Specialized Balance Bike Review: What Do You Think of the New Hotwalk Balance Bikes?
Teaching your kids how to ride a pedal bike is one of the biggest difficulties as they get older. With balance bikes, however, a lot of the difficulty is actually solved. The child learns to balance without pedals rather than learning how to pedal with training wheels, which isn’t really the hardest part anyway, right? Like Strider Balance Bikes, with the newest Hotwalk Balance Bikes, kids are definitely getting all that and then some, which is great for any parent who wants their child to enjoy bike riding as much as they do.
The Review
The Hotwalk is designed to really stand up to anything and everything that your child might throw at it and still come out on top. In fact, it’s built like a mountain bike in many respects, so you definitely know it’s going to withstand pressure and a whole lot of abuse. As a balance bike, it’s designed to help your preschool age child get the hang of what riding a two-wheel bike is really going to be about and how they will need to balance in order to be really successful.
Proper Sizing
This pedal bike has two different versions for boys and girls with the girl’s version featuring a traditional step-through section of the frame, which is common in regular two-wheel bikes as well. Unfortunately, while the seat does adjust to accommodate larger and smaller children, there’s not a whole lot of flexibility and it only moves about 4”. This can reduce the versatility for children who are a little larger or a little smaller than average, making it important that you measure your child and the bike itself. It can range from about 13” to 17”, so make sure your child is able to sit with this configuration.
Overall Comfort
There’s an integrated footrest that makes it easier for your child to get their feet off the ground and make sure they’re really balanced as they’re riding down the sidewalk or down that hill. There is also plenty of padding in the seat to make it more comfortable to ride for longer periods of time and to make sure they don’t get jostled too much if the area they’re riding on is a little bit bumpy. It also has air tires that make for a smoother ride and ensure that your child is getting a more natural ride.
Where some balance bikes use plastic tires to increase balance, this bike uses a traditional bike tire that really makes sure your child will be comfortable and happy when they switch over to a traditional bike. They won’t have to get used to an entirely new ride yet again by trying to switch out the tires. It’s also designed exactly the same as a bike, only without the pedals and without a brake. That makes it easier to get used to the new bike when your child gets there.
Careful Consideration
This bike is designed for smaller children, about 2 ½ - 4 years of age, but the most important indicator of whether it’s going to work for them is their size. Make sure to measure them before you purchase this or any balance bike. Larger children will have difficulty using this bike for an extended period of time and even those who are 4 may have some trouble using it as they may feel a little bit cramped or a little too big for the bike even if they’re not quite ready to move on to a two-wheel bike.
Keep in mind also that this bike has no brakes. Though this is common with balance bikes, it means that your child will need to be able to move their feet quickly from the footrests in the back to their sides when they want to stop the bike or when it coasts to a stop in order to avoid falling. The design of the footrests makes this simpler, but it can still take a bit of teaching for your child to get the hang of moving their feet quickly to catch the bike and themselves before it topples over.
Buying Your Own
There are two different versions of this bike with one designed for girls with the lower frame bar and one designed for boy riders with the higher one. Both of the bikes have the same range when it comes to seat height (seat tube length), however, and the frame is really the only difference.
The tires on the bike are 12”, which is very similar to what a child of similar size would have on a standard two-wheel bike. It helps them to get used to what they are doing and how their bike is going to feel when they do start riding.
The frame itself is made with premium aluminum alloy to improve the durability and make sure it stands up to anything and also to make sure the bike is light enough that your child can at least move it around on their own, though they won’t want to carry it.
There are no brakes and there’s no limiter to keep them from going too fast, so it’s important to watch where they are riding and make sure it’s going to be safe. Overall, this bike has a lot of great features and definitely will help your child get ready for the next stage in bike riding. They’ll definitely be able to feel more comfortable when they get there.
There are plenty of ways that you can help your child learn how to ride a two-wheel bike, but bikes with training wheels are definitely starting to be seen as less than ideal. Instead, a balance bike can help your child really enjoy riding and learn how to do the most difficult part, balance. With the Hotwalk Balance Bike, you’re getting a whole lot for your little one, and you’ll definitely be able to see why they would want to use this one in particular. It’s going to make learning a whole lot more fun and stylish.
