A balance bike for young children is very popular. A balance bike has two wheels, one at the front and one at the back. Children learn at a very young age to find their own balance and remain balanced while moving on this type of bicycle. This is an important skill 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, research was carried out into the effects of using a balance bike. The study involved 82 children between the ages of 4 and 6. Parents were asked when their children started cycling, what they learned to cycle on, which 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 sooner, but that this did not necessarily result in better cycling skills. The exact reason why children who used a balance bike were able to cycle sooner was not yet clear from this study.
Improved motor development
Recent research in America now shows that children’s motor development improves when they start using a balance bike. One group of 12 young children between the ages of 3 and 5 rode balance bikes around a marked-out course for approximately 20 minutes, three times a week, for four weeks. Another group of 8 children did not do this. Both groups completed a number of balance tests every week, in which, for example, the children had to maintain their balance on a moving surface, both with their eyes open and closed. After 4 weeks, the children who had practised on a balance bike scored much better on the tests than the children who had not practised. This study 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.