What kind of balancing bike do YOU recommend?

[ShezzaAsh]

I really don't know much about this topic, but I know my 19month old is ready to go!  What brand would you recommend?? 

[redvlagrl]

We just got a Strider bike. I love it. It's very sturdy (apparently the v cute wood ones tend to break). There's a video on their website of adults mountain biking on it which is v funny but shows how tough it is. It also has solid tyres so no flats!

[RubenZ]

This one Here and this one: SKUUT BALANCE BIKE get the most reviews around these forums.

[LuminosaJane]

We also like our Strider.  It's not too heavy to carry when dd is done with the ride, the seat is fully adjustable and it's overall well-made.  I looked into the Skoots but found out that there are no parts for them, so if something breaks you need a new bike.  Not sure if that's changed since I was looking tho.  Longevity was a plus for us as we want to use one bike for more than one kid and be able to resell for a good price. 

[quaz]

http://www.amazon.com/NA-GB0001-Micro-G-Bike/dp/B000YHWCZK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Oa4tyFjdcs

We got this for my ds, when  a store was going out of business.

He received it for his second birthday. I adore this bike, because he loved it so much. It is also exceedingly light.

He went much faster than the generic video above. At just a bit past two, he was cruising up and down over the curb, riding circles, going as fast as he could and coasting, going down hills.

The only downside was because he LOVED this bike so much, he didn't want to transition to a real bike, because he knew he could rid this faster. It wasn't until he outgrew this bike that he finally transitioned.

As a mid-three year old, he could ride his real bike about 4 houses down. We then had to stop because of the weather. When he started as a late three, it took him about 10 minutes to figure out how to ride a real bike.

Tammy

[jocelyndale]

A lot depends on your child's size.  My son is very small and didn't hit the 11" inseam for the Strider until he was close to 2.5y. I think the majority of 19mo probably fit that just fine. The Haro goes even lower, but it's harder to find.  Once he was tall enough, he took off.  At 19mo, I'd definitely be looking at the smallest bikes on the market--there may be shorter ones now.  The wooden ones can have the crossbar flipped so the seat is lower, but even that was still too high for my barely-on-the-charts little guy.   A lot of balance bikes have higher seat heights 15"+.

There are probably different bikes now, too.  So look around, check the saddle height.  For a balance bike, you want your child to be able to sit with feet flat on the ground and knees slightly bent.  At 19mo, you may be able to get away with your kiddo just walking the bike and growing into the seat, but if there's a bike that fits, go for it!

My son loves his Strider.  And I love the 2yr warranty!  We just got a new rear tire after he wore out the bearings. 

[Carrie Heater]

My 2 year old loves her Strider bike.  And I love that she can carry it around, and when she's tired it's small enough to fit into the back of the bike trailer for her and her sister and she can take a break while I ride.

[feltingmama]

The Wishbone Bike is great balance bike because it is actually three-bikes-in-one. It can be used by a one-year-old as a tricycle, then you take one wheel off to become a balance bike at age 2 or 3, then you can flip the "wishbone" piece over to make it taller bike for a 4-5 year old. It costs more than other balance bikes, but given that it will last a child up to five years, it's really a much better value than buying three different bikes during that period of time. I love that it's made by an eco-friendly company in New Zealand from sustainable woods and is non-toxic and child-safe.

You can see one here:  http://www.bellalunatoys.com/natural-outdoor-toys/outdoor-toys/wishbone-wooden-balance-bikes.html

Also, Bella Luna Toys is giving away one of these bikes in an Earth Day contest right now on Mothering! http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/thread/1306330/like-mothering-on-facebook-to-enter-our-earth-day-giveaway-and-win-big-from-bella-luna-toys/280#post_16386619

Too bad we already have one!

[Enudely]

We have a Kazam and my kids love it

http://www.kazambikes.com/

[Bird Girl]

We got a Skuut, and it's held up fine. We park it in the garage after every ride, though, so it's never kept outdoors. My son has ridden it from age 3 to almost 6 (he's small) and have had no problems. I do like the look of the metal balance bikes, but actually, we get a lot of compliments from strangers on the wood. My son couldn't care which he rides--he just loves to go fast.

[dawncayden]

We got a wooden one, and I would not recommend it. We always kept it inside when not in use but it's started to warp. I hope it will be ok for my second son to use when he fits it. I wish we would have gotten a metal one so it would surely be used through 2 kids if not more.