How long on a balance bike before getting pedals?

[lololol]

Am thinking of getting a balance bike, saw the islabikes one recommended on another website.

www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/rothan.html

At just 4, DS is slightly too big for it, but I was hoping to get it, and for him to learn to balance quite quickly and then get him a bike with pedals. Is this unrealistic? Should I do something else instead - are stabilisers not used any more? [totally clueless, DS has never had a bike]

(Do not worry, it won't a waste of a bike as DD is 2, just on the minimum measurements for the bike and she will have it after DS!)

Thankyou!

dont know anything about that particular make of bike but i'm in germany and every kid learns to ride on a bike without stablisers or pedals. you can just buy a normal bike and take the pedals off it and let him whizz round with it to get the idea of balancing it!

dc1 was about 6 when she spent 2 weeks with her grandparents in germany (we lived in the UK then and she had been on her bike with stabilisers for ages) and was able to ride her bike at the end of the 2 weeks.

we were a bit more organised with dc2 - he was 4 1/2 and was whizzing around with his stripped down bike for a few weeks then we put his pedals back on and he was off!

once they get the balance sorted the pedals just make them go faster!

good luck!

Balance seems the way to go then! Think I will get it in that case.

the rothan balance bikes are really quite titchy - at 4 he'd be better off with the smallest 'proper' bike from the range and take the pedals off

it doesn't take long for them to learn once they've got the balance sussed - alhtough remember to put the seat right down as they need to feel really secure, and then gradually get it up again once you put the pedals back on

the Islabikes are fab all my three have got them - if you want more advice, Isla (she's a real person!) is really helpful if you call the number on the website

oh right, I didn't realise that the pedals were able to come off the bigger bikes. Think I will contact Isla as DS is actually really tall - his measurement make him OK for the cnoc16 (really his inside leg is too big for the cnoc14 as well as the rothan!) or he would even fit the next bike up, but I think that is too complex for him even if the pedals did come off