I started my daughter on a 12” balance bike at 28 months old. She figured it out pretty quickly, so at 3.5 years old (44 months), I put her on this Biky 14. She was riding on it by her 3rd outing!
I was deciding between this Biky 14, the Woom 2, and the Guardian 14. Despite this Biky 14 being relatively new and having very few reviews, I took a chance on it, largely on the recommendation of this blog post: https://www.twowheelingtots.com/best-12-inch-and-14-inch-bikes-for-kids/
Reasons I decided on this Biky 14, in order of importance for me:
1) Weight: I learned through my research that the ideal bike weight is 30-40% of a kid’s body weight. My daughter is in the 5th percentile for weight, so the lighter the better. This was the lightest bike I could find.
2) Seat height: This bike had the lowest seat height, by a smidge. But that half inch matters for a small kid.
3) No coaster brake: Apparently coaster brakes slow the learning process. Who knew?
4) Steering limiter: helps avoid wobbling out of control.
5) Tiltable handlebars: again, an important adjustment for my small kid.
6) Longer wheelbase: allows for more growth in the kid and makes the bike more stable and maneuverable.
7) Price and quality: this bike cost a bit more than I wanted to spend, but having received it and used it, the quality is there. It’s solidly built and was a breeze to put together when it arrived. It also wasn’t the most expensive bike on my short list.
I learned most of this from the Two Wheeling Tots blog, so check that out. Lots of great information in there. I’m not affiliated with it whatsoever, but just giving credit where credit is due.
Long story short, if you have a small kid ready to graduate from the balance bike, try this one out. You won’t be disappointed.