# Youngest age for a balance bike?



## Andrew_Culture (3 Sep 2012)

My girl is one year old tomorrow and can sort of walk, she loves riding her dragon rocking horse and I'm starting to think about balance bikes.

Am I being a bit ambitious?


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## ianrauk (3 Sep 2012)

no


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## Hip Priest (3 Sep 2012)

It might be a little bit early for her, but she isn't going to get any younger or smaller, so you could always buy one and keep it 'til she's ready for it. Got my two year old son his first bike from decathlon the other day. He can't turn the pedals - yet.


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## 400bhp (4 Sep 2012)

If in doubt, keep the seat low. She's not really balancing then, but she's getting used to the feel of the bike.

Decathlon balance bike is £30-can't go wrong.


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## guitarpete247 (4 Sep 2012)

I got one for eldest granddaughter when she was 2. She couldn't fit it then but she can now (4). Unfortunately her parents don't have the space in the garden or time to take her out on it. When we went round last week it needed tyres pumping up and they are not cyclists so don't have a pump (I'm taking mine next time we go and it might need seat raising up a tad. I think the youngest (she's 2) will get more use from it as she seems a little braver and willing to try anything.
4 year old has a bike with stabilisers too but she can't pedal it yet but she does love her 3 wheel scooter (one you steer by leaning) so balance bike should be easy now.
I think the only limiting factors are size of kid to bike and their willingness to have a go.


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## Pedrosanchezo (4 Sep 2012)

My son is 6 months and i am already planning his cycling career.


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## ianrauk (4 Sep 2012)

Get yourself a Toddlebike.






Ianrauk Jnr was scooting along at the age of 1.
It has 4 wheels rather then 2 so is very stable. It's also very lightweight and very robust.
Get jnr one of these and he will be scooting along in no time at all.


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## Andrew_Culture (4 Sep 2012)

ianrauk said:


> Get yourself a Toddlebike.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
That is EXACTLY what I'm after! It's her birthday today, will try and fetch one!


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## 400bhp (4 Sep 2012)

ianrauk said:


> Get yourself a Toddlebike.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
I had 2 sets of handles for these which broke in exactly the same place.


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## Andrew_Culture (4 Sep 2012)

guitarpete247 said:


> I got one for eldest granddaughter when she was 2. She couldn't fit it then but she can now (4). Unfortunately her parents don't have the space in the garden or time to take her out on it. When we went round last week it needed tyres pumping up and they are not cyclists so don't have a pump (I'm taking mine next time we go and it might need seat raising up a tad. I think the youngest (she's 2) will get more use from it as she seems a little braver and willing to try anything.
> 4 year old has a bike with stabilisers too but she can't pedal it yet but she does love her 3 wheel scooter (one you steer by leaning) so balance bike should be easy now.
> I think the only limiting factors are size of kid to bike and their willingness to have a go.


 
Our garden is utterly rubbish for cycling as it drops about thirty feet and is on four levels, but we do have a sizeable allotment 




Gardening at night by Andrew Culture, on Flickr


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## Pedrosanchezo (4 Sep 2012)

ianrauk said:


> Get yourself a Toddlebike.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yup could be a first birthday present.


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## Andrew_Culture (4 Sep 2012)

Pedrosanchezo said:


> Yup could be a first birthday present.


 
I have ordered one, although as her birthday is today it might not arrive in time 

A friend just pointed out the if my girl did learn to ride on our vertical garden she'd have the balance of a mountain goat!


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## trampyjoe (4 Sep 2012)

ianrauk said:


> Get yourself a Toddlebike.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Looks like my 15 mth old is getting an early xmas present  Cheers for the link.


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## Davidc (4 Sep 2012)

If that's for the 1st birthday will she be getting a small sized 'real' bike for her 2nd!

Good to see that you're starting her young - and happy birthday to the young lady.


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## Andrew_Culture (4 Sep 2012)

I'm sure she'll have N+1 by the time she's two years old!

BTW I didn't realise that image paste would have a byline, I'm not _that _precious about my photos!


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## ianrauk (4 Sep 2012)

[QUOTE 2021657, member: 45"]No. But you need to check out the size of the bike. We had a wooden one which didn't have much saddle drop so the child needed to be a certain height. We bought an Islabikes Rothan for number 2 by for Christmas when he was 20 months. This was much lower and he could just sit on it. He was shooting around on it with *both feet off the ground before he was 2 and a half*.[/quote]

Like this..


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## Pedrosanchezo (4 Sep 2012)

ianrauk said:


> Like this..



