Why the balance-to-pedal transition matters
If your child loves their balance bike, you’ve already done the hardest part of teaching them to ride: they can glide, steer, and catch themselves without needing you to hold the saddle every few metres.
The next question is when to move on to a “proper” pedal bike.
Done well, that transition is usually surprisingly quick – often a few minutes of trial and error rather than weeks of tears and training wheels. Done too early, it can turn a confident little rider into a frustrated one who suddenly isn’t sure they like bikes at all.
This guide walks through:
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clear signs your child is ready
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when it’s better to wait
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what to look for in a first pedal bike
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what those first few weeks on pedals really look like
Why balance bikes are such a good launchpad
A good balance bike quietly teaches an entire toolkit of bike skills without your child thinking of it as “practice” at all, and usually without the parent needing to actively 'teach'. They learn to:
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push off and glide with feet up
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steer into a wobble instead of tipping over
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shift their weight going up and down small hills
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choose a line around puddles, and obsticals
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turning without "jack-knifing"
- learn to use a hand brake (on balance bikes with hand brakes)
All of that happens before they ever see a pedal. That’s why so many kids who start on balance bikes can skip training wheels completely.
The key isn’t forcing the next step; it’s noticing when the balance bike has done its job.
Three green lights: signs your child is ready for pedals
There’s no magic age, but there are clear signs. In practice, the smoothest transitions usually happen when all three of these are true.
1. They’re genuinely confident on their balance bike
We’re talking more than just rolling down the driveway.
Look for things like:
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They can glide with both feet up for several seconds.
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They ride happily on different surfaces – smooth paths, gentle grass, small ramps.
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They can weave around cones, posts or siblings without panic.
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They are riding for long periods and distances.
You’ll often see them:
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riding up and down small ramps or kerbs
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tackling little hills by leaning forwards on the way up and back on the way down
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making tighter turns without “jack-knifing” the front wheel
All of this says: their balance is automatic now. When balancing no longer takes much conscious effort, their brain is free to add the new skill of pedalling.
2. They have enough coordination skills
Pedalling while steering and balancing is a bit of a juggling act. Some three-year-olds manage it easily; others need more time, even if they’re brilliant on a balance bike.
Every child’s development is different, but useful clues include:
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Can they catch or kick a soft ball with a bit of accuracy?
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Can they step over low obstacles without tripping all the time?
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Do they manage everyday two-step tasks – like putting on shoes and zips – without getting completely tangled?
If they’re wobbly in these areas, they might still struggle to coordinate circular pedalling, steering and balance at once. That’s fine. Let them rack up more hours on the balance bike and revisit the idea in a few months.
One of the nicest things about this stage is that there’s no rush. While you’re waiting, you can still enjoy family rides together with your child gliding happily along on their balance bike.
3. They want a pedal bike
Motivation is a huge ingredient. Signs they’re mentally ready include:
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They point out siblings’ or friends’ pedal bikes.
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They ask for pedals, “big kid” bikes or to ride like you.
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They’re experimenting with their feet on the frame or trying to rest them up while gliding.
On the flip side, if your child absolutely adores their balance bike and shows zero interest in pedals yet, that’s usually a sign to wait. Young kids get only a few short years to enjoy the freedom of a balance bike – there’s no prize for rushing them off it.
When holding off on getting a pedal bike is a better option
Parents often feel pressure to “move on” for reasons that don’t actually help the child. While more advanced riding skills can be learned on a pedal bike, its often safer for them to progress their skills on a balance bike where the injury risk is lower.
Here are three common reasons parents often feel they should get their child onto a pedal bike– and why it’s usually better to hold off.
1. “I want them riding a pedal bike by age X”
There are no prizes for kids riding by a certain age. What does matter is whether they associate bikes with fun and freedom, or with stress and feeling pushed before they were ready.
If the main driver is that a cousin learned at three, or a neighbour’s child has already ditched training wheels, it’s worth taking a breath. Pushing a nervous child onto pedals too soon can create anxiety around riding that takes a long time to undo and breaks the happy association they've built with riding their balance bike.
2. “We need them to keep up on family rides”
While confident little riders can happily cover a couple of kilometres at a steady pace on their balance bike, pedal bikes are faster on flat, open paths.
If speed really is the issue, consider work-arounds that don’t involve rushing the transition:
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bring a trailer or cargo bike so you can pop child and bike in when they’re tired
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choose loop routes around playgrounds so short legs can rest while older riders do extra laps
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keep some rides deliberately “kid-paced” rather than trying to replicate your usual training loop
Once your child does move to pedals, a genuinely lightweight bike makes it far easier for them to keep up – especially on hills.
3. “They’ve outgrown the balance bike – it looks tiny!”
Yes, there comes a point where the frame is clearly too small. Knees are bent, there’s not much seatpost left, and the bike looks more like a circus prop.
Even then, most kids can carry on happily for a while. Because there are no pedals in the way, their knees stay lower and they can still manoeuvre surprisingly well on a slightly undersized balance bike.
