Jump to content

Recommended Posts

We bought our (now) 3 year old a really gorgeous bright red strider balance bike the Christmas before last. He has zero interest in it, and makes a halfhearted effort to ride it - at best - then gives up.


I think we made a bit of an error of judgement, as he really seems to prefer things he can sit on and pedal - and that are a bit more stable (he's quite risk averse).


Can anyone please recommend a good first/starter bike (with stabilisers!), that might suit a reasonably tall 3 year old?


Many thanks, Tara.

i would recommend you try him on something at evans, he can try it out in the shop and they will be able to advise you on the right size etc.


islabikes get a good rep, as do hoy bikes.


we have a dawes one which is great but we have a reluctant cyclist so we don't get out on it that much.

Before you switch to a bike with stabilisers you could consider taking him to the strider bike sessions at the velodrome. They have them in the week and on a weekend so check the schedule. Its nice as there are lots of kids doing the same thing which usually encourages them and the coaches are lovely.
I second the recommendation to go along to one of the sessions at the velodrome. We too had a balance bike for our daughter which she was never that interested in and always preferred her scooter. She had probably been on it literally a handful of times before we gave her a bike for her fourth birthday. We went for a Frog bike from Balfes - cheaper then Isla bikes but still fairly lightweight and manouverable. We didn't get stabilisers. We took her out on it once ourselves - more or less just holding her on it the whole time - and then I took her along to a velodrome striderbike session on it. I was really after tips on how to help her but by the end of that session she was able to ride on her own. Starting, braking and steering took a bit longer to master but once she had got the hang of balancing and pedalling we could just take her out to practice. I was surprised how quickly she got the idea. I think the minimal time she spent on her balance bike must have still helped. And she probably took on board the advice from the staff at the velodrome more readily than from us...

Thanks for all the advice!


He doesn't really like his scooter either ;-)


The Strider sessions at the Velodrome sound perfect. Unfortunately they're only run during the week, and not on the day we have off together, what a shame!


We picked up a Specialized Hotrock 12" starter bike from this forum. It needs a fair bit of work to make it rideable again, but it's a nice bike, and my son already looks a lot keener on it than he did his shiny new red Strider... typical!


If we're off on a Tuesday or Wednesday at some point, I'll be sure to take him to the HH Velodrome.


Thanks again, Tara.

  • 3 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • What was he doing on the stage at Glastonbury? Or on the stage at the other concert in Finsbury Park? Grinning like a Cheshire cat whilst pissed and stoned 20 somethings on the promise of free internet sung-- Oh Jeremy Corbyn---  What were his policies for Northern mining towns with no jobs or infrastructure? Free Internet and university places for youngsters. What were his other manifesto pledges? Why all the ambiguity over Brexit?  I didn't like Thatcher, Blair or May or Tony but I respected them as politicians because they stood by what they believed in. I respect all politicians across the board that stick to their principles. Corbyn didn't and its why he got  annihilated at the polls. A socialist, anti imperialist and anti capitalist that said he voted for an imperialist and pro capitalist cabal. He refused to say how he'd vote over and over again until the last knockings. He did so to appease the Islington elite and middle class students he was courting. The same people that were screaming that Brexit was racist. At the same time the EU were holding black and Asian immigrants in refugee camps overseas but not a word on that! Corbyn created and courted a student union protest movement that screamed at and shouted down anyone not on the left . They claimed Starmer and the centre right of labour were tories. He didn't get elected  because he, his movement and policies were unelectable, twice. He turned out not to have the convictions of his politics and died on his own sword.    Reform won't win an election. All the idiots that voted for them to keep out Labour actually enabled Labour. They'll be back voting tory next time.    Farage wouldn't be able to make his millions if he was in power. He's a very devious shyster but I very much doubt he'd actually want the responsibility that governance requires.
    • The purge of hard left members that were part of Corbyn's, Mcdonnel's and Lansmans momentum that purged the party of right wing and centrist members. That's politics. It's what Blair did to win, its what Starmer had to do to win. This country doesn't vote in extreme left or right governments. That's partly why Corbyn lost  We're pretty much a centrist bunch.  It doesn't make it false either. It's an opinion based on the voting patterns, demography and statistics. Can you explain then why former mining constituencies that despise the tories voted for them or abstained rather than vote for Corbyns Labour?  What is the truth then? But he never got elected!!! Why? He should have been binned off there and then. Why he was allowed to hang about is an outrage. I hold him party responsible for the shit show that we've had to endure since. 
    • Depends on what the Barista says doesnt it? There was no physical confrontation with the driver, OP thinks she is being targetted when she isnt. These guys work min wage under strict schedules so give them a break unless they damage your stuff
    • CPR Dave, attendance records are available on Southwark's website. Maggie Browning has attended 100% of meetings. Jon Hartley has attended 65%.
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...