WANTED Toddlers aged 18-24m to review Toddlebike 1st Bike

Jo Hockley

We are looking for Toddlers aged between 18 and 24 months who have outgrown their baby ride-ons but are too young for balance or pedal bikes to take a Toddlebike for around a month and really put it through its paces both indoor and out on as many different terrains as possible. After the month we would like for you to share your findings and any photos you may have taken with the other members of this forum.

If you have or know of a Toddler that you think would enjoy an adventure, please contact Jo Hockley at johockley@toddlebike.co.uk for full details.

To find out more about Toddlebike in general before taking part in the trial you can visit our website www.toddlebike.co.uk, www.facebook.com/toddlebike or google Toddlebike.

Thanks,

Jo

Jo Hockley
07786 804547
johockley@toddlebike.co.uk
www.toddlebike.co.uk

baudman

If you can be bothered sending one to Australia...

Jo Hockley

Ah - good point. Initially we're just focusing on UK and Ireland but I might be able to get one to Australia in November - I'll let you know.

Cheers,

Jo

Jo Hockley

Thanks for everyone that has already offered the services of their Toddler for our Toddlebike Test and Review. Just to clarify though, we're looking for Toddlers and their parents to review the Toddlebike, not safety test it. Toddlebike is already TUV and CE certified and 3 year guaranteed so it's just feedback that we want - not your Toddlers for use as human guinea pigs!

We still have some spaces available so do get in touch if you have or know of an 18-24 month who would like to be involved.

Thanks,

Jo

Pipster3

My little lad was already riding a balance bike at 20 months old and you can get them with a lower seat height than the Kiddimoto so a real balance bike is possible from 18 months old not knocking your product but imho the double wheels set up slows down the learning curve achieved with a balance bike ...

Sorry to be negative just giving some feedback .

Regards

Phil

Jo Hockley

Hi Phil,

No worries - more feedback the better which is why we're asking for parents to try a Toddlebike with their toddler first hand and let us have their unedited findings.

What I would say that is that every child is different and whilst I'm sure that some Toddlers can 'do' a balance bike at 18 months, the vast majority of parents I speak to, including my own experience, have found that at 18 months they are no way near ready.

And even if physically then could manage it, I wanted a bike that I could use for every journey possible as an alternative to the buggy for my very active Toddler. Being 18 months and a bit fickle, my Toddler was on his Toddlebike one minute, walking the next, in his buggy the next - at less than 1kg I'm pretty relaxed about that as even with 2 Toddlers, the buggy doesn't tip when they're taking a break. Even with the lightest balance bike it's nearly 4 times heavier so the amount of use it gets is so much less - just specific bike trips rather than every time we go out. And however physically competent they may be, at 18 months their road sense is nowhere near good enough to trust them on pavements near busy roads so again, the actual time spent on bike is limited to specific trips to the park rather than it being an every day transport option.

And the other key bonus of his Toddlebike is being able to use it in the house - at over 3 and having fully mastered the Balance Bike now Elliot uses his Toddlebike indoors all the time - which makes them perfect for families who maybe don't have so much access to the great outdoors, or Toddlers who just want to be on their bikes 24/7 like mine.

You are right, the 4 in-line wheel configuration gives the bike some stability - but there is still a big balance element and unlike a trike, a Toddlebike is ridden with exactly the same motion as a balance bike, which is why we call it a 'pre' balance bike. Regardless of what age your child is ready to get on a 'real' bike and ride off in to the sunset, Toddlebike would have been the step before so some get on at closer to 1 (I had a Mum reckon her daughter is riding hers at 11 months - I've yet to see it!) and some closer to 2 - the fact that all of this is done indoors at their own pace means no frustration to parent or child. And the transition from Toddlebike to Balance Bike is as easy as showing them their upgrade - it's all skills and sensations they've developed since just after they can walk.

Give me a shout if you have any other Toddlers under 2 that you want to try it 1st hand with - it's great for us to get feedback from parents who have already seen the whole process once and who then can really give their experience of the Toddlebike some context.

Pipster3

Jo
Great idea as you say a pre balance bike for 12months plus but to quote your website

"Toddlebike is a unique 'pre-balance' bike for Toddlers aged 1-3 who have outgrown their baby ride-ons, but at under 3 years are too young for balance or pedal bikes or scooters."

A bit misleading get them on a balance bike sooner rather than later ... Leo and his Cousin both started riding balance bikes at 20 months and micro scooters at 2 1/2 yrs ... Leo is now 3 1/2 and already pedaling his first bike a little Cnoc 14 Islabike no need for stabilizers when they have had a 1yr on a balance bike

I'm not blowing my own trumpet I just took on board what I read in some of the great threads shared on here an other forums about the best way to get them pedaling ...

