@@gcn My son learned to ride his balance bike when he was 3. I got him a proper push bike when he turned 4 but didn’t take off the training wheels. He was stuck with it for about 6 months before he agreed to have them off. His balance was already great but the training wheels held him back and took away his confidence after the balance bike.
I taught both my sons how to ride in the garden (they were both around 3 years old) luckily our garden was big enough for this. Basically I told them the truth in that they would more than likely fall off and possibly hurt themselves a bit but all they had to do was brush themselves down and try again, I also taught them to hold their head up and look in the distance and not fixate on the front wheel, I tried to explain that you tend to steer where you look, I used a tree in the garden as a focal point. They both passed with flying colours in fact Matt my eldest (33) is cycling around Lanzarote on a Bianchi gravel bike as we speak, lucky him! 😎😎😎😎
Good advice! I'm a strong advocate for balance bikes rather than "stabilisers". When moving up to a pedal bike, an option I've used is to take the pedals off and let the child get used to the larger size before putting the pedals back on. This summer I took my youngest from balance bike to pedalling unassisted in less than an hour this way. 👍🏽
My son had a balance bike for a few years, and when came the time to learn to pedal, we chose to put stabilisers on and figured they willl help him focus on just the pedalling part. It turned out to be a mistake, because he was trying to lean the bike to turn, and almost fell over a few times. We ended up taking them off and he liked it better that way. Turns out learning to pedal is easier than learning to balance. He's 10 now and rips down MTB trails. 🤙
Never bought a balance bike . All my 4 kids and now 3 Grandkids all learnt to ride in a day or 2 days. Just run along side them in a closed local parking lot, to give them wobble room
I was about to type the same suggestion! Take the cranks off, remove the bottom bracket and let them zip around! When they can balance for 15-20 meters without feet on the ground, put the pedals back on
Thanks for taking on a real subject to help people not interested in carbon fiber aero expensium. Really appreciate thinking about the next generation and there well being. Thank you Connor and Jesse.
Absolutely loved this episode. My boy took my lights on his balance bike and doesn’t want to run it without them on anymore. Great deal for both of us!❤
Wow! As you Brits would say "What an absolutely cracking video! " As a retired Elementary Teacher (mostly 4 to 6 year olds) and 1/2 stay at home dad it absolutely warms my heart to see Dads like Connor and Cillian taking care of business with their young ones whilst being awesome cyclists too! Such a helpful video as our grandchildren are starting biking plus I want to help with local bike programme for kids so the chart particularly is super helpful. What wonderful chemistry between Connor and Jessie, especially in the outtakes!! Sorry Connor, Jessie is bang on about the rocket boosters (I was laughing so hard I was crying! )But be consoled that Ollie is taking down everyone (yes Hank too) and Si's ankles mean he can never be Mercury! I can hardly wait till Jessie takes on Hank! BEST GCN VIDEO EVER!! More!
Great video great to see the joy in a child out in the fresh air on their bike. Thanks to Conor and Jesse for working together and certainly looks like they enjoy each other’s company
Good video. And cute kid! Got a pedal bike for our toddler last year (3 at the time). A lot of the cheaper ones had solid plastic tyres - puncture free but looked like they'd be pretty horrid to ride on. In fact none of the affordable new options looked great, so took a bit more time to find a good used one locally. Start looking in advance if thinking about it.
Great video! My two have gone up the Islabike route, and my eight year old is now riding a drop bar Luath for up to thirty miles and is now asking for clipless pedals!
Great to see GCN covering this angle. Rides with my son are always a fun experience for us both. It took 3 months for him to master pedals when switching from balance bike. He also use to come out with me in his trailer and I wonder if observing me pedal helped.
Dad of twins here... We got ours new, since we needed two, identical ones at a given time. But we've chosen to spend the money because we know we can sell them again for good money. Weight is the most and important thing. Having to schlepp two of those things I'm so happy we got light alu ones. Carrying two is kinda something... I disagree on the brake bit. We started ours with about 2¼ years on their balance bike, and now almost 3 years, they still don't care for the brakes, however they see mum and dad use them, we tow them around in a trailer since ever, so they're very used to a bicycle not being a toy but rather than a method of transport, so they now want to stop like their parents. So the brakes now become a thing, pretty much on their own. But they sort of get the idea: slow down - pull leaver. Not the worst muscle memory.
