they were flying on them after a couple of weeks.

Then at 2yrs they got a balance bikes and were absolute wizzed on these too.

They were both pedalling (without stabilisers) at 3.

My youngest is 4 and is whizzing around mountain bike trails and pump tracks better than some 12yr olds!

Balance bikes all the way

Have brought two dds up on balance bikes..

Both two wheel puky. ..one of the smallest you can get....at that age they learnt to lift it and put it down and how to wheel it round the garden....

Both used it solely and went straight to pedal bikes without stabilisers and riding at 4 years old...they still love the puky!

Great fan of them ....

At 15 months up to about three you will be pushingredients a trike around..

Balance bikes without a doubt- look at toddler balance bike world champs on you tube- it's hilarious and amazing at what tots can do - whizzing around a bmx track

At 15 months I would get a smart trike. A balance bike would be great later on, maybe for 2nd birthday or next Christmas I think 15 months is too young though, and if he takes a topple it could really damage his confidence.

Balance bike, for sure.

Get a good one like Frog or Islabikes

This website has excellent information

Www.twowheelingtots.con

We’ve got our 16 month old a scuttlebug. She loveable her almost three year old sisters. There have been wars in our house over it. We got a trike last year and to be honest unless we are pushing the girls around on it, it really doesn’t get used. My oldest loved his balance bike but was 3.5 before he really got any use out of it

www.twowheelingtots.com/

I agree that 18 months is probably a little young and would go for a pushalong trike type of thing. When you do get a bike, maybe in another 18 months, just take the pedals off it then put them back on a year or so later. No need for a separate balance bike.

It's better for them to learn to balance before pedalling because that is the trickiest part of learning to ride, which is why stabilisers aren't much cop. By four/five they'll have the strength and coordination to pedal, and if they've been whizzing around using their feet to propel them they'll have learnt to balance instinctively.

That's the theory, anyway ...

We just bought a smart trike for our 15 month old at the moment we push it but as they grow you can take bits off so it becomes a normal peddle trike.

If we had a balance bike I'd end up carrying it and a fed up toddler for the rest of the walk

I think balance bike for when he is older two. Maybe 2-3yo. Before that you will be pushing him anyway. They can learn to ride a bike very quickly if they can ride a balance bike. DC2 on the balance bike is as fast as 6yo DC1 on the scooter. Leaving us parents running behind them!