If they don’t tick the earlier “ready” boxes yet, you still have a few options:
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move up to a larger pedal bike like a base 16, but keep the pedals off so it can be used as a balance bike.
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move up to a larger, dedicated balance bike.
Choosing a first pedal bike that actually helps
When your child is ready, the bike you choose can either make life easier… or undo half the progress they’ve already made.
Here’s what really matters.
1. Fit and confidence: feet down, easy reach
Start with your child’s inside leg measurement (inseam). On their first pedal bike, most new riders feel most secure if:
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they can sit on the saddle with their heels firmly on the ground.
- they can reach the handlebars with a relaxed bend in the elbows, not stretched out or cramped up against their chest
2. Weight: lighter really is easier
This is the big one that catches many families out.
A lot of 14–16″ kids’ bikes in mainstream shops weigh 9–10 kg. For a 20 kg child, that’s close to half their body weight. Imagine an 80 kg adult riding a 40 kg bike – just getting moving would feel like hard work.
Several kids’ bike specialists recommend aiming for a bike that’s roughly 30–40% or less of your child’s body weight, especially for those first pedal years. The lighter the bike, the easier it is to:
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start from a standstill
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push up small hills
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lift the front wheel slightly to roll off kerbs
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catch themselves if they wobble
It also makes your life easier when you’re lifting it into the car or up the front steps.
While it can be tempting to opt for a cheaper bike because they may grow out of it fairly quickly, choosing a cheaper, heavier bike with poor quality components can result in the bike simply gathering dust and the child's interest in riding evaporating.
This focus on low weight is one of the reasons we built base bikes the way we did: aluminium frames, carefully chosen components, and kid-specific wheels that keep the overall weight down without compromising on strength.
3. Brakes they can actually use
If your child has learned to balance and steer on a balance bike, they’re used to stopping with their feet or, on a balance bike equipped with a rear hand brake like the base balance, they are already learning braking with their hands. Moving them onto a pedal bike with a coaster brake (back-pedal brake) suddenly changes the rules: when they try to adjust their foot position, the bike can slam to a halt. You can read more about our concerns with back pedal brake here.
For many kids, it’s far easier – and safer – to learn on a bike with:
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two hand brakes (front and rear)
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short-reach brake levers designed for small hands
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no coaster brake at all
That way you can teach proper braking technique from day one: gentle both-hands braking, rather than stamping backwards on the pedals. Better yet, be sure to get a balance bike with a rear hand brake so, by the time they have transitioned to a pedal bike, they are already using the rear hand brake like a pro.
4. Geometry that feels “planted”, not twitchy
You don’t need to be a bike nerd to feel the difference between a twitchy bike and a calm, confidence-inspiring one.
Kid-centric geometry usually means:
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a slightly longer wheelbase for stability
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a low centre of gravity so the bike feels “planted” rather than tippy
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cranks and pedal spacing sized for shorter legs
The result is a bike that lets kids sit in a strong, relaxed position and focus on the new skill of pedaling, not fighting the bike’s handling.
What to expect in the first few weeks on pedals
Even when the timing and the bike are spot on, the first rides on a pedal bike can look surprisingly… tame. Don't be surprised if your child still prefers their balance bike.
They might seem less skilled at first
On their balance bike, your child might have been:
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bombing down little dirt hills
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weaving through cones
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rolling off kerbs with a grin
On a new pedal bike, most kids instinctively tone it down for a while. Balancing and steering is second nature, but adding circular pedaling takes attention. It’s totally normal if they:
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avoid ramps and obstacles they tackled before
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ride more slowly and cautiously
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put their feet down a lot
So it might actually seem like they are regressing...
Give it a few weeks. As pedaling becomes automatic, the “old” tricks come back – now on a bike that can take them further and faster.
Keep the balance bike around (for now)
Don’t rush to sell or donate the balance bike the moment they manage a few pedal strokes.
Keep the balance bike around for at least the first couple of months.
A simple practice recipe to help the transition
You don’t need a rigid training plan, but this sequence works well for many families:
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Start on a gentle, traffic-free path. Grass that’s short and firm or a wide, smooth path in a quiet park is ideal.
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Practice gliding on the pedal bike. Keep the pedals off initially, and encourage them to push off, get both feet off the ground and glide, just like their balance bike days.
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Add back in the pedals. When they’re comfortable gliding, pop the pedals back on.
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Keep sessions short and happy. Ten minutes of success beats an hour of frustration every time. End on a win, even if that win is “you balanced for three seconds by yourself!”
Bringing it all together
If your child:
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is truly confident and adventurous on their balance bike
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has enough coordination to stack more than one physical skill at once
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and is starting to ask – or at least show curiosity – about pedals
…then you’re probably very close to a smooth, low-drama transition.
From there, your biggest levers are:
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choosing a first pedal bike that fits, is genuinely lightweight and has child-friendly brakes and geometry
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keeping expectations realistic in those first few weeks
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letting them dip back into balance-bike fun when they want to
Whether you end up with one of our base bikes or another brand, we’d love more families to experience that moment when a child suddenly realises, “I’m doing it myself!” – and you find yourself jogging along behind, grinning just as hard as they are.