Balance Bike or Stabilisers?

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Save up to 47% off the price of a new bike and pay for it in instalments with the Cycle To Work scheme at Cyclesense

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Shipping

UK delivery

If your item is in stock and ordered before 12pm, we will do our best to despatch your order the day you place it. In busy times we tell you how long it will take us to process it.

The above does not apply to bikes, which we have to assemble and inspect before repacking for dispatch. Typically we try to have bike orders dispatched within 3-5 days, but in busier times it may take longer. In those cases we'll let you know of longer than expected delivery times.

Please bear in mind that we are closed on Wednesdays, so no items will be dispatched then.

Free postage over £40

For small items we use Royal Mail's 48 service which has a delivery time of typically 2-3 days from dispatch; though you do have the option to upgrade to 24 which is generally next-day from dispatch if you require your order sooner. Please note in some cases the item will need to be signed for, so please provide an address where someone will be in.

Orders of over £40 will qualify for free standard postage with Royal Mail 48. This may exclude certain bulky or awkward items which will be calculated automatically at the basket screen.

Bike shipping

When we send out a larger parcel such as a bike or trailer we use a next-day courier - usually either DPD or Parcelforce.

For these reasons please supply us with a delivery address where there will be someone in to sign for your parcel. If there is nobody in when the couriers call, they will leave a card. You can then phone them to arrange delivery for another day or collect your goods from your local depot (a photo ID with proof of address will be required).

How will my bike be delivered?

We fully assemble, safety check and inspect every bike as though you were going to ride it away from our showroom.

However, to get it back into a box suitable for a courier to handle, we have to remove the pedals, handlebar and usually the front wheel - so some minor reassembly is required when the bike is delivered to you.

Please bear in mind that you might need a 15mm spanner for the pedals (adult's bikes generally do not come with pedals included, so you may not need to worry about this), and 4mm, 5mm and 6mm allen/hex keys for the reassembly.

Outside the UK

Since Brexit it is no longer feasible for our website to have permanent shipping prices for international delivery. Instead, if there is an item you are interested in, please Contact Us with a full delivery address and we will quote for delivery.

All the prices on our website and catalogue are in pounds sterling and are inclusive of VAT, but VAT will be removed for international orders. Please bear in mind that you will likely have to pay your country's taxes, import duties and associated courier handling fees for any items.

Cycle to Work

The Cycle to Work scheme is a government scheme designed to provide a more affordable way for you to purchase a new bike & equipment for cycling to work.

Depending on your tax bracket and the scheme provider used, you can save 25%-47% on the price of a new bike and accessories as well as spreading the cost over a period of 6-48 months without paying any interest.

The bike purchased on the scheme can be any kind of bike - hybrid bike, road bike, mountain bike, electric bike, cargo bike - as long as the primary user of the bike is the person who took out the scheme. So... no children's bikes, sorry.

It sounds too good to be true, but rest assured it really is that much of a no-brainer.

More Info

Click & Collect

We've all got busy lives, and sometimes it's easier just to browse online at home rather than having to come out to our shop. Our click & collect service is free and easy to use - simply:

Browse the site and add the items you'd like to collect to your basket.
Head to the checkout and select Collect in Store as your delivery region under the Delivery Region/Country header.
Proceed through the online checkout and pay for your items as usual.
We'll be in touch as soon as your order is ready to collect! In cases where an item is out of stock or might take a while to arrive we'll let you know. Payment is not actually processed against your card until we've accepted the order.
Come to the store and collect your items whenever is convenient. Please bring valid photo ID just in case!

Should you go for a balance bike or the more traditional stabilisers method? It's not even up for debate as far as we're concerned.

We get asked this question a lot in our kids' bike showroom. Stabilisers are perhaps how you and I learned how to ride bikes decades ago; but does that mean it's the best way to learn? 99% of the time we'd argue that it isn't. In this post we explain why...

What are balance bikes?

Balance bikes are bikes without cranks, pedals or drivetrain. They are typically available in 10", 12" and 14" wheel sizes. They are designed to help children learn how to balance and steer a bike before the transition to a bike with pedals. Children walk, run and, eventually, coast alongon two wheels, with the main intentions being to learn balance and have fun!

Learn early, learn right!

Balance bikes, such as the Frog Tadpole Mini pictured above, are available for children aged from 12 months.

A well designed, lightweight balance bike will enable children to find balance by themselves. Ideally they will be able to get both feet planted flat on the ground with a decent bend in their knee. This stability helps them to gain confidence. Once they gain confidence they will pick up more and more speed; eventually starting to lift their feet from the ground and coast along.

Once children have developed the confidence and balance on two wheels, it makes the transition to a pedal bike a heck of a lot easier. We have been importing balance bikes to the UK since the late 90s and, over the years, have seen the amazement of 1000s of parents as their children have come from their balance bike, jumped on a pedal bike and ridden straight off unassisted without the need for stabilisers.

So... definitely no stabilisers then?

Putting stabilisers on a bike sounds like it makes sense. In essence, it supports your child whilst they learn to pedal. However, it creates a dependency on the stabilisers. This is something which has to be unlearned when taking the stabilisers off and going to two wheels. In our experience it is much harder for kids to unlearn something than it is for them to learn something new.

Good quality, lightweight and well designed children's pedal bikes don't start until a 14" wheel size. Typically, this size is suitable from 3.5 years onwards. With a balance bike, you can get going from as early as 12 months provided the child is walking well and tall enough.

You can get 12" wheel pedal bikes, but the only ones available are heavy and poorly designed; making them less fun to ride and, ultimately, a waste of time.

Stabilisers should be a last resort, used only if a child is too big for a balance bike or simply hasn't been able to develop balance on two wheels.

Come and see us at our lightweight kids' bike showroom and we will ensure you get the best advice for your particular needs. We will almost certainly have something in our carefully selected range to suit.

Friday 25 May 2018 Filed in: Blog

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