The art of making your kid ride a bike with confidence and safety isn’t something that comes without practice.
Yes, some children can cycle well when they are young with minimum guidance or help from their parents, but this is rare. It is important to remember that every child is different and learns at a different pace. Although many children undergo the training cycle, it may longer than expected.
Successful bike riding depends on knowing how to balance and coordinate the bicycle. Your child must develop these skills to be able to cycle efficiently and safely.
You likely forgot how you were trained to ride a bicycle using two wheels. Perhaps you learned to ride using training wheels on a pedal bike. Experts today firmly trust that Balance Bikes are more useful than stabilizers at promoting excellent coordination and balance in young children.
In this guide, you’ll get in-depth information about balance bikes. Read on to learn more.
Table of Contents
Balance Bike Definition
Balance Bikes are a new way for kids to learn how to ride a bicycle without training wheels. Starting from the beginning, your kid will learn how to keep balance and be aware of their surroundings while enjoying themselves.
Using balance bikes, children can learn how to ride a bicycle without training wheels. When using the Balance Bicycle method, children are less likely to fall and learn more quickly than traditional methods.
In balance bikes, the foot pedals are missing, and the child rides the bike with his or her feet along the ground while learning to balance. After a child has successfully mastered balancing a bicycle independently, they can graduate to a pedaled one.
Why Balance Bike Are Great for Your Children
Parents of toddlers are probably familiar with balance bikes, which are pedal-free bikes that have replaced training wheels as the favorite choice for first-time riders.
The benefits of balance bikes for your child include the following.
Easy To Use
A balance bike does not have pedals, so the learning process is easier for kids. By concentrating on balancing rather than pedaling, kids can learn to ride a bicycle much more easily. Also, balance bikes allow kids to steer with their feet, allowing them greater control and confidence while riding.
Ability To Build Strength And Coordination
Using a balance bike will teach your child more than just balance. The design of these bikes encourages kids to use their arms and legs to propel themselves forward. This not only strengthens their muscles but also improves their motor skills and coordination.
They Are A safe Way Of Riding
If your little one falls off a balance bike, they won’t fall very far, so they won’t hurt themselves. Plus, a balance bike goes as fast as your child can, which means no high-speed crashes.
Depending on how quickly your child develops the skill of balance, they’ll be able to switch from training wheels to a regular bike.
They Make Biking Interesting
Biking is a great way to keep kids active and a great way to enhance their physical development. Even two-year-olds will enjoy riding around on a balance bicycle and taking part in a family bike ride. By encouraging your kids to start exercising early, they will most likely develop good habits for life.
They Are Convenient
A balanced bike’s compact design makes it easy to transport. It fits on the backseat of a car and is portable enough that you can carry it home once your child gets tired.
They Allow You Skip The Training Wheels
If your child has mastered riding a balance bike, they’ll be able to progress to a regular bike without training wheels in no time. Soon, they’ll be looking forward to riding with the big kids after becoming familiar with riding a balance bike.
What Is The Difference Between A Balance Bike And Training Wheel?
As you watch your baby reach milestones, it can be both thrilling and terrifying. One of the many decisions you will have to make during your child’s first few years of life is which bike to get them.
In contrast to training wheels, a balance bike has no pedals. Kids ride balance bikes by sitting on the seat and pushing themselves with their feet. This provides stability for them while they learn to balance on a bike.
The balance bike is best suited for younger children already familiar with walking. Walking with their bikes teaches them how to balance first before they learn to pedal. They build their fundamental bike skills before they learn how to pedal.
For some children, this makes the transition to a bicycle without training wheels easier.
The child starts off walking on a balance bike. As they get faster, they end up gliding, and they can coast as they lift their feet. Once your child is gliding, you’ll know they are ready to take the next step.
In addition, balance bikes are largely made of lightweight materials like aluminum. A balance bike has no pedals, gears, or brakes, making it lighter and easier to turn than a bike with training wheels. In addition, balance bikes offer increased stability by not requiring a wide space that typically causes them to topple over.
While the balance bike provides crucial balance and turning skills, the training wheels provide leg muscle development for pedaling. By letting your child experience both, you’ll be sure they’re ready for a bigger bike.
