Who has a balance bike? Is it great?

[Janie]

Well, whose kids have one? I'm thinking of getting one for DS1 for his third birthday soon. Are they worth it? Does your LO love it?

[Arimeh]

DS has one - he prefers his scooter *shrug*

[Nai]

DD1 has been using hers since she was 2.5 and started riding a 2-wheeler with no training wheels before her 4th birthday - the balance bike has given her the best start to being a balanced, confident bike rider. I cannot recommend them highly enough!

She loves going to the BMX track and doing the hills on it too

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PM me if you want more info - DP is a runbike afficionado

[sunshine_sieben]

DD has one and likes it but it is a bit hard for her as we have no footpaths around her and practicing on the grass is near impossible. Also, not seeing other kids use them, left her a little confused in the beginning (I can hardly demonstrate )
I''ve seen kids in Germany use them. Most kids have them over there and they seem to have so much fun with them. We''ve just spent 6 weeks there and DD was using a neighbour''s bike and is slowly getting the hang of it. It definitely helped seein other kids use them.
I think they''re great and would recommend them. I have one that you can add pedals to at a later stage (like the Glide to ride bike from playskool, but not so wide where the pedals will be mounted).

[Janie]

Thanks girls I'm definitely leaning towards getting him one, I just hope he likes it LOL! DH is happy to get one too. TBH, I'm kind of stuck for ideas of what to get him, this is the only thing that's really popped into my mind.

Brand suggestions? I like the look of the timber ones, but open to suggestions.

[Nuddle]

I got one for my third, as they werent available before then, but yes love it, she is 3, and not balancing yet, but she can use it by herself, which is great.

I too grew up in germany, and the speed at which the german kids learn to ride their bikes compared to over here is huge.

[sunshine_sieben]

Oh Nuddle, another German on here!!! How long have you been in Australia and where do you live?
I personally didn't want a timber one. I have one I got from ebay made by JDBug. It's the one that looks like a Motorbike. I thought it looked cool and as mentioned earlier you can add pedals later once they can balance.
If you prefer timber, there are ones that have a "handle'' which I think is quite handy for the time that your little one doesn''t want to ride anymore and you have to carry the thing. With metal one, you can just carry by the frame (and they're usually lighter) but the timber ones are a little more awkward to carry. Also have a look at the larger bike shops is your area. They might carry them (I rang around to save me from running around) so you can have a look and even let your kiddo sit on one.

[Nuddle]

I have been here for 23 years, gosh thats long lol.... and am in Brisbane, how about you?

I prefer the wooden ones, just because I like the look of them better

[sunshine_sieben]

Nuddle, I'd reply to you via a PM, but you don't have enough posts yet to have PM activated, so I hope the OP doesn''t mind if I hijack this post a little.
Wow, that does sound like forever. I have been here for 10 years this January and feel that's a loooong time. Well, it is when you think that that's half as long as I've lived in Germany.
I'm on the Gold Coast, so not far from you.
Do you still speak German? How old were you when you moved here?

[Nuddle]

Nuddle, I'd reply to you via a PM, but you don't have enough posts yet to have PM activated, so I hope the OP doesn''t mind if I hijack this post a little.
Wow, that does sound like forever. I have been here for 10 years this January and feel that's a loooong time. Well, it is when you think that that's half as long as I've lived in Germany.
I'm on the Gold Coast, so not far from you.
Do you still speak German? How old were you when you moved here?

yeah, sorry OP yes, I do speak german, and try to speak it with the kids, but its hard, as my dh is not german, so english is just easier for them, and then for me to get my point across quickly.
I was 14 when we left germany. Is your dh german as well?

[Nai]

We have the wooden frame ones and they are very light and easy to carry. We got ours from Aldi but wooden.net also stocks nice wooden ones.

[mgm]

my son loved his - I think he was 3 when he got it (a wooden.net one). they really give kids amazing freedom of movement without the technique required to ride a pedal bike. i used to take him out on it while walking my little one in her pram, and if he got sick of riding or we had to cross a busy road it was easy to put the bike on top of the pram hood, which i couldn't do with a pedal bike. And I don't know whether this was due to the bike or not, but my son rode his bike without training wheels on his very first attempt and is a fantastic bike rider now. I'm so looking forward to my daughter using the walking bike when she's big enough. Highly, highly recommended!

[sunshine_sieben]

Nuddle,
in an effort to stop hijacking, i created a post for us (and any other Germans who might be on BB) in the members overseas section (although we're not technically overseas, maybe I put it in the wrong section...)
Here's the link: https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...ml#post2276487

[nic]

Janie, have you chosen one yet? I ask because after reading your initial post the other day, I had to go and find out what these " Balance Bikes " were I found some, then googled again and came across a biking forum where a couple of people mentioned the ones they had purchased for their kids. If you google for cellbikes with the usual dot com au on the end, and then search their website for the balance bike (it is a brand called Weeride) I like the look of this one as it looks like a normal little tubular steel bike IYKWIM. Only think i don't like is it has a brake on it, but i suppose it would help them learn how to use it before upgrading to a proper bike with wheels??
Anyway, I showed DH, and he thinks its great. Thinking of getting if for DS's 2nd birthday? Not sure if it would be a little too early for him though?

[Ginger]

Janie- we got ds1 one for his 2nd birthday and he absolutely loves it. best purchase ever.
you are more than welcome to let N have a go of ours and see if he likes it?

ours is german-made too but made of fibreglass instead of wood so it is more hard-wearing.

[Liviam]

Do they come with a parent handle by any chance? Which ones can you add pedals too? Thanks for all the help ladies. We are also getting DD a bike of some description for her 3rd b'day but not sure what to go for.

[mrscricket]

DS got one for Christmas and he absolutely loves it. I had never seen them before and then DH did the fittings for a bike shop (he is a builder) and the owners gave him one to bring home to test on DS. They funnily enough said they are huge in Germany! We ended up getting ours from Aldi for $60 - only because DH discovered it was the same brand as the bike shop one but 1/3 the price (the other one was the "Wooden' brand - the Woody B model). It took DS a little bit to get the hang of it - but now he has his balance he is so good on it. Ours has an adjustable seat on it which has been really important (not sure if its a feature on all brands) because initally it was too tall for him and DH had to drill an extra hole in it. DS found it quite hard to balance until the height was correct. I am so glad we brought it and everywhere we go, people stop and ask about it.

[sunshine_sieben]

Target & Big W have a Playskool branded balance bike that can have pedals added.
They also have a wooden Thomas the tank engine one (without pedal option).
The one I have is a JDBug one (can purchase pedal kit) I got from an eBay store (brand new). They sell them all the time.
And yes, I can confirm, they are huuuge in Germany and have been for quite a few years.
It is hard to say from what age they are suitable. It depends on your child's motor development. Some kids are fine on them at 2 (although they might take a little longer to get the hang of the balancing thing), others are more ready for it by the age of 3 or 4. I think 2 1/2 is a good age to get them but as I said, some kids are ready for them earlier.