There are a lot of conversations we have over and over in the parenting community, and these past few years, one of them has surrounded balance bikes.
A relatively recent innovation, balance bikes are the latest craze in developmentally focused parenting and bypass the training wheels phase altogether to get kids pedaling on two wheels faster.
But are they better than a traditional tricycle? Does it depend on the kid? Here at Joovy, we make both, and we want you to have the information you need to decide what’s best for your child.
What is a Balance Bike?
Balance bikes are basically bikes without pedals — two wheels, handlebars, and a seat, but nothing for your feet to work on.
The idea here is that you focus on developing balance first — a sometimes challenging and intuitive process — and then graduate to pedals when you’ve mastered the art of not falling over.
Balance bikes come in a number of shapes and sizes, even for adults, but for toddler and children in particular, they can be a great way to skip the training wheels and get on a bike before three years old.
It’s important to keep in mind that a balance bike simply does things in reverse order of a tricycle, prioritizing teaching your child balance first, and introducing pedals once they’ve mastered that skill.
Pros of a Balance Bike:
- Teaches balance and coordination
- No pedals to distract young riders
- Balance is up to the child, not the surface
- Can be started as young as 18 months
- Great for uneven surfaces like gravel
Cons of a Balance Bike:
- Can be outgrown quickly
- Pedals present a new learning curve when they transition to a bike
If your child is ready for the real deal, the Bicycoo Balance Bike is a great way to introduce them to balance, on a tough as nails, realistic frame.
With air-filled tires, our balance bike is made for any terrain, and thanks to their width, makes balancing easier for little legs. Unlike most balance bikes, the Bicycoo comes equipped with a handbrake, so your child can get a feel for the multi-tasking required with a real bike.
The adjustable seat grows with your toddler, and when they’ve outgrown it — it’s time to ride for real.
Learn more about the Joovy Bicycoo.
Is a Tricycle Right for Your Child?
Training wheels are how must of us grew up — the school of hard knocks, scraped knees, and endless summer fun.
Training wheels teach kids pedaling before balance, a skill that when coupled with steering, operating breaks, and balancing, becomes an exercise in multitasking. There are definitely benefits to learning this first, and realistically, it just depends on your child.
If you’re trying to decide between a balance bike and a tricycle, get them the one that’s going to address what is likely to be their greatest struggle first. If your child has incredible balance, then coordination might be best worked on with a tricycle first.
Pros of a Tricycle:
- Gets your child used to pedals right away
- Builds confidence as they get the hang out of multitasking
- Gives your child more independence at the start
Cons of a Tricycle:
- Can be unstable on uneven surfaces
- Children may need to be a bit older to reach pedals
- Could delay riding a bicycle
Joovy’s Tricycoo 4.1
You know Joovy — we don’t do anything less than all-out here, and our tricycle is hardly just a set of training wheels.
True to the nature of a tricycle’s need for a relatively flat surface, the Tricycoo 4.1 is perfect for sidewalk strolls and trips to the park and gives you the option of letting your child ride without using the pedals if they want.
You can gradually introduce your child to the concept of sitting upright on a bike seat with the removable padding, straps, and supports at a pace that everyone’s comfortable with. When the time is right, they’ll be ready for a bicycle, and have a great sense of both using pedals and balance before they get there.
The best part? The Tricycoo even doubles as a stroller, thanks to the removable parent handle. Use it with babies as young as 10 months, and let the good times roll.
Learn more about the Joovy Tricycoo 4.1
There Is No ‘Right’ Way
Being a parent in the digital age is kind of crazy. There is so much information, so many options, and by the time you finally figure out what you’re doing, some new study is out there throwing a monkey wrench in your logic.
Don’t sweat it.
If there’s one thing we know around here, it’s that we’re all doing the best we can as parents, and what works for one family may not necessarily work for another.
So your kid’s a whiz on his balance bike? Awesome.
So your toddler whips around corners on his trike like nobody’s business? Perfect!
Whether it’s two wheels or three, we’ve got you covered. How did you introduce your child to a bike? Let us know in the comments below!