While age is a factor in deciding what balance bike to get, children are all unique and develop at different rates. Strength, coordination, size, special needs all need to be considered, so check out our in-depth balance bike guide to get all the info you need.

Some kids will happily pedal independently at 3 or 4 old, while others might take a bit longer to ride off into the sunset. It’s not uncommon for some kids to scoot along on their balance bikes until they’re 6, 7 or even older.

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

When a child is 2 years old they are usually physically and developmentally ready to start riding a balance bike. But there are no hard and fast rules. If your child is 18 months old, and wants to try out a balance bike, there's no reason to discourage them. They can hold the bike upright to support themselves, ring the bell, and get accustomed to it.

How To Check If A Balance Bike Fits Your Child

To check if the balance bike size is right for your child, get your little one to sit on the saddle and hold the handlebars. With their shoes on, they should be able to reach the floor with the flat of their feet.

Your child should be able to reach the handlebars comfortably without stretching forwards, or the bars being too cramped and close. Ideally your child will have a slight bend in the elbows and torso slightly leaning forwards.

If you want to buy a bike and check it fits first, measure your child's inside leg length and ensure it's within the minimum and maximum saddle height range.

How Long Does It Take To Learn To Ride A Balance Bike?

The child should begin balancing almost immediately as long as they can already walk and they are on a light bike that fits them correctly. Some kids can take longer than others if perhaps they aren't as confident or maybe not as strong, but they will surely get there in their own time.

Kids will normally begin by walking with the bike, then can progress to striding and gliding with their feet up. The main reason I started LittleBig bikes was that I saw how intuitive balance bikes were for kids, there is very little "teaching" involved, kids will sort it out themselves.

How do I know when my child is ready for a pedal bike?

In order for kids to begin pedalling safely, they need to be: Confident balancing and turning with their feet up. They should ideally be able to glide along for 10 seconds or more. If they are able to glide, it will take away the urgency from learning to pedal. Able to use the brakes to stop safely. While some balance bikes come without brakes, we recommend using a balance bike with brakes. With a pedal bike, they won't have their feet near enough to the ground to stop safely, so hand brakes (or back pedal brakes) are essential. Fit their pedal bike correctly, with the their feet on the ground while sitting in the saddle. Find out more on our post 6 Ways to Tell If Your Child Is Ready to Start Pedalling.

What Is The Best balance bike for 2 - 3 year old Toddler?

There are many reasons why the LittleBig is one of the best balance bikes for a 2 or 3 year old toddler: Growing design means it's with them on the whole of their learn-to-ride journey.

• Lightweight high-quality materials, it's built to last.
• Cool design and bright colours your child will love
• Chunky tyres and smooth rolling wheels allow a smooth, comfortable ride
• Sustainable & eco-friendly. with reduced material waste and assurance of a long product life. 

When choosing the best balance bike for a 2 year old child, you need to consider safety & stability, along with aesthetics. Your child will love riding the balance bike, while you'll have the assurance of knowing it's helping them learn to cycle easier and safer. A balance bike will help your child improve their balance and coordination as outlined in this Dutch Study. It's great exercise too, so will help with their overall physical development.

Best balance bike for 4 - 5 year old child?

The LittleBig balance bike in the "Big" mode will typically fit kids aged 4 or older. The rear of the frame can be flipped, converting the little balance bike into a bigger balance bike with a higher saddle and longer arm reach. If your child has been riding the LittleBig since the age of 2 or 3, flipping the frame will keep the familiar feel of the old bike while making it more comfortable to ride.

Best Pedal Bike For 4-6 Year Old​ Child

The average age for learning to pedal a bike independently is around 4 - 6 years old. This is a broad age range, but as mentioned, all kids are different and will begin pedalling at different ages. Some kids are daredevils and hit the skatepark at age 3 (or younger!), while others still tip-toe along age 4 or 5. It's best to let your child learn to ride in their own time with perhaps a little nudging to get them onto their pedal bike if needed. If your child is reluctant to begin pedalling, you may find our guide on how to teach a child to ride a bike confidently and safely useful.

There is no need to rush into pedalling. If your little one is happy on the balance bike, that's great! They are still developing their balance and coordination and the more confident they are on the balance bike, the more seamless the transition to pedalling will be. Whatever you do, avoid using stabilisers as they will hinder your child's progression to pedalling independently. See more on our post Balance Bike Vs Training Wheels, Which is Best?

Usually, starting to pedal is the stage at which you'll put aside the balance bike and have to buy a new pedal bike which clearly isn't the most sustainable or budget-friendly solution.

Fortunately, the LittleBig has a solution to this problem. As it's a balance bike with pedals, you can simply fit the pedal kit when your child is ready to start pedalling. Since your child is already familiar with the bike, they'll be able to start pedalling independently far sooner than they would on a different bike.

What Is The Best 14 Inch Balance Bike For Taller Older Kids​

While the vast majority of balance bikes have 12 inch wheels, there are some 14 inch balance bikes that are suited to older kids. In most cases, the frame is scaled up in relation to the wheels so the handlebar reach and saddle height will suit the taller riders.

In the case of the LittleBig bike, the frame itself grows so while it has 14 inch wheels, the starting size is more akin to a 12 inch balance bike, and in big mode its more like a 16 inch bike. To see how much the LittleBig grows, view our sizing guide.

What Balance Bike Would Suit My Child Who Has Special Needs?

It's really hard to answer this question without knowing more about the child's specific needs. But what we can say is that kids with special needs such as Autism, Dyspraxia and Down Syndrome will certainly benefit from the LittleBig's Balance Bike for a child with special needs because of its unique design.

The growing frame will allow the child more time to get comfortable and confident on the bike. This means your child can learn to cycle at their own pace, without the bike feeling too small.

My first son has Autism and was 7 when he learned to get his balance on the LittleBig bike, and we had tried other bikes to no avail, my second son has Dyspraxia and learnt to cycle in 2 weeks using the bike, I lent it to a friend of mine with a boy with Autism and he also learnt to cycle using it and now its back to me and my youngest child is 4 tomorrow and we promised him we would put the pedals on it when he was 4, so its going to teach its fourth child how to cycle now, and its still in immaculate condition after 3 years. It's an amazing bike.

Tina, Ireland