Bike for a 2 year Old - Balance or real

dario28

Im looking for opinions on a balance bike or a real bike for my 2year old girl.

Advantages of a balance bike are when they move to a real bike they wont need stabilisers , is that it ?

Any of the ones I have seen in shops are really heavy.

Seaswimmer

I got all our kids cycling very young before we had balance bikes in Ireland but what made it possible was to have a bike small enough so they could put their feet FLAT on the ground. Too many parents buy childrens bikes with a view to getting as long out of them as possible and so they buy it too big. The bike we had had been passed through the extended family and we in turn passed it on.
So....buy a normal bike but of the right size and use it for your other children who come along and then pass it on when finished..

mp2012

I bought a balance bike for my son when he was about two and it is the best buy I ever made. He had endless fun on it, gained his balance and confidence such that when he moved onto a peddle bike he didn't have stabilisers at all, just took about 5 mins at most getting used to pedals and off he went.

He still uses it for messing about on and he is 5 now. I went for the wooden type, not the metal ones, not too heavy at all.

seamus

Yeah, I'd go with the balance bike. My first bike as a kid was some old hand-me-down with no pedals that I shuffled around the place like a balance bike.

I never had a bike with stabilisers, though I do remember riding other kids bikes who did have them and finding them weird. When I started riding a BMX with pedals, I used to start it off by shuffling along like a balance bike, then pop my feet onto the pedals. I don't recall ever having to "learn" how to ride a bike on my own (though I'm sure at some point someone helped me!)

beazee

+1 for a balance bike. It's light enough so no issues getting back from a park with the little fella sleeping on top of your shoulders and a bike in your hand. The one we have is around 3 kg.

The proper, solid bike with stabilisers, sitting in the shed, is at least 10 KG.

yop

Gas, was only looking around at when I shud get a bike for him, he was 2 last week.
What are these like on drives with rough gravel?
Would ye lads buy a 2nd hand one or new?
I spotted this online, have bought from these previously.

http://www.bike24.com/1.php?product=25612;prev=25612;page=5;content=8;navigation=1;menu=1000,173,182,316;lang=2

dario28

Thanks for the replies -

This one is coming up with good reviews and is light

http://www.striderbikes.ie/

Any thoughts ?

joemc99

My neighbour is the agent for strider in ireland, and they are by far the best! I have a crappy wooden one for my daughter, but the strider is much lighter, bearing wheels, and the stays double as foot rests......great job!

b.harte

I got a small crappy spiderman bike of a work collegue for nothing.
Took the crank and chain off and "tidied up"(a few minutes with an angle grinder) the mounting brackets for the chain guard and turned it into a balance bike with brakes.
Our eldest fellow took to it straight away at about age 2, and has now progressed to a proper bike with no stabilisers and our next one is just about to start on it. (will be 2 in April)
A cheap alternative.

kfod

I have a wooden one from CRC I bought for my daughter when she was 2. it lasted about a year and a half (she was well able for it at that stage coasting corners etc) eventually the fork and handlebars separated at what would be a headtube on ordinary bikes. It took some off road abuse though so that may have been what eventually wrecked it. Its up in my attic now as her first bike!
I bought a strider for my sons 2nd birthday. Its a much better job. He has hammered it as well as my (now 6 year old) daughter taking it for the occasional tear around the house before getting told off! I would highly recommend the strider especially if it might get left out in the rain on the odd night and generally abused.

Myksyk

We got the Strider balance bike and its just great. I still have the video last year on her birthday of taking her first pedal bike out of the car, up onto the road, and her taking off immediately on it ... cycling down the road shouting woohooo. ... priceless.

yabadabado

never heard of a balance bike before.I learned how to cycle a bike in the garden without stabilisers,at least when you fall off it doesn't do any damage.:)

flatface

Seaswimmer wrote: »

...have a bike small enough so they could put their feet FLAT on the ground.

+1 on this - I measured up my 2 year old and got a medium puky balance bike but it was 2 big and she couldnt get her feet flat on the ground. Will be bringing it out again soon.
Make sure you measure and go for a bike that has enough clearance if you want them on it straight away. If I did it again I would err on the smaller size so it would be lighter and easier to use.

letape

dario28 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies -

This one is coming up with good reviews and is light

http://www.striderbikes.ie/

Any thoughts ?

Bought a strider bike for Christmas for my two year old. Very happy with it - its very light (about 3kg) and well built.

Decathlon (Belfast) also have a model for about £35 - which seems like good value and is much cheaper than the strider so might be worth considering.

dario28

Any tips for getting her to play on the bike - we have done a few laps of the house but when I let go she doesnt like the feeling and wants to get off !

enas

dario28 wrote: »

Any tips for getting her to play on the bike - we have done a few laps of the house but when I let go she doesnt like the feeling and wants to get off !

Did you go for the strider (or similar) in the end? If yes, then just let her take the initiative by herself, instead of pushing her. It might not be before a few months until she spontaneously decides to play with it and get the hang of it, and eventually get hooked. Toddlers tend to have a very aversive reaction to being pushed or forced to do things, as you surely know

If you bought a real bike, then take the pedals off and let her use it as a balance bike, until she "bonds" with it, and becomes skilled enough.

