Results 1 to 8 of 8
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Posts
    8,499

    Default tricycle and/or balance bike?

    My 20mo. old little guy is very short but also very coordinated and strong. We bought him a Radio Flyer Grow and Go bike on a whim for Christmas. It's like a little bike with training wheels. He loves to scooch it with his feet on the ground, and he puts his feet on the peddles, but doesn't understand peddling yet. The bike is very tippy, though, so I thought he should have a sturdy tricycle so he could learn to peddle. While researching trikes, I read here about all you balance bike lovers, and I'm not sure what to do. Since his Godmother is planning to buy him the trike, I could get him a balance bike if having both is a good idea. Is it? I guess what I'm asking is for recommendations for a tricycle for a short little guy to learn to peddle and also recommendations for a good balance bike if you think the balance bike is appropriate. I'd be so grateful for guidance!

  2. #2
    brittone2 is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Nov 1999
    Location
    back to where we started
    Posts
    23,590

    Default

    Many kids can't pedal a trike independently until 2.5 or 3. Some can do so earlier of course, but it isn't uncommon to take until at least 2.5.

    With my oldest, we did a trike at 2 and a balance bike at 3. He was a pretty conservative little fellow and didn't like a lot of risk physically, kwim? He did great on his balance bike after about 1-2 months of kinda walking along with it. He probably could have used it several months earlier.

    DD has of course gotten all of DS1's hand me down stuff. She enjoyed the trike and enjoyed the balance bike. She was on the balance bike before 3 and again, probably could have used it sooner but DS was still using it a good bit. I think the trike is valuable for learning to pedal, but the balance bike has gotten more independent use from 2 kids. The kids both enjoyed the trike but spent more time being pushed w/ the pushbar vs. riding independently.

    I think they are very complementary to one another.

    At 20 months I probably wouldn't go to a balance bike right away personally. I'd probably opt for a trike w/ pushbar. YMMV though.
    Mama to DS-2004
    DD-2006
    and a new addition-ds born march 2010

  3. #3
    zag95 is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Oregon
    Posts
    2,544

    Default

    We have a Schwinn Trike that we bought for DD's 2nd b-day- it is great because it is lower to the ground (more like a bigwheel style) and has an adjustable seat- she will be able to use it for a while!

    Hope you have a good outcome on finding something!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    665

    Default

    My son got his strider balance bike at christmas ( 18 months old) and just got a radio flyer fold and go trike for his 2nd birthday
    Renee
    (mommom to Noah my beautiful Ethiopian miracle. born 6/26/08 forever a family 4/20/09)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    1,129

    Default

    DS got his Strider for his 2nd birthday, but didn't really get into it until 2.5. I picked up a used Radio Flyer at a thrift store and he liked that between 2 and 2.5. Now you can't get him off his Strider!
    Christie
    mommy to DS 08/07
    Riding in a Frontier 85, Boulevard, and True Fit

  6. #6
    edurnemk is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Posts
    6,160

    Default

    DS has a Kettler go green trike and loves it, he's turning 2 1/2 next week and he just recently starting pedaling on hiw own, but we sometimes still have to give him a little push to get started. He's also learned to steer very well.

    I wanted to get him a balance bike but decided to wait, because his 3 yo cousin has one and we tried it and he's still a little short for it (DS is 75% in height). At 20 months I'd think the balance bike won't get much use. And the trike will probably need to be pushed by you the first few months, but it seems like a better alternative at this age.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    665

    Default

    Just wanted to say the strider balance bikes are good for shorter kids not sure on others..our son has been using his since 18 months old and he was only 30 1/2 inches tall...he's now 34 1/2 inches tall at 2.
    Renee
    (mommom to Noah my beautiful Ethiopian miracle. born 6/26/08 forever a family 4/20/09)

  8. #8
    KrisM is offline Clean Sweep forum moderator
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    MI, USA.
    Posts
    26,498

    Default

    I'm agreeing that the trike is good for learning to pedal and the balance bike gets more use overall. My kids are all sping and summer birthdays. The first two were pedalling at the end of the summer they turned 2. DS2 is just 2 and is just figuring it out now. He doesn't have interest in the balance bike yet though.

    Last summer, DD was 3 and used the balance bike for a few months and went to a 2-wheeler in September. This spring, she used the balance bike for a month or so until her confidence on the 2-wheeler came back and now she just moved up to a 16" 2-wheer.
    Kris

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •