We were going to get Natalie a trike for her 3rd birthday. Shopping tonight for one and NONE to be found in my city! Only small ones for 3yrs. and under, and she's kind of tall anyway. We were about to head home and order one online when we saw a 12" bike with training wheels. It's way cute compared to the 12" Radio Flyer we would have gotten online. I feel completely ignorant about trikes and bikes though. I'm thinking the bike is longer and probably a little less stable, but otherwise what is really the difference? The trike won't last as long. This has an adjustable seat. Not really sure what the 12" applies to.

Did you do trikes and then bikes? Is there some major difference I'm missing and a real reason why this one wouldn't work? It looks like it should be fine for her, or if not, very close. It's Disney Princess...her favorite. What did your kids have? Suggestions or thoughts about why this is okay or not?

By Ginny~moderator on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 07:36 am:

OK, here's a link with a good description of how kids' bikes are measured (wheel size), and what to look for: ConsumerSearch If you click the link at the top to the fast answers section you'll get reviews/descriptions of various bikes and where to buy them on-line, including the top-rated tricycle.

That said, if it were me, I'd go for the trike first. I think with a 3 year old, getting the coordination of pedaling and turning the steering wheel is hard enough to learn without struggling with balance. With every 2-wheeler with training wheels I've seen, if one of the training wheels is actually touching the ground (when going slow enough so that the bike doesn't stay upright, or sometimes when turning) the bike is leaning in that direction. Good, because it keeps the bike from tipping over with the child on it; bad, because for a new rider like Natalie, she is having to learn balance and keeping the bike going fast enough so that the training wheels don't come into play while she is learning the pedaling and steering reflexes.

Remember, whether you get a trike or a bike, you must also get a properly fitting helmet. The right fit is very important, because if the helmet doesn't fit properly it won't do its job. Kids fall with and off of bikes/trikes - fact of life. Best to be safe.

By Ginny~moderator on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 07:39 am:

I just found a great link from the International Bicycle Fund that you should read: IBF

It includes links to articles about helmets and how to teach your child how to ride a bike.

More thoughts - I would stay away from bikes with hand brakes for a child Natalie's age who is just learning how to ride. It's just another learning factor and may be too much to learn.

The article suggests checking out the Consumer Product Safety Commission to see which bikes are down-rated. Here's a link to the CPSC's bicycle recall listing: CPSC

By Tripletmom on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 08:05 am:

Katie got her 1st bike at 3.She also got the Disney Princess one.With the added fringe and basket As mentioned above we had to adjust the training wheels so they both would be ground level.She used that one for a couple of years.She is a very tall girl for her age so the bike was more realistic.At 3yrs she was never left alone with her bike and it didn't take her long to co-ordinate the pedalling and steering.Have fun,she'll never want to come in the house now.Katie slept with her knee and elbow pads the 1st night she got them...they were princess too

By Amecmom on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 08:24 am:

From experience, I'd go a with a 12" or other appropriate bicycle with training wheels rather than a trike. The center of gravity is different on a trike and much more difficult to ride. I had a beautiful trike for my son, which he could not ride. We got him a bike which he had no trouble with.
Good luck.
Ame

By Reds9298 on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 08:54 am:

Yep Tripletmom...the fringe and a little clear zippered Princess pouch with a matching water bottle. She already had a helmet for our bike trailer, but it's not Princess and of course we have to match. We need to get the knee and elbow pads online. We also got a Princess bike horn - too cute.

Thank you for the info Ginny and for your experiences Triplet and Ame. That helps alot that we made the right decision!

Others are welcome to chime in!

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 09:26 am:

12" refers to the height of the wheels. A little guy in my neighborhood had no trouble last year, zooming around the neighborhood on a 12" bike with training wheels. He is 4 this year and has a 16" bike now and already knows how to ride without training wheels. He has an older sister to keep up with! LOL! Ditto on the helmet. My kids have always worn helmets, even when they were strapped into the bike cart, as toddlers. The kids in my neighborhood don't wear helmets, it just occurred to me.

By Kaye on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 09:59 am:

From my experience trikes are much more likely to fall over than a bike.

Also I just have to add that I laughed when I read about elbow pads and knee pads for bike riding

I would go with the little bike. There are a lot of children here who learn to ride training wheel free by age 4, just because we spend a lot of time outside.

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 11:38 am:

My kids were 8 and 6, before they were training wheel-free, but that's because Sarah was a chicken! She could balance the bike just fine, even at 6, but was terrified of me letting go. She taught herself, when she was 8, with the pedals off the bike and just pushing with her feet. Emily learned, at 6, just 2 weeks later!

By Joyel on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 03:55 pm:

Just something to think about that I didn't when I bought our son's first bike is the weight of it. We got him a cute radio flyer old timey looking, and it is super heavy to carry, which is something you may end up doing. ;)

By Ginny~moderator on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 08:59 pm:

You can laugh at knee pads and elbow pads, Kaye, but my oldest son, who rides his bike a whole lot, hit the same elbow on a passing car (passing much too close) twice, and the second time he had to have several stitches, some of which tore open because it was his elbow. He wears elbow pads now. Just think of a fall, with bare arms and knees, and think about the parts that get hurt the worst.

By Reds9298 on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 09:29 pm:

Thank you everyone!

DH and I never wore a helmet or pads once growing up, but ditto Ginny, we talked today about how we also have the scars on our legs to prove it. The few scars I have on my legs are from bike falls.
As far as the helmet goes, it doesn't make me laugh at all. I've had too many special education classes (where I was the student) where the topic was cases of normal children who experience head trauma from falling off of a bike onto pavement. It's so not worth the risk. To me, heart and head are our 2 most important parts and it's as simple as strapping on a helmet. It may never be needed, but it won't hurt a thing to have one on and can only help. I COULD see going without the pads, but not the helmet.

I saw a home video of myself recently riding without my training wheels at 4. CRAZY! Natalie would never do that (at least I don't think). I think she would have to be really motivated and I'm not sure when that will happen. I was surprised that I started riding that early.

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 09:37 pm:

Yeap, I hit my head, falling with my bike, when I was 15. No helmet. I saw stars!

Earlier in my life, I fell going down a hill and scraped my R elbow all to heck! Don't wear elbow pads, but I DO wear a helmet now!