# Balance bike vs. Tricycle for 2 year old



## MacroMama

Hello!
My parents are planning on buying our DS either a balance bike or a tricycle for his second birthday.

We were wondering if any of you have had one for someone his age and what your thoughts are. Are there benefits? Cons?

Thanks so much!


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## chick

Millie has a trike with a parent handle and we use it instead of a pushchair most of the time. She can actually pedal it a little without my help but most of the time I push and she has her feet on the pedals making it look as if she's doing all the hard work!

My elder dd had a trike at 2 (they didn't do them with parent poles/ handles then!) then went straight to a bike with pedals at 3 - first with stabilisers then without at 3 yrs 8 months.


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## RoundAbout

We have a balance bike and love it. I think the theory behind balance bikes is very sound in that it teaches kids to ride a bike without having to go through the awkward training wheel stage.

Check out the videos on the Strider Sports website. The fact that the kids are having so much fun and doing so much really convinced me that the balance bike was the ideal choice for us.


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## AllisonR

My DD is 28 months and we've had problems with both. She can pedal, but she does not have the strength to pedal hard enough to pull the wheels around. Its a heavy, metal tricycle. We have a balance bike as well, but even at the lowest setting she is still too short for it. So she still uses the plastic three wheeler thing. If you can get a balance bike that is small enough, I'd go with that.


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## SparklingGemini

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AllisonR* 
My DD is 28 months and we've had problems with both. She can pedal, but she does not have the strength to pedal hard enough to pull the wheels around. Its a heavy, metal tricycle. We have a balance bike as well, but even at the lowest setting she is still too short for it. So she still uses the plastic three wheeler thing. If you can get a balance bike that is small enough, I'd go with that.

Sorry to hijack here...but I have a question.

Which balance bike to you have? My DD will be 2 in July and I wanted to get her one but she is very teeny and very petite and I am worried about just what you mentioned.

According to the Strider website, they have the shortest seat height, so I was leaning toward them but I would love to know what works (or doesn't as the case may be) for other mama's of shorties.


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## boigrrrlwonder

On average, children learn to peddle at about 2 1/2 yrs. old. My parents gave us a trike that the parent can push for her 2nd b-day. T loves it, but we use it like a stroller.


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## Meems

DD got a kettler trike for her 2nd b-day and was pedaling independently in a few minutes. it was unbelievable.

i've heard the balance bikes are cool, and may get one for her in the future.

we also use the trike w/ pushbar for walks. she pedals and i push. it's great.


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## Peony

DD1 was pedaling herself around by 2.5, DD2 is about that age and has no idea how to make the petals work.







She doesn't have a clue about the balance bike we have either. She uses the trike with the pushbar and we just push her around.

It just depends on the child. DD1 has always been one to pick up sports very quickly, DD2 not so much.


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## sugarlumpkin

My mom bought a Strider for my DS when he was 18 months old. He loves it. He is now 26 months and can go faster than I or my DH can walk! I am considering buying a bike for myself so we can go riding together. Seriously. We started with the seat at the very lowest position (13" off the floor) and we've only raised it once since then (I think we need to raise it again). My DS rides the bike indoors and out.


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## Boot

My DS is about to turn two and I had the same dilemma. I decided on a trike with a pushbar after getting to try out a friend's balance bike on the lowest setting. He just didn't seem ready for it although he is tall and quite physically able. But he LOVES all bikes and trikes. I'm thinking, what's the point in pushing him? Those balance bike's go to about 5 years old so even if he gets it for christmas, or his 3rd birthday he'll still get lots of use out of it. I think a trike with pushbar is more versatile for this age.


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## snoopy5386

I think it depends on the kid. My DD is not very physically advanced, at all. She got a trike for her 2nd bday, now this year at nearly 3 she can peddle it on flat ground or a downslope. If there is any kind of slight incline she can't do it. I figure by the end of this summer she'll be able to ride it. We may get her a balance bike for her 4th birthday. I don't think there is any way she could ride it even at 3.


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## ShyDaisi

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SparklingGemini* 
Sorry to hijack here...but I have a question.

