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118 thoughts on “Contact Us”

  1. Hello Carrie,

    I’ve pored over reviews on your site but couldn’t find the answer to this question – I’m looking for the rear bike seat with the slimmest front-to-back depth on a rear luggage rack (i.e., the seat that takes up the least front-to-back space on a rear luggage rack). Have you measured front-to-back footprint of rear bike seats by any chance? It looks like the Yepp 2 Maxi, the Qibbel Air, or the Urban Iki are possible contenders (I’m in Europe), but there may be others. If you have data on this I’d greatly appreciate it. Thanks for everything you do!

    1. Natalie Martins

      Yeah, that’s a hard measurement to come by. Since the Qibbel Air and the Urban Iki aren’t sold in the US, we can’t speak to them, but we do have the Yepp 2 Maxi rack-mounted. If I measure just the amount of real estate the seat takes on the top of the rack, its about 11″ or 28cm. The field shields, however, do protrude farther up the rack along the side (closer towards the adult rider). Let me know if that measurement makes sense or if you need anything different.

  2. Hello,

    I recently bought a hoverboard from a company in Quebec, Canada and the board has only been used on pavement in our paved cul-de-sac for less than an hour (only 1 battery charge) and without any crashes as my son already knows how to use a hoverboard.

    The board has only had normal pavement use and one of the light fender covers has come off. When trying to put the cover back on I have struggled to make it stay as the tabs are too small for the unit. When I look at the other side for comparison I have noticed that it is also glued in place. The glue definitely came off this side and the clips on the cover will not stay in place. In addition, the internal speaker has also come off and is bouncing around the inside of the unit.

    Based on the description that I have provided, is this something that should be happening with my son’s board, so soon after being first used? Would I expect this to happen from most boards that are sold on the market?

    Please advise.

    Thank you.

    1. David – this should NOT be happening with ANY product so soon after purchase. Can you tell us the brand of the hoverboard? We recommend sticking to well known brands like GoTrax, Swagtron, or Jetson. The hoverboard market is saturated with no-name brands coming out of Chinese factories that make it very difficult to resolve any issues after purchase. Have you tried contacting their customer service?

  3. Hi Carrie,
    I read your review about the Allen sports delux bike trailer, and I was wondering if you knew if you can hitch this bike trailer to an E-bike, specifically a Volmark deresden e-bike. Your advice would be great! I live in Chile and would love to be able to buy this trailer for my 2yr old and myself.
    Best regards / saludos
    Fiona

    1. Fiona –

      I would first contact Volmark and ask them if they recommend using this bike with a bike trailer. If they say yes… then the next problem you’ll need to tackle is if the Allen trailer hitch coupler will fit on the rear axle of the bike. (Every brand of trailer uses a unique style of hitch coupler.)

      Rear hubs and axles of ebikes are often quite different than a traditional bike. We’ve found that sometimes a trailer hitch coupler cannot be safely attached to some ebikes. In our testing, the coupler of the Burley and Queridoo trailers were the most likely to fit, while Allen fell into a “maybe” middle category.

      If you are really set on the Allen trailer, I would recommend first purchasing the hitch coupler to see if it would fit on your rear axle. (Although I’m not sure if this is possible for you in Chile?). https://allen.bike/products/kids-trailer-bike-hitch?variant=19723855953979&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=CjwKCAjw4P6oBhBsEiwAKYVkq8GqVYlYoU7E4UHqdXy7iAtX3gFwAm4ucDXzHYes-o6vdRiuSmKL8xoCZzAQAvD_BwE#

  4. I just wanted to send a ‘Thank you’ I recently decided to start cycling again after a lengthy hiatus (6 years due to knee surgery and a lot of excuses). In that time we had two young kids. Your blog helped me settle in on both a trailer (Burley Encore X) and a 16″ bike (Guardian, whom I’d never heard of before reading). Your information helped me make, what I think are, good choices and now even my wife bought a bike and comes a long. Thank you, Carrie!

    1. Thank you for letting us know this, Dennis! We’re so glad that we could be helpful to your family! This website is a labor of love for us and messages like this make everything worth it!

  5. Have you had any problems with quick release rear axles breaking when pulling a trailer. I’ve now replaced my axle twice pulling a Qeridoo single sportex, I’m wondering as to why this keeps happening and if others have had this issue.

    1. We have pulled over 40 trailers over the years (including 3 different Qeridoo trailers), and this has never happened to us. We’d love to see a picture, and get more details about what type of riding you’re doing when this happens, and how heavy your child is?

  6. Hello, This is Abdul Kader from Bangladesh. I always read your blog, I like your writing on different topics. Scooters are my hobby too, I want to share my experience with scooters to everyone like you. I am always with you, I will be

  7. Hi My name is Nancy Gendreau. I am a volunteer for the Elks Drug Awareness Program. I am looking for bikes to be donated. Our event will be late July beginning of August. Many children don’t even have a bike and it would be great if I could get some donated so many children can have a bike. Can anybody help?

