Balance Bikes for the Win!

Last year for Nolan, Judah, and Carter's birthdays, we got them balance bikes.  Up until that point, my kids only experience riding things with wheels were big wheel bikes, a train you scoot on, and a hand-me-down bike with training wheels from our neighbor.  The training wheel bike was just starting to get some serious attention when spring broke last year.  Before that, the boys hadn't been terribly into riding bikes and would much rather dig, dump, and draw while outside than anything else.  Josh and I thought getting them bikes for their birthdays, which are in the first week of May, would be an awesome gift so I started doing what I always do before buying things for my boys- I researched.  

I am kind of an obsessive researcher of things, which started when I was putting together our baby registry for Nolan and Judah.  I had no idea what I should ask for as a new mom so I read, and read, and read. While it drives Josh crazy because it seriously takes me hours of learning before making a decision on what to buy, the advantages are that my kids, for the most part, have age-appropriate, educational, safe, well made things that last.  Researching also helps me make decisions when there are SO MANY CHOICES for the same item.

So the quest for the perfect bike began...

I read, and read, and read about what was age appropriate for four year olds and two year olds, I looked at pictures, watched videos, skimmed countless reviews from parents, and tried to read up on how to make the transition to a big two-wheel bike.  Learning how to ride a bike is a huge milestone moment after all.

Through my research, I stumbled upon balance bikes.  Balance bikes are these tiny little bikes with no pedals and no brakes that you scoot on and can put your feet up to "balance."  I couldn't search bikes without seeing these with sensational almost five star reviews.  I was intrigued so I read more...

The premise behind them is that the most difficult part of learning how to ride a bike is the balancing.  If you introduce that balancing skill earlier on and on a bike that is closer to the ground, kids will master that skill more safely and with more confidence.  Then, the goal is that kids have an easier and quicker transition to a bigger bicycle.

You remember being a kid and having your mom or dad take their hand off your bike for the first time with no training wheels and if you were like me, you probably did some serious wobbling trying to keep that bike level and steady.  Or some serious falling down.  Often times that steadying takes a long time to master with a lot of fear attached because big kid bikes are big and tall off the ground.

I read review after review of people just obsessed with these little bikes and story after story of easy transitions onto bigger bikes.  I watched videos and couldn't believe how young these kids were zooming around on these bikes (as young as 18 months).   I also read a lot of articles on the subject.  Apparently the training wheels vs. balance bike is quite a great debate.  Here are a few:

Why Balance Bikes Should be the First Bike for Your Toddler 
The Best Age to Start Your Toddler on a Balance Bike is Sooner Than you Think
Bye Bye Training Wheels. Hello Balance Bikes

Even though Nolan and Judah, who were turning four, were on the older side for these bikes, I decided we should give them a try!

Now onto the difficult decision of which balance bike to buy.  Again, I went back to researching.  I knew I wanted a bike that had a place to put feet so boys could easily balance on their bikes when they felt comfortable.  I also didn't want to spend a million dollars.  Balance bikes can be found for as little as $20 or $30, but many of them are, in my opinion, pricey going well into the $100s.  If I bought three of these bikes at like $120 dollars each and they were a total flop, I was going to be super annoyed.  So I tried to find a bike that was more in the middle price range while also getting stellar reviews.

These are the bikes we went with...

We got two of these Critical Cycle Balance Bikes

And one of these kaZAM Balance Bikes 

Josh and I put them together one night after everyone went to bed and then crossed our fingers.  We knew Carter would love the bike since he was turning two and this really was his first experience, but we were a bit worried Nolan and Judah would think these bikes were too small and too cumbersome to have to scoot around in.   

Thankfully, they were all super pumped to get them for their birthdays, however riding them, at first, was a bit of a challenge.  Carter tipped over a lot as he was getting used to scooting and steering and Nolan and Judah didn't want to put in the effort to really get moving fast and showed more preference to riding their big wheels where they could pedal to get going.  Eventually, though, all three of my boys were seriously ZOOMING in these bikes.  It was shocking to see how fast Carter could get going at two years old.  We spent all summer and fall scooting and balancing all over the neighborhood.  They were in love and so was I.

Carter at two years old read to zoom. 

This summer, our neighbor, who's almost four, was seen riding around with no training wheels around our cul-da-sac.  Having someone younger be so good on a big bike made Nolan and Judah decide they were ready to try to ride a bigger bike with no training wheels.  What a big moment for any parent!  Josh and I were both anxious to see what the process would be like.  They were phenomenal balancers, but would that really translate well onto a big bike?!  

So, a few days ago, we took training wheels off of a neighbor's old bike, sat Judah on it, and he just took off.  It was that simple.  No fear, no falling, no wobbling- just riding.  Both Josh and my faces were in complete shock.  After letting Judah ride around for a bit, his smile beaming, we got Nolan up there to see what he could do.  Again, Nolan just took off riding.  It was seriously incredible.  It was so surprising that I didn't even get a video or picture of their initial take off; it just happened too quickly!  Carter, at three years old, won't be far behind I think!  

Nolan and Judah on bikes and Carter on his balance bike

These balance bikes were an awesome choice for us and I would highly, highly recommend them!  In the great debate of training wheels vs. balance bikes, balance bikes won for us in a landslide ;). 

Seeing my kids so empowered to ride independently is a pretty cool thing and how easy the transition has been is phenomenal for this worrier!