First Wheels

A few months ago, in the middle of spring, I began the hunt for Maddie’s next bike.

Naturally, I took to Instagram, where so many of you responded with such great recommendations: for balance bikes, training wheels, and local bike shops, that made my search that much easier.

After a little research online, and a trip to the local bike shop, we decided on this Specialized bike with training wheels {and streamers and basket and bell} from Greenwich Bicycles.

It’s a great, sturdy bike and Maddie learned how to ride on it pretty quickly. We used it in conjugation with this Balance Buddy, and it was a total game changer.

Then, for her birthday a few weeks back, Maddie’s Nana gifted her this {much more aesthetically pleasing} Linus x Jenni Kayne bike. We buckled on her Nantucket Basket and she’s been riding it ever since.

I would recommend both options- the Linus, of course, being the more neutral and prettier of the two, so it would have to be my “pick.” But if your kid is more into pink, the Specialized would be your girl.

Here are a few more tips on picking a bike:

Reader-Recommended Bikes

Strider

Banwood

Woom

Radio Flyer

Linus

What the experts said

There was such an overwhelming response recommending a balance bike that I was sure I would be buying one for Maddie a few months ago. So many readers raved about them; and there are so many beautiful options out there- this one from Banwood would have been my pick.

That said, once I chatted with our local bike shop, I was persuaded to buy a regular bike with training wheels for our then three year-old. According to our local Greenwich Bicycles: Yes, balance bikes are the way to go, up until a certain age. But if your child is older than 2.5/3, then a bike with training wheels is the better investment.

Our Pick

Linus x Jenni Kayne + Nutcase Helmut

Specialized from Greenwich Bikes

Local Bike Shops

Whether you want to order online or pick up locally, I would still recommend bringing your child in to a local bike shop to assess what’s best for your kiddo based on their size, skill, and age.

Here are a list of recommended local bike shops:

Daves Cycle

Greenwich Bicycles

Pacific Cycling & Triathlon