How To Teach Your Kid To Ride A Bike
Whatever you choose, be sure your kids are riding a bike safely and having fun. Here are a few tips:
Get Your Children Interested In Sports Early.
For kids who have yet to take their first bike ride, you might consider using a mounted bike seat you can mount up on your bike while on the go.
Use Safety Gear Whenever Possible.
Helmets are a must-have, so make sure your child has a properly fitting one. Additionally, elbow and knee pads are helpful if your child falls.
Find The Right Bike For You.
A standard bike seat should permit your child to touch the ground with his or her feet. Be sure to bring your child with you when shopping for one, especially if you want it to be used soon. It is unwise to buy bikes that they may grow into, as they will not always fit.
Be Sure To Teach Safety Precautions.
When crossing streets, driveways, and parking lots, teach your kids to make eye contact with drivers. Be sure they are visible before crossing.
Keep Your Toddler’s Bike In Good Condition.
Maintaining the bike involves checking the tire pressure, tightening any loose parts, and adjusting the seat as needed. A properly serviced bike is a safe bike.
Biking Safely
Adding reflective patches to the bicycle wheel of your child is especially important if you are driving in low-lit areas. Don’t wear loose clothing or shoe strings that might become entangled in the wheel.
How To Choose A Balance Bike For Your Kid
Here are the factors to consider when choosing a balance bike.
Serviceability
Many balance bikes are built on the same principles as real adult-sized bikes, with genuine bike parts that can be serviced and replaced as they wear, meaning they will last for years. Alternatively, cheaper balance bikes are made out of plastic bushings and molded proprietary parts (handles, wheels, etc.) that cannot be sourced locally.
Contact Points
Check the saddle is padded rather than hard plastic. The material should be strong not rip easily. Most wood balance bikes have “seats” made of wood and foam padding on top, not as comfortable.
It is better to get soft rubber grips with grips than plastic since they are more comfortable and grippier. The only reason brands opt for plastic grips are to keep costs down.
Many balance bikes are equipped with a ball bearing or cartridge bearing head, enabling the handlebars to pivot and steer freely, whereas some cheaper models only use plastic bushings, which are noisy and cannot be fixed.
Size
In contrast to standard toddlers’ bicycles, the sizing of these bikes depends on inseam instead of the size of the frame or wheel. It is recommended that your toddler sit on the saddle while their feet touching the ground.
To determine if your child’s bike is the correct size, it is advisable to measure their inseam while their shoes are on; the measurement ought to be equal or a little bit greater than that of the saddle.
Inseams longer than the bicycle’s most extreme seat tallness require bigger bicycles. The handlebars need ought to be comfortably reached with the torso inclining marginally forward.
Youngsters who ride balance bicycles whose arm reach are longer will ride quicker and keep a more forceful, forward-inclining stance.
It is more difficult to propel an upright bike forward for short distances. The choice of geometry is decided by the kind of terrain your child plans to ride on.
Weight
To make your child’s balance bicycle easy to push, the bike ought to have a light frame. Steel, aluminum alloy, plastic, or wood usually make up the frames of toddlers’ balance bicycles.
Aluminum alloy is one of the ideal materials for balance bikes because it is corrosion-resistant and lighter than other metals.
Despite their cute looks, wooden bicycles often don’t feature brakes. Sea plywood is recommended as it won’t swell and warp when damp, as opposed to standard plywood.
Cost
For most parents, the cost is a major factor. But whatever you select will depend on how you intend to use the bike.
The more expensive bikes typically come with better components, longer durability, superior client care, and better resale value.
Quality toddlers’ bicycles have excellent components whose maintenance and replacement can be done by a bicycle technician. This allows the bike to run efficiently for an extended period.
There are various cheap copycat brands available, but they tend not to match the quality or detail of high-end bikes. They often lack vital components like air tires, brakes, and ball bearings.
Wheels
A wheel that features air tires, steel spokes, and alloy rims is the best. By using air tires, your child will have greater grip and comfort, increasing their confidence.
