balance bike or proper bike

[arallsopp]

Bless, that looks like Ted's islabike (but in blue rather than red.) He started pushing the pedals around properly when he was around 3 and a quarter (Andy pretends he doesn't recall the exact moment) and hasn't looked back since. His sister is on it now, and she's a fairly sturdy 2 and a half year old.

I say 'fairly sturdy'. I mean, in the same way that a K6 UK telephone box is.

 

[summerdays]

Thanks again for your responses. I finally settled for an Islabike Cnoc 14:

Not yet her birthday, so I don't yet how she'll react. So far all I can tell is that I'm jealous I can't ride it myself a bit

Very nice ... and I can't believe I'm saying this ... but is that chain a little slack? (Could just be the angle of the photo).

 

[subaqua]

What age was he?

4 , eldest used stabiulisers and no balance bike thingy and didn't ride till she was nearly 6

 

[ufkacbln]

There was one bike by a company called Rennrad in Germany who provided the sensible answer:

A "balance bike with a small stub under the frame

Then when the child is ready the bottom bracket fits to the stub...

Means that they can develop on the same bike.


I really don't know why no-one else does something similar

 

[enas]

Thanks for your answers, they're quite encouraging!

I say 'fairly sturdy'. I mean, in the same way that a K6 UK telephone box is.

I had to google to find out what a K6 booth is.

Very nice ... and I can't believe I'm saying this ... but is that chain a little slack? (Could just be the angle of the photo).

I know! I didn't notice anything on the bike (it was set up very well, just the brakes weren't centred well enough -- not sure if that's any important on a child's bike, but I couldn't help it), but I thought exactly the same when I saw that particular photo. Now the bike is stored again waiting for the birthday, so I'll have to wait a bit more to check that out (though I not too sure if that matters at all).

I really don't know why no-one else does something similar

To be honest, I wouldn't be too excited about that. Looks like an over-engineered design to me, that would do neither good...

 

[Markymark]

We (Santa and me) bought our nearly 4yo girl a Specialzed Hotrock for Christmas. I removed teh stabilsers and the pedals and she's now using it as a balance bike. Its going well and she can push herself at a reasinbable pace to get some balance. The sloght difficulty is that we bought a size a bit too big so it will be a couple of months until her feet are flat on the ground to get some proper speed up by running along (seat is at the lowest).

Progress is going well and she loves it.

Our friends all put stabilisers on theirs but I think she's showing great progress at learning to ride although everyone else thinks were being mean!

 

[enas]

We (Santa and me) bought our nearly 4yo girl a Specialzed Hotrock for Christmas. I removed teh stabilsers and the pedals and she's now using it as a balance bike. Its going well and she can push herself at a reasinbable pace to get some balance. The sloght difficulty is that we bought a size a bit too big so it will be a couple of months until her feet are flat on the ground to get some proper speed up by running along (seat is at the lowest).

Progress is going well and she loves it.

It's a 16" wheel right? I expect the 14" wheel size would have the same effect on my nearly 3year-old daughter (don't expect her to gain confidence before a few months).

Our friends all put stabilisers on theirs but I think she's showing great progress at learning to ride although everyone else thinks were being mean!

I know what you mean. My wife is still not 100% percent convinced I'm not being mean either (she says she learnt with stabilisers as most other kids and she hasn't been traumatised for the rest of her life -- of course, she forgets how much she likes it when her mother gives her parenting "advices" using the exact same justification).

 

[Markymark]

Correct...

I think people get it but think it's odd. I don't know the best way to go, but it seems to be working. My slight worry is that my daughter may wonder why she dones't have stablisers but I've promised myself that if she insists she wants them, I'll explain what I'm trying to do and that she can have them if she still does.

Obviously reasoning with a 3yo will be harder!

 

[enas]

Obviously reasoning with a 3yo will be harder!

Of course. At the moment, she seems far more attracted by dad's big bike, and also big kids bikes she sees outside (I had to explain her so many times that it makes no use having the biggest bike, all you need is a bike the right size for you). So I'm quite confident she won't be begging for stabilisers. And I'm sure that once she'll master it, she won't care at all about what other kids have.

 

[Markymark]

One thing made me laugh, there she was the very first time, just about holding on to her enourmas bike keeping it upright, shuffling along..then asked why weren't riding on the road.

Said it might be a while before she is good enough for that!!

 

[Hicky]

Balance bikes all the way!!!!(or normal without the pedals)
Cruel, no....providing an enviroment for them to flourish.

 

[ianrauk]

Balance bikes all the way.
The nipper at just over 2years old

 

[Lanzecki]

My 3 Girls all learnt on stabilizers. One of them as asbergers and that slowed down her progression from stabilisers to non-stabilisers, where her twin sister didn't have any problems, cue childish comments etc. Eventually I removed the bottom bracket from the Girl that was having problems and dropped the seat.

Ignoring the embarresment issues she soon learn and was on pedal's a week later.

Daughter No.4 is about to get a balance bike (removed bottom bracket) for her birthday, and the Son and Heir has a toddle bike bought and in the attic ready and waiting for him.

In hindsight I would have had them all on some sort of balance bike wand no stabalisers.

 

[enas]

Update: She's been offered the bike today. To much surprise, she got immediately hooked (I was expecting she would be indifferent or reluctant, and that I would have to try again in a few weeks or months)! Bike is a tad too big though -- she's missing maybe one centimetre to sit confidently on the saddle. But she's happy to stay upright with the bike between her legs. She can already learn how to mount and dismount (which, surprisingly, she achieved very easily), how to steer (not so easy in fact), how to brake (she loves that), and how to "park" (her word) the bike. When the weather turns milder (I know the South West of Ireland is nothing like what you guys have at the moment, but still, there should be better days to come), she'll try outside.

My only real disappointment with this bike really is... that the head tube doesn't have any badge, or anything fancy on it; just a small plain band painted on it.

 

[ianrauk]

Nice one.
Pic would be nice.