After riding a balance bike for over two years and feeling very confident on it, Meo had been asking us to get him a big boy bike with pedals. We wanted to get him a nice bike that would be very light weight and the right size for him so that the transition would be as easy as possible for him. We debated for several days whether to go with a 14 inch wheel or a 16 inch wheel; Meo's height is right where the both sized wheel recommendations overlap. Knowing that Meo would feel more confident if his new bike was only a little larger than his balance bike and knowing that Link is on the shorter side and he will be needing the smaller size to start we went with the 14 inch wheels.
We also spent a long time researching which brand of bike to go with. There are a lot of choices and most of them are surprisingly expensive. We decided to go with the Woom bike (pronounced voom). We found this guide (what to look for in a pedal bike) and this chart (pedal bike comparison chart) extremely helpful in making our choice. While a Woom bike is quite pricey, we were able to use points saved up on a credit card so we didn't have to use real money, Link will be using it after, and they have high sell back value. Plus seeing how easily Meo was able to transition to a pedal bike (and how frustrated he was when trying his friends' heavier pedal bikes), it was totally worth the investment.
Both boys were very appreciative of their new wheels!
To teach Meo how to ride a pedal bike it only took two days of practice. Since he has been riding a balance bike with hand breaks, he already knows how to balance and break, and how to put his feet down to catch himself if he felt like he was falling over. He just needed to figure out how to coordinate his legs and pedal. This was confusing for him at first. The first day I mostly pushed him around by his seat to keep him upright while he figured out how to pedal. He grew frustrated at times, but he started getting the hang of it. The trick with Meo was when I realized he needed to pedal faster in order to balance more easily. Then he was able to really get going and I started letting him go after a while.
The second day of practice began in the grass again. But he was getting it much better this time and only needing to be supported for a short amount of time.
Next we decided to move to tar. There is a circle at the end of the road that makes a safe place to learn how to ride a bike, so we took the boys there.
First Robbie supported him to get his feet on the pedals.
But once he was able to pedal all the way around the circle, we knew it was time to force him to figure out how to start up on his own so he wouldn't be too dependent on us. Robbie had a great idea to have him start off as though he was on a balance bike and glide and once he was going to pick up his feet and find his pedals. That, in combination with starting downhill, did the trick, and he got it within just a couple tries. It got to the point that he was even able to get started going uphill!
And now we have an independent bike rider (age 4.5)!
We are so proud of our little guy! And Meo loves riding his bike!
Now Mr. Link has also been having a big week of learning. He started riding our balance bike. Our balance bike is a FirstBike. We chose this brand because it is light, very tough/durable, has hand breaks, and has a lowering kit for the youngest of riders (Meo needed the lowering kit when he started as well).
Right now Link just straddles the bike and scoots around the yard, but that is a big first step and he is doing awesome!
Link is a courageous little guy, and before we know it he will be cruising around picking his legs up to keep up with Meo.
There are numerous articles out there as to why starting off with a balance bike as opposed to training wheels is a good idea (this one for example), but witnessing the journey my boys have taken first hand has made the benefits of a balance bike quite clear. We have gotten a lot of use out of this little bike already, and now its in mint condition for another round with our youngest guy.
Robbie and I both have our bike ready to go and we are looking forward to our first little bike trips as a family. Robbie and I didn't have a car for years when we first lived together and our bikes were our main source of transportation. I took them out to do field research at 5 am, we took them to the grocery school, we rode them to college classes...everywhere. But since being pregnant with Meo, and Robbie's bike got stolen, we haven't been riding together. Fortunately now we all have bikes (Robbie found a sweet deal at a used bike sale) and it will be fun to start being a bike family once again.
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