To Sawyers, whose two kids gravitated toward trikes and scooters, it makes little sense to start a kid out on an expensive balance bike when the child might not even want to ride it. This point, however, is disputed by John Bradley, who said that, just like an adult, a child will be more likely to want to ride a lightweight, high-quality bike (which proved true among our testers). He also pointed out that such a bike will also sell on Craigslist for a pretty good percentage of what was paid for it, provided it was taken care of, making it a more digestible investment. Despite not being a particularly sporty bike, it has a 750W motor that can reach speeds up to 28mph with the help of pedal assist. While some minor issues were reported, the bike’s overall quality and value make it an excellent choice for those who want to explore bike paths and beyond. Its main competitor is the Ride1Up 700 series, which has a larger battery and comes with a rear rack.
It comes with axles and accompanying hardware pre-threaded and attached, but the trick was attaching them to the front and rear forks so that they weren’t too loose or too tight. This required some attentive wrenching with two wrenches (the bike came with only one) and paying close attention to the diagram on the instruction sheet. The bike also arrived with its headset a bit too tight, making it notchy when you turned it. You can use a bigger wrench (again, not included), yet even without loosening, the too-tight headset wasn’t a dealbreaker because you can still turn the handlebars and they would loosen a bit over time anyway. The basic, skateboard-style cartridge bearings also worked fine as soon we loosened the axle nuts slightly.
We had issues with the width of its rear tubes, which rubbed our tester’s legs. Hybrid-wise, we also tested the under-$100, footrest-equipped 12-inch Glide Bikes Mini Glider, which our advanced riders really liked. But the rear drum-style huffy cruiser bike hand brake didn’t work well and weighed the bike down unnecessarily. The Mini Glider also came with a freewheel (no coaster brake) pedal option, but with the marginally effective brakes, we couldn’t recommend the add-on.
Specialized’s Hotwalk is a solid bike, but for $175 it offered no hand brake, and the boys’ version had an unnecessarily high top tube. During that time, 2-year-old Elle went from being a bit overwhelmed to quite comfortable striding around. They are easier to pump and attach, and will pump your tires up much
quicker than a hand pump will. Some come with gauges, which eliminate 1) the need to switch back and forth
between a pump and standalone gauge, or 2) if you’re really lazy, outright guesswork. However, it would be an oversimplification to
say that less air offers a more comfortable ride and more air makes you go
faster.
Even though it usually costs $30 more than the Strider, we liked the bike’s Strider-like geometry, its ease of assembly, light weight, wheel setup, and relatively low price, as well as REI’s reputation. Many kids need a little encouragement (and flat, paved terrain) to get into balance biking. Unless they’ve started out with a ride-on toy car or scooter or push trike they may not pick up the bike and just go. Several parents told me that even if their kids have a balance bike, they simply don’t use it. Other parents, often with active, athletic kids, say they do great on balance bikes, and they find them to be an incredibly useful tool in learning how to ride a bike.
Because of the larger tire size, analog fat tire bikes tend to move slowly and steadily, so adding a powerful motor helps to propel you through varying terrain and huffy cruiser surface conditions more quickly. As the name suggests, these bikes are designed to fold down to minimize size and maximize portability. Folding electric bikes are aimed at riders with limited storage space or who may need to fit their bike into a vehicle rather than huffy cruiser bike on a bike rack. They are also perfect for those who would prefer to bring their brand-new e-bike inside rather than leave it chained to the bike rack outside (it’s a significant investment, we get it). Its short, 76 mm crank arms and high gear ratio translate to a lack of top speed that you’d find on, say, a bigger BMX bike. (Indeed, a big kid can stride it faster than pedal it.) But this makes it perfect for easy first pedal strokes.
We were impressed right off with the beautiful paint job and flawless welds on the Woom’s super-light aluminum frame. The smooth-rolling rubber tires have just enough knobbiness to grip in the dirt. Axles are secured to the bike via a set of rounded, recessed Allen bolts and recessed mounting points that make it essentially impossible for a child to snag a pant leg on or suffer a bruise from in a wipeout. With its responsive frame and 18 speeds, the huffy nighthawk has exactly what you need to enjoy a fun ride around the bike path, neighborhood, or an adventurous trail! Hampsten’s “Huffy” was actually made by John Slawta, the frame builder behind Land Shark bicycles.
The multicolor saddle is designed for comfort, plus the alloy quick-release binder clip makes it easy to adjust or remove at any time. Like the Strider 12 Sport, the REV 12 features a very low step-in height of 8 inches—a key aspect for a balance bike—and its seat height is adjustable between a very respectable 13.5 and 18.5 inches. The seat also has a neat little “grab handle” at the back for when the grown-ups need to give it a lift.
The amount you can expect to receive in store credit when trading in your bike with a dealer. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). When sitting, huffy bikes the child should be able to put their feet flat on the floor, and nearly all the child’s weight should be on the saddle. Giant’s Pre is on a par in most respects with the Co-op REV 12, including the price, but it’s available only in bike shops, making it harder to find. Every tire has a recommended psi printed on its side close to where it touches the rim.
All these details add up to one fantastic bike that is so comfortable to ride. We were also impressed with the Woom’s rear aluminum V-brake hand brake, which is built for little hands and stops the bike with authority. A 2-year-old can easily squeeze the proprietary brake lever, and you can adjust the grip reach effortlessly via a small knob. The comfortably cush seat is right for a little kid (at 4.5 by 7 inches) and even features scuff-proof sides for when it’s laid over on the pavement. Our great experience with the Woom 1 began with the arrival of a slightly oversized box that allows the bike to be shipped from Woom’s facility in Texas with its wheels and hand brake already attached and perfectly adjusted.