SchwinnBalance Bike, 12 Inch Bike for Kids Ages 2-4, Durable Steel Frame, Padded Seat, Cushioned Grips, Adjustable Seat Grows with Your Child, No Training Wheels Needed, Training Bicycle for Kids

My 4 year old daughter rode a bike with training wheels for over a year. Last year I convinced her to ride this bike that I had bought for my 2 year old son. Note, he wasn't big enough for it but I had it ready to go for when he would be big enough.After about 5 minutes of practice on the balance bike I saw she was figuring it out and I knew I was onto something. While she was practicing on the balance bike, I didn't let her back on the bike with training wheels. In fact, I took off the training wheels on her bike. By the way, little girls aren't a fan of that move. But I stood my ground. Anyway, I gave her bike back with no training wheels once balance was totally mastered. When I say mastered, I'm talking turns with feet up, hills (up and down) and stop and starts. Total time to master balance was maybe 30 minutes. When she got back on her bike without training wheels I had to teach her how to start and then essentially how pedal again. While teaching pedaling again wasn't that bad, this bike was still a game changer.I figured I would teach my 2 year old son on this balance bike first and NOT let him have a bike with training wheels....ever. I wanted to see if it was easier to go balance bike straight to no training wheeled bike. Once he was tall enough to get on this bike, it only took maybe 5 minutes and he had balance down. And another 30 minutes mastering turns, hills, bumps, etc. This mimicked my daughter.He has been cruising on it for a year because he's wasn't tall enough for a 14" pedal bike. (Since this is a 12" I figure 14" would be a good next step). I say cruising I mean he rides the neighborhood with us for up to three mile rides. Loves it and begs to go on rides or ride around our driveway. I wouldn't be surprised if he put on 100 miles.He's finally tall enough for a 14" pedal bike so I bought a bike with training wheels today. BUT I **never** put the training wheels on. I repeat, I did not allow him to ride the new bike with training wheels installed. While I was tempted I was convinced I didn't need them. He got on the pedal bike for the first time today. I had to teach him pedaling and how to start. He had the balance already so this was a breeze. This took maybe a minute of learning.Verdict: balance bikes are the best way to teach kids how to ride a bike. You can do it after they've been on training wheels or it's even easier to get them rolling on this first and never use training wheels on their first pedal bike. It's incredibly easy. Did I mention that even after getting pedal bikes they still enjoy this bike? You should buy it. Teach them balance. Throw out the training wheels.

My husband and I can't be happier with this balance bike. My son (5-year old) was able to ride a regular bike independently just a few days after using this balance bike. It's like magic, but I think the theory behind it is that kids need to learn how to balance themselves before being able to ride a bike alone. Let me briefly share our story:My son had been reluctant to let us take down the training wheels from his regular bike. We tried very hard to help him learn how to ride a bike, usually by holding the handle and/or seat while he paddled, but he totally relied on us to keep the bike balanced and we got so exhausted. He didn't enjoy the practice either and just wanted the training wheels back. It seemed that the regular bike, a gift from our friends, was just too large for him and he had no idea how to control it. We eventually decided to get a balance bike, as many sources advised us to. It was one of our best investments. Our son felt very relaxed playing with the balance bike because it was so much shorter and lighter for him, and he could make a stop easily as he wished. He liked to show us how long he could stay on the bike without touching the ground (and enjoyed breaking his records). I could see that he was quickly learning how to balance himself in order to stay longer. He played with the balance bike for just a few days (each time about 15 minutes), sometimes followed by some practice with the regular bike. The difference was obvious; he was able to control the balance better. We gradually loosened our hold of the seat and eventually let go of the bike (while running closely aside)---that's such an unforgettable moment, our son was riding a bike alone, finally! We were all so excited about the accomplishment.I definitely would recommend getting a balance bike for small children. Now we totally believe that it's a justifiable investment. Your kid may feel bored with it initially (my son tried at 3 and didn't show any interest, that's why we didn't get one), but the key is to have them get comfortable with handling a bike alone. Training wheels really can't help them learn balancing. Many of us probably never used a balance bike in our childhood, but we probably also rode a bike independently much later, not like 4 or 5 these days. And balance bikes, especially with renown brand names like Schwinn, have great resale values, so we can always get a bit back when the transition is over.Anyway, we are very happy with our purchase and would recommend this balance bike.

I’ve had Amazon prime for over a decade and this genuinely may be my favorite, most used purchase ever. I got this NINE years ago formy oldest child. It seemed like a helpful, quality Christmas present to help her learn how to ride a bike. I was not wrong! Once this bike helped her get the balance part of riding a bike down pat, it took her virtually no time to get used to pedals as well and be able to ride a normal bicycle.We kept it around and when our second child was old enough, he had the same experience! And a couple years later, our third used the same balance bike the same way! Our youngest used it on-and-off last summer (when he turned three), particularly on grassy paths walking our dog. Sadly, it finally gave up the ghost this fall. And that was after YEARS of frequent use and forgetting to protect it from the elements—getting exposure to rain, even occasionally snow.This balance bike is fantastic. I can be cheap and I know there are cheaper ones out there, but I doubt they can compare. If you have more than one kid, I highly recommend!