How to Teach Your Child to Ride an Electric Balance Bike Safely

Baby steps: it’s become a phrase we direct at both children and adults to encourage a pragmatic approach to learning a new skill. When there’s an element of risk involved it’s perhaps even more important to abide by the mantra.

Getting used to an electric balance bike for kids when you’re a toddler takes time, patience and plenty of supervision. Bear in mind young children don’t have the benefit of experience, so trial and error are going to be relatively new but key concepts. It is important to persevere during the early stages of learning as there are health benefits of balance bikes for toddlers.

Read on for the balance bike tips you need to get your child riding confidently and safely.

Let’s Start at the Very Beginning

Not all toddlers are the same. Like adults, they have different interests, strengths and weaknesses. There is no one-size-fits-all age you must get your child started on a balance bike.

Sometimes it might be at 2 years old or even younger but other kids may not be “good to go” at that age for a whole host of reasons. However, one of the key balance bike tips we can give you is that the younger you can encourage your child to start riding a balance bike the better.

Balance Bike Safety Tips

There are 3 key pieces of essential kit you’re going to need:

● A good quality, well-fitting helmet to protect their heads

● Enclosed footwear without shoe strings

● Choosing the right electric balance bike for their age and size

Getting your child used to wearing a helmet from an early age is good practice. It will set them up for the rest of their lives as they progress from a balance bike to an electric balance bike then graduate to an electric dirt bike. You might also want to invest in gloves, elbow and knee protectors in case of a fall.

Before letting your child use their balance bike, you must set the seat at the right height. Their feet should be able to touch and push off from the ground while sitting. This is easier for balance with their center of gravity being closer to the ground. Allowing your child to correct their position with their feet when they are off-balance fosters confidence.

Another of our top balance bike tips is choosing a balance bike that has an adjustable seat to allow for growth and to ensure they are always at the right height for their size.

The 4 Steps to Electric Balance Bike Heaven

1. Start and Walk

The journey to an electric balance bike begins with a little beginner balance bike that will allow your child to get comfortable being on two wheels. The little balance bikes are ideal from 3 years old. Switch the bike off and let them explore in non-powered mode.

This stage of start and walk is when your toddler will stand and walk with the bike, just as it sounds. The length of time for this stage of the learning process varies greatly from child to child.

2. Sit and Walk

Sooner or later, toddlers will learn to sit on the balance bike’s seat. However, they’re still likely to want to carry on walking the bike from time to time.

By now, the excitement about riding their bike takes over as they realize the potential of being on two wheels. The younger the child and the more cautious their personality is will play into how long this stage takes. Typically, when they have got to grips with sitting and walking, kids move on to the next “Sit and Run” stage relatively fast.

3. Sit, Run and Balance

3 to 4 years olds tend to work this stage out on their own. This is probably the shortest stage, sometimes in as little as a day, because once kids learn to balance, they quickly advance to running on their balance bike.

Children tend to feel freer on a balance bike when compared to a bicycle with training wheels. It makes sense to let your kids practice in places with plenty of open space allowing them to freedom to get some pace up.

Once your child has turned 3 years old and has mastered this stage, they are ready to safely enjoy the power of an electric balance bike. Graduating to an electric balance bike is a great way to help your little one to develop balance, motor skills, throttle control and hand-eye coordination from an early age.

4. Sit, Power, Glide and Explore

This is the most thrilling part of learning to ride an electric balance bike as they get to learn how to glide and explore their need for speed safely.

Once they’ve mastered using the power and really going for a ride, they can move onto courses that you set for them, little ramps and jumps. Keep a close eye on your child so that you can introduce them to more challenging locations to ride when they’re ready.

How Does a Child Stop on a Balance Bike?

Learning how to stop a fast-moving bike is crucial, especially when they are in the beginning stages. Kids will instinctively know to use their feet to stop but you will need to encourage them to stop with their feet flat on the ground. Many children begin by dragging their toes to stop which damages their shoes and also poses a risk of injury.

Once your child has turned 3 years old and has graduated to using an electric balance bike, they will need to learn to use the throttle and the brake to stop. This is often a very easy transition.

Safety First

We are passionate about children riding electric balance bikes safely and this is at the very core of our design.

We have recently upgraded our electric balance bikes to add on even more safety features for your peace of mind. One of these features is a 'coasting' (or 'kick-start') function in the lower speed settings. This is a training booster and a safety function at the same time.

Essentially, the throttle will only engage the motor when your youngster is already balancing and rolling. This feature reduces the risk of falls and unsteady starts from standstill. This function also promotes faster learning for young riders that are still practicing their balance as they will only get rewarded by motorised joy when they bring the bike into a stable and rolling position.

When your child masters the above, then (in the highest speed setting) the bike accelerates by throttle action to 18kph... just like a little electric dirt bike.

Order a New Electric Balance Bike for Kids Today!

Moving on to using the power of an electric balance bike is such an exciting experience for kids. It can make every day feel like Christmas as the thrill to get on the bike with the freedom to ride away and practice new tricks takes hold.

Electric balance bikes are also ideal for families with older children where the youngest needs to be able to keep up with their family on bike rides.

We at TAKANI have range of electric balance bikes and electric dirt bikes.

We are experts in our field, so if you have any questions about anything related to electric balance bikes, we’d love to offer you some guidance.