The answer is no!  Most people don’t realize the vast difference between 12″ balance bike sizing.    The biggest variation is the starting seat height.  The next is the handlebar range.  These things make a big difference at the starting point of your child’s balance bike experience!   I hear  parents disgard this advise because they have their eye on a specific bike.    Then they are frustrated when it arrives and doesn’t fit right away.  One of the most common bikes this happens on is the Skuut.    The starting seat range is 13.5″ which most kids don’t reach the minimum 14″ inseam range until 2 1/2 or 3 years old.    Nothing says it better than a picture.  Here is the Skuut balance bike  next to the Strider Prebike at the lowest settings (11″ seat range) and the Skuut at the lowest seat range:

Skuut and Strider balance bike starting seat height

Here is another picture of one of our medium balance bikes the Mini Glider – which has a wider seat range than the Skuut, but a higher handlebar starting height.  This is why the Mini Glider is a great choice for older toddlers ages 3 and 4 years old who need more arm room.

But wait!  Don’t think the Strider Prebike balance bike is too tiny for your child!  It has one of the widest ranges of adjustments for balance bikes.  Here is what it looks like with the handlebars up and the original seat at the highest range.  Strider Sports also has an XL seat post to bring it a few inches higher.

Here is a great picture of the age range the Strider Prebike Balance bike can handle:  I’m guessing this is a 2 year old and a 4 1/2 year old riding together at one of the many Strider races held around the US.

The important thing to remember in choosing a balance bike is to check out the seat range first, then the handlebar range. Pay attention to photos that may be available of younger and older kids on the bikes to get a feel of how your child will fit into this range.   Remember the most important fun thing about giving your child a balance bike as a present is that they can use it right away!    Nothing spoils the surprise more than the bike not fitting and having to wait or send it back.

Check out “what bike is best” at Kids Balance Bikes online store or feel free to call us to discuss sizing options for your child if you are not sure at 503-709-8782!   There is the right size bike out there for your child and more coming out on the market every year!  2012 is going to awesome for balance bike options!

The Strider Prebike, one of the most popular balance bikes on the market, has just expanded to offer super  fun options including choosing your own colored wheels,  grips, and seat!   Create a bike exactly to your liking!  Choose your favorite sport team colors, or your child’s 2 or 3 favorite colors.  Mix and match and make it your own!   Here are a few examples of what people are creating!   Go to Kids Balance Bikes website and use our new tool to mix and match your strider parts to see what your Strider balance bike could look like!   CUSTOM STRIDER website page.

Here are the accessories to choose from.   Wheels, grips and seats are purchased separately.   All bikes come standard with black wheels, grips and standard seat and can be changed out with your new colors:

So you have an older toddler who already has a Strider and is ready for pneumatic (air) tires?  Strider has their own Pneumatic air tires that are awesome and FAST!  They do add weight to the ultra light Strider bike and are best for kids ages 3 and up.

Also coming in the next few weeks from Strider Sports is an all new decked out model called the ST3 which comes standard with quick releases for the handlebars and seat, smaller seat for the younger kids ages 18months-3 years,  smaller grips for little hands, and handlebar pad.  Quite impressive!  If your child is turning 3 or younger, this is the model to buy!  Here is a sneek preview!:

Come visit us at Kids Balance Bikes for more pictures and to purchase your personally designed Strider bike for the Holidays!

Are you thinking you’ve lost the chance for your child to learn on a balance bike now that summer is over and winter is looming?    Not so!   Many children – including my own have used their balance bikes year round, even in the rain and snow!   Kids need to get out and burn energy and get exercise and there’s is no easier way then on two wheels!  Check out these kids on balance bikes in the winter!    Also, many kids (and parents) take advantage of basement areas and garages to let kids have some fun on their balance bikes during the bad weather.  We built an obstacle course in our basement one winter and my son rode around it for hours while we were snowed in.   So don’t wait!   By Spring weather, your child could be an “expert” rider and ready to zoom right out the door back into the sunshine – or possibly even ready for their first pedal bike!

