Owners of balance bikes!

[neeter]

I am *still* researching balance bikes, and found one that is cute and reasonably priced (with decent reviews)...www.skuut.com. I am also considering the Glider Rider. I personally like the looks of the wooden bike better, but this needs to hold up for 2 kids, so I want to make sure its durable.

For those who have a wooden balance bike (like-a-bike, etc) -- does it get dinged or scuffed up? Any issues on durability?

What about the Glider Rider -- any issues on durability? I do see that this bike has a 2 year warranty, where the wooden one's warranty period is for 1 year.

TIA!!

[duvie]

BUMP...

[randomkid]

We don't have one of these yet, but I do plan to get one for DD when she is ready. The thing I like about Glider Rider is the little footrest that it has. I haven't seen a wooden bike that has it. If you watch the video on the Glider Rider site, you'll see kids put their feet up on that little platform. I think it's a good way for them to learn balance. Just something to consider. Sorry - can't help with the durability question.

[LBW]

I really want to get a learner bike for DS1, and after hours of research online, I've decided that I like the Puky bike the best. Unfortch, DS1 is tall, so I'm worried that the version sold by gliderrider.com will be too small for him.

The German manufacturer sells an XL version in Europe.

http://www.puky.net/homepage/produkte/laufraeder/4041.htm

I'm trying to find out how much shipping would be from a UK store to the US. I had hoped that gliderrider.com could order an XL for me, but they haven't responded to the two emails I sent them. :(

[beckyr88]

I got one of these this Christmas for DD1 (almost 4). When we took it out of the package, it seemed a little small for her. The wheels and handlebars are comparable to the Kettler we had for DD1. Anyway, be sure you have an Allen wrench to adjust the seat and handle bars. We didn't have one the night before Christmas, so she never had a chance to play with it.

Anyway, the Glider Rider is adorable (we got the pink one), and it seems really well made--similar to the Kettler. I imagine it will hold up really well (and we want it for 2 kids too!) Customer service was great--they gave a Fed Ex upgrade to make sure it got here in time for Christmas. I like the Glider Rider better beacuse it looked more like a "real" bike. HTH!

[neeter]

Thanks for all your replies!! I would still love to hear feedback from others...

We decided to order the Gliderrider, but was debating about the handbrake. At first I didn't get it, but then sent them a follow-up email to add it on. I haven't heard back yet, but I think they are off until mid-January.

[LBW]

Hi-

Would you be able to measure the height of the seat when it's at the top position? I want to compare the measurement against DS1's inseam to see if the regular Glider Rider really is too small for him.

Thank you!

[lpl47]

We bought my DS the Gliderrider for his 3rd birthday (this past October) and we have absolutely LOVED it! It took him only a few days of practice and since then he's been riding it all over our town. We debated between getting him one of the wooden versions (Like a Bike or one of the cheaper ones) and I'm really glad we ended up with the Gliderrider. The wood versions have a limited turning radius - that would have helped my son for that first day or two when he was learning, but after a few days he had full control of the handlebars. We did get the handbrake, but his little hands are too little to operate it... he just drags his feet to slow down.

Anyway, the Gliderrider is great!

[neeter]

thanks -- great to have a positive review for the gliderrider (and the info about the limited turning radius)... :)

[beckyr88]

Well, almost no returns. They charge a $25 stocking fee, and only give "store credit" (I don't think they sell anything except for Glider Riders and accecssories). Just want to make sure that anyone searching these later on will take note of this before they shell out the big bucks! I am really dissappointed. For as cute as the bike is, DD does't like it, and she really seems too big for it (she's almost 4). Bummer.

ETA: I forgot to mention that Glider Rider actually suggested that if I don't want the bike, that I should donate it for the tax break!!! WTH!

[neeter]

thanks for the notice on this -- how tall is your DD?

[beckyr88]

She's just over 40", I think (in 110 Hannas!!!) I'm going to finally put the thing together tonight and see if there is more interest. I'll post when she really gets to play with it.