Which balance bike to you have? My DD will be 2 in July and I wanted to get her one but she is very teeny and very petite and I am worried about just what you mentioned.

According to the Strider website, they have the shortest seat height, so I was leaning toward them but I would love to know what works (or doesn't as the case may be) for other mama's of shorties.










I had been leaning towards Strider, but had heard that it is kind of cheaply made. I need the shortest bike possible for my petite little man. I had thought about waiting till Christmas or his 3rd birthday, but he wants a bicycle soooo bad I have been trying to find one for his 2nd.

After pouring over web site after web site (and discarding a LOT of good options that are only sold in the UK), I have found what I *think* I am getting Micah for his birthday....

It is made by Haro (which is a manufacturer of both adult and children's bikes)...It is a 10" bike, which seems to be virtually impossible to find. I haven't found any reviews to discern whether there are any issues with it though. However, since the manufacturer makes more than just this one bike, it makes me more hopeful. I have found several bike shops around the country that sell them, but only a handful, and only two websites online so far. It is the Haro Z10 and retails for around $90.....Depending on where you find it, it comes in blue, pink, and black.


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## MacroMama

Thanks for all the info. It's going to be a tough decision.

If anyone has any other recommendations on different brads, I'd appreciate the info!

Has anyone tried a Skuut?


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## LittleBlessings

Dc had a trike with a pushbar


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## Snuzzmom

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MacroMama* 
Has anyone tried a Skuut?

We have a Skuut. DS is 28 months and loves it.


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## askew

My DS got Skuut for his second birthday. He is only now able to touch both feet to the ground on the lowest setting and he is really tall for his age. He is 27 months and 36 or 37". Like in 3T and 4T pants.

I love the bike, and it is REALLY well made. Looks like it will last a long time! I don't think I would recommend it for a 2 yr old unless you want to hold onto to for a while, or bend down and hold the back of the seat to balance them. (very hard on your back, trust me







)


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## phillychiquita

When DD was about 15 months I got an old kettler trike from a garage sale and then for her 2nd birthday, my husband got DD a skuut balance bike because he liked the idea.

DD is tall for her age (about 37 inches) and she can barely touch on the lowest setting of the skuut. She calls the skuut balance bike "too slippery" (meaning, she can't straddle it well enough and it slips from under her) and does not want to ride it...she only wants to ride the kettler trike (which she just figured out how to pedal by herself).

If it were me, I would go with a nice trike that has a parent handle (and steering control for the parent) and a little trunk that they can put their "stuff" in and I would save the skuut/balance bike for an older birthday.


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## Limabean1975

Subbing so I can open this on tapatalk


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## cyanviolet

We bought a Wishbone balance trike that converts to a balance bike. It is more pricey then other push bikes but I liked it because it was good for ages 1-5. You get rid of one of the wheels once your child is comfortable with just two and then the frame flips for short or tall kids. I thought my little guy was going to go nuts for it and he does love walking around on it with his "hemet" on, but he isn't reallying riding it much yet. We gave it to him when he was 18 months and he just got PO'd that he couldn't push it around easily. I think it really varies with the kid. He's requesting a skateboard lately (at 21 months) but we told him he'll have to learn to ride a bike first!


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## ellairiesmom

We also have the Haro Z10 (in pink) and DD1 just never really took to it. Granted, she was still a little short for it when we got it the Christmas after her 2nd Birthday (2009), but even now, she prefers the Radio Flyer Fold to Go trike over the balance bike. The 4.5 year old boy next door loves her balance bike though!

I suspect DD2 might be on that balance bike by the fall. She is already showing signs of being much more adventurous & less cautious/timid...

