Cycling UK Forum

out for a walk with my (nearly) two year old i realised she might be ready for her first trike.

she's a trailer and bike seat veteran and likes both. today she insisted on bringing her small wheeled wooden (indoors only) truck with her and watching her concentrate on steering it got me thinking about the next step.

what i'm thinking about is an proper outdoor tricycle, ideally with an adult handlebar at the back for those minor steering corrections. i've seen a few in the shops but they look pretty plasticky to me - toys; not bikes.

advice please. are there any good ones. what are my other options. how long 'til she grows out of this and is ready for that next step?

DS.

dunno if they do trikes but Islabikes do very good children's bikes.

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islabikes i know but we're a year or too off that. i like the look of some of the puky trikes. i'm minded to bookmark a search for that on ebay and see what turns up.

thanks for the advice.

I have had 3 children and 2 secondhand Pashley Pickle tricycles (google it) and they are wonderful (children and trikes!). My son (4 now and on his 3rd machine as well as a regular tandem stoker) started sitting on it at 2 and pedalling around the garden. At 3 we then started out on 2-4 mile rides on disused railway paths locally - with me on a larger racing tricycle - so I could nudge him up hills. The Pickle is well built, in England for a change, and it keeps it's value well. We sold our last one for the same price we paid. We did renew the mudguards and replace the brake lever from the junk box. He gained a huge amount of pleasure from it and the transition to two wheels was no problem either (secret is to take the pedals off and lower the saddle). For me, there is no other child's tricycle worthy of a moments consideration. I do prefer the older blue frame colour scheme - a little more businesslike but jaunty nonetheless.

One thing to watch if you buy second hand: the Pickle is an open frame and made of thin diameter frame tubing so it is easy to damage it by kerbing the front wheel with an older (heavier) child riding it. So, pay particular attention to the line of the downtube where it joins the headstock.

Another option is a small bike without pedals, on which you can scoot along. My son had a Like-a-Bike (expensive, but very good) and loved it. I got a good proportion of original price when I sold it after a couple of years' use. I can't recommend this type of bike enough. There are now various variants available.

I can't remember how old he was when he got it - I will ask his mum....

My 2 year old got going on the Islabikes Rothan scoot along two wheeler after about 40 mins.

You would be surprised how fast they learn!

i like the pashley trike but its too big for now. similarly, a scootbike is the way forward - but not yet.

love her to bits but she's not the most gung ho toddler in the world. i don't think she has the balance or the coordination for two wheels yet.

Mrs Blaugrana says our son got his Like-a-Bike for his 3rd birthday. I think he was younger, but I have no recall for dates etc. As hamster says, they do learn very fast.

I do remember him whizzing around on the Like-a-Bike while other kids struggled to move much heavier bikes. Whenever I see parents pushing trikes with their children on, they don't look like it's much fun ....

There's an Islabikes bike going in the for sale section if you want to lay one in for a couple of years down the line ...

http://www.steadyeddiebikes.co.uk/store/index.asp

These guys are local to me. They were demoing them at a Bike Fest we organised. The smaller kids absolutely loved them - not sure if they're suitable for your purpose though.

My daughter has a little plasticky "Fifi Flowertot" trike. She loves it and loves riding it but she insists on being pushed everywhere on it. it has a handle on the back whcih makes pushing very easy. Two points:

1. The wheels are hollow plastic and loud on gritty pavement. Bumpy too.

2. There's not enough leverage on the pedals for her to pedal herself around! And if she could, she'd only go at 1 mph because the pedal arms are so short.

She's ready for a bike with stabilisers or a big trike now she's over three.