DD is outgrowing her Kiddi-O

[TahliasMom]

So the trike post got me thinking as DD is almost is 42 inches and dd's knees are near hitting the handlebars. DD bday is in May so i would like to buy her a bike with training wheels but not sure where to start. Any suggestions of brands, models, durability. How long do dc's stay typically in one size?
TIA

[brittone2]

I'm not sure if you are committed to training wheels, but I have to plug balance bikes :)

DS got a Puky for his 3rd bday and is still riding it at 4. It is awesome to see him learn with it. Within about 1-2 months of getting it he was gliding 30+ seconds at a time. (and my DS tends to be *Very* conservative with things like that).

There are numerous manufacturers of balance bikes. We got ours from gliderrider but their customer service has been spotty for many of us here, and I'm not even sure if they sell the Puky anymore (I think there was talk of them developing their own brand, made in China, rather than carrying the Puky?). FunOne doesn't seem to be in business anymore either. But there are several other brands out there.

Just throwing it out there for consideration. We love our balance bike for DS.

[MMMommy]

I'm not quite sure about sizing, but our friend just bought her really tall daughter (she turns 5 in July) a 16" bike with training wheels from Walmart for $40. She told me that Walmart had kids bikes assembled and ready to go (versus buying online unassembled). Her daughter is VERY tall for her age--she passes for 6). I also saw different sizes at Toys R Us that could be tried out for size--12", 14" and 16" I think.

[MarisaSF]

We have both a trike and a balance bike. Our trike is adjustable, so DD still fits on it pretty well. Anyway... DD alternates between which one she chooses. I like having both -- I feel that the trike is for getting her places (we take walks through the neighborhood) whereas the balance bike is for learning - uh - balance and we use it e.g. when we're just in one place (cul-de-sac, park, etc). The times she's been on a bike with training wheels, she just looks way too high off the ground and it freaks me out a bit.

Anyway... all that to say that if your needs include getting someplace, a regular bike might be good, but if you're more likely to bike at a park, a balance bike really is a lot of fun for the little ones. Good luck and Happy ALmost Birthday to your DD!

ETA: I had to run out earlier. I looked at 12" and 16" bikes for my DD. She's currently between sizes at 39"(?) tall. I talked to people in "real" bike stores who told me that the "real" brands are more ergonomically appropriate and durable than brands in stores like Target, etc. I can't remember the brand names, but it's basically the difference between a $30 bike and a $120 bike. <roll eyes>

[Tondi G]

we went to a bike shop and spent good money on a 2 wheeler for our DS when he turned 5. It is a Giant brand. It's a beautiful strurdy bike but it is heavy. When we bought it the salesman said to attempt to get DS to learn without the training wheels before we went ahead and put them on. Well we tried and DS got really nervous and frustrated with it and didn't want to ride his bike. It sat for a year almost till he asked to try it again (with the training wheels on it now) and he was ok with it but went back to his Razor Scooter. He just prefers it I guess. So annoying cause it wasn't a cheapy from Toys r us or Target. So it will sit and wait for #2, hopefully he'll enjoy it when he is tall enough for it! Personally, if we were going to do it again I might just opt for something from TRU or Target. They outgrow them fairly quickly and will probably want something new in a couple of years. If you were a family that went bike riding every weekend then maybe I would splurge for something nicer but for riding here and there I would go with something less expensive.

Here is the brand we bought... they are very nice bikes but not cheap!

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/kids/

Good Luck

~Tondi
Mommy to Mason 7/01 and Aidan 5/05

[TahliasMom]

Thanks for all the feedback! I figured it wouldn't be cheap. As much as I want dd to have something good, I don't want to plunk down $100+ every few years for a new bike as I'm sure dd is not going to stop growing anytime soon. LOL. i had a pink Huffy bike for changes...ugh.