Balance Bikes – What are they…and why are they good for young riders?

Well… balance bikes are essentially training bikes with no pedals. They are meant for kids to get comfortable with balance, steering, speed, coordination, and confidence. A balance bike will train a child ‘s brain at an early age on how to ride a bike correctly. Seats are usually low in height so a child’s feet can easily touch the ground. As soon as a child starts walking, he/she can start getting comfortable on a bike by gliding around the house or in their backyard.

Tricycles, or training wheels will just hold back a child’s development. Many parents today, are finding out that balance bikes are a much better way to teach a child how to ride a bike with pedals. Often parents will buy a tricycle or toddler bike with training wheels, but in our opinion, that is a mistake. Getting your child on a balance bike will speed up the time it takes to teach a child to ride a bike with pedals.

There are a few companies that sell balance bikes. Keep in mind these bikes are best for kids under 5 years old or up to 65 lbs. GOMO, Strider Sport, FirstBike Cross, Banana Bike, & Cruzee are a few companies that specialize in offering high quality balance bikes. Some of the bigger bike companies like Schwinn, Haro, and Radio Flyer are now getting into the balance bike market as training wheels are now becoming more and more irrelevant today.

For us here at DayJay, we learned on Strider bikes. They were a Christmas gift from Grandpa and were used every day until it was time to trade them in for some big boy bikes. TJ now rides a Haro Shredder, and Dayan rides a GIANT Animator.

Strider bikes are the most popular balance bikes in today’s market. They also do a great job arranging events for kids to participate in and care deeply about the community, something we take notice at here at DayJay. If you are considering a balance bike, we highly recommend checking them out. There is no doubt about it, that without first learning to ride on a balance bike first, it would of taking a lot longer and many bruises later to finally ride like a pro.

Happy Riding!