Clicky: Age for a bike?

Spin313 · January 2012

In your opinion...[Poll]

cmanmom · January 2012

My DS had a teeny tiny bike with training wheels at age 2, it was a 10". I moved him on to a balance bike (and actually returned it 2 weeks later!) and he mastered that and has been riding a regular bike, moved from a 12 to now I think 14 or 16" since age 3. He will soon be 5. I think if LO has good coordination and balance in general, that they will get it quickly!

So fun once they can ride You can cover lots of ground much faster!

KristinKD · January 2012

I don't know if it's the best age, but we bought DD1 her first bike for her fourth birthday. She finally figured out how to pedal on her trike last summer, so we figured her birthday would be a good time to get her a bike so she can have it this summer.

I do think it's a good idea to learn to pedal on a trike first, although some people swear by balance bikes.

brightning · January 2012

DD got her first tricycle at about 18 months. She rode that really well until she was almost 3, when she got her first 12" bike. For Christmas, at age 4.5, she got a 16" bike. She still needs training wheels.

Sawyerplus1 · January 2012

We never had a trike or anything like that (with pedals, etc) for DS and then for his 3rd birthday he got an actual bike with training wheels. We took him out on it a few times and he had fun on it, but couldn't get the hang of peddling. This summer he'll be 4 (and we live in a better sidewalk-y area) so we'll take him out more often and I think he'll catch on and have more fun this summer.

If we had got him a trike or something like that when he was younger, he may have gotten a hang of the peddling a bit faster, making 3 a fine age.

penguingrrl · January 2012

My older daughter got a trike at 2 then a bike this Christmas at 4. If we didn't have the trike already I probably would have done a training wheels bike instead for the 2 year old because the trike seems really difficult to pedal and neither has been terribly interested in it. Now they're fighting over the big bike even though the youngest is far too short to use it.

rsd12 · January 2012

My boys started on 12" at 3.5 yrs old. We took the training wheels off at 5. My oldest really learned a lot about balance from his scooter too.

Pesky · January 2012

I think it can depend on the kid. Glad we waited until 4 to get DD's bike. She can grow with it for a bit and is still a bit timid about it. DS on the other hand may be ready for a bike at age 3 -- he is fearless and already wants to ride DD's.

Spenjamins · January 2012

My guys arenalmost five and are not interested in their bikes. They have big wheels that go up to age six and they love them.

schnappycat · January 2012

We just got DS a 16" bike for his 4th birthday. So far, he's not thrilled. He was a late trike rider and just wasn't interested in that either. He finally learned to pedal last summer at 3.5. I don't think this new bike is hard for him per se, but he just doesn't seem to care. Hopefully when the weather is warmer he will warm up to the idea.

kittylove · January 2012

I voted 4 since you specified bike with training wheels but DS has had a balance bike since he turned 2, and loves it. Our plan is to get him a "real bike" when he gets to be 4.

FutureMrsCaesar · January 2012

DS1 had a small tricycle that we kept in our house (we have hard floors) from the time he was about 1.5. By 2 he learned how to pedal, and last summer, at 2.5 we got him his first bike (with training wheels). I'm guessing this summer we'll try it with no training wheels, since Caillou does it, DS thinks he should too.

franciscaz · January 2012

Harm was almost 3 when we got him a bike and had it mastered in a week. This summer we are going to take of the training wheels.

byrne15 · January 2012

we started with the 12in bike with training wheels at 2.5 years old.

Brewtowngrl · January 2012

DS never used the pedals on his trike or big wheel. Still doesn't. We got a bike with training wheels from my brother and he got it within 15 min. He was just over 3.

ashleyhuney · January 2012

We got DS a balance bike at 1.5 and a tricycle at 2. By 3 he was great at pedaling but prefered his balance bike - he could go crazy fast on that thing. We got him a big kid bike without training wheels for Christmas and he was off and pedaling his first try. He's almost 3.5. I'm glad we had both early, he has mad bike skills that make him cool at preschool

. Seriously though, the balance bike is fantastic for learning to bike.