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Balance bikes make bike riding easy and fun to learn
By Jeremiah | November 25, 2008 | 15 comments / Join the conversation!
Photo by Tommy and Georgie, shared via Flickr.
Z has had a bike since she was two, and at four is just now getting into riding it. She's off to a bit of a late start.
This is not a bicycle, mind you - at least, not the kind you're probably used to. It's a balance bike - a two-wheeled, bicycle-styled conveyance lacking pedals or gears, designed for kids who are too young to ride a proper bicycle. Essentially, it's a way of teaching kids how to balance on a bike that is the direct opposite of the American preference for training wheels, and it works better. Kids learn to balance before they learn to go fast, and their abilities increase as their balance does. Once they've mastered the balance bike, they can do all kinds of fun things - like riding fast and even doing little tricks - that they wouldn't be able to do on a full-sized, far heavier bike, and by the time they're ready for a larger bike, they won't need training wheels at all.
Our vision was that Z would learn to ride this instead of a bike with training wheels or a tricycle. Grandparents intervened, and Z now has a beloved trike and bicycle at the home of one well-meaning set of grandparents, and another to come this Christmas at the other. Our entreaties to help her work out the balance bike have largely fallen on deaf ears, but we work it out by removing the training wheels from new bicycles while the grandparents are distracted, and making them disappear. We are sneaky that way, and we hold out the offer to Z of riding those bikes once she's ready for them.
Here are a couple of short clips of Z learning to ride her Kettler balance bike. She is just starting to explore its possibilities now because (a) her grandmother appears to be on board with it, as Z has a passion for fast tricycling and clearly needs somewhere to go from there, and (b) she has learned a bit of balance, and has seen videos of other kids on similar balance bikes, and now has a sense of the possibilities for speed and putting oneself in harm's way, which she is quite keen to do.
Here's a clip of a kid who has advanced a bit beyond Z's skills.
And here's another one, this one for a different brand of balance bike than the one we have. There are many brands out there, each with their own little design details, and prices for most brands are between $80-$120.
Here are a few brands and models we'd recommend based on their specs and prices.
PV Glider: Made of lightweight alloy, Glide's balance bikes weigh only six pounds, making them very easy to maneuver. A hand brake may be overly complicating for younger riders, but other parents report their children using it effectively. Solid rubber tires. Features a 10" footplate for resting feet on during movement. $100 on Amazon.com.
Kettler Sprint: Mudflaps, cute styling, inflatable tubeless tires, a hand brake, and a kickstand. Based on our experience, this bike's a winner - the two limitations we found are (a) it takes a bit of work to put it together, although we were never stumped, and (b) you need to have a wrench handy to adjust the seat height. $110-$120 on Amazon.com.
Skuut: Made of wood, with inflatable tubeless tires and a seat with fewer height options. Ten pounds. $82 on Amazon.com. Similar to the SmartGear balance bike that is widely available, but Skuut has an established reputation for their balance bikes, while SmartGear is a new entrant to this market.
The one truly noncompetitive company in this arena, in our view, is the LIKEaBIKE brand, which sells its models for more than three times the price of any of its competitors. Their metal version, the Jumper, sells for $269, and the company's wooden design runs $315. Although LIKEaBIKEs come with higher-quality tires than other brands, the key difference appears to be in the country of manufacture - LIKEaBIKEs are made in Germany, whereas virtually every other brand's bikes - Kettler, Skuut, Strider, SmartGear, and the recent U.S. startup Glide included - are made in China. We tend to support domestic and European production when it can remain nearly competitive on price or when there is a clear difference in quality; in this case, the gap is just too large and the differences too subtle to justify the price gap from a consumer standpoint.
You can price and evaluate different balance bikes on Amazon.com.
This is not a bicycle, mind you - at least, not the kind you're probably used to. It's a balance bike - a two-wheeled, bicycle-styled conveyance lacking pedals or gears, designed for kids who are too young to ride a proper bicycle. Essentially, it's a way of teaching kids how to balance on a bike that is the direct opposite of the American preference for training wheels, and it works better. Kids learn to balance before they learn to go fast, and their abilities increase as their balance does. Once they've mastered the balance bike, they can do all kinds of fun things - like riding fast and even doing little tricks - that they wouldn't be able to do on a full-sized, far heavier bike, and by the time they're ready for a larger bike, they won't need training wheels at all.