Knobbly tread tires will grip better on rough terrains while smooth tread tires roll faster. Several brands use puncture-proof EVA foam tires, which are not very durable and can’t be substituted once worn out, which is why you should purchase a new wheel. Instead of nylon bushings that clatter and deteriorate faster, you should invest in cartridge or ball bearings for your bike.
Brakes
Most balance bikes are equipped with brakes, but some have only the rear, and others come with rear and front brakes. Consider V-brakes over side-pull brakes. Using V brakes, which have more power than sidepulls, will ensure that your kids can stop safely. This is why children’s brake levers are essential, as they are long-reach and can be utilized by small hands.
Steering Limiter
Using steering limiters prevents the bike from jack-knifing. It restricts the handlebar and the front wheel from rotating 360 degrees. Those in favor of the turning limiter claim that it makes bikes safer by preventing sharp turns, limiting injuries in the event of a fall, and preventing the brake cables from becoming twisted.
Critics insist that the steering limiter prevents the handlebars from folding flat if a child falls and that a kid should experience the full range of steering from the start.
Some argue steering limiters serve nothing more than to train riders on the handlebars. While there are pros and cons to steering limiters, they have minimal impact on riding.
Hand Grips
Grips must fit well and protect their little hands from accidents, such as falling or running into a tree, wall, etc.
Hand Grips should have cushion and rubber ends that absorb impact and prevent accidental pinching. A smaller radius grip is recommended for younger children.
Strider has designed a handlebar bar grip (12. 7 mm) that is 43 percent smaller than standard grips (22.2 mm) to provide better comfort and control for cyclists with tiny hands. Other bike manufacturers have followed their example, and smaller grips are now the standard.
Footrest
Footrests are nice features but unnecessary, especially if they don’t interfere with the rider’s ability to control their feet correctly. It is usually used by children who have mastered the basics and are ready for the next riding level. In most cases, kids will not use a footrest unless going down hills or performing more difficult tricks.
Bike Tires
Balance bikes come with a wide variety of tires. As you shop for a balance bike, you should also consider the conditions in which your kid will be riding.
Tires typically made from foam or air work on the pavement, but tires with a deeper and knobby tread can better traction dirt and other natural surfaces.
Height & Adjustability Of The Seat
A balance bike’s seat height can vary greatly, so this should be considered when choosing one.
When picking a balance bike for your little rider, it’s essential to choose the appropriate size. Choosing the wrong size can frustrate your kid and impair their ability to learn to ride a bike properly.
It can also prove destructive. If this is your child’s first bike, we highly suggest that you buy one that fits them right now and not one they will grow into.
A balance bike will fit properly if the inseam measurement of your kid is taken. The seat height should be such that the child sits on the saddle with his/her feet flat on the ground and their knees slightly bent.
You can reduce the seat down to 1 inch less than the child’s inseam for long-distance riding while adjusting the saddle up slightly for obstacles, tricks, and off-road riding.
A final point to consider is the ability of the seat to be adjusted quickly. As someone with two young children on balance bikes, adjusting the seat height quickly is extremely convenient.
At what age is a balance bicycle appropriate?
There is a lot of debate among parents about the best age to teach a child how to ride a bike. However, kids typically start pedaling around four years old and can utilize the balance bicycles as young as two.
When you start teaching your kid to ride a balance bike between 18 months and 36 months, you can expect them to be competent.
When the weather is inclement, or you’re worried about your toddler falling, you can even start teaching them inside with a balance bike. You can cover the floor with a baby activity mat so the surface will be softer if they fall.
How Is The Balance Bike Beneficial To Your Kid?
Using a balance bike first will help your kid master the art of steering and slowing down gracefully. This will ease his or her transition to pedaling unaided.
Kids will be able to handle this bike easily and travel further distances with no problem, and you won’t need to carry it because the child won’t want to put it down.
Pros And Cons Of A Balance Bike
There are many advantages to using a balance bike over a traditional bike. However, it’s also important to understand the limitations of balance bikes. Here are some pros and cons of a balance bike.