  8. Pretty sad that you had to disable the comments on the balance bike YouRube video. Seems like balance bikes are so under appreciated — even when parents have firsthand experience. I ‘accidentally’ learned to ride a bike growing up with a bike that had its pedals removed. 29-31 years later I would do the same with my sons’ bike (not long after seeing them struggle with those terrible training wheels) — and they learned balance and biking that same day. I have videos as proof but sadly — it is still hard to convince even my own family to just remove the pedals and training wheels from their kids’ bikes if they want them to learn.

    1. Balance bike really are under appreciated!! Awareness certainly is increasing, but the persisting popularity of training wheels is astounding!

      1. Carrie: I want a bike that can be used. with training wheels on front and back. I have a friend who wants a bike, that he can ride within his gated community, make new friends, and simply enjoy being outside! Needs to be stable enough so as to not easily tip over. Am wanting to make it easy mount and dismount. Any comments on how to do this, I welcome. I took a handicapped friend to a beach that offered wheelchairs- that would roll EASILY through the soft sand! It was a awesome experience for my friend!

  9. Hi! Such helpful reviews but a bit overwhelming for a 47 year old dad who sorta learned how to ride a bike! I was great on my BMX style bike but put me on a regular bike and I’m in the bushes! It’s pretty embarrassing.

    So, now I have my precious only daughter Carlie who is turning 4 on Feb 11. I have promised her a bike and read all of your reviews. She has never been on a bike (other than those little red ones they have in preschool). At this age, do I put her into a balance bike? She still toe walks a bit so we often have her in leggings for school so if she falls she has a little knee protection. How will she do biking? I have no idea. But, I’d like to get her going and have a bike I can transition her into and get some value out of – not just 6 months and have to purchase a new bike. Anyway, let me know what you think? She is 60 percentile for size for her age – she’s skinny but a bit above average for height. Trying not to screw this up! Thanks!

    1. Hi Kevin –

      How tall is she exactly? Also, is she generally coordinated and athletic, or more timid and cautious?

      Carrie

    2. Hi, I would recommend a RoyalBaby branded newly launched kids bike which designed for kids who want to learn to ride faster. The model of this bike is “RoyalBaby EZ Bike”. Kids can ride it as a balance bike, and also a padel bike, by transforming it in a second, thanks for their patented quick-release crank. Kids can master biking within a few hours riding with EZ Bike.

  10. Thank you for the amazing reviews. Super informative and helpful. I’d love to get your input on a bike for my son. He is 9 years old, but tall – 4’9″. He is a beginner mountain biker, but I like to ride aggressive trails. I feel like he is old enough that I could start introducing him to some more aggressive trails if he had the right bike. But I won’t bring him on anything too crazy. Mostly blues and some easier blacks with b-lines. I’m almost ready to pull the trigger on the D24x, but I’m worried he’ll outgrow it too quickly. I’d like to get him something a little bigger so that he has room to grow into it, but not so big that he won’t be able to handle it now, while sticking close to the same price point as the D24x (currently on sale for $1100). A lot to ask, I know.

    Any recommendations? Based on your reviews, I’m starting to think that may the Woom OffAir 6 might be a good option. Not as aggressive as I might want, but honestly it’s probably a better fit for his current skill level and where he’ll realistically be in a year or two. The Zulu 4 also looks awesome, but at 24″, it will also probably be too small a year from now. Anything else you can recommend that is a little bigger than the D24x, a little more aggressive than the OffAir 6, but still priced under $1500? Thanks

    1. Glad to help! Completely understand where you are coming from, as my 10-year-old is in the same boat. My guy will ride the woom OFF AIR 6 since we still have the demo, but it sounds like you need a more aggressive bike. Being 57″ tall, I would not get the Polygon, it’s going to be much too small too quick. A stretch price wise would be to go for the Trailcraft Timber 26 “Special Build” which is on sale for $1,699, the Spawn Yama Jama 26″ for $1,625 or the Commencal Meta HT for $1,800. The Frog 72 would be a good fit, but likely not as aggressive as you would like (or the Frog 69 if he has a shorter inseam). I also know of a 26″ kids MTB coming early next year that sounds perfect for your son, if you are willing to wait. Can’t share any details though, and the MSRP hasn’t been made available, but will likely be under $1,500.
      On the adult side, here are some interesting options to consider, but I haven’t tested any of these yet for use with a tween though.
      1. Cannondale Trail 26 – Will offer a good fit, but components aren’t ideal.
      2. Cannondale Trail SE 3 – XS frame starts at 4’6″, but out of stock online. Could maybe find one local?
      3. Liv Tempt 1 – XS starts at 4’11”, but you could likely cut the seat post to get it lower. We have the Size L of this bike and the seat post came super long with almost three inches between the saddle and the seat collar when at the minimum. The bike has been amazing for the price.
      4. Decathlon XC50 MTB – the XS frame would be ideal, but they only have the small which starts at 4’11”. Quality build for the $999 price and the frame comes with a lifetime guarantee. Here’s reddit thread about the bike.
      5. Vitus USA – These guys are just opening their US warehouse, so supply will grow week by week. We’ve tested 4 different Vitus kids models and they were all amazing for the price. Their small starts at 4’12” though.
      Hope that helps! Keep us updated as I would love to hear what you decide on.

