A child’s bike fitted with stabilizers offers a safe way for parents to get their kids into cycling. Once confident with steering, they can wean them off the training wheels and teach them how to balance on the bike and move forward without falling over.
Balance bikes have handlebars, a frame, wheels and a saddle but they do not have training wheels or any pedals and, as the name suggests, they teach children to balance before learning to steer; this builds co-ordination and confidence more quickly and makes the transition to a full bicycle that much easier.
Best First Bike for Kids
So how do balance bikes work and why do many people feel they are the best first bike for kids? Without pedals, a child sits on the bike and moves it forward by pushing with the feet, gradually progressing to walking and then running, which is why balance bikes are often referred to as “running bikes.” Children seem to know instinctively what to do when they sit on a balance bike for the first time and they can just play, learning key motor skills as they go.
As kids get confident on a running bike, they quickly progress to “gliding” by running forward then freewheeling as far as possible until they start to lose their balance and have to put their feet on the ground again. As they glide, they learn how to balance naturally and the transition to a normal bike without stabilizers is quick and easy.
Wooden Balance Bicycle
The most popular balance bikes are made of wood. Weighing around 3.5kg, they are light enough for a child to carry and are designed to be used by toddlers from the ages of one up to five years. Most wooden learner bikes can be purchased with a cradle to turn the bike into a rocking horse, offering parents two toys for the price of one.
Prices for wooden bikes start from around £49/$75. Popular brands are LikeaBike, made from high quality materials that come with a 2 year guarantee, Puky, Kiddimoto and Hudora. There are also many own brand training bikes from large cycle retailers like UK market leader Halfords, such is the popularity of these learner bikes.
Colorful Learner Bikes for Kids
While learner bikes are also made out of steel in lots of different colors, many wooden bicycles come adorned with favorite television characters or must-have colors like pink for girls. The girl’s balance bike seen in the picture below from John Crane, for example, comes complete with pink saddle, handlebars, pink swirly wheels and girly hearts and flowers and costs just £50/$80 from Amazon.
Balance Bike for Children
Parents who want to teach their children to ride a bicycle would do well to consider a balance bike, allowing instinctive acquisition of balance and motor skills. Stabilizers make it safe to learn pedaling and steering skills, but some children find it hard to acquire the balancing skills needed to ride a bike without falling off; a balance bike may therefore be the ideal first bike choice.
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Also of interest may be How to Teach a Child to Ride a Bike Without Stablizers, How to Choose a Bike Attachment for Kids for Family Cycling and Why Buy a Trailer Bike?
Helen Smeaton - Helen Smeaton runs a cycling and hiking business and is also a freelance writer and web designer. Read her profile for more information
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