This balance bike and trike from Wishbone is the newest addition to Kids Balance Bikes and we want to write to brag about it!   This is probably the most versatile wooden balance bike on the market and great quality with a great price.  Your child can start at any age – from the time they can walk and up to 5 years old.  This bike is capable of 3 positions -  trike mode, smaller balance bike mode (with 3 settings) and larger balance bike mode (with 3 settings).   This means it is a great investment to pass down to younger siblings as well!    This is what it looks like in different size pics:

With pnuematic air tires, you can ensure a smooth ride and wishbone puts careful attention to quality workmanship so your bike lasts!

What is also cool, is that wishbone offers special addition models with fun designs.

2010 model Koru which touts  an iconic symbol used in Maori art to represent new life, new beginnings, peace and hope for the future.

Made from kiln dried, preservative free plantation birch and eucalyptus, non toxic dyes, orangic cotton, wheels from 60% recycled plastics as well as recycled packaging, this bike is eco friendly and safe for your growing child!    Also light weight-  only 8.4 pounds  in balance bike mode, and the trike mode 12 pounds which allows for great stability for the young toddler.

What is also fun about the wishbone wooden balance bike and trike is that coming out soon are ways to personalize your bike with difference color durable seat pads and stickers (flowers or flames packs) :

Purchase your wishbone bike and accessories for the holidays now at www.kidsbalancebikes.com!

This young girl is 4 1/2 yrs old and 42 inches tall and loves her Skuut!

Skuut has come out with a new balance bike that is metal and great for the older preschoolers!   It is one of the largest 12 inch balance bikes out there almost the exact size of a 12 inch pedal bike – which makes it perfect for the 4 and 5 yr olds who need alittle confidence and balancing skills before hoping on a pedal bike (or those really tall 3 yr olds!).    What’s nice about this bike is the real feel of a bike with the pneumatic air tires and upright handlebars.   It comes with a handbrake and a free bell.

One thing to remember before buying the Skuut is to make sure it will fit your child out of the box!  The starting seat height is 16 inches from the ground and goes up to around 19.5 inches.

Here are some more pics of the metal Skuut!

This boy is 4 yrs old and 40 inches tall

Metal Skuut next to a 12 inch pedal bike

Simon is finally getting REALLY crazy about his pedal bike!  He is now 4 1/2 yrs old.     He could ride this pedal bike at 3 1/2 yrs old, but being very small for his age, he could hardly touch the ground with his tippy toes to start and stop so we put it away for one more year.   Early this Summer, we carted it to the school yard, he hopped on and off he went!  No coaching, no tears, no falls.     How could this be so easy?    He has been riding a Strider Balance Bike (Prebike) for 2 years now.   He still loves to ride his strider – all around the garage, up and down the driveway – it’s such a fun and a quick and easy thrill!    It’s hard to tell when he’ll be ready to retire his strider.

Over the weekend,  less than 2 weeks after starting to ride his bike, we rode in the Portland Sunday Parkways – about a 4 mile loop through North Portland streets which are completely blocked off from traffic, with parties and bands and booths with food and games.  What fun!   Portland has this event 4 times every summer in different parts of town and many thousands of adults and kids participate.

Here is a look back at Simon on his balance bike:

Age 2... still in diapers

dare devil down hills age 2

keeping up with big brother on the dirt trails

Trying out the mini glider at the skate park age 3 1/2

Age 4, snow can't stop Simon!

We now have the Portland Biking book out for regular browsing as Simon, big brother age 7 and mom get ready for a summer of biking.   We already hit one page from the book last Sunday – a large local park near a lake with lots of paths and fun things to do.  I snapped this cute picture of our bikes together.      We are now on a new phase of biking which could never have been possible so soon without our experience with a balance bike.

Our bikes parked on our first all pedal bike outing

Best friends Simon and Stella on their Strider and Mini Glider balance bikes for a special trip

These two preschoolers, both age 4, went for a 15 block  ride (each way!) to the ice cream shop yesterday for a yummy treat!   Lots of shoppers were out on the sidewalks, people eating at cafes,  window shopping and didn’t seem to mind the two tikes  zipping politely around everyone as they headed for their destination.

Traveling by balance bike is sure a fun and easy way to get from point A to B!   These kids would never have walked 30 blocks without a complaint – even for ice cream!   I had to walk at a fast clip to keep up with them – what a great way for alittle exercise!