  11. I wonder if you have any thoughts on the Early Rider Seeker 20″? From my research it is lightweight and could be a good option for a young (5yo) beginning mtn bike/adventure rider? Thanks for any thoughts!!!

    1. We have not tested this bike, but Early Rider is an exceptional brand and we’ve heard great things about their mountain bikes from other parents.

  12. I have a the Thule chariot cross double bike trailer, ride along and the yepp nexxt mini. Bike will mainly be used for street with occasional flat dirt paths. Any suggestions on a bike that I will work with all three accessories? Thank you!

      1. Thank you for the suggestion, I was considering that one based on your reviews. Do you happen to know if the ride along seat would work on either the connondale or the trek? Thank you for your help!

        1. Oh wow, this reply is so late, I apologize! The RideAlong has a larger mounting bracket, so you’ll need more space on your seat tube to mount it. If you are unsure, I can help if you send me pictures of your bikes. [email protected]

  13. Gustavo Aguirre

    Hi Carrie. Love love love your videos. Thank you so much for them. After watching your reviews on front mount child bicycle seats I’ve settled on the Thule Yepp Nexxt mini. Unfortunately the standard mounting bracket will not fit my bicycle. I would need to use the Thule A Head Adapter. Do you have an opinion and or video on it ?
    Thank you

    1. Natalie Martins

      Glad our videos are helpful :). Unfortunately, the Thule ahead adapter is only compatible with the Yepp Mini and not the Yepp Nexxt Mini. Have you tried removing the plastic inserts of the Yepp Nexxt Mini’s mountain bracket?

      1. Is it safe to use with those halfround plastic A/B inserts? My stem is slightly too wide with those in, but I’m not clear if they are needed for safety/stability or rpeventing rotation of the seat.

  14. Amazing website. Am a fan! Although I’m having some trouble choosing the right trailer with the set of requirements I have:
    – Have an eBike.
    – Will use the trailer on the weekends and will use it on a mixed city terrain (flat/hilly/pot-holes).
    – Live in a warm climate, so ventilation is a must-have.
    – Have a 4-year and 8-months old kids. The 4-year-old is 98cm and would love for her to fit for the next 2/3 years at least – so am looking for a trailer that accommodates tall kids (plus helmets).
    – Don’t care about storage space.
    – Have a 500€ budget.

    1. Ended up going for the Qeridoo SmartRex2 – So far pretty happy with it! Great attention to detail and good materials as well.

      1. Qeridoo is a great brand. They are pretty new to America, and we’re certainly glad they’re here!

  15. Hello, we’ve used your website several times already for our kids’ bike and accessory needs. Thank you for the great reviews and guidance!
    Our 6.5 year old daughter has been using a balance bike for the past two years, and is now fairly comfortable with it, has good balance, though she’s still a bit of a timid rider and in general doesn’t like going too fast, and hasn’t learned to handbrake (she uses her feet). This summer she’ll be going to a bike camp to hopefully transition to a pedal bike. They recommend coming in with a bike with training wheels so they can be removed during the camp; however they will also take kids with no training wheels at all. Considering she has only used a balance bike and never any training wheels, do you think we should just buy a regular pedal bike and not worry about the training wheels?
    Size wise, her inseam is 21” so on paper a 20” bike may be best, but considering her timid riding and (possibly) going with training wheels, we’re also considering a 16” bike. So far I’ve looked at the Pello, Guardian, Priority or Liv as our main options. Would love any suggestions about our choices 🙂 thank you!

  16. Hello we are intrigued by the Belsize brand lightweight 20 inch bike. It’s only about 15 lbs and has hand brakes and is belt driven. Any input on this brand?
    Thank you

  17. I just listened to Jonathan Bastian on NPR’s KCRW podcast called Less is more: The science and skills behind saying ‘no.’ I learned about the invention of pedal less bike with this interview with Leidy Klotz about his new book ‘ Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less. Now I will be on a quest to convince my family to use your bikes for their grandchildren.

    But first I would like to know the musical artist and/or the name of the song used in your video – What is a Balance Bike? | Pedal-less Bicycle for Toddlers & Kids. There are no credits for the video.

  18. Hey there! What an awesome site – I’m so glad to have found y’all!

    Question: is it possible to hand a handbrake to the Strider balance bike? My son is 26 months old and a total whiz on the balance bike. He just gets going so dang fast that we really want him to have a way to stop. We love the Strider and don’t want to buy him a whole new bike just yet – lots of miles yet to ride on it! Please let me know what you think and thanks a whole lot!

