My 3 year old on his bike--had to share!

[sfhbike]

My kid has been on on a Strider balance since he was 15 mos old. By 2.5 he was balancing and gliding really well. He was ready for a "pedal bike" and had been asking for one for months, but we decided it would make a good third birthday present. (We commute by bike every day with him in a child seat; so in some ways this is just a part of "growing up" for him.)

He rides tricycles at school and we have a Weehoo, so it was just a matter of putting his balance and pedaling skills together. He is completely enamored with it and got on it and was riding on his own in a matter of a few hundred feet. Gotta start them young! Thought I'd share. This is day 2 on his bike after turning 3:
https://youtu.be/l3286CEQnBI

EDIT: The bike is a Woom 2 with a freewheel kit option (Woom is a German company I believe, pronounced "Voom" and they have designed the bike very well with a long wheelbase for stability and balance).

Here's a fun one when we first got his Weehoo (basically a recumbent bike trailer for kids):
https://youtu.be/n0cSgyLIrHo

[vqdriver]

good times. that is awesome

[notsew]

That's awesome. My little guy just turned three and only recently got interested in the balance bike, so I'm a little jealous of where your guy is. I haven't pushed the issue... don't want to put him off... but he's finally getting more interested and wants to take his bike out more, we're getting there!

Anyways, looks like he's having a great time!

[sfhbike]

That's awesome. My little guy just turned three and only recently got interested in the balance bike, so I'm a little jealous of where your guy is. I haven't pushed the issue... don't want to put him off... but he's finally getting more interested and wants to take his bike out more, we're getting there!

Yeah, that's totally right on. The only way to do this is with no pressure at all. Just making it available and offer opportunities (easy for us since the weather is so nice year round). But if they pick up any pressure it backfires. He literally touched his balance bike a few times in the first 6 months he had it (he was a little too young so we didn't expect much). He'd get on, walk around for a few steps then leave it alone for a few months.

At 3, your kid will probably get it much faster. But definitely stick with your gut and keep it positive (not necessary to heap tons of praise or anything like that), pressure free and natural and let him go at his own pace. Helps if he sees his parents ride a lot too!

[rePhil]

I wish I would have "invented" the Strider / Balance bikes.It's a great concept. Strider racing here in Florida is huge.Podiums and all.
We have a grand son and Grand Daughter that quickly progressed from Striders to BMX racing with pedals, She is now racing on clipless at 5.

[sfhbike]

I wish I would have "invented" the Strider / Balance bikes.It's a great concept. Strider racing here in Florida is huge.Podiums and all.
We have a grand son and Grand Daughter that quickly progressed from Striders to BMX racing with pedals, She is now racing on clipless at 5.

That's awesome! My boy is pretty cautious and a bit risk averse. If he sees a hill where he's not sure he will be able to control himself, he'll get off and walk his bike down. It's pretty funny. But as a dad, it saves me a bunch of headache, and saves him broken bones and stitches. I let him take the lead on the kinds of risks he's ready for. I'd be all for him getting into BMX (he saw some kids on trick bikes and thought that was really cool). But we're not really plugged into that scene at all (not sure if it is very big where we are either).

[AJosiahK]

haha awesome!

[Louis]

Soooooo cute. :) And he's good!

But I have some news for you - he'll never be a real roadie. "Stop at the light!!!" ????? What does that mean? ;)

[Tickdoc]

Very cool. I love how he is weaving through those traffic bumpers like a boss on his first day.:beer::banana::banana::banana:

[cd_davis]

He is a better rider than some newbies in our group rides...you and he can join us anytime.

[ultraman6970]

Wow that reminds me my kids... :) Remember this... if he has an accident just stand him up, clean the dust... make him shake to check for stuff... and if everything is ok just get him back in the bike with a smile, no panic just smile because if you make a huge deal out of an accident there is chance he wont grab the bike in a while.

Have fun man :D Your kid is finally free :D

[rccardr]

Balance bikes. So cool. Just bought a Skuut for our 16 month old grandson, his parents (like us) are bike crazy and are hoping he'll pick it up quickly. But, like mentioned above, best thing is to make it available and friendly, no pressure.

