Ultimate Balance Bike Guide For Everything You Need to Know

What is a balance bike?

A balance bike is a bike without pedals that helps kids easily start on their cycling journey. It has a frame, fork, handlebars and wheels but no drivetrain (pedals, chain, sprockets). To move forward, kids push off the ground with their feet.

Kids stabilise themselves by having their feet on the ground, so they can develop their balance and coordination without the need for stabilisers. When they’re confident and ready, they can then progress to pedals.

The tide has turned on stabilisers with all leading bike brands recognising balance bikes as the way forward and adding them to their ranges.

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Balance Bike Benefits

Easy Transition To Pedalling

With a balance bike, your child has the opportunity to learn in a natural and progressive way. Having already mastered the skills of balancing, braking, and steering, the transition to pedalling is seamless. By focusing on the core skills first, kids can confidently glide while naturally learning how to use the pedals.

Develops Motor Skills

Riding a balance bike develops kids' motor skills as they learn to balance and steer, building confidence with every glide. This sharpens their coordination and lays a strong foundation for other physical activities throughout their life.

Encourages Outdoor Play

Riding a balance bike is a fun activity that can encourage children to spend more time outdoors. This helps kids foster a love of nature and a desire to be physically active, which is beneficial for their overall health and well-being.

Easy To Use

Once a child is walking, riding a balance bike is very intuitive. Kids still have their feet on the ground and simply push forward off the ground with their feet to get going! And after the first few tentative steps, they will progress to running, striding and gliding in no time!

Early independent cycling

Studies have shown that children who learn to cycle on balance bikes develop better balance, strength and coordination. It is also now proven to lead to earlier independent cycling.

Encourages Outdoor Play

By having a low saddle height, kids can keep their feet safely near the ground giving confidence as they learn to balance and steer.

What Is The Best Age To Start On A Balance Bike?

The best age to start on a balance bike is as soon as they can walk and can fit your chosen bike. Starting early on a balance bike is not just possible, but also beneficial for your child's development.

The average balance bike age range for when a child is physically and developmentally ready to start balancing a bike is between 18 months and 3 years old.

While there are advantages to starting early, older kids will still enjoy the benefits of a balance bike, and will likely progress very quickly. Whatever your child’s age, a balance bike is great exercise and will improve their balance, coordination and strength leading to a smooth transition to pedalling.

For any age child wanting to learn to cycle independently, a balance bike is the best way to start.

Top Tip!

Our LittleBig balance bike with pedals grows with your child so can last much longer than a standard bike, giving kids extra time to ride, saving money and is kinder to the planet.

LittleBig Convertible Balance Bike

LittleBig easily adapts from a little balance bike into a big pedal bike, so you only need one bike for your child from age 2 to 6 years old.

Little Balance Bike

Big Balance Bike

What To Look For When Choosing A Balance Bike

Check it's the right size for your child

Unlike normal kids bikes, balance bike sizing is based on leg inseam length rather than wheel or frame size. Your child should be able to have their feet flat on the ground while sitting on the saddle.

To check if the bike is the right size, measure your child’s inseam, with shoes on. This should be the same or slightly longer than the minimum saddle height of the bike. If your little one’s inseam is longer than the maximum saddle height of the bike, you need to choose a bigger bike!

Your child should be able to reach the handlebars comfortably with their torso leaning slightly forwards. Balance bikes with a longer arm reach will allow your child to go faster and maintain a more aggressive, forward leaning stance on the bike. If the bike is more upright (like a Dutch Bike), it will be okay for shorter distances but more difficult to propel the bike forward.

The bike should be as light as possible

For your child to push the bike easily, the bike should be as light as possible. The frames on kids balance bikes are usually made from aluminium alloy, steel, wood or plastic.

The best material for balance bikes is aluminium alloy as it’s rust-proof and is much lighter than steel. Wood balance bikes can look cute but don’t come with brakes. If you're going for a wood balance bike, ensure it's made using marine plywood as this will not warp and delaminate when wet, unlike the cheaper bikes made of standard plywood.

Long Term Value for Money

Cost is obviously a big factor for many parents and really what you choose depends on the bike’s intended use. A more expensive bike will usually be lighter and longer lasting, use better components, have better customer service, and will often have a better re-sale value.

Most quality kids bikes will use genuine bike parts that can be serviced and replaced by a bike shop so can keep the bike running perfectly for longer. There are numerous cheaper copycat brands out there, but they fall down on attention to detail and build quality. They are usually missing some important features such as brakes, air tyres, ball bearings as described below.

Wheel Size and Build

It's best to look for wheels with air (pneumatic) tires, alloy rims, and hubs with steel spokes. Air tires will provide more cushioning and grip for your child, giving them more confidence. Tires with a wide knobbly tread will give better grip on rough surfaces, while those with a narrower smooth tread will roll faster.

Some brands use EVA foam tires which are puncture-proof but do not provide much grip. Once they wear out, they cannot be replaced, so you need to buy a whole new wheel. Make sure your bike has ball bearings or cartridge bearings rather than nylon (plastic) bushings, which can rattle and wear out easily.

Some tiny balance bikes have 10-inch wheels, but most have 12-inch wheels. Although the LittleBig is a 14-inch balance bike, the unique low-slung frame means it has a similar starting saddle height to many 12-inch wheeled bikes.

What type of brakes does the bike have (if any)?

A balance bike with brakes offers an added layer of safety for young riders, enabling them to slow down and stop more easily, especially on steeper or uneven terrain.

By learning how to brake on their balance bike, children can focus solely on pedalling when they transition to a pedal bike. It's essential to choose kid-specific short-reach brake levers to ensure they are easy for small hands to use effectively.

Are The Contact Points Robust and Comfortable?

