Balance bike

Has Mrs Murts hacked into your account again?

:)

A pair of chaps fashion a balance bike out of two IKEA stools.
http://vimeo.com/61804394#at=74

My younger sister (5 and a 1/2) is having issues learning to balance on her bike with stabilisers. It would seem as though a lack of confidence is the cause. She gets quite scared of getting up to any speed so just jams on the brakes and because of this, when her stabilisers were taken off, she basically refused to go forward.

Are there any balance bikes for kids her age, or only for younger ones? Or does anyone have any other recommendations?

remove pedals (and cranks & bb), lower saddle, bin stabilisers then let her play on current bike as a balance bike. When confident stick the pedals back on and set saddle to correct height.

Principal as always is learn to balance then learn to pedal. Not learning both simultaneously.

Been gifted this from friends whose kids have outgrown it

Thinking ceramic bearings, drop bars, and lots more red to make it even quicker...

I think you'll find that a basket and a bell will be more popular upgrades.

and bar end tassels?

Thankfully my three year old has yet to demand these.

Awesome work!
Seems like there's a real niche here. Ive moved past the balance bike with my kid, and Im currently looking for a first pedal bike. There's a real glut of weirdly proportioned, heavy-as-lead, unrepairable crap-bikes out there. Last one i borrowed off someone for my kid literally weighed more than my bike.

Get some carbon.

#weightweenietodds

^^ early rider make some great first bikes.

^ carbon fork and seatpost going on for sure

I suppose this is our only thread on balance bikes that's not in Classifieds:

https://www.facebook.com/513353885365754/videos/1137225012978635/

This seems as good a thread as any to ask.

Should Balance bikes have brakes? Just got one for my nephew and starting to wonder if I should've got one with brakes instead?

I imagine not as the brakes on these things are often awful and too hard for little hands to pull.

What is the consensus. Brakeless hipster kids or nodder kids with brakes?

FYI: I got the bike from Halfords. £20 in the sale at the moment. Rubber tyres, no bearings (plastic bushings in headset). Sounds terrible but its actually quite good (no maintenance, although I put grease on the steering when I put it together recently) and only needs to last a year. Hoping to have him on a proper bike (12" wheel) by next xmas.
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/balance-bikes/indi-adapt-balance-bike-with-stickers-10

+1 for brklzz, we bought these things for my twin nephews when they were 2y, don't think they could have worked out how to properly use a brake then.

many + for this balance bike, birch plywood frame, good wheels with sealed bearings and will work for many years, kids. Best quality for price in 75eur retail.

I'm not sure about brake, they are not so speedy.

As for Halfords product it's like kids fofa or more worse = )

As for Halfords product it's like kids fofa or more worse = )

I know. Not suggesting its great. He's got no siblings so no need to pass this on. Its still incredible for the money though and will do him fine.