balance bikes

[bjh]

We want to get our son a balance bike.

Which is the best? Any to avoid?

Is wooden frame better than metal?

Advice please!!!

Thank you

[vez]

Our son loves his puky bike. Very sturdy and has a proper base where he can rest his feet. Not cheap though but we will reuse it for our second.

[etta166]

I'd need a bit more information to know what to recommend. How old, tall and heavy is your son? Do you have other children (e.g. will you be pushing a buggy and carrying the bike too). The different styles all have their adtantages and disadvantages.

My oldest started on a balance bike at 3, and we loved the ridgeback scoot (or adventure zooom, they seem to be the same). However, my daughter started just before she was 2, and couldn't fit on that bike. We borrowed a small wooden Likeabike and that was great for her. However, it was more akward to carry. We also briefly borrowed a Islabike Rothan that was great, but very expensive for a new one. It was the best one we tried though. Likeabike also do an aluminium one that looks good, and our neighbours really like theirs. However, it is small and so won't necessarily get your child through to the point where they can ride a pedal bike.

You can try out different bikes at Bon Velo in Herne Hill and also try the Decathlon own brand one in the Surrey Quays store.

[londonhypnobirthing]

I'd HIGHLY recommend a Specialized Hotrock bike. We bought one for my son's 3rd birthday in December and he'd learnt to ride it on his own, with pedals (no stabilizers) after about a month of using it as a balance bike (we got a bike shop to take the pedals off to start with, then had them put pack on when he felt ready to attempt riding it properly!).

My husband is a bit of a bike geek (read: bmx-er in mourning) so he spend about two months researching the best balance bikes before finally settling on the Specialized Hotrock. They're about ?150 new, but we managed to get a second hand one from Gumtree for ?60 so it's worth looking around. This article on Two Wheeling Tots explains it well:

"Most cheaper balance bikes (including the wooden variety) have taller handlebars, which increases the center of gravity for the rider, thereby making the bike more difficult to balance. So now, not only are the bike hard to pedal, they are also more difficult to balance. Higher-end 12″ bikes however, designed by biking companies rather than toy companies, understand the importance of the geometry of a bike frame and have, in recent years, begun to address the issues. While other brands are superior to cheap bikes, Specialized 12″ Hotrock, is by far the best 12″ bike on the market. In fact, it is the only 12″ bike I recommend to younger kids ready for pedals. By simply moving the bottom bracket (where the crank arms attach to the frame of the bike) slightly forward, they increase the leverage children have on the pedals thereby making their bike much easier to ride. The geometry of other high-end brands, such as Haro, are significantly better than lower-end bikes, but not a good as Specialized Hotrock."

If you want to read the rest, it's here: http://www.twowheelingtots.com/specialized-hotrock-12-review/

Sorry for banging on...in essence my understanding is that you're much better off buying a bike from a bike company rather than a toy company! Also, it seems much better value to buy a bike that you can use with or without pedals in terms of longevity.

[sj]

I'm going to post an ad for a silver scoot for sale soon. It is in really good condition.

Let me know if that could be a brand you might be interested in.

[lemonkel]

Hi there, We too had this dilemma! We found the 'tiny bike' is just brilliant, couldnt recommend it more. Its from fun4kids but we bought it from a site called Mini Social as cheapest we found online. ?44 brand new including next day delivery. Really nice looking, loads of colours, sturdy and the little ones love theirs. Hope that helps :)

[Bishberro]

Hi - we just bought my son a metal one from Decathlon for around ?30 I think. It's lightweight to carry when he gets tired, it doesn't matter if it gets bashed about and he's gone straight from that to a normal bike without stabilisers. I think balance bikes have quite a small window. My son had his for a year from 3 to 4 so I didn't see the point on shelling out loads of cash on an expensive one.

[Bloomchen]

Can only recommend a Wishbone bike or a Likeabike mini! Not cheap though but well worth the money.