    1. Hey Emily! Welcome to our world! :-). So while we don’t want to say what you’re asking is impossible, it’s basically not possible if you have the Strider 12 with plastic rims. A rim brake (which is the type of hand brake any balance bike has), requires metal rims. Even then, the process would probably be more trouble (and money) than it’s worth.

      Have you looked for used balance bikes locally? Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of balance bikes with handbrakes to begin with, although we always prefer them for the exact reason you’re experiencing now. Yedoo TooToo, woom, Prevelo, FirstBike, and Pello are all brands you could look for used.

  19. I am looking for two bike recommendations.

    1. A child who has low muscle tone, 18 inch inseam, 39.5 inches tall, and will need something properly sized but light. Can walk with a balance bike. Looks like there are a view 16 inch with Seat heights low enough but not sure if she’ll be able to manage something too heavy

    2. A child who is 52.5 inches, weighs 56 lbs, and is more of a timid rider and currently using training wheels but needs a larger bike. Looks like he needs a 24 inch for his height but he isn’t confident on a bike yet. Considering maybe a woom 5 since it’d light?

    1. Katie –

      If you’re looking for lightweight, woom is absolutely the way to go. While more aggressive riders can handle a few extra pounds no problem, woom bikes are particularly helpful for timid riders.

      For your younger child, the woom 2 would be appropriate. At this time, the woom 3 would still be a little bit too tall. Especially with the low muscle tone, you don’t want to hand them a bike that is too much for them to handle. The woom 2 has a seat height range of 16 – 19″, so your child will outgrow it relatively quickly, but woom bikes have an incredible resale value.

      For your taller child, the woom 5 does sound like a great option. Since he is on training wheels now, I would keep the pedals off the bike in the beginning. Have him use the bike as a balance bike until he is confidently balancing and gliding. Then you can put the pedals on. Here’s an article about this: https://www.twowheelingtots.com/how-to-teach-a-child-to-ride-a-bike/

  20. Hi, your site is great and very detailed. I’m having a hard time deciding between the Thule Coaster XT or Burley Honey Bee or Burley Encore X… I only need the trailer for daily double stroller use and biking on regular terrain… Kids right now are 2 months and 2.5 years but hoping to get a few years use out of it! Is there one you would prefer over the other?

    1. Between those three, the Burley Encore X is the only one with bench style seats. That style is so much more comfortable for the kid passenger, and much easier for the adult to get kids loaded and unloaded. For that reason alone, I would go with the Encore.

  21. I find your bike reviews to be spot-on. I’ve raised over a dozen kiddos, some who now compete on their bikes. We’ve been through over a hundred helmets, and your reviews on those as well are great.
    We are, however, now in a new phase of life with a child of 8 with motor disabilities. I’m not finding any reviews on bikes with adaptations or for those with low muscle tone. My son’s cheap bike literally exploded this weekend, so I have been frantically attempting to find something for him. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be a much reviewed topic! And hand brakes vs coaster brakes take on a whole new debate in light of muscle tone. I would love to see more inclusive reviews. Also, Ruseen makes amazing reflective vests for riders with disabilities…and any riders!

  22. Hi, My 5.5 year old son is tall for his age (122cm) and very good at cycling (e.g. doing 40km – 50km bike rides every Saturday). I want to upgrade his 20 inch bike to get a wider gear ratio and the most sensible way to do it is to buy an Early Rider Seeker 20” or 24” bike. My trouble is I can’t try before I buy, and Early Rider say their 24” inch bikes is for 8 year old with a 24 inch inseam, but my son is younger and has only a 22 inch inseam. However, he currently rides with a seat height of 67cm which is the same as the minimum seat height on the Early Rider 24”. Do you think I should go by the seat height and get the larger bike? Thanks so much for your help.

    1. Hi William! We don’t have experience with this bike so we really can’t say. It’s possible that the minimum seat height of the Early Rider isn’t ideal for riding – we’ve experienced that with several bikes. When set to the minimum, a child can technically ride the bike, but it’s really just too much bike for a child that size to handle. Not sure if that is the case here. Have you reached out to their customer service team?

  23. Hi. I have absolutely loved your videos and reviews in trying to decide what child seat setup I should purchase for my Radmission1 mid-step. I’m in the USA, and Rad Power Bikes (as of Nov 2021) does not currently sell an OEM rear rack, and I am skeptical that a frame-mounted child seat won’t fit, so I have resorted to looking into a rear rack/rack mount child seat. Whether it be for liability purposes, or whatever other reasons, there seems to be tons of “incompatibility” with rear racks and seats. Rear racks will meet the user manual dimensions of, say, something like that Thule Yepp Nexxt Maxi, but the rear rack makers (Topeak for example) will say their products aren’t designed for child seats. That being said, I wanted to ask what kind of rear racks your tests use on the different products that you feature, and if there are any you recommend? Beyond that, a suggestion for a list or video in the future would be to discuss or showcase different aftermarket rear racks, and the different seats you’ve tested them on?

    TLDR, what aftermarket rear racks do you use on your bikes when testing different child rear rack seats? Do you use child seats on racks that may not specifically be designed to accommodate child seats? What are your thoughts?