Jo Hockley

Children develop so very differently - particularly the younger they are. I think it's down to each parent to see when their child is ready for the next step - so ages, months, years are useful as a guide only. As you say, your children seem pretty advanced compared to my experience and I get Emails all the time from frustrated parents of frustrated children who have tried to move on too soon - which is exactly what we did with my first child. I'm all for moving to the next step when they're ready - my daughter Matilda is flat out on her Toddlebike now and it would be really cool if she were ready for a shiny new balance bike for Christmas. But with the Toddlebike to bridge the gap, when she's ready she's ready and there's no hurry because she's got a bike she can take to the park, keep up with her big brother on and generally develop some useful skills on so everyone's a winner. And at £20 if it takes her a month or a year to take the next step it's no bother.

I've amended the website to "Toddlebike is a unique 'pre-balance' bike for Toddlers aged 1-3 who have outgrown their baby ride-ons, but at under 3 years may be too young for balance or pedal bikes or scooters." as I definately don't want to mislead anyone and haven't got the marketing budget to be able to do it on any meaningful scale anyway!

Hence the trial - then Toddlers and their families can make up their own minds, and let us all know what they think.

We're getting a great cross-section of future cyclists from parents who feel that they are a long way off balance bikes, to older children who are closer to the transition. Hopefully we should be able to build a comprehensive picture of where we fit in to it all which I totally agree will be very different from child to child.

Jo Hockley

Thanks to everyone who has got in touch to offer the services of their Toddler for our Toddlebike Test and Review. We're going to close the door to new Test Riders at the end of the weekend (Sun 18th) as after that we're off to IW and Bristol Cycle Festivals so if you want to join in please get in touch before then.

Thanks, Jo

Jo Hockley

Thanks to everyone who has got in touch to offer the services of their Toddler for our Toddlebike Test and Review. We're going to close the door to new Test Riders at the end of the weekend (Sun 18th) as after that we're off to IW and Bristol Cycle Festivals so if you want to join in please get in touch before then.

Thanks, Jo

Jo Hockley

Just a quick note to say that we've had a really good response to our call for Toddlebike Test Riders and now have well over 30 new intrepid riders about to give us their Toddlebike a good thrashing for the next month so at this point we are not accepting any further applications.

We've got a Facebook page so you can keep up to date with their progress during the month www.facebook.com/toddlebikereview and the findings will be posted back on to this forum around the mid to end of October.

Big thanks to Bike Radar for all of their support and to our Toddlers and their families - can't wait to hear how you all get on!

Cheers,

Jo

couldashouldawoulda

:roll:

Spamtastic

I love the smell of spam in all 16 forums first thing in the morning. Good on you!

Jo Hockley

16? We put this message across 4 Forums to get a cross section of cyling families - MTB, Kids, Commuting and Road. Bike Radar suggested this was the best way to go about our trial and review process which they were happy to support to let families know without any bias, or marketing spin really what Toddlebike is and does.So I really didn't think we'd get accused of spamming - but it's in the eye of the beholder I guess!

This is the first time I've crossed over to the 'other side', having a product to launch rather than being the buyer so it's a steep learning curve. I'm sorry if you feel this process is inappropriate somehow? I'm stuck in a position of believing we have something really exciting and unique, but without the luxury of massive advertising budgets so the idea being we give the Toddlebike to interested families for a month and let them decide.

Anyway, we've closed the door to new applicants now so we'll go quiet for a while now.

Kind regards,

Jo

p.s. I'll post this across the 4 Forums but maybe we could just use one if you want to post again? - just to save the copy and pasting! Commuting maybe? Actually, feedback is about the best thing for us at this stage in the game so I do appreciate you taking the time to post - if you're thinking something then others are bound to be too and if I don't know about it I can't do things differently next time.

welshkev

couldashouldawoulda wrote:

:roll:

Spamtastic

I love the smell of spam in all 16 forums first thing in the morning. Good on you!

this isn't spam mate, i have the toddlebike on trial for my son, go away if you've got nothing good to say..idiot :roll:

snowangel

Agree welshkev, my little boy also has the toddlebike on trial and is loving it
(by the way, are you kels partner?)

welshkev

snowangel wrote:

Agree welshkev, my little boy also has the toddlebike on trial and is loving it
(by the way, are you kels partner?)

yes i am..and kel says is this nads?