Balance Bike Buying Guide

The childs age, height and weight.

Different features of a balance bike make it more suitable for a specific age range.

• The seat needs to be able to be adjusted to a height that matches your child so they can use their legs to propel and stop the bike.
• The weight of the bike can influence when you child can safely handle and have fun on a balance bike. The balance bike should weight no more than 30% of your child’s weight.

Read more at The right balance bike and use our sizing guide to match your child to a balance bike. Unsure if your child is ready to ride a balance bike read more at Balance Bikes – How old should they be?

How many years will they ride the balance bike?

This will depend on

1. When they start to ride a balance bike. Balance bikes are suitable from 18months/2 years and on wards. All kids rate of growth is different.  As a general rule allow approximately 3cm height change in the seat height for every year that they will ride the balance bike.
2. When they transition to a regular bike (with pedals). This transition will be easier if your child rides a balance bike and though every child’s development and confidence is different – a general rule is they will be able to safely transition around their 4th birthday.

Where will they ride their balance bike?

The tires are the main feature that can influence where a balance bike can be successfully ridden. Air tires provide a bike that is suitable to all terrains.  Where as foam tires make the bike lightweight but provide less traction and cushioning so are more suitable to indoor, footpath and sealed riding. Read more at The right balance bike

Do you want the bike to last more than one child…how many children?

How a balance bike is made and what it is made out of can influence how long it will last. If you are wanting a durable bike because you would like it to be used for more than one child or it could potentially be left out…   then consider a metal frame and sealed bearings. Also unisex colours blues, reds and silvers make for a good solution for any gender.

Additional features

Balance bikes are different to bikes because the user performs a different task..the child is running on the bike. Therefore their design needs to be different. The geometry (shape), the style of bike seat, bolts that are flush, recessed or rounded allow for a comfortable and efficient walking and running on a balance bike. The hand grips and brake levers need to be size specific… we are dealing with small hands. Read more in the right balance bike.

Make your purchase a success…

Keep your child safe on a balance bike

A balance bike gives young kids speed, independence, builds their confidence and helps them to develop and it is great for fun but we need to make sure that balance bikes are used in environments where you can ensure their safety. Read more at balance bikes – tips on safety.

Learning to ride a balance bike

They have a balance bike now they need to learn to ride it. Kids will develop the desire the skill at different rates. Be patient. Read more at Balance Bikes – Tips for Learning to Ride

Caring for your balance bike

Balance bikes are reasonable simplistic machines and so there is less that can go wrong with them. The biggest thing to support them lasting a long time is not to leave them in the weather over extended periods or uncovered outside (where the kids just dropped them) when they finished riding the bike. Teach them to look after it and pop it away.

…so you and your family can SMILE when you ride.