[RBW] Re: Balance Bikes for Bouncing Babies

[Paul Clifton]

I'm just tossing this in the mix, but I don't have any experience with it, 
or any other balance-type bikes. This one is just cool and handmade by a 
guy local to Atlanta. It's expensive, but converts up a bike for an 8 year 
old. I'll probably go with a Strider-like bike from Craigslist when the 
time comes, just because they are so freaking cheap, and no one really has 
anything bad to say about 'em (assuming they have the right geometry and 
features).


   - [image: image 0]
   - 
   
https://www.etsy.com/listing/603814105/bamboo-bini-3-in-1-bamboo-bicycle-that?ref=shop_home_feat_1

Paul in ATL

On Sunday, March 10, 2019 at 11:24:10 PM UTC-4, Justin, Oakland wrote:
>
> Hey folks- 
> I want to look at a balance bike for my daughter. Lots of choices out 
> there and want to get one that can grow with her for a reasonably long 
> amount of time. It’d be nice to be able to have the same bike transition 
> with her to be able to ride a bit on the dirt since we have great flat-ish 
> areas in the dirt to practice here.
>
>  Any thoughts on brands or models?
> How old were they and how long had your kid been walking before going to a 
> balance bike?
> Any tips?
>
> Justin
>

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[RBW] Re: Balance Bikes for Bouncing Babies

[Bob K.]

Your little one is a couple years younger than mine if I remember right, but 
when she’s a bit older, check out the Strider 14x. It’s a reasonably priced 
bike and converts from balance to pedal mode. My daughter is tall for her age, 
too, and she probably would’ve fit on it when she turned three.

Bob K. in Baltimore

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[RBW] Re: Balance Bikes for Bouncing Babies

[Justin, Oakland]

Thanks so much!!

So far I’m looking at the Woom and the Yuba flipflop. Both appeal to me 
regardless of price and the Yuba has the extra appeal of a basket and rack and 
longevity. She’s an early walker, 95% height kid so I’m looking earlier than 
most. I measured her inseam and she’d be a fit on the Woom but maybe a bit 
short for the Yuba right now. 

My holdback on the Yuba is weight and tires. I’d much rather have pneumatic but 
oh well. 

Anyone put Paul brakes on the Woom yet?

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[RBW] Re: Balance Bikes for Bouncing Babies

[Sean Steinle]

TLDR; Kokua LikeABike Jumper! By far the favorite of my kids. 

Long Version: 

I like to think I've had a pretty good sampling of bikes for the littles. 
Our stable consists of:

Balance Bikes (all 12") - Kokua LikeABike Jumper, Yedoo TooToo, Islabike 
Rothan
14" Pedal - Islabike CNOC
16" Pedal - Spawn Banshee, Prevelo Alpha 2

I've had two go through the ranks, a third who is another year off. For my 
son, he was a couple months past his second birthday when he started on the 
balance bike, and moved to his pedal bike (never used training wheels), on 
his third birthday. Didn't miss a beat with the pedal bike. Both started 
out on the Yedoo TooToo, and moved to the Kokua. The Yedoo is great for a 
small kiddo, but the narrow handlebar makes for a twitchy ride as the kid 
grows. Biggest points in favor of the Kokua are: the wider handlebar, 2 
seatposts (short and tall), and the rear 'suspension' is a welcome addition 
on the rough stuff. My middle guy is about to turn 4, has been riding his 
pedal bike for a year, but still pulls out the Kokua almost weekly just to 
mess around.

On Sunday, March 10, 2019 at 10:24:10 PM UTC-5, Justin, Oakland wrote:
>
> Hey folks- 
> I want to look at a balance bike for my daughter. Lots of choices out 
> there and want to get one that can grow with her for a reasonably long 
> amount of time. It’d be nice to be able to have the same bike transition 
> with her to be able to ride a bit on the dirt since we have great flat-ish 
> areas in the dirt to practice here.
>
>  Any thoughts on brands or models?
> How old were they and how long had your kid been walking before going to a 
> balance bike?
> Any tips?
>
> Justin
>

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[RBW] Re: Balance Bikes for Bouncing Babies

[EasyRider]

Also went with a Stampede balance bike around age 3. The appeal to me was a 
hand brake and fat tires. It needed about 30 minutes of tune up out of the 
box. Got a Woom 3 for 5th birthday and was riding it within 10 minutes. 
Every kid is different but I think balance bike with a hand brake was 
really helpful to him. It was one less thing to learn when he was trying to 
figure out how to ride a pedal bike. Unfortunately, I think the business is 
no longer, so you might try finding one used. It was at a price point 
between Woom and the less-featured balance bikes. 