I was sure to set up the rules of stopping at the end of each block so we could all cross the street at the same time.  Anyone who broke the rule would have to walk holding mom’s hand while mom carried the ultra light bike…. however no one broke the rule      Younger kids may need more guidance and closer supervision while riding on a city sidewalk.

What a fun outing!  We will definitely be doing it again!

]]> http://www.balancebikeblog.com/balance-bike/summer-has-begun/feed 0 http://www.balancebikeblog.com/balance-bike/a-creative-moms-birthday-surprise http://www.balancebikeblog.com/balance-bike/a-creative-moms-birthday-surprise#comments Sat, 22 May 2010 06:04:35 +0000 Stacey http://www.balancebikeblog.com/?p=126

Elijah’s surprise 3rd birthday present – a custom painted Smart Gear Balance Bike

Lisa decided to do something really special for her son’s 3rd birthday this year.  She bought him the Classic Smart Gear Balance bike and painted it herself to resemble a motorcycle to include his age (the number 3),  his name,  a painted on speedometer and wooden headlight and tail light.

The original Smart Gear Classic Bike looks like this:

And Lisa turned it into this:

Lisa likes to dabble in a  lot of artistic things such as painting, pottery, and web design,  and obviously has some artistic talent under her belt!  But she feels that most people can add their own touches  and design their own balance bike.

When Elijah is done with the balance bike,  Lisa plans to repaint it for her younger daughter.    What an inspiration!

see some other designs here http://www.balancebikeblog.com/balance-bike/wow-personalized-balance-bikes

]]> http://www.balancebikeblog.com/balance-bike/a-creative-moms-birthday-surprise/feed 0 http://www.balancebikeblog.com/balance-bike/trike-or-balance-bike http://www.balancebikeblog.com/balance-bike/trike-or-balance-bike#comments Thu, 06 May 2010 05:49:23 +0000 Stacey http://www.balancebikeblog.com/?p=98

Nate is 2 1/2 years old and could handle the Strider independently on his first try. Doesn't he look proud?

Today a lot of thoughts have gone through my mind about Tricycles verses Balance Bikes.  Of course I am a big advocate of Balance Bikes after seeing the beaming faces on the hundreds of children we have sold to locally and the many happy emails from parents all over the US who have purchased online.    One reason this is on my mind is that my 4 1/2 year old  son has been encouraged to ride a trike for physical therapy after recent hip surgery.   He has been on a balance bike 2 years and has been able to ride a pedal bike with no training wheels for a year.  But this early after surgery, bike riding is too risky, but pedaling is good therapy.  So out comes the trike…. and the reminder of the dangers of trikes has been plaguing our household!

However,   buying a tricycle as a first toddler bike has been a tradition right?  Kind of a “right of passage” almost.    I remember with my first child (pre balance bike Era) how excited I was when my child was almost 2 and I could run out and get a tricycle.   What most parents don’t expect is the let down that follows….     ALOT of kids 2 1/2 and under do not have the strength or coodination to propel a tricycle forward.  Alot of kids this age try and move the trike forward with their feet as parents watch painfully as the child’s shins hit the pedals over and over and the kids only inch forward at a very slow speed.     Once the child does learn to ride the trike, then come the tip overs and spills.   Why they designed a child’s ride on toy with only one wheel in the front is beyond me!   Two  in front and two in back would be so much safer!  Another let down about tricycles is that you really need to ride on smooth flat surfaces.    That really limits the playing field!

A Balance Bike can go over bumps and cracks, onto dirt paths, grass, bark,  and all without tipping over!      Another danger with tricycles is that if your child starts going down a hill, there is really no way to stop – often leading to a crash or tip over.    Balance Bikes are easy to stop with your feet, even on a steep incline, even without a handbrake.  If you haven’t checked the first part this youtube video put together by Strider International on the dangers of trikes and bikes with training wheels you should take a minute to do so.  This is not an exaggeration and my family has experienced these types of crashes with the older kids with both trikes and training wheels.  That is one reason we retired training wheels quite awhile ago.

