What Age Should a Child Learn to Ride a Balance Bike?

Learning to ride a bike is a rite of passage for many children, but the traditional method of learning using training wheels or tricycles may not be the best way to teach your little riding champion how to get started.

Step aside training wheels, as the modern-day kids balance bike enters the playground.

Balance bikes are pedal-free, lightweight, super fun and yes we will unashamedly admit our conscious bias here, are quite simply the best toy for teaching kids balance and the correct way to ride at an early age.

But at what age should a child learn to ride a balance bike? Is there an age restriction or limit? Parents fear not, here at ilovetoridemybike.com we have your backs.

In this article we will ride deep into all the good stuff, that is, the parent-essential know-how that explores the best age range a child should begin to start riding a balance bike, and why this is the choice of champions wanting to learn how to ride a bike the right way.

Here’s a quick summary of what we have in store for you;

• Balance bike overview
• Walking? Then your ready to ride
• Balance bike age-ranges
• Rider’s inseam height and perfect seat height
• Balance bike seat height range, and
• Overall ilovetoridemybike.com conclusions

If you have been here before, it is our custom to now invite you to sit-back with your favorite means of hydration (ours is an almond latte) and enjoy our latest post whose goal is to answer our title question, What Age Should a Child Learn to Ride a Balance Bike?

Now, let’s get riding!

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This commission helps keep ilovetoridemybike.com riding and writing. We thank you for your generous support. You are helping us continue doing what we love and that’s providing our customers with all the information they need to know about balance bikes for kids.

Balance Bike Overview

Before jumping headfirst into answering our title question, we thought it would be a great idea to provide you with a brief snapshot into exactly what a balance bike is, what it’s designed for and a brief history lesson.

In our eyes, balance bikes are the ultimate tool dressed in a shiny exterior for kids to learn how to ride a bike.

Also known as run bikes, or push-bikes, balance bikes are designed with minimal features. No pedals, no drive train or chain, allowing young riders to master the skill of balance and coordination, not to mention a bucket load of confidence on a bike before introducing the ultimate progression, pedaling.

Balance bikes are ideal from walking age (approximately 18months) to 5 years (more on this later) as they promote the correct skills intuitive to cycling, while helping kids develop confidence, independence and ultimately begin what we hope is a lifetime love affair with riding a bike.

These developmental powerhouses on wheels didn’t appear from nowhere and they have a rich history. The first adult balance bike was invented by German designer Karl Drais in 1817, and it took until 1997 for another German inventor, Rolf Mertens, to develop the first commercially produced balance bike for kids.

From this!

To this!

In essence, both of these men, particularly Mertens have revolutionized the way children learn how to ride. And we love it!

Walking? Then You’re Ready to Ride

To help us answer our title question, age per se is best used as an indicator only, an approximation that gives us an idea of when a child may be ready to learn how to ride.

When it comes to exactly when a child should begin to ride a balance bike, a better indicator is a physical one. That is, when they can confidently walk!

Essentially, if your little one is on their feet, it’s time to get them riding on two wheels 🙂 !

That’s right, if your little gem is off and walking, which is super exciting in itself, what’s even more exciting is that you can introduce them to their very first balance bike. I know, it’s another of those WOW moments all over.

The beauty of a balance bike is that they are designed to help kids learn the fundamentals of cycling at a very young age, well before they are ready to ride a pedal bike.

Balance bikes eliminate any need for training wheels, as once your little champ is walking, they can begin walking astride a balance bike, and slowly but surely progress in their abilities in their own time and transition directly to a pedal bike.

Balance Bike Age Ranges

Broadly speaking, balance bikes are designed for kids age between the ages 18 months to 5 years old.

This can be broken down further into three age groups within this age-range, to help explain the different wheel sizes and wheelbases on the market.

Age Range: 18 months to 4 Years

The smallest balance bike wheel size available on the market have just 7″ wheels (Kinderfeets Tiny Tot 2-in-1), some have 9″ wheels (Yvolution Y Velo Junior), some 10″ (Chillafish Charlie) and others 11″ (Kinderkraft balance bike).