[american_mama]

ETA to fix formatting problem

Added the Kinderbike option at the end

Last night, I just saw several auctions for the Bino Bike on ebay, a cute wooden balance bike for $40 total,
see ebay item 160070694300, seller heinpappel

It comes in red and natural.

I prefer the looks of a metal bike over the wooden, but for that price, I am seriously thinking of getting it for DD2, who is just 2 years old. I don't think she could use it for awhile, especially with the pretty high cross bar which makes it harder for her straddle. In contrast, I like how low the stepthrough is on the Glider Rider. However, I just saw a 2 1/2 or 3 year old playing with the Kettler Sprint balance bike at a park this week, which had a medium high steptrhough, and he fit fine.

I did buy my 4 year old the Fun One balance bike for Christmas, which comes with pedals to attach later. Of course, she learned to ride without training wheels in the week between ordering and receiving the bike! It's a big bike and I don't know if many kids would fit it before they are 4 years old. Both she, her cousins and I (yes, I've tried the bike) can glide fine even without the little footrest like on the Glider Rider. I still like the footrest and want it, but don't know that I'm willing to pay $$$ extra for one.

Also, for the poster who mention hand brakes, the instructions on the Fun One say you or a bike shop can adjust the hand brake to fit a child's hand. Right now, DD1's hand doesn't open wide enough to get completely around the hand brake.

I also found this one, made in North Carolina apparently:
http://www.pvglider.com

There's also an expensive Italian one you could find if you google "balance bike." Also try "training bike." It would be easier to find these if we had a common term!

ETA: ALso found two other options, one metal and great price, one wooden and painted really cute. The metal bike Ratz Fratz, costs $45 shipped, from a well-known toy store in Minnesota, see http://www.creativekidstuff.com/rarubi.html. From the German links that show up in a google search, this appears to be a popular, low cost balance bike in Germany. One review was very positive, said her 98 cm daughter could ride well, no kickstand, hand brake was too big or strong for her daughter to grip. ETA: In reading five more reviews, it sounds like it's a big bike, better for kids around age 4 years, and that the hand brake frequently is too big or too weak to work for a child. SO don't let the handbrake sell you on this model.

I also found
www.mykinderbike.com
It's a metal bike for $40 in the online outlet store and $60 in the regular online store. The outlet bikes are also sold on ebay for the same price ($40, plus shipping).

There are also Woody Push Bikes for $80, which are painted and very cute. Note that the two lower cost models do not have an adjustable seat, so would be outgrown more quickly. http://www.woodypushbike.com/product.php

[neeter]

thanks for all this fabulous information and additional choices! wow, i'm impressed!!

[mum1day]

I'm getting my DD the Pedobike. I also saw Maukilo carries a balance bike.

[mominjune]

I'm subscribing to this great thread since I am definitely planning on buying one for DD for her 3rd birthday. I was all set on the Puky, but there has been so many others mentioned here I've never even heard of that sound intriguing as well.

american mama, I really like the kinderbike you just added. The only thing I can think of that would seem advantageous on the puky is the low bar to step over.

The puky cost twice as much, and otherwise looks very similar. The kinderbike actually seems like it might be shorter in height seat-wise? (which is a good thing for my petite DD) But it's hard to tell b/c the Puky doesn't give dimensions for the seat height, only that it's adjustable. Can anyone with a Puky measure the seat height at it's lowest height? That would be so helpful!

[jess_g]

Would any of these work for a tall boy? He is about 46 inches tall and probably way too tall for one of these but I am just wondering. His younger brother would love the police bike from the last link (woody pushy bikes) so we may get one of those for both boys to try out.

Thanks,

Jessica.

[twofunboys]

I was curious what people thought about getting a balance bike for a boy who has already "mastered" riding a little bike with training wheels? Is it worth it? Or should I just let him ride his regular bike until he's ready to take off the wheels?