    Thanks a ton. I’m sure your perspectives will be immensely resourceful to tons more people than me. Keep up the great work!

    1. Hi Miles! You are right that due to liability issues, most rack manufacturers won’t say that their racks are compatible with child bikes seats. Many child bike seat manufacturers won’t recommend a rack either!

      As a result, we also find it difficult to officially recommend racks for use with child bike seats. It all seems a little crazy, right?

      That said, whatever rack you choose, make sure that the weight capacity can accommodate the weight of the seat + the weight of the child.

      We use an Axiom rack that is safety rated to 110 pounds.

  24. Hi I’m the President of the Biggest Little Trail Stewardship in Reno, Nevada. In the fall of 2019 we build and the City of Reno opened Sierra Vista Park. We built 4.5 miles of Mountain Bike trails including at Strider line for Strider kids, three different levels of flow trails with features and a number of class 3 trails. The park use to be a golf course, so there’s a bunch of additional trails on the old ground asphalt cart paths. One of the cart paths was covered and compacted with DG and is 2 miles in length. Here’s the link on Trailforks for the park. https://www.trailforks.com/region/sierra-vista-park-33111/ I believe it would a great addition on your website. It’s a great family friendly bike park. Thanks

  25. I have tall four year old twins and I dropped the ball on getting balance bikes early on. One was pretty comfortable previously on a 12” bike with training wheels, and the other couldn’t really get the hang of it. Now they’re about 47” tall, 20” inseam; and because of the differences in their experiences, guardian suggested a 20” small and a 16”. I’m thinking of getting both of them 20” smalls and attempting to do the balance bike method before adding pedals. Do you have any suggestions before we make this double investment?

    I tried to leave this comment under your guardian 20” bike review but kept getting a “nonce is invalid” response. Thanks!

  26. Hi Carrie,
    I’ve seen you are still wearing your yellow woom bike helmet although it was pulled back.
    This helmet just looks so nice, comfy and has so much coverage, I’d really like to get one for me and my daugthers (age 12 and 14).
    Do you know if there will be an L size (55-60cm) when the redesigned helmets will be released? The woom homepage offers XS, S and M size only.
    If not we might look for used ones. I assume the L size is safe as you are still wearing it?

    1. Hey Jennifer! So sorry for the delay! The sizing for woom helmets will be different when they relaunch. We haven’t seen the new ones yet, but this is from their site:

      XS: 18.1-19.7 inches / 46-50 cm
      S: 19.7-20.9 inches / 50-53 cm
      M: 20.9-22.0 inches / 53-56 cm

      Have you measured your daughters’ heads? Many women have smaller heads and they may be able to fit in the Medium. We would not recommend purchasing an old used helmet as you can never be sure that it hasn’t been involved in a crash.

    2. I find your bike reviews to be spot-on. I’ve raised over a dozen kiddos, some who now compete on their bikes. We’ve been through over a hundred helmets, and your reviews on those as well are great.
      We are, however, now in a new phase of life with a child of 8 with motor disabilities. I’m not finding any reviews on bikes with adaptations or for those with low muscle tone. My son’s cheap bike literally exploded this weekend, so I have been frantically attempting to find something for him. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be a much reviewed topic! And hand brakes vs coaster brakes take on a whole new debate in light of muscle tone. I would love to see more inclusive reviews. Also, Ruseen makes amazing reflective vests for riders with disabilities…and any riders!

  27. Hi! We’ve found your site so helpful, thank you for all the tips! 🙂 We have a 2 year old daughter, but we live in the city and wouldn’t yet trust her scooting around the streets on a balance bike or scooter. We take daily walks in her stroller, but she’s totally over being confined to that. We bought a Smart Trike stroller, but haven’t been too impressed with the functionality. Do you have any recommendations of some sort of bike or scooter / stroller combo? We’re looking for something she can be more active on, but still controlled enough to be around busy streets. Thanks!

  28. My son has a Woom 3 bike and he would like to attach a wagon to it. When we search we have only found links to trailers for attaching a kid bike to an adult bike. Do you know of any attachments that would fit a kid’s bike?

    Thank you!
    Michael and Otto.

    1. Hi Michael –

      We do not know of anything like you describe. What exactly is your son trying to carry? Woom offers a cargo rack that might work for carrying some loads, but it only fits on woom 4 and above.

  29. Hello, I want to buy a bike and a chair to ride on for the age of 2 to 4 years, if you can send how can I buy the appropriate bike for the chair

  30. Good afternoon!

    My 4 year old son is currently riding a Strider 14x with pedals. He is about to turn 5 and is ready for the next size up. He is very experienced and likes to ride trails. Unfortunately, his inseam is 16.5 and I am worried the jump to a 20 inch bike would be too much. I want to get him a bike with gears, but I cannot find any 16 inch bikes with gears. Do you have any recommendations? Or do you think he could skip it and go to 20 inch wheels and just grow into it?

