Unleash Adventure: why balance bikes beat stabilisers for your little explorer
If you're looking to open up your little one's sense of adventure there's few better ways to do that than teaching them how to ride a bike. What's more, in the 21st century we're blessed with the best tool to do this - the balance bike! In this article we go over why it's undoubtedly balance bikes that are the best way for your little adventurer to learn, rather than the traditional stabiliser method that you or I might have been subjected to.
1. Freedom to Roam
A good balance bike is light and easy to manoeuvre. Your child will eventually learn to whiz around with a sense of unbound freedom, learning to navigate corners and bumps naturally and unrestricted. With stabilisers they simply cannot do this. Stabilisers increase the weight of an already much heavier pedal bike which makes it harder for smaller children to handle. They also make it impossible to turn short corners without tipping the bike over. With stabilisers the turning circle is akin to trying to turn an arctic lorry around on a country lane; whereas with balance bikes they're light and easy to throw around with a much smaller turning circle; making it much easier to learn basic handling skills before transitioning to a pedal bike.
You can also get started much earlier with a balance bike. With balance bikes you can get usually begin from 18 months; whereas pedal bikes are much bigger and require a stronger and larger child to use. We'd usually not recommend starting a child on a pedal bike until 3 years old at the earliest, which is typically where the good ones start from a age/size perspective.
2. Natural Learning
Adventure is all about nature and embracing the journey, and with balance bikes the learning process is simply more organic. By using their feet to propel forward and intuitively finding their centre of gravity, children develop essential balance and coordination skills in a natural way. It's like learning to walk before you can run - a seamless transition from tentative steps to bold leaps. Stabilisers would have to be removed at some stage and your child will have to un-learn their dependence on them - a far less natural learning experience.
3. Confidence Boost
Balance bikes help your child develop their confidence - the most important ingredient for learning to ride on two wheels. The easier and more natural learning curve Instills a sense of accomplishment from the get-go, helping your child to develop their confidence and prepare for fearless future cycling adventures. With each successful balance bike ride your child will develop the confidence they'll need for when they want to learn how to pedal.
4. Safety First, Adventure Always
Balance bikes prioritise safety without sacrificing the thrill of adventure. With their feet firmly planted on the ground, children feel in control and can easily stop or manoeuvre when needed. Plus, without the added weight and instability of stabilisers, there's less risk of tipping over, ensuring a safe and enjoyable ride every time.
If you're ready to turbocharge your child's sense of adventure the choice is clear - balance bikes trump stabilisers every time. The most important part of their adventure starts right here.
Balance Bikes at Cycle Stories
Over 20 years ago our big brother company Cyclesense was the first to bring balance bikes into the UK; becoming the UK's sole distributor for LIKEaBIKE - the original balance bike brand from Germany who were the first to make balance bikes available for sale in the world.
Being the first doesn't make us the best, but we like to think having over 20 years of experience in this field certainly helps. To this day we're the sole UK supplier for LIKEaBIKE balance bikes, who've developed and perfected the geometry of their bikes over the years.
Originally famous for their wooden bikes, LIKEaBIKE now focus on the Jumper 12 & Jumper 14 models - incredibly lightweight aluminium balance bikes with a unique elastomer suspension system under the seat which helps smooth out all of the bumps for our young riders.
Jumper 12
The standard
Jumper model is typically suitable for ages 2 - 5 and weighs just 3.4kg. It comes supplied with a removable steering damper to stop the child from oversteering, an adjustable elastomer behind the seat post to provide some rear suspension, and beefy premium Schwalbe Big Apple 12" tyres.
Jumper 14
The Jumper 14 is the big brother of the Jumper. Suitable for children aged 3 - 7, the Jumper 14 comes with everything supplied with he Jumper 12 as well as a rear brake - ideal for teaching kids' how to use a brake before their transition to a pedal bike.
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