Thanks!
Edited to add: DS1 will be 4 in February (with DS2 turning 2 in April)

[LBW]

PUKY sells a larger version of the gliderrider in Europe that I've been trying to find for my tall 4-year old. Unfortunately, the people at gliderrider have ignored my emails asking if they can get one for me. I found a UK store that would ship one to the US, but it was $250 with shipping. Ugh. I really want one for him, but can't stomach $250!

[LBW]

PUKY sells a larger version of the gliderrider in Europe that I've been trying to find for my tall 4-year old. Unfortunately, the people at gliderrider have ignored my emails asking if they can get one for me. I found a UK store that would ship one to the US, but it was $250 with shipping. Ugh. I really want one for him, but can't stomach $250!

[beckyr88]

OK, I'd have to get out tools to re-lower the seat, but it looks like the seat would be around 11 inches if all the way down. It's 16 inches with the seat all the way up. Stella is 41 inches, and we have the bike at max height. It works fine for her now, but if your kid is any bigger than 40 inches or so, I'd skip the Puky. I actually bought it to be kind of an 'inside' bike, at least part time. We live in a small apartment and Stella has outgrown most of our other riding toys. It is a good size to have for just goofing around inside. Since it's winter, we haven't even brought it outside yet. Maybe once she really masters the gliding, it wouldn't be able to make the tight corners around our table!!!

Anyway, I think the Puky Glider Rider is so cute, and I think it'll help her to ride a two-wheeler by the summer. BUT, be sure that you *really* want the Glider Rider before you buy it. They have basically a no-return policy (only store credit plus 25% restocking fee), and their customer service is not that great once you actually own the bike (I've been waiting on an email for over a week). HTH and let me know if you have other questions!!

[beckyr88]

OK, I'd have to get out tools to re-lower the seat, but it looks like the seat would be around 11 inches if all the way down. It's 16 inches with the seat all the way up. Stella is 41 inches, and we have the bike at max height. It works fine for her now, but if your kid is any bigger than 40 inches or so, I'd skip the Puky. I actually bought it to be kind of an 'inside' bike, at least part time. We live in a small apartment and Stella has outgrown most of our other riding toys. It is a good size to have for just goofing around inside. Since it's winter, we haven't even brought it outside yet. Maybe once she really masters the gliding, it wouldn't be able to make the tight corners around our table!!!

Anyway, I think the Puky Glider Rider is so cute, and I think it'll help her to ride a two-wheeler by the summer. BUT, be sure that you *really* want the Glider Rider before you buy it. They have basically a no-return policy (only store credit plus 25% restocking fee), and their customer service is not that great once you actually own the bike (I've been waiting on an email for over a week). HTH and let me know if you have other questions!!

[mominjune]

Thank you! That sounds very fitting for us, actually. I'm glad to hear the lower side is around 11 inches, rather than 14 or something. You would think they would have that information on their website. I actually emailed them to ask about 3 days ago but haven't heard back yet- you are faster than their customer service. :) It is such a cute bike and has the lowest cross bar height.

I hope your daughter ends up liking hers. It's a good idea for indoors, maybe I'll get it earlier so she can ride it around the house. :)

Thanks again!!

Jen
DD 6-04

[mominjune]

Thank you! That sounds very fitting for us, actually. I'm glad to hear the lower side is around 11 inches, rather than 14 or something. You would think they would have that information on their website. I actually emailed them to ask about 3 days ago but haven't heard back yet- you are faster than their customer service. :) It is such a cute bike and has the lowest cross bar height.

I hope your daughter ends up liking hers. It's a good idea for indoors, maybe I'll get it earlier so she can ride it around the house. :)

Thanks again!!

Jen
DD 6-04

[julieakc]

I have no experience, but I was browsing the radio flyer site the other day and noticed that they make one:

http://www.radioflyer.com/specialty/specialty_330.html

[american_mama]

I suspect some of the price difference is due to brand. Puky is a well-known German brand and one mama on these boards, who lives in Germany and who first wrote about balance bikes, says she thinks they are fabulous quality, better than Kettler (which is also a well-known and expensive German brand).

