Not All Balance Bikes Are the Same

On the surface, choosing a balance bike might seem like an easy task. It's a bike with two wheels and no pedals. How hard could it be to make that decision? Well, once you start investigating the landscape you will soon realize you are dealing with manufacturers that most of us have never heard of, such as Strider Bikes, KaZAM Balance Bikes and Glide Bikes. Most of balance bike companies are 3 to 6 years old and are fairly small but control the majority of the market. My goal in this article is to not tell you what bike to buy but to give you the tools so you can make an informed purchasing decision that's right for your child.
So let's get started.

Balance bikes come in many different sizes and most are adjustable to grow with your child. The first thing you need to do is measure your child's inseam. This way when you start shopping you can immediately determine if the bike you are looking at is sized appropriately. It's never a good thing to buy a bike, have it shipped to you, assemble it, only to find out it's too big for your bike rider. So to avoid this, measure your child's inseam. Now that you have this information, let explore how to use this information.

For the most part, balance bikes are sized by seat height. Seat height is the measurement from the ground to the top of the seat. Most balance bikes have adjustable seats. If it does not, do not buy it. Your child will outgrow it too quickly. Once you have the inseam measurement, here's how to use this information. The goal is for your child to be able to straddle the seat with at least 1" of clearance. So if your child has an inseam of 13", you want to find a bike with a minimum seat height of 12". So the Bikee 1 Bike, which has a minimum seat height of 15", would be too big. However the Strider Bike, with a minimum seat height of 11" would be perfect!

Next topic is to determine if you want a medal bike, wood bike or composite bike. There is no right or wrong answer. Medal bikes look and feel more like a real pedal bike. Most offer features such as a quick release seat and handle bar adjustments, sealed wheel bearings as well as optional brakes. We'll discuss the brake topic in a bit. Some bikes are made out of steal and other aluminum. Aluminum typically will not rust and is lighter; however, steal is cheaper and just because a bike is aluminum does not mean the finished product is lighter, stronger or even better.

Wooden balance bikes tend to be more eco-friendly. Most are made out of renewable marine grade birch wood. They use biodegradable paints and lacquers. Some manufacturers treat wood bikes like a canvas and paint very beautiful designs and pictures, giving the bike a very unique look. Wooden balance bikes tend to have a very retro, nostalgic look and feel to them.