Kinderfeets Tiny Tot 2-in-1 converts to a balance bike and has just 7″ wheels!

These wheels are tiny (and also less common) yet are great for the youngest of riders just getting started at around 12-18 months of age. However, once your child is 2-years or older, they will be perfectly fine to learn how to ride on the most common balance bike size available, which is 12″.

Therefore, we do recommend that your first balance bike purchased for your child has 12″ wheels. Smaller, younger toddlers just starting out will absolutely grow into these bikes and in fact, most likely out-grow these within 2 years.

The 12″-wheel size is a great place to begin.

An important note here. Yes, wheel size is important, but ultimately the best indicator that a balance bike will suite your child is their inseam height and the bikes seat height range. More on this later.

Age Range: 4 to 5 Years

By this age, especially if your child has been riding a 12″ balance bike for approximately 2 years, you will now have three choices regarding the next steps in their riding progression.

1. continue to ride on their current 12″ balance bike
2. introduce them to a larger balance bike (either 14″ or 16″), or
3. provide them with a larger pedal bike

“Learning to ride a bike will always be ultimately guided by a child’s unique attributes and not an external timeline!”

Some riders will absolutely be ready to make the jump up to a pedal bike at around 4 years of age. Just remember, there is no rush nor time frame to follow here. Your child is unique in every aspect.

Learning to ride a bike will always be ultimately guided by a child’s unique attributes and not an external timeline.

Others at this age may be quite happy on their current 12″ bike or have outgrown this but are not entirely confident nor ready to try a pedal bike. This is when a 14″ balance bike might fit the bill.

There are several 14″ balance bike options on the market, such as the Strider 14x, smarTrike 3-in-1 Xtend, and Bikeboy 14″ (see images below).

Strider 14x

smarTrike 3-in-1 Xtend 

BikeBoy Balance Bike has 12″- and 14″-wheel options!

By introducing your child to a 14″ balance bike they will still be taking huge steps towards the ultimate goal of learning how to ride a pedal bike, yet have the comfort of riding a balance bike that slowly but surely builds confidence, coordination and the necessary motor patterns innate to cycling.

Age Range: 5+ Years

Before moving on, it’s worth mentioning this final balance bike age group.

For kids that who are not completely bike-confident, nor ready to attempt the transition to a pedal bike there are 16″ balance bikes available.

These bikes will allow riders who are not quite ready, or perhaps children with special needs to still enjoy the wonders of riding a bike, refining their skills and gaining a bucket load of confidence while continuing to enjoy a balance bike.

There are currently just two 16″ balance bike options available, these are the Bixe 16″ (see image below) and the Go Glider. Both do a great job in allowing kids to enjoy the balance bike experience for another year or two.

Bixe 16″ Balance Bike

Up next, we take a look at the most valuable piece of information parent’s will need to perfectly match your child to the right balance bike. That is, your child’s inseam!

Riders Inseam Height and Perfect Seat Height

Firstly, let’s explain just exactly what an inseam height is.

Your inseam is the distance between your crotch to the bottom of your foot (or the ground). For a more detailed description and a step-by-step guide on how to measure your child’s inseam, head over to our post Balance bike set-up guide.

In that article, you will find everything you will need to know about finding your child’s inseam, finding the perfect seat height, and how to make the correct adjustments to your bike.

Once you have successfully measured your child’s inseam (nicely done by the way), their perfect seat height will be 1″ to 1.5″ less than their inseam.

For example, if your little rider’s inseam is 13″, their perfect seat height will be 11.5″ to 12″. To visually check this is the right height, in this position, your child should have their feet flat on the ground when seated on the bike.

Perfect!

Another important aspect of obtaining this valuable piece of information is using this to determine which balance bike will be suited for your child.

Ultimately, a riders inseam determines which balance bike is suited to your child. Period.

To do this, your child’s inseam must fall within the seat height range of the balance bike and preferably, toward the lower end of the range, so they have room to grow.

Coming up in our next section, we will explain exactly what a balance bike seat height range is, and how to use this and your child’s inseam to find the perfect fitting balance bike for your child.