Can’t back up the weight statement. We had heavy steel bikes that the kids struggled with. We then changed to lighter alloy ones and they were off. Comment about brakes for wee hands is also true and important. All in all, sound advice
Great video, I got my daughter a frog balance bike she went from that straight in to a two wheeled bike with no stabilisers the only problem she had was learning how to push off but she managed that in a few minutes she could actually pedal bike before she could push off best decision I did getting her a balance bike
What a cutie!! My GF's sister has 2 kids, so between them and our 2, we have 4 kids with pretty well staggered sizes. It means we own once and use 4 times before we pass it on or it's been ridden to death and we just get rid of it. Glad you pointed out the used market because with kids that's just a given!!!
I wish they'd had balance bikes when my daughter was young. Would've made learning so much better. I love seeing them when I'm out, the next generation of riders!
Brake on the balance bike for my kids worked really fine. They didn't use it for quite a while, but when they felt comfortable enough they learned braking with their hands - before they had their feet occupied with pedals... i like balance bikes to have brakes - highly recommend.
My daughter had the Kellys, now my son has one too. Best way to learn proper way. They both love it. Now i baught a 16' maundraker to my daughter with 6 gears.
Great points about the sizing! From experience with my own kids I see a clear advantage to letting them use bikes that are their size or smaller, rather than sizing up for them to grow into. My son rode a 16" from age 5-7 and we've only just purchased a 20" for him now at age 7. Sure it looked comically small this past year with the seat height almost maxed out, but he dominated that bike and I think became a better more confident rider. Many of his classmates are awkwardly riding 24" bikes and don't appear to have the same level of confidence.
Great video Conor. Thank you very much for all the great tips and also for your big boy’s contribution. I will make good use of all your advises very soon.
Most important tip is to have fun with it. Eg. if a kid wants stabilizers, let them use stabilizers. Beautiful video, Conor. I hope non-rider parents stumble onto it.
Ride with my 4-year-old every day to Kinder garden, just 1 km but still fun, and he loves it. He would also like to have rocket boosts on his bike, unfortunate he does not have them so daddy needs to give him a boost from time to time.
Good advice. Avoid stabilizers unless the child is very young. It takes about 15 minutes for a fit 4 year old to master riding a pedal bike for the first time and around 1 to 1½ hours before they can maneuver corners etc quite confidently including breaking start/stop etc. Taught quite a few kids to cycle using a large free flat space (think large empty parking lot): 1) tell them that as long as they pedal the cycle will stay upright - if they stop pedaling they will fall over 2) push cycle into speed while running just behind - make them pedal like crazy (keep running right behind them) 3) if they stop or slow down pedaling to turn etc - they will - give them the battle cry "pedal!, pedal!, pedal!" (keep running right behind them) 4) ask them to turn gently right/left while peddling all the time (keep running right behind them) 5) when they understand to pedal all the time and can turn let loose for 10-15 min of free practicing (take much needed rest from running). When looking good go directly for a longer cycle ride on a fairly straight, flat and safe cycle path - an hour or so is preferable, as it makes sure they confidently can start/stop and navigate left/right. Its key that they don't fall over at first and get scared or disheartened. The running is hard - but its usually less than 5 min before they get the pedaling concept internalized. And yes, they will know how to cycle next day.
I got a balance bike for my grandson when he was three. His parents got him a regular bike one year later. They took off the stabilizers before allowing him to ride it. He had no problem riding.
Andy - Always buy quality second hand. Not cheap new. I always got Frog / Islabike etc looked after them and sold them after both kids had them for same or more money.
Never have I ever thought I will see a Kellys bike (even if it is a balance bike for kids) in a GCN video ever, being it a lesser known central european brand.
26 inch wheel is classed as an adult bike, and also you try finding a Childs hybrid, not many about. They’re nearly all mountain bikes when they are sub 26 inch wheel.
