puky or scoot/zoom and is my DD old enough

[MonkeyChicken]

We are planning in getting a balance bike for my DD's 2nd birthday. She's quite tall for her age but her height is mostly in her long back.

I'd done a bit of research and narrowed it down to puky, ridgeback scoot/zoom or strider

puky and scoot are stocked by a local independent so I went over and they were pleasant but unhelpful. They only had a scoot made up and just said here try this. It was in it's lowest setting and she sat on it and could touch the ground with tippee toes, she couldn't balance at all and was mostly interested in ringing the bell but I'm guessing she'd get the hang of it in time. Other than a £10 price difference the guy in the shop said there was no difference. They have a workshop in the store so if they'd wanted to they could have offered to make up a puky for me at another time, but no and I didn't ask. Think I'll have to phone up and ask them to make up the two bikes so we can compare, but does anyone here have a strong feelings for or against the puky or scoot/zooom. We are hoping DD could use from 2- 4 and then go on a "big bike" and DC (due in 2 wks) could then inherit it.

Bit long winded sorry.

I would be interested to find out what others think as I am also thinking of buying a balance bike so am bumping this for you!

yes, I've heard good things about the islabike, but I'd disregarded it as it's a bit pricer - but will certainly bear it in mind. Good value if it does 2 children and I've also heard you can part exchange your old islabike if you by a new one. Did you buys yours online?

DS had a Puky but TBH I wish we'd got an Islabike instead -- the Puky was fine but friends have the Islabike for their DD and it's just much better all round. I just can't justify buying one for DD when we have the Puky to hand down for DS.

My DS had a Puky which he rode from age 3 until he was 5 1/2, when he graduated to a bike with pedals. It was a bit of a miracle - he just jumped onto the pedal bike at the top of a gentle slope and sailed away on it! I have no experience of the Islabike but balance bikes in general are a wonderful invention and we loved the Puky.

we have the smallest puky and love it
ds2 had it for christmas, just after he turned 2
he's a whizz on it now! we love it, very well built

We bought an Islabike 3 years ago for DS1 when he was 2.5. Got it online & arrived within a week - they were fab.

He's on a proper pedal one now, but we didn't do the trade in as it was a bit wrecked (he used it every day for 1.5 years). DS2 has it now and he could go it before he was 2 and he has quite short legs. The seat definitely does go lower than his friend's Scoot and I'm sure it's lighter too.

Wow there are so many Isla fans! It now looks like it's between the Islabike Rothan and the Ridgeback zooom/scoot.

Are the steering limiters on the Isla bike a good or bad thing and can you take them off? I've heard agruements for both.

Would the Islabike last till my DD is 4? The Zoom has an additional seat post so should last a while. she on around the 90th percentile for her height but it's mostly her back.

Isla is lighter than zooom and I think it'll go lower although I took her to another independent bike shop again today and she had another go on a zoom and did OK.

I showed DD piccies of the bikes and she said she wanted a red one (Isla) so that might be the deciding vote now as I think I could drive myself crazy looking too much into this.

we bought the zooom and it's been great. it's very sturdy. DS was a bit older though, he got it for his 5th birthday. he was able to ride his proper bike after 8 weeks of balance biking to school and back every day during that time.

the puky bikes were nice too though.

Hmmm. I don't think there is a right or wrong choice. Maybe I'll give Islabikes a ring seeing as DD chose that one. DC 2 is due 11 Aug and DD turns 2 on 29 Aug so I need to get cracking, just have a dithery baby brain at mo.

pistachio, I've heard that steering limiters are great for when a child first learns to balance but can actually cause nasty accidents if a child takes a fall because the handbars can't turn round out of the way. Striderbikes make a big thing about not having them, but I've heard of people starting with them and then removing them as their child's confidence grows. Also good news that she could (in theory) trade up to a "real" bike before 4. I'd no idea when "real" bikes, hopefully without stabilisers would be an option.

If I go for the Isla I just need to get a little bell, as DD loved ringing it both times we tried out the zooom!

DS's friend certainly used the Islabike Rothan until his fourth birthday and got the Cnoc (or whatever the next one up is) for his birthday present (conveniently just in time to pass original one down to his little sister who turned two within a couple of weeks of his birthday... sounds as though that could work out well for you, too).

I bought my son a strider bike from this site www.strider-rider.co.uk/ they have a Fb page also.
My son loves is bike and he has not had it very long and already he is starting to balance.
He is a very petite 2 year old and this bike doesnt need to be on the lowest setting for him. It is also really easy to adjust the seat height and the bikes are really light.
What i liked about these bikes is that both the height of the seat and handlebars are easy to adjust and also you can get a longer seat if required.