Balance bike or normal bike for a four-year-old?

[MinnieBar]

DD1 will be 4 at the end of the month. We were originally thinking of getting her a 'normal' bike, but I was wondering if a balance bike might be a better start? She's only recently properly started using her scooter (she couldn't manage turning to begin with), but does pretty well on it now.

A friend said that kids who start on balance bikes tend to graduate to proper bikes without having to use stabilisers, as they've already got the idea of balancing. I'm not sure though - I'm just wondering if it's an expensive 'in-between'.

Any thoughts? And any recommendations? I She hates pink btw.

You could get a normal bike and take the pedals off so she use it like a balance bike and see how she gets on? Then you can just convert it back to a real bike when she's ready.

Balance bikes are a waste of money.
Normal bike.

We've done it both ways and the balance bike route was by far the best. Transition to riding properly was super quick and painless compared to the removal of stabilisers.

They can go super fast on a BB and also don't get as tired as they do pedalling.

YY to taking the pedals of a normal bike rather than buying both if money's tight - but I can't fault the BB we had which was just a plain wooden one from the supermarket (I'm in Germany and it's the normal route for learning to ride here) and was only about 25euro.

Hmmm. Opposing views.... any one else?

We had a normal bike with stabilizers for DS. For almost 3 years. Then we gave up and got a balance bike. He was flying around effortlessly within a couple of days. His confidence in general has improved (I think the proper bike had the opposite effect to be honest) and his little sister will be going down the balance bike route too ..

Even 'proper' biker DH, who was very anti-balance bike, has been converted. They're great :)

DS loved his balance bike and went really fast on it - and never had stabilizers when he started on a 'normal' bike - he sorted starting off on that over one weekend (its a very different technique than the balance bike) and never looked back. Now we'll just have to work on getting him to look where he's going

4 year old DS rides a normal bike with no stabilisers, but he started with a balance bike at around 2 and a half.

If you can get a normal bike with the option of taking the pedals off for the first few weeks that would be easiest, or maybe borrow a balance bike.

Well I don't mind buying a balance bike, as DD2 (just turned 2) could have it soon after, and DD1 could have a proper bike maybe from my parents a bit later on.

Any particular recommendations on types, or are they all much of a muchness?

Update in the exciting and gripping world of kids' bikes: my dad has said he can take the pedals off a normal bike no problem. So we might go with that and then a balance bike for DD2 for xmas.

Now, how to get DS to ride his bike without stabilisers... or indeed at all....

Presuming your DS is older than your DD1, I'm sure he'll soon get the hang of it rather than face the embarrassment of seeing his younger sister riding better than him!

I'm in Cambridge so 'bike city!'

DD1 has a Zoom balance bike and loves it. She's had it since her 3rd birthday and has now got the hang of using scooting legs and balancing really well. She's nearly 4 and got loads of height left to go on the bike so will be fine on it til her 5th birthday.

DD2 on the other hand was trying to grab her sisters bike so I got her a Weeride balance bike from eBay for £25, and she looked at it for a few months and refused to go on it. Suddenly she became brave and now scoots around on it really confidently. She will be 2 at the end of July

Having spoken to lots of the bike shop owners here they all say that the balance route is the best as it avoids the need for stabilisers later on.