Yvolution Y Velo Junior Toddler Balance Bike | 9" Training Bicycle With Dual Rear Wheels | For Kids Age 18 Months - 3 Years

Product Information

The pink and white colors complement each other well, making for a popping combo. Your child will be clearly visible while out riding. This bike was too heavy for my daughter throughout the months of testing and, as such, has seen little use. Perhaps for an older child the weight and size wouldn’t be such an issue, but as mentioned earlier, at that point, the child could be ready for a larger bike anyway. Similar options: Strider 14x Sport (drivetrain attachment sold separately), SmarTrike Xtend (drivetrain attachment included). Specialized Hotwalk IT'S MORE THAN JUST A BIKE - Toddlers have so much fun with their Buddy they don’t realise they are learning the fundamental skills needed for cycling. Balance, speed, stability, strength, and most of all confidence.

Alongside providing hours of endless fun, tricycles can be a great alternative to a balance bike, ideal for kids and toddlers who may be a little too young to start learning to ride a bike. The saddle is also very hard and the footrest with a built-in foot brake seems an odd pairing. It seems unlikely a child will use a foot brake and the integrated brake means it cannot be used as a footrest. Even if older children do have the coordination to use a foot brake, moving the brake away from the hands, where it undoubtedly will be on their next bike, to the feet, will do little more than cause extra confusion when adapting to pedalling on a standard bike.The next step is to remove one of the rear wheels and convert the bike to a more traditional two-wheel balance bike. With just the single rear, the Y Velo weighs in at a respectable sub-3 kg weight and is then a true balance bike. Unfortunately, that is not enough to bump this bike onto my recommended list. Balance bikes provide a fun way for children from as young as 18 months right up to six years of age develop these balance, coordination, and motor skills. In this article we’ll cover everything you need to know about balance bikes. What is a balance bike? This design is awesome as it teaches kids to balance (which they don’t get on a trike), but still provides plenty of stability. In fact, the bike will roll and balance on its own for a few moments before toppling over. GOODBYE TRAINING WHEELS - Balance bike will prepare your kids for cycling before stepping up to a pedal bike without ever using training wheels. Using our Velo Pro bike is perfect way for your kids to progress to a bicycle cycling in no time.

Balance bikes are gaining popularity among parents because they eliminate the need for training wheels. They speed up the process and teach the rider to focus on balancing as opposed to pedaling (1). Brakes are very much an optional extra on balance bikes. With the lower ride height and speeds, kids can rely on their feet to slow and stop the bike. However, what you save on brakes you may lose on shoe wear. Test Subject A had one clear favourite bike – more on that in a moment – but she also helped us understand what is important to a growing child.We measured all bike weight and saddle height ranges on test for the most accurate results. Anyone riding a bicycle should always be wearing a helmet on their head. This important piece of safety equipment is especially crucial for kids whose bodies are still developing. The fit of the helmet is perhaps the most important part — after all, it won’t be able to do its job if it doesn’t cover and protect your child’s head properly. Be sure to measure the circumference of your child’s head before purchasing and try it on before use.

Overall Take

This upgraded version is even lighter than the previous one. Weighing only 6.4 pounds, it’s also one of the lightest on our list today. The Yvolution Y Velo Junior balance bike provides a fun and easy introduction to bicycles for very young toddlers. It’s low minimum seatpost height, light weight, and innovative double rear wheel makes it superior to most balance bikes for learning to ride. Amy was at home when the Y Velo balance bike arrived so was immediately very giddy and told anyone who would listen on the school run that she had a new balance bike! I promised her I would try and fit it together the following day so we could take it out for a ride in the park whilst the big two were at school and the weather was nice! While trikes, tricycles, and stabilisers provided most of us with a successful development path, the very nature of these supported, three and four-wheel designs means the child does not require the same balance to ride. Furthermore, the child can become reliant on the assistance these supported designs offer, potentially delaying their development.By opting for a balance bike, the child can focus on enjoying all the fun a bike can offer while also developing these essential skills.

Learning to ride a bicycle is an essential part of childhood. Bike-riding helps kids learn motor skills that are crucial as they develop and eventually begin to play sports, drive vehicles or operate machinery. Plus, the activity allows youngsters to travel independently, visiting friends and neighbors as they please. SAFE DESIGN - Smooth continuous surfaces achieved through a lightweight, injected plastic frame ensure there are no sharp edges for kids to catch their legs on as they ride. No ankle scratches! Speaking from work experience (teaching children to ride bikes and to develop a love of bikes from an early age in my role with Sustrans) and speaking from personal experience (as a mother of a free-wheeling three-year old), I wholeheartedly recommend balance bikes for young children as the best way for them to learn core skills and to experience the exciting feeling of freedom on two wheels. Each to their own, but I would encourage families to avoid using stabilisers altogether.” Beth Harding, Sustrans Balance bike buyer’s guide Solid foam or plastic tyres offer many benefits, including being puncture-proof, lightweight, cheaper than pneumatic tyres, and the fact they require low or zero maintenance, Specifically, due to the lower cost, foam tyres are often found on lower-priced bikes. While keeping the price down, foam tyres also have the added benefit of keeping the weight of these lower-priced bikes down. In fact, the lightest bike on test, the Vitus Nippy, features foam tyres and is also the lowest-priced of all the bikes on test. The Hornit Airo features pneumatic tyres with an inner tube.

My daughter was less than impressed though. Despite being above average height for her age, she found the reach to the handlebars a stretch and as such never quite warmed to the Airo. I am confident had the Airo been the only balance bike in the house, she would have been much happier with the bike and with time she will grow into the reach. However, given the choice, at least for now, the Hornit is not her go-to bike. So what is too heavy? From experience, I would suggest any bike in the 3-4 kg (6.6-8.8 pound) range will be a good weight for most children. In percentage terms aim for a bike somewhere between 20-25% of your child’s weight. The lighter the better, but less than 3 kg (6.6 lbs) usually comes with an increased price or decreased spec level. More on this later. Once sized correctly, a bike’s weight is the next biggest factor in how easily a child can manoeuvre and enjoy that bike. Despite having relatively few parts, some balance bikes can be incredibly heavy. A child may struggle to lift and move a heavier bike, which can be off-putting for the child.