    Thanks for your time! Your website has been very beneficial when looking for information!

    1. Oooh, this is a tough one! There is only one 16″ bike with gears on the market… available out of Europe. Most 4 and 5 year olds don’t have the developmental capacity to handle gears. My daughter is about to turn 4 and also loves to ride trails. We just bring a tow rope for the inclines. Is that an option for you?

      The smallest 20″ trail-worthy bike with gears is going to be the Prevelo Alpha Three. https://www.twowheelingtots.com/prevelo-alpha-three-review/. However, my daughter has an 18.5″ inseam and is 42.5″ tall and I think this bike would still be a bit of a stretch for her. She currently rides several different 16″ bikes, including the Prevelo Alpha Two, Prevelo Zulu Two, and Cleary Hedgehog.

  31. Hi,
    Trying to get into cycling but it will all hinge on my ability take my one year old with me. Been reviewing different rear mounted child seats. How come there are no options in North America for a decent rain cover? Any suggestions for something with a bit of structure?

    1. Hi Angela –

      How would you feel about using a bike trailer instead? Rear mounted seats don’t have rain cover options here.

    2. Thanks tons for all your help! My grandson is able to start, stop, stand to pedal ( beginning to as a trick 😃) and loves his WOOM 2 . He is currently 2 yr 7 months and I was hoping you guys would review bikes comparing to each other . You have done some in a limited way but my thought were showing a child ride a bunny hop ( or other things kids usually try) on a WOOM or CLEARY or PREVELO or SPAWN etc. to help families choose what the next bike should be considering the type of biking they do. To be clear, I don’t mean which bike is better than the next, they are all great. I mean please help us choose by watching kids demonstrate which bike is suited to the child’s current And future biking needs. I know which bike brands are good and I understand the upright VS aggressive geometry but please show us more in-depth about which bike is suited for what activity. FROGS look great but it seems like a child that wants to jump curbs or ramps would do better on a CLEARY , PREVELO or SPAWN. PREVELO make it obvious that the ZULU line is for mountain biking so I understand that difference. Thanks again for all your research I look to your site constantly and trying to learn more and more.
      BTW- I run a preschool so my grandson has had access to WOOM 2, SPAWN YOGI 14 inch, CLEARY GECKO, and KOKUA 12 and KOKUA 14 inch jumpers for balance bike races. He has been successful on all at his young age so any families not able to get their first choice for their child these have all been fantastic bikes!

  32. Based on your reviews, I just purchased a 14″ Guardian Bike for my 3.5 year old. Before this she had been riding a cheap hand-me-down balance bike with no brakes. After a week on the Guardian without pedals and a weekend working with home built block trainers (thanks for that tip) she took off on her own. She loves riding her bike, terrorizing and entertaining the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the one thing I cannot get her to use are her hand brakes. After her time on the balance bike, she’s completely attached to the idea that you stop by dragging your feet. She knows the handbrake is there, but only squeezes it once she’s nearly stopped. The faster she goes (and she is a budding speed demon), the more hair raising this is. Do you have any tips for encouraging her to use the hand brakes before putting down her feet?
    Thanks!

    1. OH gosh, this is a very typical problem, so she is completely normal!! Honestly, we just ride (or run) behind our kids yelling at them to pull the brake lever until they figure to do it on their own. It does take some time. Until then I would keep her off of hills or intersections.

  33. I have a 2018 Kona Sutra disc break bike and just put a Thule child seat on the back. What’s the best kick stand to install to help prevent the bike from tipping over then I step off?

    1. Hey Mitch! We don’t test or review adult kick stands. You might want to take it into your local bike shop for help.

  34. Hi, I went to our local bikeshop this weekend to ask about getting a new bike + bikeseat for the baby (our baby just turned 1; I’m a dedicated bike-commuter pre-baby). The bikeshop said that as a matter of policy they only install rear seats, which came as a surprise to me because your site and lots of friends/colleagues who love their front seat. I did find your FAQ “Are front-mounted bike seats safe” but was wondering if you can point to any studies or data about the safety difference here? since it’s our first i’d be a little freaked installing something like the hamex observer safely myself…

    1. Hi Elika –

      We’ve never heard of any research that shows that rear seats are safer than front seats. In fact, I personally think it’s easier to ride with a front seat. Rear seats have a much greater effect on your balance. I’ve never had a front seat really throw my balance off, while this is a common occurrence for me when riding with a rear seat.

      Front seats are smaller than rear seats and are generally a much better fit for a one year old. You also have the advantage of having them in front of you so you can interact with them much more easily.

      If you’re not comfortable installing the seat yourself, I would find another bike shop to do it, or ask a handy friend. They come with very detailed instructions that any “handy” person could handle.

  35. Hi. I read the review for the Schwinn Elm. Do you know how the Elm differs from the similar looking schwinns sold at target, dicks, etc ( like the Hazel and the Deelite). Thanks!