Fantastic video. I've taught 1000s of kids to cycle in an hour and all of the points covered in the video are brill. If anyone wants any advice on how to get children cycling in an hour, be in touch. :-)
Balance bikes are a great way to get started. Just avoid training wheels at all costs, your kid can move from a balance bike to a regular pedal bike (properly sized) with about an hour of practice. My younger kid learned to pedal before he was three years old 😀 . Unfortunately none of my kids ride much their bikes 😢 . And it won’t be because I’ve not tried, from road to MTB.
I never got a balance bike for my oldest son, who is now 4. He's been riding without training wheels since he was 3. My younger son is 2 and his legs are a bit shorter so I'm considering a balance bike. My 4 year old is ready for a bigger bike so thank you for all the advice. The only trouble with him is that he's ready for a bike with gears ability wise but I don't think they make them in his size quite yet.
Gears generally start at 20" which is what we're getting my 5 year old for Xmas who has been on a 16" for the past two years. He's on the taller side though at over 4 feet already. I doubt he really "needs" gears yet at 4 but that may depend on how small a bike he's on currently. My son can keep up with me on his 16" around 14mph.
My son never got on with a balance bike, just didn't interest him much, but instantly took to and enjoyed a pedal bike when we got him one. One day we let go of him and off he went !
Really good tips! The point "weight" can't be emphasized enough, I think. I remember the old steel clonkers back in the day. 10-15 kg easy for a bike with 14 inch wheels, so basically the bike weighs as much as the child. Just imagine riding an 80 kg bike as an adult... Unfortunately the really light and good ones (in Germany Puky, Woom and Cube are very popular), are always very expensive and even second hand prices are high, like up 90 % of the original retail price. 400 EUR for a bike for a 4-year-old seems kinda insane, but the riding experience for the kid is on another level compared to the heavy bikes. Also: No coaster brake for kids! Hard to learn, counter intuitive and not being able to back pedal makes taking off so much harder.
My experience with coaster brakes on kids bikes is quite the opposite. When kids are really small (age 4-5) they have a hard time operating hand-brakes. The leavers tend to be too far away and they do not have the necessary hand-strength and coordination to operate them reliably. Also the brakes need to be adjusted frequently when they 'abuse' the bike. A coaster break 'just works' and it is quite simple to master, even if counter intuitive at first. A good compromise is to have both options.
@@thomasschefler4804 You can adjust the levers. Unless your kid has very small hands this shouldn't be an issue. Mine started at exactly 3 with hand brakes no prob.
Agree on the coaster. Admittedly I haven't spent under $400 for any of my boys bikes but I have three boys so they need to last. The cheap bikes just rust and break and you end up spending more in the long run.
@@thomasschefler4804 I agree 100 % with you for the children's bikes of old, which had crappy brakes, but the new ones all have child specific brakes that work really well. And coordination of hand brakes is easier in my opinion.
As Conor mentioned, light weight child specific bikes are better. (Squish, Frog, Forme, Isla). It is good to be mindful brands like Specialised kids' bikes can be heavier, maybe not have the best child specific geometry and some have a unhelpful back pedal brake. 3) Test the reach of the bike. Ask the child to sit on the bike, hands on the grip and gently turn the handlebars, if the reach is too long, the little finger will 'peel' off the grip, this would make it unsafe to ride. GCN hack. Sometimes the reach is the correct length, but the child can't get a flat foot onto the ground to feel confident. a solution is to purchase an aftermarket seat post and saddle where the seatpost connects directly into the bottom of the saddle. On quality bikes the seat normally has the 'fore' and 'aft' rails that the seat post attaches to. The after market seat post and seat does not have this 'gubbins' and so allows the saddle to sit lower to the frame. Result! Following this process will make learning to cycle and buying a bike fun and cost saving. 1. Use the correct size balance bike ( i can give tips on this) 2. When a child can glide around a circle, glide a long straight line and glide a u-turn they are physically ready for a pedal bike. 3) check cognitive readiness using a child specific turbo trainer 4) feel happy cycling ( this is a seamless process from balance bike) 4. Find a shop that demos bikes and allows you to try before you buy because remember a 'guide is only a guide'. 5). Allow the child to tell the parent which they feel most comfortable cycling. 6. if you can get the bike on a bike subscription. 7. Keep pedalling :) Happy to offer more specific advice on teaching a child to cycle in an hour, choosing the correct balance bike, how to fit a child helmet, key indicators to look for to know your child is ready for pedals and really good 'hacks' to accelerate a child's cognitive readiness for pedals. Kids loving cycling means families cycle together, love that! Keep pedalling Steve
The one thing I see with some fellow parents and dont get is they buy a relatively huge bike with loads of gears for their 5 year old who can barely handle pedalling their little bike with stabilisers.