It is very well made, adorable & a shop near us ordered for us & it was there in a week. Cost in 2009 was $95.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ShyDaisi*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> 
> Originally Posted by *SparklingGemini*
> Sorry to hijack here...but I have a question.
> 
> Which balance bike to you have? My DD will be 2 in July and I wanted to get her one but she is very teeny and very petite and I am worried about just what you mentioned.
> 
> According to the Strider website, they have the shortest seat height, so I was leaning toward them but I would love to know what works (or doesn't as the case may be) for other mama's of shorties.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I had been leaning towards Strider, but had heard that it is kind of cheaply made. I need the shortest bike possible for my petite little man. I had thought about waiting till Christmas or his 3rd birthday, but he wants a bicycle soooo bad I have been trying to find one for his 2nd.
> 
> After pouring over web site after web site (and discarding a LOT of good options that are only sold in the UK), I have found what I *think* I am getting Micah for his birthday....
> 
> It is made by Haro (which is a manufacturer of both adult and children's bikes)...It is a 10" bike, which seems to be virtually impossible to find. I haven't found any reviews to discern whether there are any issues with it though. However, since the manufacturer makes more than just this one bike, it makes me more hopeful. I have found several bike shops around the country that sell them, but only a handful, and only two websites online so far. It is the Haro Z10 and retails for around $90.....Depending on where you find it, it comes in blue, pink, and black.


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## StoriesInTheSoil

My son got a balance bike (Strider, which I find to be very well made and nice looking and I'm picky so I'm not sure where the thoughts of it being cheaply made come from) for his 2nd birthday. He LOVES it. At 31 months he's now easily coasting down hills and lifting his feet from the ground to glide on flat surfaces. On inclines he often stands and walks straddling the bike. It is VERY lightweight, enough that he can pick it up and carry it up and down the stairs which means that "falls" are a non-issue, he just stands right back up. The light weight also makes it easy on me, I can hang it off of the stroller when he doesn't want to ride it anymore and it doesn't add any weight to the stroller or tip it back.

When they first get the bikes, they usually walk beside them for awhile, then straddle the bar and walk over them for awhile, then start trying to sit on the bar or straddle the seat, then finally sit on the seat and walk. Coasting seems to come a few months after walking/running on the bike.


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## pmommie

I have three kids. With my oldest I didn't know about balance bikes. However, with my second child she had a balance bike and loved it! After riding her balance bike since she was 2 we got her a bike with pedals a little after she turned 4. It only took her two tries and now she is zipping around on a bike with pedals. People are alway amazed! My youngest is almost 18 months and I just found him a great http://www.BalanceBikeAnd.com">Balance Bike</a> here for a great price. Plus I was able to get him a helmet that will find his smaller head! They had a great coupon and my order was shipped for free!


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## redpajama

All 3 of my kids have learned a bit on both. Honestly, I think either would be great. My husband and I are very much into biking, so I find all the theorizing about the "best" way to introduce a bike very interesting, but I honestly think people overthink it a bit. Your child will have fun, get exercise, and develop future bike-riding skills on either, so unless it's of particular importance to you that he's riding a 2-wheel bike without training wheels at a very young age, I would just go with whichever one he's/you're more drawn to.

Where balance bikes are concerned, we have a wooden Radio Flyer one that we got several years ago. It's cute, but it's too tall for my very tall almost-2-year-old, who is very ready to be using it (and she's considerably taller than her older brother and sister were at her age--if I recall correctly, they were almost 3 when they could really use it). My neighbors have a Specialized "Hotwalk" for their 2-year-old, and the seat goes much lower, plus it's lightweight and well-made. When my daughter turns 2 in a couple months, we may pick one of those up for her if I can find one at a reasonable price (they're pretty expensive). The other one that I think is really cool and may consider for her is the Micro G Bike (I think that's what it's called--anyway, that will bring it up on Google). I've seen some videos of pretty small kids riding those, and they look pretty cool.

Another thought: We got my youngest a 3-wheeled Razor scooter a couple months ago, and she LOVES it. She got it right away (she was about 20 months), and has learned to steer really well from it. Now, she can move really fast on it, and she rides it every day. We have a Kettler tricycle that the older kids used, and she's getting the hang of pedaling, but when she loses momentum she sometimes has trouble and gets frustrated.

Anyway, I don't think you can really go wrong here--either will make a great gift.