In either case, make sure the saddle is low enough (allowing her to put both her feet flat with her knees still slightly bent) -- if you can't, then accept she's still a bit too young. Another thing that helps a lot I find (space permitting) is to let the bike in the house with her toys all the time, so that she can spontaneously decide to ride it, even if just for a few meters (as opposed to going outside on purpose and say "now ride it", if you see what I mean).

I bought our daughter an Islabikes Cnoc 14 (truly fantastic bike by the way), and after the initial excitement wore off, she went back to her balance bike, and couldn't care less about the Cnoc 14. I do my best to just accept that, as hard as it is, because (especially with her), I know that if I push her just a bit, all it will do is that she will dislike it.

beazee

Had she ever seen you riding on your own bike?
Does she have her own helmet? My little fella could be wearing the helmet all day that much he likes it!
And as said before - let her decide.

dario28

beazee wrote: »

Had she ever seen you riding on your own bike?
Does she have her own helmet? My little fella could be wearing the helmet all day that much he likes it!
And as said before - let her decide.

Went for the strider - great little design alright

Yeah she comes for bike rides with me on the WeeRide Kangaroo

She wouldnt get on the strider without her helmet !

Ryath

Got this for my daughter for her third birthday
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kettler-Speedy-Balance-Bike-Pink/dp/B002UXQM2U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1360157917&sr=8-3

Quite pleased with it reasonably light at 4kg my daughter has no problems picking it or carrying up and down at the door step. Strider is nearly a kg lighter but is more than twice the price. Bike it self is very well made. Brake is a bit rubbish heavy for her to pull and not really needed. Thinking now I should actually strip it of the bike would lighten it a bit more.

PVA Tyres are not as grippy as pneumatic rubber ones but are fine on my wooden floors or out side on the tarmac. I would be a little bit worried about them on a slippier surface like polished porcelin.
There is another kettler bike discounted to the same price at the moment with rubber tyres but it weights a good bit more with mudgaurds but I suppose these could be left of if that was a concern.

As for getting her to use it my daughter just jumped on it and went from the get go. Quickly went from from walking it along to gliding. I would just leave it inside and let her get on with in her own time. There are days my daughter doesn't go near it and others she could go flying around the house for half an hour at a time. Anything you could do to make her more excited about the bike?
Let her pick a new helmet or get some stickers/decals with favorite characters to personalize the bike a bit more for her?

De Bhál

anyone got a strider bike to sell?

Lumen

dario28 wrote: »

Went for the strider - great little design alright

Yeah she comes for bike rides with me on the WeeRide Kangaroo

She wouldnt get on the strider without her helmet !

She's only two, give her a chance :-)

With both of my kids I used gentle emotional manipulation to get them on bikes.

"You're probably not big enough to ride a bike yet" is probably the most effective strategy.

jezzag

Another +1 for balance bikes. My eldest (now 9) had a cheaply wooden one from Lidl. He never needed stabilisers when he graduated to real bikes. Youngest has a metal one from Decathlon. It is extremely well built with a rear drum brake. Great value.

doozerie

Lumen wrote: »

With both of my kids I used gentle emotional manipulation to get them on bikes.

"You're probably not big enough to ride a bike yet" is probably the most effective strategy.

Do you do parenting nixxers and what are your rates?

flatface

doozerie wrote: »

Do you do parenting nixxers and what are your rates?

Since we have so many youngsters on balance bikes maybe it's time for the first boards junior group spin some sat morning up the sally gap - if someone could lead? I could do with the lie in

Lumen

doozerie wrote: »

Do you do parenting nixxers and what are your rates?

4 chimneys per session.

enas

flatface wrote: »

Since we have so many youngsters on balance bikes maybe it's time for the first boards junior group spin some sat morning up the sally gap - if someone could lead? I could do with the lie in

Something like that? That would be cool (I'll first ask my wife just to be sure).

Slo_Rida

enas wrote: »

Something like that? That would be cool (I'll first ask my wife just to be sure).

Awesome!

doozerie

Lumen wrote: »

4 chimneys per session.

2 chimneys, 2 instances of tiny hands retrieving wayward small bike parts from otherwise inaccessible areas, and 1 instance of instantly clearing an entire neighbourhood with an alarmingly loud and shrill scream of tiny indignation, that's my best offer!

EdRedbird

Real..and try to get a kick/back coaster break (in addition to one or two hands).
Their grip is too small to be able to break

If its a her... dolly seat .
My three year old ..i cant get her of the bike

cdaly_

EdRedbird wrote: »

If its a her... dolly seat .

If it's a child... dolly/teddy seat .

EdRedbird

or those fireman / bob the builder toolboxes.
You cannot establish role patterns quick enough

dario28

Lumen wrote: »

She's only two, give her a chance :-)

.