  36. I purchased a used Trek Mountain Train (Tagalong). It is however missing a part. I am looking for the Trek Pedal Trailer Hitch Kit for model MT 201 Trek Mountain Train. The hitch kit part # is 87249. Please help if you can, thanks.

  37. Hello! I left this question on the guardian 20” bike review page a few days ago but have not had a response. Thought maybe this would be a good place to post the question? Any help would be awesome! My daughter will be 6 in September, is 46.5” tall and has. 19 3/4 inseam (guessing with shoes 20). She has only ridden a tricycle. I should have started sooner and now realize I may have missed out on helping her learn with a balance bike when she was younger. I did the guardian sizing tool and they advised a 20” small. What are your thoughts? Can I take the pedals off initially for a couple weeks to get the balance bike feel and then transition back to pedals? It would be great to avoid training wheels. I also don’t want her to outgrow something to quickly. Any advice or suggestions would be great! Thank you 🙂

      1. Hello, we’ve used your website several times already for our kids’ bike and accessory needs. Thank you for the great reviews and guidance!
        Our 6.5 year old daughter has been using a balance bike for the past two years, and is now fairly comfortable with it, has good balance, though she’s still a bit of a timid rider and in general doesn’t like going too fast, and hasn’t learned to handbrake (she uses her feet). This summer she’ll be going to a bike camp to hopefully transition to a pedal bike. They recommend coming in with a bike with training wheels so they can be removed during the camp; however they will also take kids with no training wheels at all. Considering she has only used a balance bike and never any training wheels, do you think we should just buy a regular pedal bike and not worry about the training wheels?
        Size wise, her inseam is 21” so on paper a 20” bike may be best, but considering her timid riding and (possibly) going with training wheels, we’re also considering a 16” bike. So far I’ve looked at the Pello, Guardian, Priority or Liv as our main options. Would love any suggestions about our choices 🙂 thank you!

  38. Your website is amazing and after looking through all the good stuff, I have information overload! (But that’s a good thing!) You have given me so many things to consider and look for while trying to find the perfect balance bike for my daughter. But does our unicorn exist…is there a balance bike for my daughter? Please help me, here’s the specs we have:
    a 22 months old girl, inseam of 13 inches, and she is very strong and not scared

    Balance bike we’d like to have:
    aluminum frame, dedicated head set, adjustable seat, adjustable handle bars, air tires, at least one hand brake, and under $100? (The Yedoo hits all our points, but is just too expensive for us.)

    If not, what would you suggest for under $100 with as many of those features as possible?
    And what do you all think of the balance bikes that are made of plastic/composite material?

    1. Hi Tamara!

      Anytime you’re looking for air tires and a handbrake, you’re looking at closer to $200. The Yedoo TooToo is the most affordable option, but they are out of stock for the foreseeable future.

      Have you tried finding something on the used market?

      Otherwise, your best bet would be FirstBike. It’s not normally on our 10 Best List, but we recently added it because so many of our top options are available. You can see it here:https://www.twowheelingtots.com/10-best-balance-bikes/

      You would need to get the lowering kit for her, the link is also on that page.

      The composite material does flex for taller/heavier kids, but this will not affect her now or in the near future.

  39. My 7-year-old son has a 22″ inseam and I’m debating between the Rev Co-op 20 (just jumped up to $247) and the Raleigh MXR 20. The first has the odd geometry, but the second might be too large for him. Which would you recommend? I don’t really want to pay more than the Co op bike.

    1. Hey Ashley – does he already know how to ride a pedal bike? Could he (does he) have the seat raised so that only his tip toes touch the ground when he’s sitting on the saddle?

      1. Yes and yes. He has a 16″ specialized right now and he’s got the seat raised really high. I guess I should go measure that…

  40. Hey! I love your site and all your reviews! What trailer would you recommend for European cobble stone streets? We need a double and something that folds small to fit in our camper.

    1. Natalie Martins

      Our favorite stroller/trailer combo is the Qeridoo line as their front stroller wheel is pneumatic, which helps provide extra cushioning along with its rear suspension. Their Speedkid line is specially designed to fold up into small spaces. Unfortunately, only the Speedkid2 is out of stock in the US, but if you happen to be in Europe, you should be able to find a Speedkid2 (link to Qeridoo). If you are in the US, I would still so with a Qeridoo for the smoothest trailer, but you would have to bump up to the larger Sportrex2 line (link to Qeridoo USA).

      1. Thank you for the recommendation. We are in Europe. I am trying to find a review online of the speedkid 2 but they are all in German. How are the seats? Is it a canopy seat? We plan on biking around the cities in Europe and I want to make sure our kids are comfortable.

        1. Natalie Martins

          We actually haven’t tested out the Speedkid yet, just the higher end Kidgoo (link to our review), but based on our experience with the Kigdoo, we are pretty confident that the pneumatic front tire and suspension on the Speedkid will provide for a smooth ride like the Kidgoo. It likely won’t be as plush, but still comfortable. Qeridoo also sells a separate seat pad for additional comfort if you prefer.

