A balance bike for young children is very popular. A balance bike has two wheels, one at the front and one at the back. At a very young age, children learn to find and maintain their balance while moving on this type of bike. This is an important skill that they will later need when learning to ride a real bicycle with pedals.
Using a balance bike helps children learn to ride independently sooner
In 2019, VeiligheidNL conducted research into the effects of balance bikes. Together with the Faculty of Human Movement Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, research was carried out into the effects of using a balance bike. The study involved 82 children aged between 4 and 6. The parents were asked when the children had started cycling, what they had learned to ride on, what other bicycles they had used, and how often they cycled. The children's cycling skills were also assessed by having them take part in a ‘cycling course’. In this study, we found that children who used a balance bike were able to ride a bicycle independently at an earlier age, but that this did not necessarily lead to better cycling skills. The precise reason why children who used a balance bike were able to ride a bicycle sooner did not become clear from this study.
Improved motor development
Recent research in the United States now shows that children's motor development improves when they start using a balance bike. One group of 12 young children aged between 3 and 5 was allowed to ride around a designated course on a balance bike for approximately 20 minutes, three times a week, for four weeks. Another group of 8 children did not do this. Both groups performed several balance tests each week, in which, for example, the children had to maintain their balance on a moving surface, both with their eyes open and with their eyes closed. After four weeks, the children who had practised on the balance bike scored much better on the tests than the children who had not practised. This research shows that a balance bike can make an important contribution to the motor development of young children. It helps children learn to ride a regular bicycle, but also supports many other activities. In addition, it gives children confidence and leads to fewer unpleasant falls.