Apologies, if this should have been posted in a a different category.
I’m looking for recommendations for a balance bike for my 18 month old daughter. She’s walking (running). Would it be better at this age to wait a while and in the interim go with something more like a ride on?
I’m looking for something durable, light, with a steering limiter, air filled tyres, something that can grow with her. Any suggestions for other criteria are welcome.
We’re in Ireland so some brands might not ship to here/ be sold locally.
I’ll have to be some way price conscious so the Specialized Hotwalk carbon is out
Maybe @Ronan_Mc_Laughlin you could revise your old CT article and add some recommendations?
Rounded axle nuts to prevent cutting into ankle/heel
Smooth/chamfered stem with no sharp edges or protruding bolts
Brake levers that actually work for small hands
Small diameter grips
Soft tires that work at low PSI (some cheap pneumatic tires are wire bead and so stiff they support the weight of the child without any air)
While you’re at it, I’d consider their helmets as well. Better than other childrens helmet in my opinion. I have watched the rubber visor actually provided real protection on a number of occasions. The back of the helmet has better coverage and wraps further down than most. The fidlock buckle is also easier for weak fingers to operate.
We picked up a kokua like-a-bike after a recommendation from an MTB coach friend. It has elastomer rear suspension that really smooths out any bumpy ground - it made riding on forest and farm tracks much more fun for my kids. It comes with a couple of seat posts so it can grow a bit.
Brand aside, aluminum frames for the youngest kiddos are important. Steel balance bikes are so heavy for ~2 year olds and make it much more difficult to handle. We have one aluminum and one bigger steel one for the bigger kid and the difference is stark
The lightest bike you can find with pneumatic tyres.
My eldest started on a Vitus Nippy with the 10" solid wheels changed to 12" pneumatic tyres. Its super lightweight and been great. It does come with a plastic bushing headset but it hasn’t been an issue in 3 years of use.
We had one of these too, very nice bike. I added a front brake though since it doesn’t come with one. They are expensive however. I also removed the steering limiter as it was more of a self-centering device that fought against learning steering and balance.
A foot platform would be good to have too.
In general I just say get the lightest one you can, not for the child but for when you have to carry it home from the playground in one hand with a crying toddler in the other arm…
I agree with everything @Stanley said. The handlebar limiter is a nice touch too. It’s nice that you can get a helmet in the same color as the bike.
We got our daughter a Woom 1 w/helmet when she was 18 months. She just turned 3 and she’s nearly outgrown it, but a Woom 2 is in her future. The quality is excellent and could easily be passed down among multiple kids. I bought it used from Woom and hope to buy another used one, but will pay MSRP.
Another vote for the Woom 1 my 20 month old has just mastered it on the flat, had are a bit small for the brakes yet. 3yr old is on the Woom 2 so we’ll probably carry on the woom train for the next few years.
We bought a second hand Frog Tadpole Mini to our son, which he has loved very much (to the point that he still uses it indoors sometimes, at 4 years old with a longer seat post )
+1 for the lightest you can find. Here (in Australia) I’m a big fan of the Cruzee ones. They are not too expensive, solid, highly adjustable for height and (crucially) 1.9kg. Super easy for even a 2 year old to pick up and move around. They claim to be the lightest in the world and I’ve not seen a lighter one but have put one through 2 very active kids and now passed on to my nephew. It’s still in perfect order. It doesn’t have pneumatic tyres, but I never found that to be a limitation.
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