Be Excellent To Each Other

Any balance bike will do. What i did with MiniKov was just take pedals off his bike.

I like this idea. Good man.

Bike seat: I have a Hamax Kiss and still take my daughter out on it. She's 5 in a couple of weeks.

Balance bike: don't get one of these. Mini Fop found it much too heavy to get on with.

I considered a balance bike but then realised that Randall is lazy so I would have to push her everywhere on it, and it's only work going downhill sio balls to that.

Same experience for me. Nothing more frustrating than shuffling down the street, stooping over a bored child so you can push them on their balance bike while they paddle like a half-drowned dog in a pond.

If you want to go the other way, away from safety etc, come to Whitstable for lessons in how to take your little girl to school as she stands on the handlebars of your bike. Bloke here does it regularly - kind of amazing; her balance, his ability to hold on and the sheer insanity of the thing.

I took Minikov to a tennis court at the park. he whizzed round

When bored, we left

Dempsey sat on a paw patrol bike in Halfords and it fitted but she wasn't strong enough to turn pedals. She then detonated when we had to leave as I had ignored her advice of "Let's buy it!".

Pick it up today! Woowoo

This is what I was planning to get for him

http://www.tesco.com/direct/zycomotion- ... d=497-2811

It looks good and its one of the more expensive ones so thinking (maybe naively) that it will stand the knocks my son will give it.

Agree with the point that he might get board but hoping I can build some interest over Christmas as my Dad is coming over and he does anything granddad tells him

Bike is part of a general plan to get him doing a bit more including swimming, he loves water but gets pissed off when he can't move himself around.

Not sure if he is like other kids with his wiliness to get out and do things, but he can be really lazy with walking wanting me to carry him all the time.

I don't think it matters with a balance bike on the cost, very few moving parts.

Don't forget kids have much smaller legs and have to take more steps to cover the same distance as you, so get tired much quicker than adults.

Apologies if this sounds obvious/granny sucking eggs type thing, but I've seen parents try to transition from pushchairs on e.g. the school run and will literally go from child sitting one day to walking the next and then get cross at the kid because they can't walk to and from the school without wanting to be picked up.

Balance bikes are awesome. I'm sure they helped my kids make a quicker transition from having having stabilisers on pushbikes to going without them.

I find with my son that if we meet my brother somewhere for a walk then he will happily walk for miles, if I take him to the park around the corner then he wants to be carried.

Also when we go to the supermarket I will park as far away as possible as its just habit now to get steps done, so he wants me to carry him until we get to the doors then he wriggles until I put him down and is off to the toy section bugging me to get him Thomas trains!

On the topic of swimming lessons we had a call back from somebody who does 1-1 at the local pool £20 for 30 mins

I have a mate who's boy is around the same age as mine, he said you should not put stabilisers on the bike when they move from a balance bike?

Also my brothers son is getting swimming lessons and he has been told no arm bands when he takes his son outside of the lessons, he gives him a blow up ring instead.

Still some way to go for both for my son!

I chuck Tubbs into a rubber ring and she'll bob abut a bit and do some kicking to swim a length or to eventually, then she just wants to jump in a lot. I think MrsA wil take Withnail and I to some place for swimmng lessons (£20 an hour)because I dunno how to properly do it, i just go as it is realtivly quiet for an hour or so.

We can't use this swimming instructor as she only teaches when he is in nursery, so plan is to call another pool close by. No way I'm going to teach him as he will just want to piss around with me, but he will do what another adult tells him as long as I'm sat in the viewing area. He goes to a gym type class on a Thursday and parents have to sit in a viewing area, he always does as he is told in this class.

yes I pay £30 for 45mins for 1 2 1 for me

They weren't on for long, just long enough for them to get used to the whole peddling thing. If I remember correctly both my kids learnt how to ride without stabilisers at 4 years old.

Just tell him it'll turn you purple.

For balance bike to pedals transition I recommend a bikybiky vest (on phone, you'll have to google it). About 4 hours with this and you can eBay it in my experience. It's good for getting them used to balance bikes too.

Good for getting them used to the idea of being taken by eagles too.

Important, that.

Number 6 if you don't include the tandem

I like that.

It looks quite smart. Once I strip the reflectors off and stick SPDs on it, it'll be better. It's 140mm travel, apparently.

Look at that saddle, be like sitting on a razor blade.

Shape of saddle makes them comfy, not padding.

Classic.

I were right about that saddle though.