Little Tikes My First Balance 2 Pedal Balance Bike (Green)

Product Information

If your child is at an age when you would consider either of these options, consider a balance bike instead! The Alpha Zero is what every young grom’s (and let’s be honest, their parents’ as well) dreams are made of. Its step-through height of 10 inches is a bit high, and though its seat-adjustment range is a little larger than that of our top pick from Guardian, its 1. As a result, we don’t generally recommend the optional pedal kit, but do like the Strider 14x as a larger balance bike.

Made by a UK-based company, it’s a really nice bike, but it doesn’t exhibit quite the attention to detail that the Guardian Balance Bike does, despite a comparable cost. It’s also a unique longer-term solution for special needs kids who may prefer to stay on a balance bike. Once the pedals are attached, the 14x Sport has a nicely narrow Q factor (the distance between the cranks) of 5.Jenni was previously an editor on Wirecutter’s outdoors team, and she recently wrote our guides to the best jogging strollers and the best kids hiking backpacks.

The pedals simply flip into the bike's frame and there are no training wheels or excess screws to keep track of. Built for the true off-road balance bike enthusiast, the Dirt Hero balance bike (by Kids Ride Shotgun) lives up to its name and offers an exceptional ride for toddlers and preschooler riding beyond the pavement. Designed with a composite frame with smooth edges and recessed bolt pockets, there isn’t a sharp or blunt edge on this entire toddler push bike! That gets kids one step closer to riding a pedal bike on their own because they can learn to stop without dragging their feet on the ground. Less coordinated kids generally stay on a balance bike longer because it’s a simple little machine that’s easy and fun for them to maneuver.During our testing, the youngest and smallest kids in the group gravitated to this bike because of the low height. inches makes it better suited for older kids (likely ages 4 and up), and the sturdy, air-filled tires make it easy to ride on pavement, dirt, or gravel. Based on our testing, the pedal bike mode of the Strider 14x is a very temporary solution, and a child will need a true 16″ pedal bike pretty quickly. But the frame is well engineered, and the range of height adjustability for the handlebars and seat is adequate.

If you don’t have an extra battery on you, not to worry, the STACYC motor provides no resistance to the bike when turned off and it can easily be ridden as a traditional analog balance bike.

The frame is made with such thin aluminum that it felt like plastic to us, and the paint got scratched up almost immediately. Proper geometry: A balance bike should put a child in an upright to very slightly forward-leaning position. Strider also includes a terrific booklet (PDF) with the 14x Sport that not only explains the how and why behind teaching a child to go from striding to pedaling but also describes a few games that you can play to make the experience as fun and natural as, well, riding a bike.