Conor : Which would you rather have, rocket boosters or water pistols? Jesse: Water pistols. Because having more fun beats going faster on your bike. I'm surprised there's no mention of BMX on the subject of kids bikes.
Hi . Here are some thoughts. 1) Don't buy a bike unless your child can cycle, otherwise how do you know you are purchasing the correct size bike. :-) ( a child needs to be physically AND cognitively ready for pedals before moving on to a pedal bike . It is common for children to whizz around on their balance bike and then parents with the right intentions get excited and purchase the pedal bike without thinking of the cognitive readiness for pedals i.e the child needs to be able to pedal forwards while looking forwards and not pedalling backwards. If a child does this on the pedal bike, some parents panic becuase they have purchased a bike and want the chuld to use it so they put stabilisers on it, this will undo all the confidence and ability developed by the child on their balance bike. 2) You should have an opportunity to try before you buy. The child will then be able to say which size they prefer. Remember, often a child at the start of their cycling journey is still building confidence, so often having a slightly smaller bike is their preference. (This is why a bike subscription model is a good idea, our customers often tell us it is great they can upgarde to the next size at any time, as and when their child is ready. This might be only a month or so since getting their first bike. to be cont....
All weird this... Get the first bike from the 'discards' on the 2nd hand market that fits. They grow out of it within 6 months , so don't buy new, they never burn through the bike if there are no accidents . Kids need to use walking bikes as soon as they can, and pedal toy cars the moment they understand it. Dont start too late with the first 'proper' bike without extra balance wheels.. when school starts at 4yr old they are basically expected to be able to ride a bike without tools and help . Doesn't have to go quick yet :)
We agree, second hand is a great place to start! We should point out that there are many adults that don't know how to ride a bike, so there is no such thing as too late to start 🙌 The point Conor is trying to make, is that we have to let our kids find the love for cycling and let them naturally progress, rather than forcing them into it. We think that's the best way to share our passion for cycling 😊
I’ve seen many kids on adult bmx bikes, I suppose because the parents thought it was a kids bike and they don’t look comfortable in them so take that in mind
Cool. Bought a bike and helmet as a gift for a kid. It was a donation to a local radio station bike drive for kids. Hope they enjoy it. Thanks GCN. Keep the vids coming!
My parents bought me a bike more than two sizes too big and it took two years for me to learn to balance that monster. Mountain bike also so it was heavy AF. Two years later and mom couldn’t keep me inside at all
@@gcn yes, and there’s no need for a suspension or 3x5 gears. The less parts, the less likely something will break, the bike will weight less and less guilt we’ll feel when the kid’s outgrown it
I found concerning children outgrowing is that there is always a parent wanting to get rid of their children's old bikes and could get a good one for free.
We got our boy on a the smallest 10" wheel balance bike we could at 2 years old and he absolutely loves it. He's turning 3 in April and I think we will be making the upgrade to something that is a little bigger, and might try making the leap to pedals (and a brake!). Side note - if anyone with kids wants some inspo for getting their little ones onto bikes, check out EWS racer Joe Barnes and his kid Bo - the boy rips! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-I-d2t2BuFnY.html
My now 5 year old started on a fat tire 14" at 3. He'd done balance bike for a year and learned to pedal on a trike so when we gave him the pedal bike he immediately started riding it with no help at all from us.