Nice thing about the Skuut is he can mess with it inside...

[ofcounsel]

Awesome! My son is now 7 years old, and I really enjoy going out on rides with him. I'm sure you will as well!!

[FastforaSlowGuy]

That's awesome. My daughter (18m) is just starting to "get" how her balance bike works (she sits on it now rather than dragging it around). Loves the Weehoo and now asks to go out. Seeing that video makes me hopeful that she stays interested. We don't push it on her, just try to make it a way to spend time together outside. Seems similar to how you're doing it.


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[dustyrider]

I started out in a seat attached to my dad's bicycle. I quickly moved on to a scooter with v brakes. Didn't get my first bike until 6. At 36, I can honestly say I find as much enjoyment making my bike go in a circle as your son so obviously does.
You guys are building memories that will last a lifetime! :hello:

[tiretrax]

The joy on his face is fantastic to see. And, at that age, a rainy day is no impediment.

Best wishes to both of you.

[benb]

Mucho jealous.. congrats and great job encouraging this.

My son turns 4 this month and is not riding without training wheels and seems no where close.

He's had a balance bike since 18 months but the issue is the day care stuck him on bikes with training wheels around the time he was 2. :rolleyes: He started insisting on training wheels and refusing to use the balance bike. And his balance has actually gotten WORSE in the last year as a result of using the training wheels.

Hoping next season we will have better luck. He can already pedal really well, but the training wheels have really set him back. He is super athletic for his age so I'd love to get him riding this year. (He can rock climb amazingly well for his age and can already hit pitched baseballs.)

I actually showed the video to my son last night to try and motivate him, didn't seem to work.

[sfhbike]

Mucho jealous.. congrats and great job encouraging this.

My son turns 4 this month and is not riding without training wheels and seems no where close.

He's had a balance bike since 18 months but the issue is the day care stuck him on bikes with training wheels around the time he was 2. :rolleyes: He started insisting on training wheels and refusing to use the balance bike. And his balance has actually gotten WORSE in the last year as a result of using the training wheels.

Hoping next season we will have better luck. He can already pedal really well, but the training wheels have really set him back. He is super athletic for his age so I'd love to get him riding this year. (He can rock climb amazingly well for his age and can already hit pitched baseballs.)

I actually showed the video to my son last night to try and motivate him, didn't seem to work.

Bummer about the day care and training wheels! They should stick with tricycles; they seem different enough that we didn't have that problem. Might also have helped us that he rides regularly on a child seat on our bikes so the feeling of being balanced and perched on a bike just clicks. He actually isn't even terribly athletic or coordinated. I'd say continue to keep it low key whatever you do. They have a radar for our anxiety.

Awesome about the rock climbing! I don't get out enough myself to have started him on that, but we do have a harness. Maybe I should give it a shot sometime.

[rePhil]

I worked in a Special needs school, that used Striders for therapy. They used the larger ones for the adult sized students. They also had tricycles, but they went unused as the kids seemed to prefer the Strider / balance bikes.
Funny you mention climbing as we also had a climbing wall in the gym.

And what kind of Grandpa would I be if I didn't thread drift with a photo bomb of a Grand Kid. Here she is Rockin' the #1 plate for 5 year old girls in FL. She has the smallest clipless shoes I have ever seen.

[sfhbike]

I worked in a Special needs school, that used Striders for therapy. They used the larger ones for the adult sized students. They also had tricycles, but they went unused as the kids seemed to prefer the Strider / balance bikes.
Funny you mention climbing as we also had a climbing wall in the gym.

And what kind of Grandpa would I be if I didn't thread drift with a photo bomb of a Grand Kid. Here she is Rockin' the #1 plate for 5 year old girls in FL. She has the smallest clipless shoes I have ever seen.

Woohoo! Photo bomb's of awesome kids on bikes welcome. :hello:

[benb]

Yah awesome picture!