Balance Bike Seat Height Range

We just mentioned the importance of that key piece of information, your child’s inseam when determining which balance bike may be the right match for your child. The final piece in the puzzle for parents to know is the balance bikes seat height range.

But what exactly is the seat height range?

Quite simply, the seat height range is the distance between the lowest seat height and the highest seat height available on the balance bike (see image).

An important point is worth mentioning here. There is no consistent seat height range across the balance bike world. These vary considerably from bike to bike. Therefore, some balance bikes will ultimately suit your child, others won’t.

Let’s take a look at another simple example to help you use this information in the real world, that is, when you are wanting to go balance bike shopping of course 🙂

Example Little Rider’s Inseam: 14.5″

Optimal Seat Height: 14.5″ – 1″ = 13.5″

Little Rider’s Age: 3.5 years

Little Rider’s **Weight: 14kgs, therefore balance bike should weigh no more than 4.2kgs

** Note: a balance bike should weigh no more that 30% of the rider’s overall weight (14 multiplied by 0.3 = 4.2kgs)

Ok, looking at the above information, we now know our riders optimal seat height range is 13.5″. Perfect.

Below is a table that provides you with all the good stuff, that is, the key information that will allow you to see which bike is suited for our example rider and those that are not.

Balance Bike	Seat-Ht Range	Age-Range	Weight	Suitable Bike Yes / No
Strider 12 Sport	11 – 19”	18 mth – 5yrs	3kgs	Yes
Cruzee	11 – 19”	18 mth – 5yrs	1.9kgs	Yes
Chillafish	11 – 14”	18 mth – 4yrs	2.5kgs	Yes (barely)
Strider 14X	15 – 22”	3 – 7 years	5.7kgs	No
Banana GT	12.5 – 17.5”	2 – 4 years	3.7kgs	Yes
Kriddo	11 – 17”	18 mth – 5yrs	3.6kgs	Yes
GOMO	12 – 17.5”	18 mth – 5yrs	3.2kgs	Yes
Bixe 16	18.5 – 20”	5 – 9 years	6.8kgs	No
Zoomy	13 – 17”	18 mth – 4yrs	2 kgs	Yes
Lava Sport	12.2-16.1”	2-5 years	2.9kgs	Yes

You can hopefully see from the above table that for a rider whose age is 3.5 years, weight 14kgs, inseam 14″ and therefore optimal seat height of 13″, that there are potentially several options that will be suited.

Just as importantly, we can clearly see those which are not suited.

Notice the Chillafish balance bike data in the table? This bike has a seat height range of 11″ to 14″. Our sample riders optimal seat height is 13.5″. This bike would only allow for 0.5″ of growth and may be outgrown by our sample rider in a very short period.

Therefore, we recommend purchasing a balance bike where your child’s optimal seat height fits within the lower end of the seat height range, to ensure greater longevity or more to the point, better bang-for-your-buck with your purchase.

Overall ilovetoridemybike.com Conclusion

If you have read this far into our post, we thank you and applaud your due diligence. Plus, we hope you enjoyed your coffee!

Yes, really!

You have taken the time to make a conscious effort to learn more about the wonderful world of kids balance bikes and potentially invest in an amazing developmental powerhouse of a toy that we know will not only put a smile and your child’s dial, but hopefully sow the seeds for a lifelong love affair with riding a bike.

A quick review at what you have just learnt today. We have covered the following;

• An overview of kids balance bikes
• Walking? Then why your child is ready to ride a balance bike
• Balance bike age ranges
• What a riders inseam height and perfect seat height is and how to use this, and
• What a balance bike seat height range is and how to take this balance bike shopping

We hope that you found are post helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please leave these below, we are here to help.

If you would like to learn more about some balance bike options presented in the above table, you can click on their individual links. We have also completed comprehensive reviews for some of these products (among others). Some of which you can check out below.

Click to see our comprehensive reviews for the Cruzee Ultralight, Banana GT, FirstBike Cross and the GOMO. We are sure you will find these helpful.

Happy riding!