Balance bike advice

[winjim]

It's coming up to our daughter's second birthday and she's getting a balance bike. So, any advice or recommendations? Things to look for, things to avoid? Good or bad brands?

Advice and mockery welcome, as always.

 

[Drago]

The pink Zooom bike, perfect.

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/fs-3-kids-bike-and-2-adult-bikes.220697/#post-4868168

This one was actually Mini Drago's, and when she outgrew it I passed it on.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Make sure the gruppo is at least Campag Record.
She deserves the best.

 

[KnackeredBike]

Got one from eBay for £20, it is brilliant and she is the envy of her preschool (well, if she's leaving the trailer at home).

Get your kid cycling and get one that is pretty/boyish that will get other kids cycling too.

 

[winjim]

The pink Zooom bike, perfect.

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/fs-3-kids-bike-and-2-adult-bikes.220697/#post-4868168

This one was actually Mini Drago's, and when she outgrew it I passed it on.

What did you like about the Zooom? Is that a back brake it has?

Make sure the gruppo is at least Campag Record.
She deserves the best.

We don't want to spoil her. She can have Chorus and be happy with it.

 

[Drago]

Its well constructed (was a hundred quid new), low C of G, and it does indeed have a back brake. Did the trick nicely.

 

[Andy_R]

With balance bikes, everything @Drago has said is the way forward...light weight, low centre of gravity, a brake to stop it. Nothing else. We do Bikeability Balance with bikes like that and to be honest, usually after 30 mins of playing with the balance bikes the kids are zooming round like Lance on EPO

 

[Bonefish Blues]

We had a Scoot and it was ever so slightly too heavy for daughter to start with. If I was doing it again I'd go with the lightest I could get, which is the Rothan I think.

ETA
Our daughter really got going after a session at Center Parcs, who do a very good balance bike class for kids. They use these, which I remember as being notably light too (suspension-ish at rear, also). Getting pricey now though!

http://www.likeabike.co.uk/m3b0s337p8/LIKEaBIKE-Jumper

 

[User169]

Puky...

https://www.puky.net/en/k/laufrad_lr_m/p/Laufrad_LR_M_flieder

Very hard wearing and the smallest I could find. No brake though, but don't remember that being a problem.

 

[ianrauk]

Ian Jnr also had a Zooom. Cracking little bikes. The brake is superfluous really as at that age they don't really use it and not really needed.
All his nursery chums loved trying it out in the playground as he was the only kid with a (balance) bike. Though a couple of parents wouldn't let their kids try it as they didn't have helmets (let's not go there here) Once he had grown too big for the bike we gave it it his nursery to use who were chuffed.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

OP, look no further. I mean, do you love your child? I mean, really love your child?

https://www.johnlewis.com/kiddimoto-the-karbon-balance-bike-2-5-years-matte-black/p3182777

Fook fook fookity-fook

 

[winjim]

Puky...

https://www.puky.net/en/k/laufrad_lr_m/p/Laufrad_LR_M_flieder

Very hard wearing and the smallest I could find. No brake though, but don't remember that being a problem.

Yeah, but Puky?

OP, look no further. I mean, do you love your child? I mean, really love your child?

https://www.johnlewis.com/kiddimoto-the-karbon-balance-bike-2-5-years-matte-black/p3182777

Fook fook fookity-fook

It's very difficult to quantify something like paternal love. But they seem to be giving it a shot.

 

[Levo-Lon]

We got one of these for the grandson..he loved it, he now has a pedal bike

https://teamsky.frogbikes.com/lightweight-kids-bikes/balance-bikes/tadpole.aspx