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While watching my little ones playing with their bikes and scooters I got to thinking..I don’t remember learning to ride a bike, but I can. Do you remember the actual process of learning to ride? Now I remember teaching my little ones how to ride their bikes and other rolling things but I have no memories of how hard it is to learn the skill.
It’s probably a good thing..from the number of scrapes and skinned knees my older crew had while learning to ride. Fast forward several years and our younger crew are learning to ride without the trauma or skinned knees with a balance bike.
Have you heard about Balance Bikes?
A balance bike is a bicycle without pedals that helps children learn counterbalance and steering at an early age. It is the perfect first bike for any child.
Balance Bikes are made for children ages 3+ and are available in 12” metal or plastic frames with six different color options. Our metal toddler bikes come with rear end handbrakes and our lightweight plastic toddler bikes weigh only 4.9 lbs and are water resistant.
With a push bike, children are able to focus on the most important part of riding a bicycle…balance. If a child learns how to ride on a pre-balanced bicycle such as a bike with training wheels or a tricycle, they become too dependent on them and develop bad riding habits. In addition, these riding styles don’t offer the same riding experience as a Balance Bike. They can easily get stuck on gravel or corners causing frustrations for kids. A push bike is made to ride exactly like a bicycle, no getting stuck on rough terrain or trouble turning corners.
One of the great things about push bikes is that they allow each child to learn and progress at a pace that they are comfortable with. As kids gain confidence, they will feel encouraged to balance on two wheels. If they ever lose balance, they can simply place their feet back on the ground.
The ultimate goal with any kids training bike is to help kids make the transition from their first bike to a bicycle. With these toddler bikes, that transition is made almost effortlessly. Not only will children love practicing, but they will have control over safety and be able to take charge of their learning speed.
My Thoughts:
Our crew is learning to balance and coast on their new Black Logo Metal Balance Bike. They have surprised me at how fast they picked up on how to use it.
Colton mastered the coasting and being able to balance within a few hours. He still struggles with using the hand brake and often upsets his balance by grabbing the brake instead of putting down his feet. I have no doubt that by spring he will be ready for a regular bike. He already seems more balanced and comfortable on his other wheeled toys.
So far Ms Allie has been more interested in straddling the balance bike and just walking around. Since she is not three year, I think she is doing well. I am sure that as soon as her bubba moves to a regular bike, she will have this balance bike mastered.
Setting up the balance bike was pretty straight forward. It does require a little assembly, but everything you need is included in the packaging. Depending on the height of your little one, you will need to fit the seat and handle bar to the correct position both for comfort and safety. Both the handle bar and the seat are adjustable with the wrench that comes with your balance bike.
The bike is small enough that our little ones can get on and off it by themselves. This has been an issue with other ride on units, so I am thrilled that the design really considered the abilities of a young child.
If you have a little one that is showing interest in a bike or other wheeled unit, I recommend taking a long look at the Balance Bike. Being able to balance and steer while coasting is a great skill that will serve them well as they get older. The transition from coasting to pedaling should be smooth since they won’t be trying to learn how to do it all at the same time.
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We’ve added the Balance Bike to our MEGA Christmas Gift Guide! Check it out here!