5 reasons to choose a balance bike instead of training wheels
- Balance bikes are suitable even for younger children starting from 1.5 years old. We have specifically designed two models – for ages 1.5 years and for ages 3 years and up.
- Riding on uneven surfaces is an adventure with a balance bike! Whether it’s grass, a roadside, or a small hill, it creates a sense of excitement for the child!
- The bike is lightweight, making it easy for the child to control, lift, and store. The bike is tailored to the child’s age!
- Riding a balance bike is easy and intuitive. Learning to ride happens naturally! It’s a fun process that promotes the child’s development and independence!
- Training wheels won’t be necessary when transitioning to a pedal bike! The child will already have learned to maintain balance and improved coordination. Only mastering pedalling remains, which usually takes a short time.
Training wheels are outdated technology.
As we grew up, we started learning cycling skills with training wheels. However, just as stationary phones have been replaced by touch-screen mobile phones, significantly easing our daily lives, bicycle technologies have also rapidly advanced. Training wheels are outdated technology! Our children deserve balance bikes.
To share our experience, as well as the experience of her two boys in learning cycling skills, we agreed to hear the story from Elīna, the mother of Ansis, from Liepāja, (Latvia).
Ansis's Mother's Experience
“I remember my experience with cycling – the transition from training wheels to riding without them was actually quite a daunting challenge,” shares Elīna, the mother of our little DipDap rider, Ansis. “I recall starting with a tricycle, then moving on to a bike with training wheels. Afterwards, my dad removed the training wheels. The feeling was terrifying. Without the training wheels, I couldn’t maintain balance at all. Of course, it involved tears, but with time, I learned to ride without training wheels because nobody put them back on. However, it took a long time, and I had to start learning the skills all over again. Now, looking back, I can compare my own experience with that of my children.“
Ansis's Experience with DipDap
At first, the DipDap balance bike was inside the house. The boy had the DipDap between his legs and tried to walk while maintaining balance. Then we continued practicing the skills in the garden, in a more open space.
It didn’t take long for the boy to master the skills and not only propel himself forward but also lift his feet off the ground and glide ahead. That’s when the real fun began! We went on many enjoyable walks. The child loved the freedom of movement and being able to keep up with the parents’ pace. Sometimes, it was actually the opposite – we, as parents, had to take an extra step to keep up with the little one,” admits Elīna.
“Around the age of 4, we bought a bicycle. It was a big surprise for my husband and me when, within less than two hours, our child learned to ride the bike. There was no issue with maintaining balance at all. The only thing to learn was to pedal actively to move the bike forward. Remembering my own experience, this seemed fantastic! Then I realised that we would have to test it on our other child as well 😁 And indeed – the second one also quickly grasped pedalling!”