Fork-it Posted November 9, 2015 Share Hi allI am in search of expert advice.. This is no unique situation and there aren't many options. My daughter is 2 1/2 turning 3 in April 2016. Long story short, I want to get her to enjoy cycling. What is the best route to follow at her age and onward. I want to buy her something that she will enjoy and that she will not outgrow in a month or two. The current trend seems to be the 'balance bike' option. I would appreciate any feedback from parents and non-parents alike. As with any cycling related purchase, we all know tat we need peace of mind and value for money. Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bateleur1 Posted November 9, 2015 Share May I suggest buying a normal bike for her size. Take off the pedals and training wheels and use it as a balance bike until she has the balance right. Add the pedals and have fun. GreatGusto, Pieterlab1, Fork-it and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahmedbadat Posted November 9, 2015 Share strider balance bike is what my boy uses, he loves it, they also regularly host fun races for strider riders which is alot of fun for the kids. they learn so much skills at those events. Fork-it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popcorn_skollie Posted November 9, 2015 Share I made the mistake of buying my daughter one of thesehttp://www.velosklad.ru/i/fotodop/big/2749.jpgDon't. Get her 2 wheels from the beginning so she learns balance early. So I got her the JD Bug and she is also happier because it goes faster. There are many quality balance bikes to choose from besides the JD bug.Muna, Joovy, Strider, etc. All essentially the same thing for kids aged 2 - 5.The JD bug is the cheapest I've seen though. About R900 now if I'm not mistaken. When she moves onto a pedal bike she won't need training wheels. Fork-it, Oufy MTB (Roadie), gwhite and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fork-it Posted November 9, 2015 Share Thank you all, this is valuable information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted November 9, 2015 Share Yip, The JD bug is a winner. Regards Sarge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOEKVLAG Posted November 9, 2015 Share I agree with the above advise. My son is 5 now and the transition from the balance bike was fairly easy - although the pedal movement did take a little while to adapt to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbleweed Posted November 9, 2015 Share I agree with the above advise. My son is 5 now and the transition from the balance bike was fairly easy - although the pedal movement did take a little while to adapt to. See this in the shop often. The kids do a "half-pedal" which results in a jerky progress across the shop floor. Always advise parents to start off the kids on a slight downhill to help them learn to get a full crank rotation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patensie Posted November 9, 2015 Share Balance bike FTW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeXpres Posted November 9, 2015 Share What I've found is that for your daughter's age a 12" bike works well. You have the sidewheels for a start which can be removed at a later stage. See pic attached. This option also gets them used to the proper pedalling motion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted November 9, 2015 Share What I've found is that for your daughter's age a 12" bike works well. You have the sidewheels for a start which can be removed at a later stage. See pic attached. This option also gets them used to the proper pedalling motion.no. No. Just no... Training wheels do not train. They detract from the ability to balance and just cause havoc. Plus - that bike is VERY badly sized for a lightie. Most lightie's bikes have kaaaaaak geometry, which just adds to the nope factor. Balance bike FTW. Then something like a specialized Hotrock (which can also be converted to a balance bike by removing the cranks) and they should be able to pedal it (while balancing, cos that's the most important thing) within a few sessions. Say NO! to training wheels... Patensie, Ed-Zulu, the nerd and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbleweed Posted November 9, 2015 Share What I've found is that for your daughter's age a 12" bike works well. You have the sidewheels for a start which can be removed at a later stage. See pic attached. This option also gets them used to the proper pedalling motion. Are those rear brakes any good? The front rim brakes you get on many kids bikes with coaster rears seem almost pointless: lever out of the reach of most kids and too spongy. Edited November 10, 2015 by Tumbleweed ahmedbadat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbleweed Posted November 9, 2015 Share no. No. Just no... Training wheels do not train. They detract from the ability to balance and just cause havoc. Plus - that bike is VERY badly sized for a lightie. Most lightie's bikes have kaaaaaak geometry, which just adds to the nope factor. Balance bike FTW. Then something like a specialized Hotrock (which can also be converted to a balance bike by removing the cranks) and they should be able to pedal it (while balancing, cos that's the most important thing) within a few sessions. Say NO! to training wheels... I know some adults who could do with training wheels...Balance bikes are great, but not suited to every kid. Taking the taining wheels off a bike can become a sorta rite of passage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popcorn_skollie Posted November 9, 2015 Share no. No. Just no... Training wheels do not train. They detract from the ability to balance and just cause havoc. Plus - that bike is VERY badly sized for a lightie. Most lightie's bikes have kaaaaaak geometry, which just adds to the nope factor. Balance bike FTW. Then something like a specialized Hotrock (which can also be converted to a balance bike by removing the cranks) and they should be able to pedal it (while balancing, cos that's the most important thing) within a few sessions. Say NO! to training wheels... Check the HA on the JD bug. Dual Crown baby Although the Muna is a seriously sexy contender in the freeride category.Better tyres, plus...check the RAW one. NICE http://brimages.bikeboardmedia.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Pro_Mini_Front-copy.jpg GLuvsMtb, the nerd and Captain Fastbastard Mayhem 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted November 9, 2015 Share I know some adults who could do with training wheels... Balance bikes are great, but not suited to every kid. Taking the taining wheels off a bike can become a sorta rite of passage.Maybe they should re-learn how to balance Remove pedals, or even better just fix them in position... Agreed on the rite of passage, but if you've been on a balance bike before, adding training wheels just gets you to unlearn the balance... Tumbleweed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted November 9, 2015 Share Check the HA on the JD bug. Dual Crown baby Although the Muna is a seriously sexy contender in the freeride category.Better tyres, plus...check the RAW one. NICE http://brimages.bikeboardmedia.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Pro_Mini_Front-copy.jpgMy lightie has the Fire Truck version... GLuvsMtb 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now