Pete
Arlington, VA

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[RBW] Re: Balance Bikes for Bouncing Babies

[Ed Carolipio]

We got the Yuba Flip Flops 
 for our twins 
which they rode from when they were a 22 months until they outgrew them at 
4.5 years old. I thought the tires were plastic but actually they're some 
weird foamposite thing that wears in when the kids used them a little. Not 
good for off road, though.

I got the Islabike Cnoc 16s 
 on a great deal when 
Islabikes left the US, and these have some small knobbies that can used off 
road. The pedals + handbrake were a challenge so I yanked the pedals and 
they used them as larg-ish balance bikes for a while. At 5, one twin now 
pedals on her own but the other isn't ready so he uses it as a balance bike 
still.

--Ed C.

On Sunday, March 10, 2019 at 8:24:10 PM UTC-7, Justin, Oakland wrote:
>
> Hey folks- 
> I want to look at a balance bike for my daughter. Lots of choices out 
> there and want to get one that can grow with her for a reasonably long 
> amount of time. It’d be nice to be able to have the same bike transition 
> with her to be able to ride a bit on the dirt since we have great flat-ish 
> areas in the dirt to practice here.
>
>  Any thoughts on brands or models?
> How old were they and how long had your kid been walking before going to a 
> balance bike?
> Any tips?
>
> Justin
>

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[RBW] Re: Balance Bikes for Bouncing Babies

[Wayne Naha]

I took the cranks off a thrift store bike for my daughters.  This seemed to 
work very well.  My wife wanted to buy a balance bike, but that was out of the 
question financially.  I could have put it back together for my oldest girl, 
when she was ready for pedals, but we handed it on.  There was a thriving 
market of bikes for tykes in our old neighborhood, where there were lots of 
children to pass an old bike on to.  Those heavy steel bikes would not wear out 
or break.

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[RBW] Re: Balance Bikes for Bouncing Babies

['Eric Myers' via RBW Owners Bunch]

I just took the cranks off a regular (right-sized) bike for my son.

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[RBW] Re: Balance Bikes for Bouncing Babies

[Dave Grossman]

I found two used Striders for my twins and they learned on em.  One day I 
got them 16" bikes with cranks and within an hour they were riding.  The 
process is amazing to watch.  My third kid is on one of the Striders now he 
is approaching getting on some cranks.  I think for the money it doesn't 
matter, its just the concept.


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[RBW] Re: Balance Bikes for Bouncing Babies

['Deacon Patrick' via RBW Owners Bunch]

We’ve had great results with the Cleary Gecko bike. Has handbrakes (essential). 
Just remove the pedals for the balance bike stage, put them on when they’re 
ready. simplest transition to pedaling ever.
https://www.clearybikes.com/collections/single-speed-bikes/products/gecko-12-single-speed

With abandon,
Patrick

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[RBW] Re: Balance Bikes for Bouncing Babies

[Andrew Patteson]

Hi Justin,

My kid ended up with a great one from TykesBykes (later called Stampede), 
but the website Two Wheeling Tots has tons of info and was a huge help for 
me in choosing.  No affiliation.

IIRC my son was 2 1/2 when we got him the balance bike and was riding a 
pedal bike like a champ right after turning 4.

I wanted real tires, not foam.  I liked the idea of the hand brake, though 
they likely won't use it for a while.

Exciting times!

Best wishes,
Andrew P. in SLC, UT


On Sunday, March 10, 2019 at 9:24:10 PM UTC-6, Justin, Oakland wrote:
>
> Hey folks- 
> I want to look at a balance bike for my daughter. Lots of choices out 
> there and want to get one that can grow with her for a reasonably long 
> amount of time. It’d be nice to be able to have the same bike transition 
> with her to be able to ride a bit on the dirt since we have great flat-ish 
> areas in the dirt to practice here.
>
>  Any thoughts on brands or models?
> How old were they and how long had your kid been walking before going to a 
> balance bike?
> Any tips?
>
> Justin
>

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