I grew up learning how to bike by using a tricycle, and then a bike with training wheels. I vividly remember the moment I first felt what it was like to balance on two wheels, on my own. By the time I had learned to balance without any aids, I was six or seven years old.
But now, a few companies, such as Burley, are changing the way kids learn to bike. Balance bikes are two-wheel bikes that are free of both pedals and training wheels. Kids can propel with their feet and then prop their feet up on the bike once they learn to glide and balance.
Burley indicates that the Burley MyKick ($119; for Canada, look on Amazon.ca) is meant for age 3+, but the great thing about a balance bike is that it grows up with your kid! Toddlers as young as 18 months can start by simply standing and walking with the bike until they can learn to sit and glide.
We had little J, age two, test the Burley MyKick. Here’s what his mama had to say:
What I Love:
– He loves it! Can’t get enough.
– At 11 lbs., it is fairly light (I end up carrying it up hills or when he gets tired!).
– The dimensions work well for him to be sturdy even before he has started learning to glide. He can control himself on steep downhills well.
– I anticipate that when he fully gets the hang of it, I will enjoy having him ‘keep up’ while we hike (wider trails) or go for walk/jogs.
– I love the fun colour (fire engine red)!
Things to Consider:
– Gliding takes time to learn. You need to be patient until they are at the right height, but it is fine to get them on it a bit before to get used to the feel.
– It can take a bit of trial and error to adjust the bike seat height so that your child’s feet can reach the ground, but only so much so that they learn to glide.
Thanks to Burley for providing this MyKick for review!
Nice to see another brand of balance bike. : ) They are truly the best for getting kids to learn to ride a bike early!
Our kids never took much interest in our balance bike. We ended up sending our 4-year old to pedalheads for a week and she came back with no training wheels – and is fearless and adventerous on her bike. I thought the balance bike would be amazing, but in the end training wheels for a while and then a third party to get them off of training wheels (who else has 15 hours in a single week to devote) were the key and we couldn’t be happier. Could just be my kids though; those balance bikes may work well for others