  41. Matthew A Zeunert

    I was on the Woom site and noticed they slackened the Head Tube Angel from 70 to 68 on the original Woom’s. I confirmed with Woom this is correct and it is now slacker than the Off. I thought you guys would be interested in this and doing a future update.

    1. Oh, good eye! We have been meeting with woom regularly about their new updates, but the change in head tube angle wasn’t brought up. There are a lot of changes, some visual, some technical, but the overall ride of the woom’s should be the same. Since those who are on the current waiting list will be receiving the new updated bikes, woom went ahead and updated their site now, even though they are not yet available (so parents know what they are ordering).

      We will be updating all of our reviews with the new updates once they arrive. woom has set aside demos of their first shipments of the new release for us to update :). (We are excited!)

      For the head tube, looking at their site, you are right in that their originals are 68 (and 69 on the 6), but on the woom OFF, they are also still listed between 68 and 69. So they certainly did slacken the original line.

  42. We have used your website for years to buy our kids’ bikes! We bought a 14” Stampede Sprinter pedal bike several years ago and are now needing to replace the seat, but it appears that company is no longer selling bikes or bike parts. Any ideas?

    1. Glad we could be of help! Sadly, Stampede bikes did go out of business several years ago. Replacement seat for kids bikes are readily available, but finding one the same size as the smaller saddle found on the 14″ may be challenging. Essentially you just need to find a “railed youth bike saddle”. Here is an example: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/equipment/cycling-components/bike-saddles/kids-bike-saddles/bontrager-kids-comfort-bike-saddle/p/00775/. This one is certainly going to be bigger than the current seat, but will work if you can’t find something smaller. Hope that helps!

  43. i dont see 12″ bike/cycles here on this site,. any recommendations, mainly where the kid gets to pull back/roll back the pedal to bring it to a forward position, as he is still not able to pedal continuously and is trying to roll back the pedal, that is making the current bike to stop,. as the back pedal is acting as a stopper/break… appreciate your help in advance

    1. Glad to help! Learning how to pedal a bike can be very confusing for young riders as they instinctively pedal backwards when they feel off balance or even by accident. We’ve experienced this many times and have put together an article with some tips on how to help: https://www.twowheelingtots.com/3-easy-steps-to-teach-a-child-to-pedal-a-bike/.

      If you happen to be looking for a list of our favorite 12″ and 14″ bikes, you can find it here: https://www.twowheelingtots.com/best-12-inch-and-14-inch-bikes-for-kids/.

  44. Your site has been so helpful for finding bikes for our kids. We are also in the market for 2 adult bikes. Do you have a recommendation for a site that is as thorough as yours for making a decision about adult bikes to purchase? Thank you!

    1. Natalie Martins

      Hey Laurent! Thanks for reaching out, but we don’t actually sell bikes, we just review them. You will have to check with specific manufacturers to see if they have a distributor in New Zealand.

      1. Thank you. Our daughter is only 4’1″ and has short feet (size 13). I think that might make a difference…

  45. Any plans to review bike locks for kids? We live in a pretty densely populated area and with the spike in demand for bikes, there’s now a spike in thefts! It was already a problem before but more now. I’d like to get a lock for my son’s bike that he’d be able to use himself but also secure.

    1. Natalie Martins

      As of now, no, but we certainly would LOVE to do a comparison test someday. The one bike lock we have used is woom’s as they provided it with one of their test bikes, https://us.woombikes.com/products/bike-lock. It has worked out great as it’s easier to use as well as remember the code as compared to a pad lock. The flexibility of the chain and not having to worry about losing a key make is a great choice over a U lock.

      Plus, I can totally see bike theft becoming more of a problem which is heartbreaking, especially for kids. We’ve had several kids in our city have bikes stolen after they saved up their own money to buy one. :(. Hopefully you find a lock that works for you!

    1. Natalie Martins

      We haven’t, but we really want to! The bikes are certainly on our wishlist of future reviews. I love the concept, but it’s hard to speak to the quality and performance of the bike without being able to test them out in person. The few bits of information I have got about them have been very positive though.

    1. Natalie Martins

      Hey Tawana! There are several different options which we have outlined in our How to Teach a Child to Ride a Bike Article: https://www.twowheelingtots.com/how-to-teach-a-child-to-ride-a-bike/.

      For a 10 year old, I would recommend getting a lightweight bike, remove the pedals, and have your child practice running and gliding on the bike and essentially use it like a balance bike. When getting started, it is best to have your child practice gliding down slight hills which will help them get up to speed to balance much quicker. Smooth grass hills are often a great options.

      Once balancing has been mastered, put the pedals back on and have your child beginning running on the bike and then once they are moving and gliding have them start pedaling. Don’t encourage them to pedal from a standstill as that is much harder to learn.

      Additional tips can be found in that article I linked to above. Hope that helps!

  46. I have a Fuji bike and would like to attach a rear child carrier seat for toddler? Which child carrier seats would fit?

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