NSBR (but inspired by kits!): Balance bikes?

[RKSP]

I saw the previews of the amazing kits that Traci and Jady Day are coming out with tomorrow, and it reminded me of the need to get balance bikes for my kids, who are 4 and 2. But I'm completely clueless about how to choose one!

We had gotten tricycles for both of them last year without really thinking about it, since that is what they use in their daycare/preschool, but I read recently that balance bikes may be a better option. How do we choose one though? The sizing issue completely confuses me!

Thanks for any advice!
Ramya

[britaneejean]

i had a friend actually suggest getting a normal bike & taking the pedals off. we haven't done that yet but it's on our list to at least look at. if you get a smaller one (bike, balance bike, etc), they can balance better & learn faster.

[heathergw]

We got one at Costco that we really like.. but if we were to do it all over again we'd buy a bike and take the pedals and gears off

Moriah had training wheels and everything and she's having a hard time learning to balance and ride her bike... on the other hand, we got the balance bike for Isaac and he's soooo good at balancing and we'll probably buy him a regular bike this summer... he literally lifts his legs up and glides down the sidewalk... soooooo ready for a regular bike and totally wishing we had gone that route with Moriah

[RKSP]

Originally Posted by britaneejean

i had a friend actually suggest getting a normal bike & taking the pedals off. we haven't done that yet but it's on our list to at least look at. if you get a smaller one (bike, balance bike, etc), they can balance better & learn faster.

It hadn't even occurred to me that I could just get a regular bike and take the pedals off. My kids are both on the small side, so I'll be on the lookout for smaller bikes/ balance bikes. Thanks!

Originally Posted by heathergw

We got one at Costco that we really like.. but if we were to do it all over again we'd buy a bike and take the pedals and gears off

Moriah had training wheels and everything and she's having a hard time learning to balance and ride her bike... on the other hand, we got the balance bike for Isaac and he's soooo good at balancing and we'll probably buy him a regular bike this summer... he literally lifts his legs up and glides down the sidewalk... soooooo ready for a regular bike and totally wishing we had gone that route with Moriah

Thanks for the feedback--extremely helpful! My daughter, who is 4, isn't even totally confident on a tricycle, but I have a feeling that both of my kids will end up liking a balance bike.

[KristinCB]

ours is called a "strider" (that is the brand) and i LOVE it! Lucas loves it - They are just one size but they have a place for the kids to actually rest their feet on so that is neat so once they are balancing they sorta can just rest their feet on the little bar thing. he scares me on it though :P our driveway is a hill and there is a time or two he has rode down it without me able to stop him in time.. daredevil!

[Jengerbread88]

I had never heard of these until there was a booth for them at the homeschool convention about a month ago... now I'm totally set on getting one for Zach when he's a little older!

[kim21673]

I really wish we would have gotten them for the boys and we WILL be getting one for the baby next year. The older two still have training wheels and it drives me batty! LOL

[RKSP]

Originally Posted by KristinCB

ours is called a "strider" (that is the brand) and i LOVE it! Lucas loves it - They are just one size but they have a place for the kids to actually rest their feet on so that is neat so once they are balancing they sorta can just rest their feet on the little bar thing. he scares me on it though :P our driveway is a hill and there is a time or two he has rode down it without me able to stop him in time.. daredevil!

Ooh, I love the way this one looks, and it sounds great! You've sold me on it!

I'll probably get a pink one and a blue one, one for each kid.

[Txcorey]

I never heard of balance bikes until recently. We just went the training wheel route with my son. We let him get the hang of that and then once he was comfortable with that I talked him into working on riding without the training wheels. I told him he would be faster without the training wheels and that did the trick. I just ran up and down the street with him and he was able to ride in 3 or 4 days. He learned how to ride without training wheels right before he turned 4.

[Jennilyn]

I've never heard of balance bikes! We just went from tricycle to little bike with training wheels to a two wheeler. Both my girls taught themselves how to ride without training wheels!

[AmberK]

I had never heard of balance bikes either. Both of my boys have bikes with training wheels that we just recently took off and took the pedals off my oldests bike so he can learn to balance.

[lovely1m]

My son has one, too, he's about ready for a normal bike now though, too. I picked ours out cause it was on Kids Woot! last year right at the time I was looking.

[SmallMoments]

Originally Posted by britaneejean

i had a friend actually suggest getting a normal bike & taking the pedals off. we haven't done that yet but it's on our list to at least look at. if you get a smaller one (bike, balance bike, etc), they can balance better & learn faster.

Yep! This is what we did!

[Valgal]

Oh gosh, I wouldn't buy one... just take the pedals off! We did this with my dd when she was only 4. After she was able to zoom around w/o wobbling (took about a week) she put the pedals on and WHOOSH, she took off down the sidewalk as if she had been riding for years, lol! It was awesome.

[Libby Pritchett]

Wow, I've never heard of these! I've gotta keep up with this stuff for when Chloe is ready for one in a few years! LOL