balance bike size opinions

How annoying that they don't give you better specs on the website!  I'd call CS for the company to get detail on seat height range.

My ODS has the seat height on his balance bike set at 14.5".  He's 4 yo and 39 inches tall.  YDS has his seat at 12.5".  He'll be 3 in June, and average size for age.  We have Runner's bikes.

IMO a modified 16 inch bike will be way too big to use as a balance bike.  To use a balance bike properly, they need to be able to touch the ground with flat feet and slightly bent knees (to scoot along, and to stop - the brakes are their feet.) If her inseam is 13", she won't even be close.  And with the seat all the way down, the handlbars will probably be too high.  If you could get a 12 inch pedal bike to modify, that might work better.

i was looking at the skuut, but dd is obsessed with pink.  i will probably call them for more info and may end up getting the skuut anyway.

16" is too big for a balance bike. DD has a regular 16" bike and she just this week started using it with out training wheels. She is almost 6 about 46" tall (some where around that height) and on the lowest seat setting she can just touch but it would not be a good balance bike.

We have a 12" bike that I took the peddles off of and she can ride that as a balance bike. ODS is about 42" tall and he can use it on the lowest seat setting. We have a "real" balance bike and the seat goes much lower than the 12" bike does.

thanks, that makes a lot of sense.  i want the bike to be light enough for her.  i should be hearing from them soon, they are supposed to email me the seat height min and max.  i did find out that the steering is not limited, but i'm not sure that's a big deal because we're on pretty flat ground all the time here.

she is tall, but not as tall as oscar was at her age.  he isn't riding a 2 wheeler yet.  he actually refuses to try   he has had a big wheel for a long time and has outgrown it to the point where his knees hit the handle bars, but he says he will ride it forever and never ride a bike.  i'm actually not sure what to do with him at this point.

Sarah2106 wrote: DD is almost 6 but she has really been having a lot of fun on the balance bike and I think that is why she went to the 2 wheeler so easily. ODS is 4.5 and has a 16" bike with training wheels but he prefers the balance bike because he can go faster and is more in control. I never "got" balance bikes until we got them and now I understand, they are fun!! Lauren your oldest might really enjoy a balance bike too. It would give him more confidence for being on a bike but give him 100% control. DD can ride the 12" as a balance bike with the seat up and she did great with that.

Yup, I bet your oldest will have as much fun with the balance bike as your DD.

Edited by northwoods - 16 Apr 2012 at 12:11pm

lauren, i can't think of the brand, but someone makes a balance bike for 5-9 yr olds- i think it's 16 in  instead of 12. that might be able to have the seat raised up to a good height for your ds. I will try to find it. 

There is another thread on here about strider balance bikes--I LOVE ours and they have pink.  I see them for $89 with free shipping on Amazon.  I think the 16" bike will be too big as others have said, but also so much heavier.  Strider adjusts from 11-16" seat height, and you can actually buy an extender too.  It's also one of the lightest on the market--Naomi could carry hers at 2 yeas old.

Edited by rebekahc - 16 Apr 2012 at 4:04pm