Balance bikes are the new generation first toddler bike and kids are not minding this at all!   You can see those young kids with the glean in their eyes on how daring they plan to be on their new big boy or girl bike!   That is why you always want a helmet right from day one!   And that is just what Nate’s mom (in the picture above) was on her way to do after buying their Strider today!   After seeing what her little 2 1/2 year old could do after 10 minutes on the Strider, it was really amazing and exciting.

Some parents wonder if it is worth the money.     I think it definately is.  I know kids who are on these bikes for 1-3 years.   How many toys have parents bought for kids that they play with for days, weeks, or months at most?   If you have ever had an older child (4-7) addicted to training wheels – then you probably do not need any convincing that this is the way to go!  Your child will be riding a pedal bike without ever even seeing training wheels (when they give the green light!)  within minutes to hours – instead of months to years without balance bike experience.

Please let us know YOUR experience with older or younger kids getting on pedal bikes with or without training wheels or skipping tricycles all together!

Seat height on Strider PREbike is 11 inches up to 19 inches with XL post purchase!

This question comes up often and I know people have poured over internet based information about balance bikes trying to decide on which one!    That is actually good because there are some important differences you should consider between the different bikes to make sure it will fit your child!

There are more and more balance bikes on the market making it confusing to decide.   I have been fitting children on balance bikes for 2 years now and have a fairly solid grasp on some of the important fundamentals on choosing a balance bike.

The starting factor is the age of the child and the size of the child. I say age and size because some 2 year olds are the size of 4 yr olds and visa versa.      If we use clothing size – based on height – then that is another easy way to determine a child’s size – and average (50 percentile) 2 year old wears a 2T,   an average 3 yr old a 3T and so forth.   For the  younger the child (turning 3 or younger),  you want a lighter bike as they will developmentally be able to manage the bike better.   Children turning 3 and under will usually not use a handbrake and it may get in the way of their focus.     We have found that the wooden bikes are heavier and a bit bulkier and best managed by kids turning 3 and older.   If your child is 2 1/2 or younger, the Strider PREbike will be your best bet.   The strider bike also amazingly has an XL post which takes the seat height up to one of the highest seat levels of all balance bikes.   So the Strider bike will cross many age groups and easily be handed down to very young siblings or other family members.

The second big factor is the inseam length of the child from floor to crotch.   The child needs to be able to stand flat footed over the bike and walk forward.   Balance bikes start at 11 inches from the ground and some start as high as 14 – 15 inches from the ground.     Based on our experience at Kids Balance Bikes, the average 18 month old has an 11 inch seam…  the average child turning 2 is around 12 inches,   the average child turning 3 is around 13.5 inches.    After that, children’s legs start to grow and catch up with the rest of their bodies and the average child turning 4 can have an inseam up to 16 inches or more (or less).  That’s why is  best to measure if you are going with a bike with a higher starting seat height – to make sure it will fit right off the bat.     If your child’s inseam is equal or longer than the highest seat height on the bike you are looking at – then you may want to check out another balance bike that will fit, or see if an XL seat post (metal bikes only) would be an option.

One other factor to consider is the ability of the child.   If your child is timid and has not had any bike experience and is in the mid range age for the bikes (age 3 – 3 1/2 is about the mid range for all the balance bike) then go with a lighter bike with the least “bells and whistles” such as the Strider bike or the Smart Gear or Skuut.   Handbrakes, kickstands, and platforms may distract from the simplicity these bikes can offer.   The main goal of these bikes is to learn balance, and coordination and have fun biking.

One last thing is a comment on the 16 inch balance bikes.   Glide Bikes currently has a great, light 16 inch balance bike as well as Like a Bike (currently wooden).    Like a Bike is also coming out with a 16 inch metal balance bike this year.   It is important to not get a 16 inch balance bike before your child is ready.  Many bike shops fit kids as young as 3 1/2 or 4 on a 16 inch pedal bike with training wheels.   This should not be the case with a balance bike!   Based on our experience, your child should be 45 inches tall to begin on the 16 inch bikes and be able to manage them comfortably!     You don’t want the handlebars way up at their eye level – this will make it difficult to balance which is the opposite of what you want.

Please contact us with any questions on balance bike sizing at www.kidsbalancebikes.com