Smart Gear Smart Balance Bike - Classic Style
Smart Gear wooden Balance bikes (often referred to as "run bikes" or "training bikes" because they are pedal free and without training wheels) help a child develop the most important skills necessary to later ride a 2 wheel bicycle with pedals: BALANCE and MOTOR SKILLS. Smart Gear Balance bikes were designed to develop a child's balance and coordination by simply allowing the child to sit and walk or run with the bike by pushing with their feet. If the bike starts to fall, kids instinctively regain their balance using their feet. Once they've gained some momentum and balance control they can lift their feet up as they feel comfortable and start cruising! It is also suitable for children who need to be encouraged with motor skill development and therapeutic training. Traditional toddler bikes with "training wheels" don't necessarily train or teach a child how to ride a bicycle. The training wheels are merely a crutch that give the child a false sense of security and merely keep the child busy or entertained rather than actually helping the child develop the necessary skills to ride a bicycle. These bikes are made of birch wood from a replenishable source, using formaldehyde-free glue and non-toxic paints and laquer. Real inflatable PAC-free rubber tires, foam handle bar grips, cushioned leatherette seat and a unique carry handle are incorporated in the bike's body.
Smart Gear Smart Balance Bike - Classic Style Features
- Unique carry handle incorporated in the bike's body
- PAC-free inflatable rubber tires, foam handle bar grips, cushioned leatherette seat
- Adjustable seat height to grow with your child
- Children learn to balance and ride while boosting their confidence, no pedals
- Eco friendly wood harvested from a replenishable source, formaldehyde free glue, non toxic paints and lacquer
$71.68
I bought my 2.5 yo daughter a smart gear balance bike 2 years ago. She really enjoys it but has not used it much since she can only take it out when the weather is good. So I was surprised when I noticed that one tire is torn apart where the tread-ed rubber tire attaches to the side wall part of the rubber tire (the air-filled tube is still intact). It is a large tear about 4 inches long. Because it has not been used heavily and because the extent of the defect is large this does not appear to be normal wear and tear. I would not expect the tire to just fall apart like this. Have many others reported this problem? I contacted the vendor but they said "sorry, we don't have replacement parts and referred me to the manufacturer. Not that helpful since the manufacturer website makes no mention of replacement parts and I am waiting for them to return my email. Just makes me wonder about the quality of the product. I would expect a little more durability even for this mid-priced product and not that it should fall apart after 2 years of light use. Otherwise, it is fun for her and she practices but has not mastered balancing and is not yet ready for a peddle bike (like I said, she has not used it that much). I just wonder if another brand would be more durable and higher quality. Maybe the lack of durability is reflected in the price of this product. -- fun, but quality?
I read as many reviews on push bikes as I could before ordering this and wanted to give a comprehensive review after having for a month. I did appreciate the comment suggesting just leaving the pedals off a standard bike until our child is ready for pedals, but I think we did well getting this for under seventy, including shipping, and we'll be able to sell it for half that, or better, after our two kids have outgrown it. I was willing to go as high as eighty for a used push bike, and was very happy to find such a deal for a new one.
We ordered this for our first child and she loves it. She is 3.75 years-old and a little tall for her age.
She was very excited to unpackage and assemble it with me, which was a snap, and she rode it on our laminate flooring that night. The design is such that when the bike is on its side, only the tires and the rubber handlebar grip touch the floor, i.e. no wooden parts or bolts ding my floor when it falls over. We haven't had any trouble with the tires not holding air.
We took it outside the next day and she just wanted to ride her trike, but by the end of the day she wanted to ride "the wooden bike" more.
We are fortunate to have a bunch of walking paths in the woods near our home and we prefer to ride there to enjoy the scenery, and so that fall are softer, but this bike does great on pavement, trails and indoors. The tires are knobby, but we'll never take it out in the mud and slicks or semi-slicks would be fine on the trails we'll be on.
The bike is quite light and she has no trouble picking it up or pushing it. However, for the first couple weeks she was slower riding her bike than when we go "walking." That isn't entirely fair of me to say because she almost never walks and usually runs circles around me. So, she is a much faster runner than rider. She has gotten faster on the bike, but will probably always be faster on foot.
When we stray far from home, I always end up carrying it a ways, and of coarse up and down any steep hills. I expected this, but thought it was worth mentioning here.
The handle cut into the frame is handy, but the position/angle of the handle is a little off such that the rear wheel hangs lower than the front and I end up carrying its weight mostly on my pinky and ring fingers. Actually, I usually carry it with my hand between the handlebar grips. This is my only complaint about the bike, and isn't a big enough deal to dock the review a star. The bike is light enough for me to carry without the handle.
We initially put it together with the seat in the lowest position and immediately saw that this was much too low. I moved it up to the second highest position and that looked pretty comfortable for her, but I was disappointed that she'd only fit it until she outgrew the next height.
She asked a couple days ago if she could have the seat lowered and now it is in the third highest position, and looks like a fair fit, and she reports that she likes it better there. Still, I think she'll be ready for a pedal bike before she would have outgrown just one more notch. I wish that for her height, the handlebars we higher, but when our second child starts riding it, I'll be glad they are as low as they are.
We've had to explain this bike to so many neighbors that she now calls it her balance bike, which is more apt.
Our daughter still over-steers, but is getting better and corrects well. She's had a few wrecks, but has walked away from all of them on her own. The lightness of the bike, and lack of protruding parts contribute to this.
We also have a tag-along bike, a single wheel on an arm that attaches to my seatpost, a seat and a pair of pedals. I think that we'll hold off on that until she is a little taller, but between the two, I think she'll be ready for a pedal bike by next summer.
We have a younger child also and fully expect the balance bike to be in great condition when he is tall enough to start riding it. It is a quality bike and will take all the riding we'll be able to give it.
One note on style, we too liked that this was mostly unbranded. It does have a small label on the front, but we planned on our daughter putting some removable vinyl stickers all over it and didn't want some character's face on the bike. We asked if she wanted to decorate it and she said she likes it just the way it is. -- All I can think to say about it.
My son just turned 2 and is very tall for his age, (95%) and his legs are not long enough for this bike even on the lowest setting. We live in hong kong where these bikes are very popular. This one is heavier and harder to ride than most of his friends bikes. Our friend's child who is 3 and also very tall for his age is just tall enough to ride this bike. The manufactures recommend age for this bike is 24months+. If you are looking for a balance bike for your toddler I would make sure you purchase a 10inch bike. Otherwise we had no problems putting this bike together, and it seems to be a sturdy bike. Would be great for a child 3-4 years and older. -- Not suitable for a 2 year old!
The bike seems durable and should be fun for my grandson. The only problem is that it is still too big for him. I thought that the adjustable seat would make it work for a 2+ year old. We are waiting for spring. -- Great Bike but Too Big
