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Original poster

12inch bike for 3 year old- Is a parent handle mandatory?

18 replies

lilymolly · 23/11/2008 09:05

Hi Getting dd a bike for xmas she is 3 in January.
Going to bypass the trikes as she will soon grow out of a trike and think a 2 wheeler will be best.
Anyhow, because we live in the country, and have no roads near us to ride it, we will have to take the bike via car to cycle tracks and the local village for her to ride.
I am having baby no 2 in March so will also wither be pushing a buggy or carrying baby in sling

Thats where I think a parent handle is totally nessecery, so I can guide her with one hand, still push buggy and if she gets tired and want to walk- I can push bike back to car?

Is that making sense?

Am I being deliberating too much over this?
Is a handle really nessecery?

Where do I get one from- only place to find girly one is toys r us but it does not have a seat for dolly (dds request!!)

OP posts:
ChasingSquirrels · 23/11/2008 09:22

I haven't seen proper bikes with parent handles.
My ds2 is also 3 in January and has just started riding a bike (ds1's so it was around for him to use).
TBH at the moment it is a complete pain as he wants to go on the school pick-up on it, can't go up slopes very well and I am in a rush, so I end up pushing him half of the way.
But this is going to be a relatively short term thing, he only learned in half-term and is already so much better than the first time we did the school run with it.
I didn't need to guide him after the first time, so now it is just some pushing - and to be fair to him on the way to school it is a slight uphill slope all the way and he was managing it until last week when all the leaves came down and it is now too slippy.
So I can certainly see the advantage of some sort of parent handle - although probably not a traditional trike type.

Argos, tesco direct, halfords?

mogs0 · 23/11/2008 09:23

My friend recently bought one from Next. I had looked around a few places online but that was the only one I could find.

DontCallMeBaby · 23/11/2008 09:32

You can buy dolly seats separately (although they can be difficult to fit with stabilisers, as DH has just found out trying to put new stabilisers onto DD's bike which came with a dolly seat). Mind you, looking at the ToysRUs and Next bikes, I don't think you could get a dolly seat on either of those, the handle would get in the way.

An alternative to a handle is to pull the bike when the going gets a bit tough for the child - I use a scarf or toddler reins wrapped round the handlebars. It wouldn't help much with guiding her, but it would help her when she gets tired. DD is 4.8 but still gets a bit of help on the way home, we live on a slight, but long and absolutely unrelenting hill!

Fillyjonk · 23/11/2008 09:32

how about a likeabike?

It has no pedals and is smaller and lighter than a "real bike"

My older two started out on one and went straight to "proper bikes", within hours, both at around 3 1/4-3 1/2

And you can stick a seat for a dolly on-we have had all sorts riding on our likeabike.

Re practical concerns. She will be able to steer herself easily, it will fit easily in the car and it is light enough for you to carry.

I honestly woudl not want to be pushing a buggy with one hand and a child on a bike with the other, have done this with a trike and it was just awful (so I made them ride the likabike instead).

NB likeabikes are expensive but there are cheaper rip offs, lidl do them occasionally but I know there are other places that have them more often .

Fillyjonk · 23/11/2008 09:35

Also-dd1 learnt to ride a proper bike at about 3 years and 2 months. I suspect she could have actually learnt earlier-she learnt very fast-but we struggled to find a bike small enough for her.

So it is not impossible that your dd will learnt to balance alone.

oh duh have just remembered that most people put stabilisers on their kids bikes (I don't). Oh ignore me!

ChasingSquirrels · 23/11/2008 09:37

if you wanted to go the likeabike route - you can just take the pedals off a normal bike, although they are heavier.

Thanks for the tip on pulling, I had vaugly thought this but not carried it through, will get the reins or something out.

Fillyjonk · 23/11/2008 09:43

you can certainly take the pedals off

I really found that it helped for my kids having the lighter bike, and it made it easier for me to carry it

But my kids are not big for their ages or anything, so perhaps this makes a difference?

ChasingSquirrels · 23/11/2008 09:45

I've never done it, so don't know the practicalities re weight, but a couple of people I know have.

Original poster
lilymolly · 23/11/2008 09:47

dont like the look of a likeabike
at the moment she loves fleeing around playgroup on her trike with pedals, so would rather go for the 12inch bike with stabilisers tbh.
DP taking her to halfords today to check she is tall enough I suspect she may be a little too small as she is titchy

How do I help her ride this bike, with a baby without a parent handle?

OP posts:
ChasingSquirrels · 23/11/2008 09:49

you just go very very slowly at first, with lots of waiting around!
ds2 learned inside, and both of min rode inside for a while when they were getting the hand of it.

Original poster
lilymolly · 23/11/2008 10:54

Gosh how big is your house chasingsquirrels

OP posts:
Nemowith3and1tobe · 23/11/2008 10:59

we have gone for a likeabike for dd1 and she is 3 just before christmas. I was going to get a proper bike but thought she would be better with a likeabike and also ds[5] still uses stabilisers so thought he could have a go and see if it helps him.

Fillyjonk · 23/11/2008 14:02

well if it has stabilsers and it is the right size then there is no learning involved really, get on and peddle.

Likeabikes are great though. They got me through 2x babies +toddlers, and I am sure that they are why my kids are now such proficient and early cyclists.

good resale value too.

Fillyjonk · 23/11/2008 14:03

always go for slightly too small though with a kids first bike.

ChasingSquirrels · 23/11/2008 15:17

not enormous, but not tiny.
ds1 just got on and pedaled - he was 3.2y.
ds2 couldn't pedal, the bike has been around for ages and was the right size, we kept trying to get him to do it, he just didn't get it, would just pedal backwards. He started a few weeks ago when he was 2.9y and was v v slow at first, so I think there was learning involved.

Original poster
lilymolly · 27/11/2008 11:28

Hi Bumping this, as I need some more answers before I order a bike this week

Thanks

OP posts:
jarka · 10/04/2010 23:03

If you are looking for a parent handle, Push me Home makes a great one which can be attached to any bike, they also provide one suitable for trikes. We have found it very useful with helping our children with their first biking experience. They are available to buy online at ((www.jestomic.com))

jarka · 10/04/2010 23:06

If you are looking for a parent handle, Push me Home makes a great one which can be attached to any bike, they also provide one suitable for trikes. We have found it very useful with helping our children with their first biking experience. They are available to buy online at www.jestomic.com

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