Choosing the Most Suitable Scooter, Running Bike Or Children Bicycle For Kids
| Dan Pilát, Jitka SlavíčkováDo you have a child that's two or more years old and are you looking for an appropriate vehicle for them? Maybe you don't know how to choose one, or maybe you already bought a children's bike, but they aren't having fun on it. We are often faced with such questions, so we're here to offer some tips and advice based on our experience.
Age Is The Deciding Factor
Avoid the common mistake of giving your child a vehicle that they haven't grown into yet.
Age affects a child's strength and abilities most of all. Small riders don't have enough strength yet, and a children's bike is usually too heavy for them. That's why riding one of them usually isn't fun and becomes frustrating both for them and the parents. So what do we recommend?
A Running Bike, Or A "Bike"
For The Smallest Racers (Age 2 - 5)
The best choice for this age is a running bike (a bike without pedals). It's a pretty new product, so most of us have only been introduced to it recently. It often happens that with good intentions, parents or grandparents buy a child a bike too early, and are then disappointed with their reaction. A running bike is a great vehicle, and some of its great characteristics are:
Light Weight
The total weight of 3 - 4 kg (less than half of the weight of a children bike) corresponds with the abilities and strength of a child, and it is easy to carry for moms, when the child is tired of riding.
A running bike naturally teaches a child to gain balance, making it ideal preparation for riding a bike.
Training The Balance
A running bike teaches a child balance easily and quickly. A child then begins riding a bike without problems, and without much need for help from its parents.
Adjustable Seat Height
A running bike grows along with the child. A child is able to use it for a long time, which saves you money.
Safety
When choosing a product, take into mind the overall quality, manufacturing details and trustworthiness of the manufacturer. Good quality brakes (on the back wheel) as well as the contact between the handlebars and the front wheel add to the safety.
More: Running Bikes: Too Too, Fifty 50, Čtyřlístek
Preschoolers And School Children (Age 4 - 12)
From a running bike, you can easily make the transition directly to a bike, even one with larger 16" tyres. Another great alternative is a scooter.
Children's Bike
Weight is an important factor in deciding for a product again, following the rule "the lighter, the better." The manufacturer achieves a light weight in a bike by using appropriate aluminum frame construction and choosing the right aluminum components - handlebars, saddle, rims or brakes (plastic rims or a weak frame won't last for long - make sure you inspect the product's quality again!). You take more than 1 kg off the weight of the bike by removing the helping wheels, which the child won't need anymore thanks to the previous experience on the running bike.
The child's age, abilities and experience will allow you to plan longer trip now, too. Riding should most of all still be fun for the child, not a forced activity with a mandatory number of kilometers traveled.
More: Children's Bikes - Pidapi 16, Pidapi 12
Scooter
This is the ideal product for this age and "for fun." It's lighter and easier to operate than a children bike. The offer is huge, so once again it is important to acquaint yourself with the products to make the right decision.
The smallest and lightest are the aluminum scooters with polyuretan wheels. They are easy to carry and transport, but it's important to find the right terrain for its small wheels.
What A Good Scooter Needs:
- To be well manufactured while still light in its weight
- Good quality brakes
- Air-filled tyres
- The footstep must be the right height above the ground
The bigger scooters with inflatable tyres have better riding properties in any terrain. A good quality and well assembled scooter basically rides on its own. Important factors for choosing the right scooter are the brakes, well filled tyres and the right height of the footstep above ground (you will quickly be put off this fun activity if the tyres aren't filled properly or the footstep is too high above the ground).
When choosing a scooter, also check the width of the handlebars, and the possibility of their height adjustment. The scooter will grow with the child and a good quality one will be a faithful and reliable choice for many years.
More: Scooters For Children -Mau, Tidit, Wzoom, One 01, Two 02, Čtyřlístek Mini, Čtyřlístek Maxi
WARNING! It is important to switch both feet when on a scooter!
Big Racers (Age 13 - 99)
Riding a bike or scooter certainly doesn't end when you become a teenager – on the contrary! At this point, everyone picks their own product, and recommendations for this are a different story. We'll focus on that in one of the articles that will follow.
More: Scooters For Adults - Ox, City, Mezeq, Three 03, Four 04
We wish our riders of any age many adventures and a fun time spent on a good quality product.
