Balance bikes

[Tenbears10]

My daughter is 2 in June and I want to get her a bike. I really like the idea of a balance bike without pedals but just wondering if anyone has any opinions on which one.
http://www.everythingforfun.co.uk/LIKEaBIKE-Jumper-Metallic-Bicycle.html likeabike jumper
http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/rothan.html islabikes Rothan or
http://www.helemill.com/acatalog/Adventure_Zoom_Aluminium_Balance_Bike_by_Ridgeback.html ridgeback zoom?

The first 2 seem to have steering systems so you can't jacknife the bars which is good for the first stage and can be removed once they have the hang of it. Are the brakes needed (the likeabike doesn't have one).

Anything else you can think of gratefully received.

[tiermat]

To be honest, with regards to brakes, no.  At your daughters age children cannot:
a) grasp strongly enough to use them
b) comprehend that squeezing a lever will stop the forward motion....

TLD got her first bike at age 3 and has only in the last 6 months or so been able to use the brakes (or the bars, she has been able to stop the bike with the back pedal brake).  She is now 5 and 3 months.

If used correctly a likeabike is potentially only needed for a week or two, could you hire one? I know Cyclesense in Tadcaster hire them out.

[Butterfly]

I like the Islabikes. The advantage of them is that their resale value is about 80%. They will take their bikes in part exchange when you upgrade, or you can ebay them.

[agagisgroovy]

I was down the park today with my little cousin (age 2 or 3), he loves his. He was perfectly capable of stopping with his feet (no brakes, although a bell), but on busy bits my uncle used a harness on him to stop him crashing into people. He was even standing up and sitting over his back wheel. 

[clarion]

Wasn't there a bike you could use like this then add a bottom bracket etc to turn it into a first 'proper' bike?

But hey - you could just take the pedals off an ordinary bike, and secure the cranks so they won't turn.

Sooooo long as you don't lose the pedals, then find out they are some weird thread size

[RJ]

We managed to get a Lidl (wooden) Like-a-Bike clone for buttons (£12 new, IIRC) a couple of years back.  Brilliant.  He rode it for ages, getting scarily proficient, to the point of braking the rear wheel with his feet  .

A child not yet 2 will get good use out of a bike with no pedals at all.  I don't really see a hugh amount on which to base a choice, beyond price and looks, though I like the whole Islabikes approach to children's cycling.

Any of those 3 would be fine.  The other brand that springs to mind is Puky (the name is less unfortunate-sounding in their native Germany).  There are others.

[Tenbears10]

Thanks guys lots of things to keep in mind and the Puky's start at £60 so quite a bit less than the first 3.

[RichMoss]

We had a Puky learner bike for our daughters and thought it was ideal. I thought it better than the alternatives too, as the girls could pick their feet up and put them on the 'running board' when they got speed up and, usefully, it has a kickstand.

(have a look on ebay too, I've seen them go pretty cheaply on there).

[Ariadne]

My neighbours bought a Ridgeback balance bike for their daughter (two and a half? I'm not sure) two weeks ago. It's lovely, and she was balancing within a week -- and now complains there are no pedals. So I think borrowing one would be ideal, or taking the pedals off an ordinary bike.

[RJ]

Horses for courses, maybe, on the pedal front.  FirstBorn has been very slow to pedal and for some time preferred his hobby-horse to the pedalled bike he got to move on to.

[PrettyBoyTim]

My son had a Hondura Joey, which he loved. £50 from Evans.



It's going spare now if you're in London and would like it. I'm sure Gabe wouldn't mind.

[unipaul]

My lad has an Islabikes Rothan and loves it. He's just turned 3 but got it when he was 2. Now quite happy to ride a couple of miles (probably more if all downhill). Steep bits (up or down) generally get a slow shuffle movement, but flat or slight downhills get significant speed. His steering, balance and probably more importantly fun-quotient have increased massively in the year and if only he was really tall enough for a bike with pedals we'd happily get one! He doesn't have a brake - but is rather proficient at scrubbing speed off with feet. Wears the shoes out a bit ...

[DrMekon]

Mini-Mekon got a Likeabike Jumper from his Granny. It's been great, and it's hard to fault (two seatposts so can be used from tiny to largish, two suspension settings, steering limiter), but compared to others on the market, it's very expensive. The only time it seems to have a real advantage is offroad, where the big apples and suspension seems to allow him to go faster and keep in control compare to his mates' bikes (Puky, wooden likeabike). Didn't stop him faceplanting and writing off a helmet when Mrs-Mekon let him go down some steep drops.