Everything You Need To Know About Kids Balance Bike

Balance bikes are popular because they help young children learn to ride. These pedal-free bicycles help children develop balance, coordination, and confidence before transitioning to traditional bicycles. This article will provide you with all the information about children's balance bikes, including their advantages, features, and how to choose the right one.

What is a Balance Bike and How Does it Work?

A balance bike is a two-wheeled ride that consists of a seat and handlebars. However, there are no pedals, cranks, or chains. Children use their feet to push back on the ground, which causes them to move forward. It is a faster mode of transportation in comparison to walking. The speed of the bike depends on the child pushing it. The steps in progress of a balanced bike ride are walking, striding, running, and gliding.

The gliding stage is where the child learns to balance the bike and build confidence. While most bikes will require flat-foot stomps to stop the bike, some models might feature hand brakes. The bike naturally helps kids learn balance first, without the complex paddling. Kids naturally get the confidence to lift their feet to glide.

Why Choose Balance Bikes Over Training Wheels?

Bikes with pedals are overwhelming. The kid has to immediately learn to keep the bike upright, control direction, pedal to create continuous motion, and brake to stop. Pedal bikes with training wheels allow kids to start learning the pedal part early on, which is fun, but the progress is counterintuitive. Here are reasons why balance bikes are better than bikes with training wheels:

• Natural Leaning: Balance bikes encourage natural leaning for turns, and training wheels keep the bike upright.

• Light Weight Design: The weight of a balance bike is 6-9 lbs vs 12-15 lbs, making them 24-36% of the child's weight. In comparison, pedal bikes are 48-60% of a child's weight with training wheels. Reputable balance bike manufacturers like Ying Hao Toys prioritize lightweight materials.

• Soft Ride Surface: Balance bikes can run on grass, dirt, or gravel, while training wheels can get stuck.

• Lower Ride: Having a lower height reduces the chances of falls and eliminates the chance of pedal/crank-related injury.

Key Benefits of Balance Bikes

Developmental Benefits

Learning to ride a bike is an exciting journey. The thrill of speed and feeling of independence is definitely something that every bike rider remembers. The developmental benefits of having a balance bike for kids are:

• Offers more muscle involvement, which increases strength.

• It increases their coordination skills without overwhelming their senses

• Kids slowly transition to pedalling after mastering the art of line control

• Single-leg standing increases their strength for other activities

• Pediatric PTs note easier transition to pedal bikes, often bypassing training wheels

• Progress starts from sitting longer to gliding farther and eventually steering better

Safety and Practical Benefits

Everybody wants their kids to learn new skills that can bring joy in their lives and also aid in their developmental phase. However, ensuring that the kids are safe while exploring new activities is a major concern. Balance bikes provide safety with their inherent design. A responsible balance bike manufacturer integrates key safety features into the design. Here are some key points:

• Lower center of gravity means more stability

• Feet comfortably floored to the ground

• No risk of crank arm impacts

• More efficient than tricycles for speed and exploration

Key Considerations for Choosing a Balance Bike for Your Kids

• Seat Height: The seat height should be about an inch shorter than the length between the child's legs so that they can still easily push off the ground to stand up.

• Lightweight Frame: A lightweight bike is easier for young children to control and more fun to ride.

• High-Quality Tires: You can choose pneumatic tires for a smoother ride or solid tires for better durability. Pneumatic tires provide better grip and cushioning.

• Comfortable Handlebars: Ensure the handlebars have a comfortable grip for small hands.

• Durable Construction: A durable frame made of materials such as wood, aluminum, or steel ensures the bike can withstand rough play.

• Safety Features: When choosing a self-balancing scooter, pay attention to components with safety features, such as rounded corners, steering limiters to prevent oversteering, and non-slip handlebars.

Tips for Teaching Your Child to Ride a Balance Bike

The key to ensuring that the child safely navigates through the stages of learning the balance bike is supervision. There are ways to make the journey fun and interesting. Let's divide the teaching into two major sections:

Getting Started and Early Progression

In the early stages, the kids need more support and encouragement from their parents. Kids' balance bike makes the phase convenient for children:

• Let the child explore the bike freely. Do not push them into certain moves or actions. Let their curiosity and exploration do the work.

• Lower the seat fully to ensure that the kid firmly touches the ground.

• Gradually lower the support for the bike. Teach them to learn the feeling of tipping.

• Support their back and not the bike.

• Find a clear, long path for riding so that the child's senses are not overwhelmed.

• Show support and praise their effort.

Advanced Skills and Games

When the child learns to sense tipping and sit firmly, start moving to advance skills and games.

• Track Progress: The kid should start from striding to a two-legged push-off. Then learn the one-legged push-off to finally glide.

• Practice Breaks: Show them how they can put their feet flat to brake. Then transition to hand brakes when they are 2.5-3 years old.

• Steering: Start by teaching them handlebar movements, start straight, then arcs, and then turns.

• Games: Add elements like foot high five, red light green light, obstacle courses, blast off, and Simon Says.

Conclusion

When working with children, patience is key. They will gradually learn to master the convenient kids' balance bike. These bikes are specifically designed to make the learning process faster. Their design features, like no pedal, lightweight design, lower center of gravity, and small height, all contribute to the kids' growing stages. The expertise of the balance bike manufacturer is crucial in achieving this thoughtful design. The child naturally goes from walking along to full strides and fast riding at 3-6 years of age.

If you are looking for a high-quality kids' balance bike, then take a look at the lineup offered by Ying Hao Toys, a professional balance bike manufacturer. Their products are high-quality and meet the criteria necessary for quick learning. They have been making children's rides and toys since 1987, which translates to their thoughtful designs and aesthetics.