Bicycle for a Four Year Old

[vern]

@rcannon100 99264 wrote:

What bicycle should I recommend that a friend purchase for a four year old. Yup, that’s pretty much all the info I have. Ideas that come to mind include

• Get a big wheel
• Get a balance bike
• Get a bike with training wheels

Suggestions, parents?

Definitely a balance bike. We started our son on a balance bike and when it was time to transition to a regular bike, the transition took about 10 minutes. In that 10 minutes we taught him how to start a bike from a standing position (i.e., how to get the pedals moving). That’s all he needed to learn since he’d already learned how to balance and steer (ok, he needed to learn to use the foot brake, but that took about 30 seconds).

Get a balance bike and you’ll avoid training wheels (and I don’t think training wheels are very helpful because the child doesn’t learn to balance, so transitioning from them is difficult).

[chris_s]

Get a “real” bike, take the pedals off. Once they’ve learned to balance, put the pedals back on.

[dasgeh]

Chris_s is right IF you’re willing to spend on a good “real” bike. Balance bikes are a lot lighter, meaning kids have an easier time maneuvering them. So Isla Bike or similar, or balance bike, if they don’t want to spend that much.

[oldbikechick]

They should be careful that the balance bike is big enough if they decide to get one. We had one, but it was too small for our daughter by the time she was four, even with the seat adjusted up as high as it would go.

[hozn]

Good point on the balance bike being big enough. By the time my son was 4 his Strider was at max seat post extension. That was fine since it finalized his transition to his “real” bike anyway. Strider does make an XL seatpost, but it is a consideration.

I am a fan of Strider bikes, though. And generally the balance bike does make transition to regular bikes easy. Although, the transition from Strider to 14″-wheel pedal bike was not immediate for my son. Or at least, it wasn’t preferred. The new bike was twice the weight and pedaling to move forward takes some learning and didn’t have any immediate payoff in terms of speed. After a few rides he was comfortable riding it, but he still would switch to the Strider frequently. The little bike was simply more fun until he outgrew it.

[GuyContinental]

I’m looking at THIS THING as the upgrade from a Skuut balance bike for our 3.5 y/o. Looks like it avoids some of the weight of the bike-sans-pedals approach while being useful for a year or so before we get hi a 16″ bike. Also has a handbrake (which is rare). Also cheap…

[Author]

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