Eh kids peak around 4 on the strider , if she has any chance of turning pro and winning this she needs to start now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlxOR8h7OV0

every second she is off the bike its a second of wasted training

sprog2010

If you don't want to choose between a balance bike and pedal bike, try the LittleBig bike. You can add pedals to the balance bike so you don't need to buy a separate bike with pedals. It grows too.

sprog2010

Try a balance bike as they're great for the kids development. If you don't want to choose between a balance bike and pedal bike, you could try the LittleBig which converts between the 2, and it grows! littlebigbikes.com

greendom

Why not get a normal bike but take the pedals off until the balance side is sorted ?

xxyyzz

Got one of these for the young lad. They're saucy enough but the build quality is superb, even comes with Schwalbe tyres. As was mentioned above, make sure the size is right. We got it a bit soon for him and he was a bit too small for it and took a set against it for a few months.

It has a little shock on it too so he can go "offroad" when he gets a bit more adventurous.

oconnpad

xxyyzz wrote: »

Got one of these for the young lad. They're saucy enough but the build quality is superb, even comes with Schwalbe tyres. As was mentioned above, make sure the size is right. We got it a bit soon for him and he was a bit too small for it and took a set against it for a few months.

It has a little shock on it too so he can go "offroad" when he gets a bit more adventurous.

Show him this video and explain your "exceptations" :D:D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga72-ASP1uM

xxyyzz

oconnpad wrote: »

Show him this video and explain your "exceptations" :D:D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga72-ASP1uM

This is the same kid from your video at 10 y.o.

oconnpad

Some people are just born to do certain things.

sprog2010

greendom wrote: »

Why not get a normal bike but take the pedals off until the balance side is sorted ?

Aye, I've seen this suggested before, but if you take off the pedals then the child's feet tend to catch on the cranks while they're walking. Also the saddle on a normal pedal bike is too high for most kids to use for a balance bike, they're not sized for having the feet flat on the floor and walking. Also, generally balance bikes are much lighter than a pedal bike so make it easier to push along.

greendom

sprog2010 wrote: »

Aye, I've seen this suggested before, but if you take off the pedals then the child's feet tend to catch on the cranks while they're walking. Also the saddle on a normal pedal bike is too high for most kids to use for a balance bike, they're not sized for having the feet flat on the floor and walking. Also, generally balance bikes are much lighter than a pedal bike so make it easier to push along.

Fair enough - it worked very well for my boy but that was a few years ago.

sprog2010

oconnpad wrote: »

Some people are just born to do certain things.

I've been following Jackson Goldstone since he did that balance bike video. Clearly very talented as a 3 year old and now at 8ish is doing tailwhips and jumping massive ramps. I wonder how good he'll be when he gets to be a teenager...

xxyyzz

sprog2010 wrote: »

I wonder how good he'll be when he gets to be a teenager...

Usual story, pushy parents, women, beer, ditch the bike etc.

sprog2010

xxyyzz wrote: »

Usual story, pushy parents, women, beer, ditch the bike etc.

His folks seem to be medium pushy but seem to have good banter. I'd say he gets the usual drinking and girls that'll get him off the bike, I hope not though!

Raam

The young lad is 2 years and 2 months, he has been on his balance bike since he could stand over it, which is since about 3 weeks ago. He loves it and goes to creche on it. Happy to do a couple of km on it, even if it does take forever. There are complaints when we take the buggy instead of the bike.

Kinet1c

We're a couple of years off needing it but I've been initially looking at LittleBigBikes.

knipper

Lads the balance bikes here are serious money. I bought my two their balance bikes on sports direct for around 20 euro each. Very light no hassle t

knipper

Lads the balance bikes here are serious money. I bought my two their balance bikes on sports direct for around 20 euro each. Very light no hassle to put together and two years later they still love them. Easy to carry for them or me. Have bought them pedal bikes since but left them in the attic for another while cos they still love the balance bikes.

xxyyzz

They are pricey but the good ones do have a very good resale value.

knipper

xxyyzz wrote: »

They are pricey but the good ones do have a very good resale value.

That's true I'll most likely give mine to charity shop when I'm done. I would spend more on the pedal bikes as the weight difference and quality of parts as well as resale make a lot of sense. Just thought I'd make people aware of the sports direct option as the other prices might put people off buying a balance bike and i must say its been the best money we have spent on our two.

Weyhey

Mods - let me know if this needs a new thread.

Anyone know any Dublin places selling Strider bikes? I see the Irish website is gone.

There used to be a stall in the Bushy Park saturday market that sold them but think they are gone and I would like to buy a balance bike for my soon to be 3 year old, before Saturday if possible.

I bought my eldest a scuttlebug when they were a tot and it was too small then bought them a kiddimoto wooden balance bike and it was too wide at the seat and they hated it. Thighs were rubbed raw and wouldn't go near another balance bike. After another year I got them a normal one with stabilizers and they fell off a few times and it has put them off bikes for years. Eldest is nearly 6 years old now and still won't go near a bike so I am afraid to buy the wrong bike again.

I am hoping if I get a good bike for the youngest it might persuade the eldest to give it a go again.