Look out for a padded saddle rather than hard plastic. Check the material is tough so it doesn’t rip easily. Wood balance bikes usually have wood “saddles” with foam padding on top, which won't be as comfortable as a fully padded saddle.

Rubber handlebar grips are more comfortable and grippy than plastic ones. The only reason brands use plastic is to keep the cost down.

The best balance bikes come with a ball bearing or cartridge bearing headset, this allows the handlebars to rotate & steer freely. Some cheaper balance bikes come with rattly plastic bushings that cannot be serviced.

Are the parts serviceable or replaceable? Check warranty too!

Most decent balance bikes are built like a real adult’s bike with genuine bike parts that can be serviced and replaced as parts wear, ensuring that the bike keeps running for many years.

Other cheaper balance bikes are more like toys, with parts like plastic bushings and proprietary parts (handlebars, wheels etc) that cannot be sourced locally.

It's important to check the bike's warranty as some will be very limited.

Aesthetics, the beauty is in the detail!

It's not top of the list, but if the bike looks good, your child is going to like it more and want to ride it more.

Beware of popular cartoon-branded bikes (Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, etc.) or ones with a plethora of accessories as standard (doll seats, baskets, etc.), as these are usually fitted to an inferior bike that is poorly thought out. The trinkets are usually to mask a multitude of shortcomings in the bike's design.

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Balance Bike Tips & Advice

10 Reasons Not To Use Stabilisers On Your Kid's Bike

Balance Bike Age Range | How To Choose The Perfect Bike

10 TOP tips for getting your child started on their balance bike

6 Ways to Tell If Your Child Is Ready to Start Pedalling

Balance Bike With Brakes – Why Your Child Needs Them

Balance Bike Vs Training Wheels. Which is Best?

Why a Balance Bike With Pedals Is The Ideal Choice

How to Teach Your Child to Ride a Bike Confidently & Safely

LittleBig Convertible Balance Bike

4.92

From £225.00 GBP

Pedal Kit

0

£65.00 GBP

Met Hooray Helmet

0

£34.00 GBP

Beep Bike Streamers

0

£14.00 GBP

Beep Bell

0

£14.00 GBP

Beep Kids Wicker Basket

0

£21.00 GBP

Who We Are | The Journey Behind LittleBig Bikes

Hi, I’m Simon, daddy, engineer, round-the-world cyclist, mountain biker and founder of LittleBig bikes.

After working as an engineer on some incredible projects in Cambridge, my best mate Fearghal and I completed Revolution Cycle, the first Irish circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle.

I’m also a mountain biker and love getting out on the bike with my kids to give them the same love of bikes as I have. Our sole aim is to make the best bike for kids to ensure they get the best start on their biking journey, and parents are absolutely stoked in their child’s confident riding.

How To Ride a Balance Bike

Make Sure The Bike Fits Your Child

Riding an ill-fitting bike is awkward and frustrating. While sitting on the saddle, your child should be able to have their feet flat on the ground.

The handlebars should be within comfortable reach, without being cramped, so your child can steer easily. Handlebars on proper bikes can be rotated backwards or forwards and moved up or down to get the right fit.

Learn how to use the brakes

Most kids will intuitively use their feet to stop while using the balance bike, at least while they’re getting started. Once your little one gets faster they’ll need to start using their brakes on their balance bike.

It’s best to teach them to use the rear brake first, then the front brake as they get more confident. You may wish to run alongside them with your hand on their back while they are learning in case they need to stop.

Get Padded Up

To ensure that a gentle fall doesn’t knock your child’s confidence, it’s best to be kitted up properly.A well-fitted helmet is strongly recommended, along with sturdy shoes and robust clothing, like jeans and a soft padded jacket. Avoid loose clothing or shoe laces that may get caught in the wheels.

Pick a Safe Suitable Location

An open area free from traffic and distraction will provide a safe learning environment, and ensure your child is focused on the task at hand.

Avoid parked cars, steps, open water and any other obvious obstacles. Tarmac or short dry grass will ensure your child can get enough momentum to balance safely.

Find a Gentle Hill

In order to get your child coasting along easily, it’s best to find a very gentle downhill which will help in picking up speed. Just make sure there’s a good run-off at the bottom. Parks can be great places to learn as you will find long gently sloped paths and trails without too many people around and no traffic.

Patience is the Key

Balance is normally mastered quite quickly. But the nuances of pedalling and braking can take longer.

If your child is reluctant to start riding it’s best to put the bike back in the shed for a few weeks until they’re ready.

Fitting some jazzy accessories like bells, stickers or a basket could help entice your child to get on their bike.

Ride With Friends

Your child will try and copy whatever you do, so try to let them see you riding a bike as much as possible.

If they have a brother or sister who rides a bike then all the better. You can then go out and ride as a family, and that’s what it’s all about!

Top Tip!

No need for stabilisers (aka training wheels), balance bikes offers kids a smoother and safer progression to pedalling. Check out our 10 Reasons NOT TO Use Stabilisers On Your Kids Bike.

Balance Bike vs Pedal Bike Fitted With Stabilisers

A balance bike actively challenges children to maintain balance, which quickly helps develop the skills needed to cycle independently.

On the other hand, a bike with stabilisers supports the child while they learn to pedal. However, the problem with this method as I experienced, is that when the stabilisers are removed, the child has to suddenly learn to balance the bike (while pedalling), making it a more daunting experience.

Additionally, the bike is more likely to tip from side to side unpredictably as the child’s weight transfers from one stabiliser to the other. This limits the variety of terrain the bike can be used on and slows the child’s development of core cycling skills.

For an in-depth comparison, read our post Balance Bike Vs. Training Wheels: Which is Best?