Aside from a few failed attempts to show Gabriel how to use his balance bike inside the apartment, it sat in basement storage since Christmas. I’d been waiting for good weather to let him try it outside, and yesterday I finally made it happen.
His readiness also changed in the last three months. While he’s not yet ready to pull his feet up and coast on the downhills, he quickly figured out how to balance the bike while walking with it. I feared our first outing would be short-lived when he took a little fall and bumped his face on the bar end, but we wiped the the tears away and continued our trip around the block.
It appeared to require quite a bit of concentration, given his rather serious facial expressions. After a bit, he loosened up and started making his motor vehicle/kitchen appliance “rrrrrrrroooommmm” noise.
In the end, I was the one who cut the outing short, due to thirst, hunger, and readiness for a break from the sun and the heat (why is it that we seem to go straight from winter to summer here?). Sir’s desire to venture further, and my desire to not, led to a teary ending, as well as both he and the bike arriving home in my arms. Fortunately, one of the two is light weight!
Despite the teary ending, I’m looking forward to more balance bike outings in the coming months.
I do still wonder about getting him a tricycle — I can see it being fun as well, and learning how to pedal (something he can’t do on the balance bike) is also an important skill for riding a bike. We’ll see . . . .
Her Green Life 
What a cutie!!
Hi Melissa! I always love reading your blog and seeing what you are up to! Gabriel is so adorable. Ben also has a Strider bike and LOVES it! Truly the most-used item we have ever gotten for him (he even rode it in the snow all winter). For what it’s worth, he also received a tricycle as a gift, and while he enjoys it somewhat, he always prefers the bike over it. He also isn’t proficient at peddling yet, so he has better speed with the bike, which I think has a lot to do with his preferences. I hope you all enjoy his bike as much as we do Ben’s!
Thanks, Jacquie — it’s helpful to hear your experiences with having both a balance bike and a tricycle. I’ve definitely seen little kids zipping around the park on the balance bikes, so I guess Gabriel will get there with time. Love that Ben rode his bike in the snow — no fair-weather cycling for him!
adorable! I had training wheels for waaaay too long, so he’s a brave kid. I’ve never heard of a balance bike, is that a new thing?