Pros:
Boost A Child’s Confidence
Choosing a balance bike has the benefit of helping your toddler gain confidence when riding a bicycle. If your toddler is confident, they are likely to learn to ride a bike faster since fear is usually what prevents them from doing so. It will allow them to overcome their fear to the point where they can enjoy riding a regular bike with full confidence.
It’s Safer
Kids with little or no experience riding a bike need to learn balance well, and any accidents likely to occur can regularly discourage them from getting back on their bikes and continuing to learn. A balance bike provides this perfect environment for your kids to learn how to ride the bike. In addition, it can result in major setbacks. A balance bike eliminates this worry.
Versatility
A balance bike can benefit a wide range of children regardless of their age. Balance bikes can benefit kids as young as 18 months old and as old as six years.
Variety Of Options
Balance bike options are also available in a variety of price ranges, so you should be able to find an affordable option that suits your needs. Even if your budget is limited, it will be possible to find a bike that fits your needs. If your budget is large, you are likely to find better options.
Styles
The other benefit of balance bikes is that they are available in different styles, which means you do not have to stick with a single style to choose from. The balance bike should reflect your child’s personality and provide the comfort and security they need when using it daily. This will increase the value of the balance bike to your kid because they can be extremely picky when finding a style they appreciate.
Cons:
Easy To Outgrow
People who have balance bikes have a problem with how effective they are at teaching children how to ride a bike. In truth, balance bikes are so effective that they are too easy for children to outgrow in mere months. Because of this, many find buying them to be a waste of money as they are usually only used for a few months.
Expensive
Despite balance bikes being available in almost every price range, they can get costly and have a short lifespan. Considering these factors, balance bikes will be much more expensive over the course of their lifetime.
It Is Not Totally Necessary
While these bikes can make learning to ride a bike easier, they are neither currently nor ever going to be truly necessary. Kids have learned how to ride for a long time without them, so some might view them as a complete waste.
How Does A Balance Bike Work?
With balance bikes, kid’s feet reach the ground, so they must push off the ground to move forward. To progress, they begin by walking the bike, then progress to running, striding, and gliding. Having mastered their balance, kids can now start pedaling independently. There’s no rush; they can keep going on the balance bike for as long as they like.
By leaning the bike toward the corner on a balance bike, children learn how to steer properly. Moreover, the feet are firmly planted on the ground.
How A Balance Bike Is Ridden
Children can use balance bikes very easily and often do not need guidance in how to ride one. When riding a balance bike, kids sit on its seat with the handlebar in their hands, then walk, run, stride or glide following their confidence and experience.
Even shyer children can start by standing over the frame of the balance bike and walking normally while holding the handlebars as they become accustomed to the weight and feel of the bike. Eventually, their coordination will improve, and they can pick up riding while seated.
Are Our Balance Bikes Suitable For Toddlers?
Toddlers will benefit considerably from balance bikes as they will develop their coordination and motor skills and explore independently and freely. These bicycles are a great natural way for toddlers to learn, and as they grow more confident, balance bikes will give them even additional confidence.
Are Our Balance Bikes Safe?
It is very safe to let your kid ride a balance bike. They are easy to use, which provides the kids much confidence. The more we know about something, the less we fear it.
Furthermore, the bicycles need little maintenance, which means they are less likely to break down. However, we recommend you always wear a helmet!
Do Balance Bikes Need Brakes?
When it comes to balancing bikes for kids 18 months or older, no brakes is fine because it keeps the weight low. However, as their confidence grows and speeds increase, a rear brake is preferable to ensure they can stop safely. It’s essential to have brakes in the event of incline or rough terrain, where dragging your feet won’t do much to slow the bike down. Brakes help kids prevent their shoes from wearing out too fast.
Conclusion
Even though many parents learned to ride on a traditional bike with training wheels, the revolutionary style of a balance bike may be the smart choice for kids.
Suppose you choose a bike for your toddler regardless of whose age or skill level; they will still learn how to ride it. Their age and existing skills will determine how best to choose a bicycle.
When deciding between a balance bike and training wheels, remember to adhere to the same safety guidelines and maintain the bike, including keeping the bike at the right height. A too tall bike will not benefit your youngster as much as one that is the right size.