Balance Bike to Pedal Bike – Rothan to Cnoc 14
Levi_501
Posts: 1,105
As my son has been doing so well on his Rothan balance bike and summer ‘should’ be just around the corner, I was thinking, it is time to go for a pedal bike. He has been using his balance bike properly since he was 21 months. Now he rides it everywhere and goes through woodlands (over roots/branches, through puddles muddy ruts) and rides down steps - three or four.
I had been watching and missing out on a few Cnoc 14s on the bay of fleas. I found a very good condition one not to far away. I had also noticed that the Cnoc 14s do seem to hold their money very well; the Cnoc 14 seem to go for more money than the 16s.
Anyway, a successful bid and win followed by, did I really pay that much got us a Islabikes Cnoc 14.
We picked up said bike on Good Friday on our way to see relatives for Easter. Son was asleep as I secured it on the bike rack so when we arrived it was a surprise to him.
Soon after we go there, I showed my father and he looked as if to say, what did you waste your money on that for, he is to young and asked where the stabilisers were!
I unclipped the bike from the rack whilst my son was crawling over me, the rack and the bike.
With the bike now on the ground, I lowered the seat right down and for a laugh I sat my son on the bike. He immediately leant forward and grabbed the handle bars; put his feet on the pedals and rode off leaving my father and I with our mouths wide open!
Since then, we have been out a few times; him cycling and me running on behind.
He slows down when he comes to inclines, but other than he is amazing; I am so proud
For reference, my son is two years, six months and a week.
I had been watching and missing out on a few Cnoc 14s on the bay of fleas. I found a very good condition one not to far away. I had also noticed that the Cnoc 14s do seem to hold their money very well; the Cnoc 14 seem to go for more money than the 16s.
Anyway, a successful bid and win followed by, did I really pay that much got us a Islabikes Cnoc 14.
We picked up said bike on Good Friday on our way to see relatives for Easter. Son was asleep as I secured it on the bike rack so when we arrived it was a surprise to him.
Soon after we go there, I showed my father and he looked as if to say, what did you waste your money on that for, he is to young and asked where the stabilisers were!
I unclipped the bike from the rack whilst my son was crawling over me, the rack and the bike.
With the bike now on the ground, I lowered the seat right down and for a laugh I sat my son on the bike. He immediately leant forward and grabbed the handle bars; put his feet on the pedals and rode off leaving my father and I with our mouths wide open!
Since then, we have been out a few times; him cycling and me running on behind.
He slows down when he comes to inclines, but other than he is amazing; I am so proud
For reference, my son is two years, six months and a week.
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Comments
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Awesome, well done!! Balance bikes are ace!0
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We were out several times over the weekend; dodging the rain clouds!
The boy is developing really well. His confidence, control, pedalling technique and ability to anticipate has really improved.
It is quite funny, as although he can cycle and I add quite fast, he does not use the brakes. In order to stop he drags his feet!
Obviously whilst we were in the various parks we saw many children out on their bikes with their families. It is almost sad seeing other children being forced to ride big heavy clumber some bikes with stabilisers. The pain and lack of enjoyment in their faces makes you feel for them.
There should be a law for a maximum weight of a childs bike!
For all parents thinking of buying the first cheap bike they find, do not! Buy a decent light weight balance bike followed by a decent lightweight pedal bike without stabilisers; it is the way forward!0 -
Great to hear you're both enjoying it. So many people baulk at the price of a decent bike (despite being happy to buy expensive electronic gizmos) but I've never doubted the value.
Using their feet to stop is normal, I believe. Keep reminding him gently about the brakes, maybe try to get him to try using just one for now.
Stabilisers, however, are dreadful. Shops that sell them are not doing their customers any favours.Aspire not to have more, but to be more.0 -
Sounds like he is doing really well. I used to love the :shock: expressions on people's faces as a baby* rode past them on a bike with no stabilisers.
* ok he wasn't quite a baby but he is small for his age and didn't have much hair.0 -
macbikes wrote:I used to love the :shock: expressions on people's faces as a baby* rode past them on a bike with no stabilisers.
* ok he wasn't quite a baby but he is small for his age and didn't have much hair.
I do not see these expressions as much as my wife as I am running along beside him. That said, my wife says he really turns heads and the expressions on peoples faces are quite remarkable. Some even come and ask how old he is. Then when she says two and half, their faces fall!0 -
Oh yes I had forgotten how much running beside him I did! I was like a deranged person running everywhere as he was so small that when he learnt to ride he couldn't actually get his feet to the ground when he stopped!
Even when we upgraded to a Specialized Hotrock 12 for his second birthday he still wasn't big enough to get his feet down for a while, it was such a relief when he could finally stop and get enough of a foot down not to fall off!
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We did this, Rothan was used without issue, riding around all over the place for a year or so, then we got a Cnoc 14 without stabilizers and.........he refused point blank to get on the thing for 3 months until I relented and put stabilizers on.....I couldn't stand to look in the conservatory and see it just sitting there untouched, all those £££££'s and I nearly sold it two or three times, so I had to cave....he's 4 1/2 now and I think its that he hasn't figured out how to get the pedals to the right positions to start off because he uses his brakes properly, picks lines around corners etc.
He loves riding around again, but I just cant get him to do it without the stabilizers. We were away at Easter and the place we stayed at had balance bikes in the play area and it took him 2 days to remember how to use them!
Well done to your boy Levi_501!0 -
Wait 'til they pass someone going up a hill
Nice work everyone! Have fun.Commute - MASI Souville3 | Road/CX - MASI Speciale CX | Family - 80s ugly | Utility - Cargobike0 -
That's amazing.
We've done the Rothan -> Cnoc 14 journey too and I thought my lad was special riding without stabilisers at 3 years and 2 months!
We go out and do 'skills' sessions: riding in a tight circle, technical work through bollards and most importantly: emergency stopping.
So satisfying.
And had the added benefit that I needed a new bike for myself for these sessions 0 -
We don't get the same :shock: looks anymore now he is bigger (3) until he does something like this:0
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We went XCing at the weekend
It is quite funny to see your son on his little bike bouncing over tree roots that with a MTB you do not even notice!
Apart from the obvious (small wheels) the biggest problem was the Cnoc has no gears. As soon as he got to some thick mud, which obviously as an adult you fly through with large wheels, drop a gear if you need; he ran out of power poor little thing. Also inclines were a bit difficult.
That said we both had a great time
Come Shimano, we need radio controlled gears, Di-parent?0