[american_mama]

For a tall child, look at the Fun One, available on the internet or cheaper on ebay. My tall 4.5 year old fits it great without pedals, but the seat is at its highest setting with the pedals on. The seat adjusts from about 17.5 to 23 inches, measured from the ground to the TOP of the seat. The wheels are 16 inches (as opposed to 12 inches on most of other others).

I don't think a child would be able to ride the Fun One until they are 3 or probably closer to 4 years old.

The Ratz Bratz option which I think I listed above from Creative Kidstuff may also be slightly bigger. Several of the reviews (in German, which I can read somewhat) said it was too large for a 3 year old.

[neeter]

sorry double post!!

[neeter]

hi all - i just wanted to update ... i am really disappointed and frustrated with the customer service at gliderrider. i ordered nearly a month ago, and my order remains unshipped, and the various calls/emails i placed to them regarding questions about the bike, have ALL gone unanswered. i'm pretty sure i saw a notice on their website that they weren't going to ship out orders until january 15, but the notice is gone, and everything just seems to be in limbo. this bike is really cute, but i'm not sure what's going on with this company!! i decided to cancel my order.

i was able to find the like-a-bike knockoff at target today for $50 (someone kindly posted about this recently)... for nearly 1/3 the cost, and no shipping, and the ability to return this if i have a problem with it, is too appealing to ignore.

thanks all for all your help!! i hope DS likes this bike, its for his 3rd birthday tomorrow. :)

[LBW]

Yeah, the big black hole of communication is NOT good for customer service. I've emailed them several time with questions and never heard back. Sorry you went so far as to place an order with them and were treated like that.

It's too bad, really, that they are the only Puky distributor in the US. My sister-in-law is co-owner of a bike shop, and I've asked her to get in touch with Puky about carrying their bikes. But, she's a bit of a free spirit, and it might be a while before she does. (As in, my 9-month old might be ready for the bike by then!)

[brittone2]

nak-
that sucks. We just ordered one a few days ago...ugggh. I'll cross my fingers I guess.

[brittone2]

nak-
that sucks. We just ordered one a few days ago...ugggh. I'll cross my fingers I guess.

[neeter]

its getting ridiculous -- i tried to cancel my order through email, and the email keeps getting bounced back! i can't even cancel! i've left a voicemail and sent my notice via their website contact form. now i'm going to fax them a copy of my cancellation notice. ridiculous. i hope you have better luck with them!!!

eta: their fax number seems to be disconnected. ugh.

eta again: finally got through to them and i got a response that the order has been cancelled! whew.

[neeter]

tara - thanks. great idea to see if your sil can carry them -- she could get alot of business if these guys don't figure things out!! :)

[brittone2]

Oh man...I'm scared! Glad your cancellation got taken care of though.

[LBW]

For anyone else who's crazy like me...

Finding this PUKY bike is my new obsession! I found a store in the UK that would ship the PUKY XL to the US, but it's crazy expensive - $250 total. So, I e-mailed PUKY to find out if they have any other US distributors. They don't. But, they put me in touch with a German store that ships to the US. From them, the XL would be $142 total. So, I'm considering it.

I wonder if they'd do a larger discount if we ordered more? Anyone interested?



http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/37239.jpg

[randomkid]

Beth:

Let us know how your order goes. I really want one of these for DD, but will probably wait another year. Maybe by then, there will be another distributor with better CS! I think I want to avoid this company.

Thanks,

[randomkid]

I'm interested, but not in the XL. I wonder if they would apply a discount to a larger order of any of the bikes, kwim?

Thanks for looking into this and sharing it with us!

[ajmom]

I did a search, but I wasn't sure of the name of the Target one. What's it called?

[neeter]

Its by Target's in-house brand, Play Wonder. DH put it together and its really cute, though its a bit too big for my DS (his feet don't flatly touch the ground). I think it will be perfect for him by the summer.

Here's the thread on it:
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=12&topic_id=68046&mode=full&page=3

Its in the seasonal toy aisle! :)