The balance bike concept has been very popular in Europe for a while. A balance bike has no pedals. Essentially, your child starts "walking" with the bike and, as their motor skills and confidence grow, they will naturally start "running" with the bike (imagine Fred Flingstone in his prehistoric car). A child as young as 2 and as "old" as 5 can have fun on this bike.
Like A Bike is one of the most popular balance bike brand. These cute little wooden bikes were designed with safety in mind. There are no sharp edges, and gaps are filled with felt material so that little fingers don't get stuck accidentally. HOWEVER, and this is a big "however" -- the L-A-Bs do not have brakes! I don't imagine O using the brake at all in the beginning, but somewhere down the road -- as she becomes more adept on the bike -- it is surely a necessity. For the $$$ ($315 for the Mountain model), I'd like some brakes please!
After some more research, I realized that most balance bikes do not have brakes. The only one I found with a handbrake is the G-Bike+ by Kick. This Swiss-designed balance bike is made from lightweight aluminum and features polyurethane wheels that do not need to be inflated. The G-Bike+ is also fitted with safety hardware to keep little hands from getting hurt. Kick also offers the regular G-Bike, which features smaller, scooter wheels.Overall, the G-Bike+ is a superior bike with a decent price tag. At $149.99, it is a much better value with generally better features:
1) WHEELS
Like A Bike = black pneumatic (air) tires that require regular pumping and could be accidentally punctured
G-Bike+ = transparent polyurethane tires that require very little maintenance and can be used indoors (no black marks on the floor!)
2) WEIGHT
Like A Bike = 7.7 lbs
G-Bike+ = 5.5 lbs
3) SEAT HEIGHT (adjustable)
Like A Bike = 12.5" - 16.1" (age 2-5)
G-Bike+ = 13" - 15" (age 3-5)
I do like the fact that the L-A-B seat height can be adjusted within a greater range -- conceivably allowing longer usage as your child grows.
Amazon.com sells both Like-A-Bike and G-Bike+. Search for "balance bike" and you will find even more choices. You should also check out the Kick website for their amazing Mini and Maxi scooters.
4 comments:
wow, cool concept. never heard of such a bike. i wonder though if it gives the right practice for bending the knee to use the pedal, which is often the hardest thing to coordinate for kids?? Just a thought.
Thanks for your input Anonymous! I can definitely see how pedaling could be a real hurdle for some. However, my sense is that once they are able to propel themselves on the balance bike by running, the kiddos are also able to lift their feet up off the ground without much trouble. Once they get the momentum going, pedaling would hopefully be an easy skill to master.
Also, the traditional bikes with training wheels actually do not help kids learn how to balance on two wheels. Kids tend to rely on the training wheels to get around, instead of acquiring necessary skills to go to the next level of motor coodination. Those bikes are also very heavy (steel body) and often too tall for toddlers 2-3years of age.
Good points!
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