Our vision was that Z would learn to ride this instead of a bike with training wheels or a tricycle. Grandparents intervened, and Z now has a beloved trike and bicycle at the home of one well-meaning set of grandparents, and another to come this Christmas at the other. Our entreaties to help her work out the balance bike have largely fallen on deaf ears, but we work it out by removing the training wheels from new bicycles while the grandparents are distracted, and making them disappear. We are sneaky that way, and we hold out the offer to Z of riding those bikes once she's ready for them.
Here are a couple of short clips of Z learning to ride her Kettler balance bike. She is just starting to explore its possibilities now because (a) her grandmother appears to be on board with it, as Z has a passion for fast tricycling and clearly needs somewhere to go from there, and (b) she has learned a bit of balance, and has seen videos of other kids on similar balance bikes, and now has a sense of the possibilities for speed and putting oneself in harm's way, which she is quite keen to do.
Here's a clip of a kid who has advanced a bit beyond Z's skills.
And here's another one, this one for a different brand of balance bike than the one we have. There are many brands out there, each with their own little design details, and prices for most brands are between $80-$120.
Quick Picks
Here are a few brands and models we'd recommend based on their specs and prices.
PV Glider: Made of lightweight alloy, Glide's balance bikes weigh only six pounds, making them very easy to maneuver. A hand brake may be overly complicating for younger riders, but other parents report their children using it effectively. Solid rubber tires. Features a 10" footplate for resting feet on during movement. $100 on Amazon.com.Kettler Sprint: Mudflaps, cute styling, inflatable tubeless tires, a hand brake, and a kickstand. Based on our experience, this bike's a winner - the two limitations we found are (a) it takes a bit of work to put it together, although we were never stumped, and (b) you need to have a wrench handy to adjust the seat height. $110-$120 on Amazon.com.Skuut: Made of wood, with inflatable tubeless tires and a seat with fewer height options. Ten pounds. $82 on Amazon.com. Similar to the SmartGear balance bike that is widely available, but Skuut has an established reputation for their balance bikes, while SmartGear is a new entrant to this market.The one truly noncompetitive company in this arena, in our view, is the LIKEaBIKE brand, which sells its models for more than three times the price of any of its competitors. Their metal version, the Jumper, sells for $269, and the company's wooden design runs $315. Although LIKEaBIKEs come with higher-quality tires than other brands, the key difference appears to be in the country of manufacture - LIKEaBIKEs are made in Germany, whereas virtually every other brand's bikes - Kettler, Skuut, Strider, SmartGear, and the recent U.S. startup Glide included - are made in China. We tend to support domestic and European production when it can remain nearly competitive on price or when there is a clear difference in quality; in this case, the gap is just too large and the differences too subtle to justify the price gap from a consumer standpoint.
You can price and evaluate different balance bikes on Amazon.com.
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I am interested to learn if you looked at the Strider. We want to get this for A for Christmas. Have you looked into this bike?
We didn’t include the Strider as one of our picks simply because the Kettler seemed to offer the same basic features plus pneumatic tires (which need air, but roll better when they are filled than solid tires). The Kettler does cost a bit more than the Strider, though, and the Strider has a lower minimum seat height than most, which could be good for younger/smaller riders (although specs don’t always say, so comparing head-to-head can be a pain).
Whatever you get, let us know what you - and A - think of it!
Many of the major bicycle manufacturers are making balance bikes now as well, available through your local bike shop. The advantage to shopping there is the professional assembly and service, which you won’t get at department stores or Amazon. Plus, if the balance bike experiment is successful, it will be time for a real 2-wheeler before long, and back to the bike shop you go.
A fascinating tip, GamJams. Can you point us to any? I’ve done a quick search of the bike companies I’m familiar with and haven’t turned any up.
Sure. Specialized makes one called the HotWalk. Canadian company Norco has one called the Run Bike. And Adams - the company that made the Trail-a-bike famous - has one as well, also called the Run Bike (in fact, it looks exactly like the Norco). Any shop that carries any of these brands should be able to get them, even if you don’t see them in stock.
