In praise of Balance Bikes - My DD can ride her new pedal bike after just 2 attempts!

[Astrophe]

She had a Puky Balance Bike for 18 months.
She certainly didn't ride it constantly as she shared it with her brother and also has a scooter which she rides a lot - but even so, she is able to ride the bike she got for her birthday on Saturady already!

I am very proud of her, and also really pleased that the balance bike 'worked' IYSWIM.

So anyone considering a Balance Bike for their DC should definately get one I say!

How old is she? DS was great on his balance bike but a year after getting a proper bike he still can't ride it. He's just about to turn 5. In retrospect I wish I had bought another larger balance bike when he outgrew his.

I think DS's problem is mostly to do with pedalling though as we eventually bought stabilisers for the bike and he still couldn't get the hang of it.

DD just turned 5, so she had the balance bike from 3.5 - 5 years.

Hmm, thats interesting bran. Have the pedals got a long 'shaft'? I have no idea if that is the correct terminology, but you know how if the bit the pedal is attached to is too short, you can't get enough power on the downward push? We had a trike that was hopeless like that - neither of my kids could ride it, and yet they could easily ride other trikes at nursery etc.

DS1 had a balance bike from aged 2 and then had a proper bike at aged 3 and was riding it at 3.25 years.

He struggled a bit with pedalling but DH a major cycling enthusiast put stabilisers on it but made them fixed so the bike didn't move he just learnt to pedal - if that makes sense.

We are so not hot-housey type parents apart from DH and cycling.

Apparently DS1 was the prototype and for DS2 he will also be having a trike to perfect his pedalling skills too

You can always take the pedals off the normal bike for a bit too rather than buying a larger balance bike that they may not use for long.

I do think practice with pedals on a trike helps as well!

Isn't it amazing?

DS had a trike for about a year, then a Puky balance bike for 12 months and then, aged 3.5, he sat on a pedal bike without training wheels and zoomed off

Yes, it is amazing! I hoped the balance bike would help their balance, but didn't really expect her to get it so quickly - I was just happy she enjoyed the balance bike and got some healthy excersise with it.

It really is fab - DH thought we should maybe leave the stabilisers on for a bit, but now we are both glad that sahe never even saw them - I think she would have become reliant on them, and my DD is not always one for stepping out and being brave with physical things - It would have taken aaaages to consent to try without stabilisers.

:O I am so pleased for DD!

I'm not sure what sort of pedals it has Astrope, it's an Isla bike which was highly recommended by lots of Mnetters when I was researching. Perhaps I just changed to early and should have waited an extra year. He has never been able to pedal a trike either. He couldn't do the Triang that we have at home and he never pedalled any of the different types of trike at nursery either.

I think he doesn't understand the mechanics of a pedal. I've tried breaking it down into steps, 1) push your top pedal forward and then downwards with your foot, 2) now your other foot is at the top, push forwards and downwards with that foot, 3) repeat with whichever is at the top and try to speed up. He just keeps trying to push down with his foot and can't seem to distinguish whether he's pushing forward and down or backward and down. Unfortunately the bike has a back-pedal break so every two or three pedals he comes to a juddering halt.

Our trike had pedals that go round by itself - It has a long handle for the parent to push and, as you push, the front wheel goes round and so do the pedals. I think that really helped - DS felt the movement so copied it. He was able to pedal much sooner than his friends with normal trikes.

I think ours was an ancient one that someone was giving away but I am thankful we got it. If you can get hold of one, it might help.

If its a reccomened brand then I reckon the pedals should be fine Bran - I'm sure he'll get the hang of it one day, and never stop after that