How old for first bike?

[5terre]

Yesterday we returned a tricycle that we borrowed from a friend last summer, and of course DD was so excited to see it and was riding it the house, and was sad to let it go. She will be 4 in August. Is she too young for a real bike? I'm looking for a trike on Freecycle, but wondering if a bike would be better. I don't want to rush anything, though, she was so cute on the tricycle!

[Peony]

She's the perfect age for a bike.

[veganf]

Age 4-5 seems right to me. Otherwise they're using training wheels forever...may as well stick with a trike before that.
We got a bike for a 5th bday present and it was perfect.

[Momily]

I briefly thought about getting DS a bike for his 3rd birthday, and then dismissed the idea on the grounds that he was too young. A few weeks later we went to an Easter Party where he hopped on a bike (with training wheels) and rode all over the place. I ended up giving one to him a few weeks later.

Bikes feel less stable than trikes so they're scary to some kids, but ince they get past that they're actually easier than trikes because the kids are pushing down instead of forwards.

I'd say 3 is a perfect age, and don't worry she'll look cute on the bike too!

[MamaHen2J&J]

We just bought dd her first bike with two wheels (as she calls them) she's very ready for it! Its going to be hard to wait for her bday!

Of course it has training wheels, but she's fine with that.

[nicole lisa]

No too young at all if the child wants one. DS has friends that were on bikes at 3, 4, 5, 7 and then some like him who probably won't ever get on a bike but skateboard and scooter.

[5terre]

Well we have a plastic big wheel too, so maybe that will work? Last summer she wasn't able to pedal it outside (couldn't get it to go on the road, but works for her in the house).

What would be a good bike to get?

[RufusBeans]

This is an interesting thread to read today, as just today we bought our 3 year old a pink Schwinn tricycle. She will be four in 3 weeks.

She has a two wheeler with training wheels already. Last summer when she was 'big' enough for it (its very small, 10 inch wheels) she took a very bad fall. She turned the handle bars too sharply and it toppled over. She was hurt, thank goodness she had pads and a helmet on, but her knee pad flew off and she had a nasty scrape and bump that bled underneath her her skin for a long time. Since then she wants to ride lower to the ground than that, and I agree with her!

She loves the pink tricycles she sees around so we bought her one. The Schwinn is low to the ground and I had a hard time toppling it, and it is bigger than most typical trikes--our choice was Kettler or Schwinn. it has 'real' wheel the require air

She will not be returning to a bike with training wheels, next year we will get her a balance bike like this one http://tiny.cc/HUJfR
its a bike w/o pedals, a chain or training wheels. It is suppose to teach balance and let them control more.

So that's just our story. I am sure there is some three year olds who love training wheel bikes, but it is not the only way to go.

[Peony]

It's so interesting to read how different all the children are. DD1 was on a bike with training wheels at 2.5y, she rode that thing everywhere. We bought her a balance bike at age 4, a month later she went back to her bike but without the training wheels. We never even owned a trike.

[dianna11]

We got DD a bike last summer when she was 2.5. It had training wheels, and n adjustable seat, so it would grow with her. She was able to steer and pedal just fine!

[abi&ben'smom]

Both dd and ds had bikes with training wheels at 3, and then the training wheels came off right after they turned 4.

[Xoe]

We brought DD her first real bike (10" framed 2-wheeler with training wheels...$18 bucks at Ross.) at 2 years because she had been begging for a real one since 18 months. She was a serious bike fetishist, and a toddler's tricycle just wasn't doing it for her. Turned out she was too short to ride a 10" frame, but she climed on it as best she could, and owning it satisfied her desires

Faith

[Meg_s]

Most of the kids around here (this is a town designed for bikes, so most people ride) get those little pedalless bikes when they're 2 or 3. It's so cute to see them zipping around I only haven't got ds one yet (28 mos) because it's winter and too cold for his little hands.

[AdInAZ]

Our dd was tooooooo tall for a trike at 3 years old so we bought her a bike with training wheels and she loved it! We took the training wheels off right when she turned 5 and boy did she learn how to zip around FAST! Oh...and she was on her second bike by then because she was too tall yet again.) I almost wanted to tell dh to put the training wheels back on so she would slow down!

[angelcat]

I got a trike for my daughter's 2nd b-day. She is just over 2.5 now and already almost outgrown it, so I am going to sell it and get her a bike for her 3rd b-day.

[dbsam]

My kids turned three in June and we gave them 16" Schwinn Stingrays with training wheels. (We skipped tricycles since they were too young the year prior and seemed too big for them at three.) I had been looking at the Kettler bikes and stumbled upon these and liked them. They are really heavy, but seem safe. Because of the low-rider design the center of gravity is low and I think they are easier and less scary to ride.

[pigpokey]

It is very child specific -- both in terms of development and their willingness to risk for the reward. I do not recommend training wheels. It's best to train with a balance bike or a two wheel scooter. My son was riding a two wheeled bike at 2 years 4 months, his sister at about 3 years, 10 months (she could do it earlier but really waited until she did not fall at all).

[knittinanny]

Here in London everyone's on a bike by the time they're 2 or so. Most folks start off with a 'Like-a-Bike' (something like this) or with a little 2-wheeler without pedals (you can take them off really easily). That way your kid pushes herself along and gets the idea of balancing more naturally, then you can put the pedals on or move up to a 'real' bike. Normally they get the balance thing in a few weeks or months at the most - none of the extended wobbling like with training wheels. My DP works at a bike shop on the weekends and swears by pedal-less bikes. All her Montessori kiddos have them and are tootling away on them. The training wheels slow down the whole balancing process. HTH!

[aussiemum]

Wow, that is a really cool idea- pedal-less bikes for beginners... hmmmmmm...

I did notice that my ds got the hang of balancing on a bike much easier than my dd. I think that is because he was 4 he had access to a foot-scooter for three weeks when we were on holidays. We came home & suddenly he could ride a bike without training wheels.... 2 years ahead of his older sister who had training wheels for ages.

[lerlerler]

My 3 year old LOVES her "run bike" and she is SO fast on that thing. this is hers....

http://www.gliderrider.com/

It's so cool and one added bonus is that curbs and big potholes don't really slow her down like they would on a "real" bike.

You should see her balance!!!