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## emma00

I was just coming to this forum to post a question about balance bikes! We got one for our 2 year old this weekend for her birthday. She HATES it! All attempts to get her to try it are met with "no like bike" She doesn't like that it's tippy - even though the seat is low enough for both her feet to be planted flat on the gound. Anyone else have a kid who didn't like a balance bike at first but grew to like it over time? My six year old LOVES it! At least someone is using it.

We have an Kettler trike that her older sibs used and she quite likes that.


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## Peony

DD2 strongly disliked our balance bike until this summer, she is now 4.5. She flat out refused to use it before. She loves it now and has been cruising all over the neighborhood with it. So there is hope! Even if it takes a few years.


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## Jend1002

We also have a Kettler trike - DS got it for his 2nd birthday. He is big for his age, but he was able to peddle it after about a month or two of having it. He is going to be 3 in the fall and he still loves riding his trike. He can ride quite far on it too so it's nice that I don't have to "steer" or push him.


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## dejagerw

My son has a trike and a balance bike. Really the balance bike is what replaces the 2 wheel bike with training wheels. There are still advantages in having a trike. I figure my son will learn to peddle on the trike and learn to balance on the balance bike, and then he'll be ready for a 2 wheeler regular bike. We first got DS1 a trike. He learned to peddle when he was about 19 months. Sometimes he'd need help to get going though. By the end of that summer/fall he was 23 months and could peddle on his own pretty well. When he was 24 months we got him a balance bike. TBH, that hasn't really gotten that much use. DS1 is a quick learner and pretty advanced, however, a very cautious boy. He tried a couple times when he first turned 2 on the bike. (He would just kind of walk with it, not really glide at all). Now that it's summer again, he's now 31 months and will still only walk while on the bike, no gliding. Maybe by the end of summer/fall he'll start gliding, but if not then hopefully next year.

We've got a Radio Flyer trike. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3155376

and a Mini glider. http://www.amazon.com/Glide-Bikes-MG-12R-Mini-Glider/dp/B001HX3CDQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1308159077&sr=1-1

We've had no problems with him fitting on the glide bike. The seat goes down very low. However, the handlebars are pretty high and you can't really lower it down far enough IMO. However, definitely still usable for a young one.


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## AKislandgirl

DD got a fold in go radio flyer trike for her 2nd birthday. She was pedaling it within a month of using it as her legs got longer and stronger. She really likes it. We've tried several varieties of balance bikes and she just isn't big enough to handle them independently so we are going to wait on those. Maybe for her 3rd birthday or for Christmas. She likes them but it requires us helping her which as a pp stated is hard on your back! We will do a balance bike over a small bike with training wheels though when she is ready. She's petite and cautious so readiness is probably different for different kids.

I will say though that we go to a playgroup where the kids bring their bikes. Although a lot of the 2 year olds have balance bikes almost none of them can use them yet. They all fight to borrow DD's trike!


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## emma00

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Peony*
> 
> DD2 strongly disliked our balance bike until this summer, she is now 4.5. She flat out refused to use it before. She loves it now and has been cruising all over the neighborhood with it. So there is hope! Even if it takes a few years.


Oh good - I only need to hang on for 2.5 more years. Based my experience, I vote - trike


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## Abraisme

This depends on your kid I suppose.

My DS was peddling by 18mo, had a tiny bike with training wheels by 2yo and was riding w/o trainers by 4yo.

My 22mo DD still isn't peddling, but in all fairness she can't reach the peddles on her tricycle! For now she loves to go for rides on it while I push her. I also bought her a balance bike, but it's too heavy for her and she can't control it well. She probably won't have enough coordination, height and weight until she's 2.5 or so for either method.


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## Terrilein

get the balance bike!!! I had one for my dd and it made window shopping, walking about the city, going to the park so much easier than using a stroller. AND she leanerd how to particpate in/take more notice of traffic than she did sitting passively in a stroller. Helped me lose a few extra pounds, too. She was riding a normal bicycle before she turned 4, and she managed that on her first try. (She had learned how to use pedals on other bike-like contraptions in pre-school.)


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