My son just turned 4 in November and my dad has offered to buy him some type of bike. Is there a good tricycle for his age or should we just get a bike with training wheels at this point? He is about 38.5 inches. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Tricycles are for 2 and 3 yr old, I would say a bike with training wheels. My son got one at 4 and learned to ride. I remember he rode so hard that his training wheels wasn't even helping him anymore but he'd freak when we'd try to take them off so he rode it with the training wheels sticking up in the air. One day his dad finally convinced him he wasn't even using them.
Just a BIG piece of advice to share with you for your son's safety...
NEVER let him ride his bike WITHOUT shoes that wrap around his heels...NO flip-flops or other "loose" type shoe, and preferably have him wear tennis shoes that tighten up with VELCRO as opposed to Laces that tie....Laces come untied, and can get caught in his spokes or the chain.
I can not for the life of me figure out "why" parents keep insisting on the helmet and knee/elbow pads, but NEVER talk about what type of shoes our kids should be wearing to protect their feet when they are riding their bikes! (I am the victim of such an accident when I was 4 years old, and have been suffering the consequences of it for the past 38 years. If anyone really wants to know what happened, please email me at ____@____.com...but I will warn you, it's graphic!)
As for whether to get a tricycle or a bicycle...most kids at your son's age are learning how to ride bikes with training wheels. Usually the trainers will come off sometime between the ages of 6 and 7, depending on the confidence and ability of the child. However, I believe I have seen some bigger trikes designed for "older" kids (4-5), but not very often. Lastly, do not buy a bike for your child to "grow into"....another safety issue.
I would get a bike with training wheels. My son is 3 1/2 and LOVES his big boy bike. At this point a tricycle would be a huge waste of money. I would have him go to the store and try a few out to see how they work with his height. Good luck and have fun! It is hours of entertainment for my little boy!
For my son's forth birthday we bought him a bike with training wheels. He loves it and gets to ride with his big brothers when they get on their bikes.
I would do a bike with training wheels. We got a small one at Walmart for my son when he was that age/size. He had one or two tumbles then had the hang of it. Don't forget the helmet!
I think you should get him a bike. My daughter is 3, and we got her a bike with training wheels for Christmas and now she has totally abandoned her tricycle and loves her new bike. She is about 38 inches too and we got her the 16 inch bike (I think..), but we got it at Wal-Mart and there was a chart there to tell us what size she needed, hope that helps.
We bought my 3 1/2 yr old son a bike with training wheels on it at walmart for like $30. He loves it, and the training wheels are easy to take off when he gets ready.
Definitely a bicycle with training wheels - one that he can grow into. My 2 1/2 year has a small bicycle with training wheels. there are some that he can have for 2-3 years if you get him the right size with an adjustable seat. Ones at Sun&Ski Sports are the real nice Haro's and run around $130 but you can get a great bike for him at Walmart for around $50-$70.
Have fun riding!!
My boys have both a big trike and bikes and ride both (ages 3 and 2)...my 2 year old has been riding his bike for about 6 months now with training wheels and my 3 year old's has the training wheels lifted off the ground now. They like both the trikes and bikes - depends on where your daughter would be riding....on dirt or grass trikes are easier.
My son is almost 3, and we got him a bike with training wheels. He his the same height and fits just fine. I think a traditional tricycle would be too small.
Hmmm, good question. My son is 1yr and a half and he just got a little tricycle for xmas that he LOVES. I suppose it depends on his experience with bikes and motor skills. What are other little boys his age using? I suppose you can't go wrong with the removable training wheels. I remember getting my first Huffy pink bike(no training wheels) when I was 6, but boys start earlier. I'd definitely do a bike with training wheels...with a helmet and knee/elbow pads of course.
It depends on the child, really. My own daughters couldn't ride without training wheels by age 4, but they have little cousins who ride very well without them. Most of the smaller bikes come with training wheels, and then you can take them off whenever you want.
My daughter just got (from santa) a Barbie 16in bike from Toys R Us and it has training wheels. She loves it and she is a little shorter than your son and it fits her perfectly. She out grew the trycycle from last christmas by this summer. Good Thing about the bike is that when he grows you can raise the seat and the bike will last much longer and will actually grow with him. And when hes ready you can take off the training wheels. Oh Forgot to mention my daughter is 4 as well. Personal opinion I think he and you will be much happier with the bike.
My son got the Spiderman bike (I think Walmart or Target) with training wheels for his 4th birthday last year. He loves it!