We purchased a 12” traditional bike and removed the training wheels and pedals. the part the pedals attach to sat close enough to the bike to not cause a problem (though that can be removed too). My daughter called it her “practice bike” and we promised her choice of the girly-est bike she wanted if she learned to ride. She was just over 4, and had that bike figured out in NO time. She was quite daring too, I finally got so nervous with her speed I put the pedals back on in attempt to slow her down, but she was at it again in 2 days. She was a pro, from a trike to a bike in just 2 months! LOL She got her 16” bike for her 5th birthday. I think the balance bikes are a great investment, and wish I had known about them before (the lighter weight would have made the first few days of learning to balance much easier), but at least my DD got to learn to pedal on a bike she was already comfortable with. Now her 3 year old brother uses the “practice bike” and her friends have trouble keeping up with her… training wheels don’t allow them to ride as fast.
We have the Skuut on our Christmas wishlist for the oldest. I’m a huge fan of these. THey break down bike riding into manageable, less scary components. Quite perfect for my cautious kid
For our 3 year old twin boys, we had a wooden balance bike we picked up for $13 at Target on clearance, plus two 12” bikes (picked up free from someone giving them away) from which we removed the pedals. Both the balance bike and pedal free conventional bikes helped our boys learn to balance quickly and they were zooming around in no time. However after the initial comfort level was established, I think the balance bikes actually hindered them from progressing to pedalling a two wheeler. Everytime we tried to reinstall the pedals, they were too timid to try to ride the bikes. They would coast on the bikes without pedals very fast though. Finally, after they turned 4 1/2 years old, one day my husband reinstalled the pedals, and just pushed them around for several hours, gradually giving them less and less support. After a weekend of this, they were pros! It retrospect, I’m glad we went the cheap route on this phase (they had pricey Kettler trikes which they grew out of so quickly) and didn’t invest in more expensive balance bikes. They’ll be getting new 16” bikes this Christmas.
We found a great review blog that covers many of the popular models out there.
http://tview29.wordpress.com/
Worth looking at.
My 2 1/2 year old daughter learned on a Push-N-Go Balance Bike. It was so light that she could even carry it up steps and I am sure it was the lightness that made it so easy for her. Now she is 3 and riding a bike with pedals although truth be told, she still prefers her balance bike.
Wow, I never knew such a bike existed. I really like the idea of riding a 2 wheeler w/out pedals. I think I’ll get a regular bike and just have hubby remove the pedals.
I second the recommendation of the tview29.wordpress.com review.
We recently purchased a Kinderbike that we like very much. My 3-year old non peddler son is not enamored with it - yet - but he still hasn’t gotten the hang of riding it.
Prior to purchasing the Kinderbike we looked around a lot, and had planned on getting the Skuut. Our two local REI locations strongly recommended we not get the Skuut. They have so many returns they can’t keep them in stock. They said they could cannibalize a couple they had that had been returned, but didn’t think it was a good idea. We tried the Novara run bike they carry but it was too short for our 90th percentile in height son. We tried a 12” bike with the peddles off, but it also did not fit - too tall this time. After more reading we settled on the Kinderbike - great price/value, solid construction. Poor instructions however, so if mechanics and instructions are not your thing, take it to a bike shop.
What’s the difference between buying a balance bike and just buying a regular bike w/ the wheels removed? The balance bikes all seem more pricey than regular bikes so I’m wondering what their advantages are.
Smurfett, I’m guessing the weight and the bar the pedal attaches to. We removed the training wheels and pedals on a regular bike. For a day or so the bar the pedal attaches to was in the way, then it didn’t bother her after that. But it was one of the 12” tiny bikes, and it was pretty heavy for her. When she’d tip or have to pick it up off the ground, it was difficult for her to lift it for a while, but she got used to it. I thought the weight was not good at first, but then realized she needed to build those muscles for when we put the pedals back on! My DD was barely over 4 yrs or so when she got that bike. I’d probably buy a real balance bike if we could afford it, but the price difference is insane. lol
The main difference is the weight. Take the pedals off a regular bike and you still have the whole chain mechanism that adds a lot of weight. My 2 1/2 year old daughter learnt on a Push-N-Go Bike which was very light and a good price as well. She is now 4 and my son who is nearly 2 will be starting on it shortly.