Thats pretty awesome. Defo need to get my wee man something like this when he's a bit bigger. I take it the brakes are the amount of force applied to the ground with the feet?


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## ianrauk (4 Sep 2012)

Pedrosanchezo said:


> Thats pretty awesome. Defo need to get my wee man something like this when he's a bit bigger. I take it the brakes are the amount of force applied to the ground with the feet?


 

This bike does actually have a brake. Which he has learnt to use, but needs a little reminder now and again,


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## Andrew_Culture (4 Sep 2012)

ianrauk said:


> Like this..




Too cool for school! Probably too young as well


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## Andrew_Culture (4 Sep 2012)

ianrauk said:


> This bike does actually have a brake. Which he has learnt to use, but needs a little reminder now and again,


 
Ha, don't we all!


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## Boris Bajic (4 Sep 2012)

Andrew_Culture said:


> My girl is one year old tomorrow and can sort of walk, she loves riding her dragon rocking horse and I'm starting to think about balance bikes.
> 
> Am I being a bit ambitious?


 
You're not being too ambitious, but why the rush?

I didn't sit on a tricycle (fixed-gear, FWD) until I was three or four. My children didn't sit on a hobby horse (which might be similar to a balance bike)until nearly three, over three in one case. All three kids (now 13, 16 and 19) ride with enthusiasm. There was no hurrying-along or encouraging. They just had the bikes to hand and quite liked the notion.

It is admirable that you are thinking about these things, but there are a lot of amusements and distractions in childhood and toddlerhood.

Bicycles are one of them. Play-Doh is another. Painting seems popular too. 

The thing that will make them keen cyclists (if that's what they're going to be) are balance, flexibility, good general health, a degree of physical resiliance and a sense of curiosity.

They can get all those things from just fooling around in the garden.

It's wonderful that your kids have parents who think about these things and look to do the best, but I really wouldn't be in too much of a rush.


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## Andrew_Culture (4 Sep 2012)

Oh no rush at all, and I won't make an effort to sit on on the bike when it arrives, I just want it to be there to see if it takes her fancy.

She might only be a year old bit she sure knows her mind!

I still claim I know nothing about parenting, but she seems happy enough


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## Andrew_Culture (4 Sep 2012)

I'm also in no rush for her to grow up


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## ianrauk (4 Sep 2012)

Andrew_Culture said:


> Oh no rush at all, and I won't make an effort to sit on on the bike when it arrives, *I just want it to be there to see if it takes her fancy.*
> 
> She might only be a year old bit she sure knows her mind!
> 
> I still claim I know nothing about parenting, but she seems happy enough


 
And this is exactly what she will do.
Especially if she see's daddy cycling.


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## Hicky (9 Sep 2012)

I think my youngest was about 14 months maybe less(was walking by 10.5 months though) when I got him a balance bike, best thing I've bought, at now three and a half he's riding three miles comfortably.....infact this morning he was my pacer for a three mile run along the canal....it can be hard work as he's a chatterbox, running and talking.


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## Andrew_Culture (9 Sep 2012)

Three days after the toddle bike arrived she's very into it


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## ianrauk (9 Sep 2012)

Andrew_Culture said:


> Three days after the toddle bike arrived she's very into it


 

Good, doesn't take them long to get used to it.


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## Andrew_Culture (9 Sep 2012)

Once she saw the one eyed teddy riding it then it was a done-deal.


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## ianrauk (9 Sep 2012)

nice one Paul....
Now got my Henry shooting down a small hill at quite a speed...


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## trampyjoe (10 Sep 2012)

ianrauk said:


> nice one Paul....
> Now got my Henry shooting down a small hill at quite a speed...



Blooming 'eck, they've put a cyclepath through the park!! That's just down the road from my mothers house!


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## threebikesmcginty (16 Sep 2012)

Andrew_Culture said:


> Oh no rush at all, and I won't make an effort to sit on on the bike when it arrives, I just want it to be there to see if it takes her fancy.


 
What we did with our boy. his bike laid around for ages before he finally picked it up, couldn't get him off it then.


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## Andrew_Culture (16 Sep 2012)

threebikesmcginty said:


> What we did with our boy. his bike laid around for ages before he finally picked it up, couldn't get him off it then.



It's looking like things are going the same way here, the wee one loves pushing the bike around and up-ending it to inspect the wheels. Her legs need to grow a bit before she can comfortably sit on the seat.

What is incredible is that this bike is strong enough for me to ride!


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## byegad (16 Sep 2012)

We bought our 2 year old Grandson one for his birthday. He was paddling it around in minutes and riding longer distances with his feet up in a week or two.


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