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Parenting

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Original poster

What comes after a balance bike

36 replies

Mumplum1 · 30/12/2020 09:04

Hello, our 3.5 year old has been using his balance bike for almost a year now and we are wondering what the next stage is that he should get, I feel he is a bit young for a "proper" big boy bike so then we thought maybe a bike with stabilisers but then surely that takes away the good work of learning to balance. Is there another in between bike?

Thank you in advance from a confused mum 😂

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drspouse · 30/12/2020 09:06

Get a light weight bike (Frog or second hand Isla bike) and let him use it like a balance bike.
We took one pedal off (couldn't get the other one off) so DS didn't bash his ankle quite so much.

LubaLuca · 30/12/2020 09:06

Just carry on with the balance bike until he's grown out of it, then a bike with the pedals taken off until you think he can pedal.

SilenceIsNoLongerSuspicious · 30/12/2020 09:09

You find a suitably small and light bike with pedals (Frog or Islabike) and in about five minutes he’s off and cycling, ime. Do take a video, it’s amazing to watch!

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Indecisivelurcher · 30/12/2020 09:09

Agree with above, stick with balance bike until its too small / you think he is big enough then go straight to a pedal bike.

redcandlelight · 30/12/2020 09:10

my dc went from balance bike straight to normal bike at 4 yo.
took half an hour in the park for them to get a hang of pedalling.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 30/12/2020 09:10

After outgrowing two balance bikes in 18months (including a seat extension pole) DD1 did get a bike with stabilisers at 3.5, but the stabilisers were gone within months. No idea if that could have happened sooner (there was a pause in bike riding while she recovered from a broken arm and we moved abroad. )
(DD2 who completely shunned the balance bike eas riding without stabilisers around 5yo)

Try without stabilisers, and put them on if necessary.

bluebluezoo · 30/12/2020 09:10

Mine just went straight to proper bikes once they grew out of the balance bike.

It isn’t that big a leap and there isn’t really an “in between”. The pedalling comes naturally as they already have the balance.

WaxOnFeckOff · 30/12/2020 09:10

Just get a bike. Most kids that age ride a bike even if they haven't had a balance bike.

Has he had any other pedal toys?

It's usually the balance rather than the pedalling that's the issue when learning, he'll be cycling within a few minutes if he can already balance.

PotteringAlong · 30/12/2020 09:12

Just get a normal bike! My big 2 both started riding properly the summer before they turned 4 - my little one is 4 in Feb and I’m expecting this spring / summer he will learn to ride a bike.

massistar · 30/12/2020 09:15

Just get him a bike! No need for stabilisers if he's been on a balance bike, that's the whole point. My DD was riding a normal bike within a couple of hours at the same age after her balance bike. And it was an ordinary Halfords bike, not a super expensive Islabike.

elephantskiss · 30/12/2020 09:17

Yep, avoid stabilisers. If the balance bike is far too small, get a Frog bike, Islabike, Hoy bike, Carrera Star or similar (i.e. lightweight, not a heavy "character" bike) and take the pedals off if it's too soon for those so it's just like a bigger balance bike (with brakes and a chain) until you're ready to add pedals back on.

MrsTravers · 30/12/2020 09:24

Agree with the advice to get a lighter bike and take the pedals off.

Although it took AGES for two of my DC to adapt to the pedals. DC4 is still flatly refusing to use them.....

WishUponAStar88 · 30/12/2020 09:27

I’d also avoid stabilisers and go for a light pedal bike if he’s doing well on the balance bike and has outgrown it. My ds had only just turned 3 and got going on a pedal Islabike with no problems. Now at 3.5 he cycles several miles a week.

TildaTurnip · 30/12/2020 09:27

We are trying stabilisers. Our 5 year old just cannot master pedalling after having a balance bike for ages.

Moomin37 · 30/12/2020 09:35

My daughter went straight from a balance bike to a regular bike - she was riding unaided (no stabilisers) after 24 hours at 3 years and 4 months. Buying a decent lightweight bike that is the correct size is key - she had a Islabikes CNOC.

WestSideBoom · 30/12/2020 09:40

Both of mu dc were riding proper bikes without stabilisers at three and a half. This was before balance bikes. I thought the whole point of a balance bike was that you miss out the stabiliser stage.

You just need to get the right size. Mine had a 14 inch bike as their first bike.

WaxOnFeckOff · 30/12/2020 09:45

Kids managed to learn to ride a bike before balance bikes and lightweight expensive bikes existed. Based on my own experience with my DC and kids in the street, I'd say that most, pre balance bike etc, learned to ride without stabilisers at around 4 with some earlier and the occasional one later and now I'd say that with balance bikes most can ride around 3 or earlier. My DC are around 20 and learned on just a normal kids bike of that era. Ds1 was around 4 and DS2 was 2 and a half.

More recently, my neighbours little one had barely turned 2 and could pedal after using a balance bike.

Balance bikes are great, the pedaling isn't the hard part. Get them used to having the pedal on their strongest leg in the best position for starting off and then getting the other leg going as quick as possible, let them watch you or someone else for a few goes.

purpleme12 · 30/12/2020 09:47

Normal bike
But it need to make sure he's really really confident and good on the balance bike first
Mine was 5 when she went from balance bike to bike so there's no rush either

purpleme12 · 30/12/2020 09:48

(and ours wasn't a lightweight bike)

TheYearOfSmallThings · 30/12/2020 09:51

If he's good on the balance bike he can go straight to a pedal bike now without stabilisers. My DS was riding a Cnoc 14 no trouble at 3.5, and I've seen even tinier bikes since then.

BikeRunSki · 30/12/2020 09:55

Another one whose DC went straight from balance bikes to small Islas at 3.5, in minutes. DD just got on and rode, DS took about 20 mins.

midnightstar66 · 30/12/2020 10:03

I put dd on her bike just before her 4th birthday and she just pedalled off as if she'd been doing it her whole life . Looking back she'd have definitely been able to do it aged 3.5 but it also won't hurt to leave him on a balance bike a bit longer. On the other hand dd had both balance and stabiliser bike and enjoyed using both. It meant she had both the skills to pedal and balance which probably helped her to learn so quickly. She had both from 2 though, I doubt it's worth getting anything but a proper 2 wheel bike at this stage.

metalmutha · 30/12/2020 10:54

Mine went straight from a balance bike to a bike with pedals at about 3 years 4 months and took to it straight away.

NannyR · 30/12/2020 11:02

The little girl I look after was using a balance bike confidently by her third birthday. She got an islabike cnoc 16 for her birthday present, with a view that she might learn to ride during the year, but she was riding it within the week, she picked up the pedalling very quickly.

If he already has the balance part of cycling sorted, it seems a pity to set him back by using stabilisers. I would get a lightweight bike like Isla or frog, and let him have a go, if he's struggling with the pedals you can take them off but he might surprise you.

tempnamechange98765 · 30/12/2020 11:14

Stick with the balance bike then go straight to pedal without stabilisers. Our DS was still riding his balance bike at just shy of 4.5, although he is tall and his knees were up by his ears he then got a pedal bike at 4.5 and rode it straight away, no stabilisers, first try!

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