When is My Toddler Ready for A Balance Bike?

We spend a lot of time on our bikes, and we are enthusiastically looking forward to CZ riding a bike by herself. As she becomes bolder and more curious around bikes and scooters, I started wondering, when is my toddler ready for a balance bike? In this post we discuss the benefits of balance bikes, whether CZ is ready for two wheels, and our interim solution. 

The Benefits of Balance Bikes

I distinctly remember one of my early interactions with JZ as we rode around Charlotte. He saw a family riding on bikes and noted that his kids would NEVER ride a tricycle or use training wheels. Instead, they would start out on a balance bike. I politely feigned a bit of interest, even though kids bikes had never been on my radar.

He went on to elaborate that balance bikes are generally two-wheeled and allow the child to sit and run on the bike, using their feet instead of pedals or brakes. The idea behind the bikes is that most children benefit from learning how to balance on a bike first. Once they are comfortable balancing themselves, they will begin coasting along holding their feet off the ground. Then, they can learn the process of pedaling and braking, without worrying about falling over.

Traditional tricycles and bikes with training wheels focus on the pedaling aspect first, which can lead to wobbling riders and a scary transition to a two-wheeled bike. I agreed in theory, which seemed to satisfy him. Then I changed subject, never thinking of that conversation again, until we had a child (a mere two years later, but that is another story).

At 18 months CZ is a capable walker, and she is progressing to climbing stairs and jumping without assistance. She also advanced from pushing from behind to sitting and scooting around in her car.

We planned to introducing a balance bike closer to 2/2.5, but when we went to Omafiets to test ride toddler bike seats, she became enamored with the scooters. She loved attempting to scoot around the shop – even though the handlebars were closer to her head than her chest. Since that experience, she has kept a keen eye out for other children’s scooters, and attempts clandestine test rides at the park. However, she is still quite interested in bikes. On the family rides with Glow Worm, she eyes other kids rides, and sneaks over to push a pedal or the wheels, when the opportunity presents.

When is My Toddler Ready for A Balance Bike?

Due to her burgeoning interest in all that rolls, I began doing a bit more research on balance bikes, scooters, and what would be the best fit for her at 18 months. I had two main thoughts:

1. A balance bike might be too heavy and awkward for her to maneuver.
2. If she becomes accustomed to a scooter (especially a three wheeled one, which is the only option for her height), she may not be as receptive to a balance bike when she grew large enough.

We returned to Omafiets to check out their selection. They recommend the E200L Byk balance bike and the Mini Micro scooter for toddlers, both of which are top of the line in functionality (and price).

The E200L Byk balance bike is a light, but all-terrain bike, with the capacity to grow with CZ for the next few years. The bike comes with an additional extra long seat post, and the frame is designed with a longer wheel base to increase the space between the knees and handlebars as the child grows. Another distinguishing feature of this brand is the wheel and frame design to lower the center of gravity, leading to better control and stability. Unfortunately, CZ still needs a bit of height to hoist her leg over the down tube and straddle the seat. She became significantly less interested in the bike when it tipped and crashed into the ground during her attempt to saddle up.

A Scooter – an Interim Solution?

The Mini Micro Scooter provides an introduction to rolling and balancing with a more stable three wheel design. The scooter is much lighter than a balance bike and therefore easier to pick up and maneuver at CZ’s current size. This feature also makes it more convenient for us to carry along for family rides. However, this model will not grow with her because the handlebar is a fixed height. There is an option to add-on a seat so that she can get used to sitting and rolling, but I think we will wait for her to learn that on the balance bike, plus she already has her car.

Micro has a new scooter, the Mini 3-in1, which comes with a seat and the O-bar handle. When we reached out to Micro, they told us to focus more on development than age when deciding between the 3-in-1 vs the Mini. One of their reps told us, “If they haven’t quite found their feet yet and are unfamiliar with the steering motion, then the 3-in-1 is great with the seat and handle bar to build up to a scooter. If your toddler is quite confident on their feet and has some balance skills, then going straight for the Mini Micro would be the way to go.”

As much as we want to push CZ towards a bike, after speaking with a few other parents, we decided to go with a Mini Micro scooter. CZ really enjoys playing with one at a friends house, and she is growing closer to an optimal handlebar height.  Now we simply need to purchase one, and may actually take the time to find a nice, gently used one.

We rarely recommend buying used bikes because there are a lot of moving parts and therefore a potential to spend all the money you save on having the bike serviced. However, a used scooter seems like a good idea for several reasons:

• There are fewer components, so there is less potential for something to go wrong
• The fixed handlebar height provides a limited window for use, so wear and tear on used models will be limited to the growth rate of the child who owns it
• They are extremely popular in Sydney so it shouldn’t be hard to find one – in fact there are 3 currently available on Gumtree (Aussie version of Craigslist)
• The scooters retail for $140 AUD, which is more than we want to spend now, considering her growth and the price of a balance bike on the horizon

We are excited to add a new functional toy to our small (but growing) collection. I hope that the Micro Mini provides her a bit more speed than walking, and more independence than riding in pram.