Bike for 2.5 dd - which one?

[wishfulthinking]

DD would like a bike from Father Christmas; of course we would put stable-iser-thingy's on but which would you recommend....if indeed you would? Is she too young for one?

How about a scooter or a pedel-less bike so she can learn to balance herself.

likabike is good for this age

it has an odd added bonus-people are much more tolerant of it on the pavement cos they don't know what it is! and no probs on buses.

then, when shes bigger, a nice puky.

dd got a raleigh bounce for ther third birthday, about £40 from Argos its only 12inch, however if your lo is not pedling yet i.e can she ride a trike i would leave it and get a trike first!

we are getting ds a bike for his 3rd bday next month..would take her to shop to try them

oh meant to add agree if she isnt peddling yet. Just saying to try her on some as even though its only ds 3rd bday we have to get him a 14inch not 12 as he is too tall for 12inch bikes.

nemo that was the exact same with my ds we had to get a 14inch for his third birthday, think it was a raleigh ollie

12/14 inch bike (depending on your child's height, makes a fantastic 3rd b'day present...if you're happy for her to get one for Christmas and potentially not be able to cycle it until the spring, then go for it!

ds got his in Feb and wasn't 3 until April. He adored it from day one but only started pedalling it in May! Until then would sit on it and want us to push him around.

Could someone expand on likabike (link?) please -thats a new one on me!

they sell likeabike here

is there a cheaper version?

Puky make a metal LikeaBike which is cheaper, and has brakes, and a little footrest.

But if you buy a small Puky two-wheeler, you can take the pedals off, and then re-introduce them once they have learned to balance. Hey presto! No stabilisers!

You can't remove the pedals on many small bikes.

Puky bikes have a good re-sale value, apparantly.

Info on Puky bikes Thanks for the tip, they look great!

When we moved we left ds's beautiful bike in storage and got him an old bike here from a charity shop. I've loved it because now we can leave it outside shops or libraries or wherever without having to drag along a lock. It's highly unlikely anyone would be desperate enough to steal it and even if they did, it was only £7.00. DS (4) is fortunately not yet much into image and couldn't care less that his bike isn't a sparkly label one. The important thing for him is it has a basket and a crocodile honker. (Of course a DD may be different.) Definitely recommend going secondhand at this age.

My son started on a Likeabike at 2.5. I loved it because it is so light(you can just hook it on to the back of the buggy) and he loved it because he had so much more control and freedom on it then a regular bike. He is now 4 and got a 'real' bike for his birthday. Jumped straight on it, no stabilisers and rode off into the sunset!

Lidl occasionally have their own version of the LikeaBike - but a lot cheaper. I think last time they were £9.99!

Tchibo also have them sometimes IIRC, but not quite that cheaply.

Also a UK based company do one one a simlar concept - here

kidstrack - a lot of kids actually find a bike easier to pedal than a tricycle, owing to the pedals being more underneath tham rather than out in front.

eBay Page

I just bought the lidl one for a little chap and it is fab, blue adjustable seat and basket £9.99, they maybe back again, will post if so as get the twice weekly newsletter.