Transition Bikes

Our 3 yo is getting to be too big for her small 10" balance bike. Going forward I want to avoid stabilisers, and also want the option to attach her to the back of mine with a followme tandem to commute to nursery/school. It seems like there's a few options going forward

1. Get a 12" balance bike with a higher seat. Get a separate proper bike in about a year ish

2. Get a convertible one like a littlebig bike that starts off as a balance and converts into a proper bike

3. Get a proper bike and just take the pedals off, and put them back on at some stage

I think I am leaning towards either option 2 or 3? Anyone experience with this stage? I am moderately but not very handy with my own bike in that I can replace the chain myself but never taken pedals off

What do you guys think? I wanted to make this into a trail bike 27.5 front and 26 rear

My almost 3.5 year old is relentlessly asking for a bike with pedals. She's been riding her balance bike for about 6 months now and can glide etc comfortably. We had assumed that she'd ride the balance bike for another year, but she thinks otherwise. However, we definitely don't see kids as small as her riding pedal bikes. Unfortunately in our area bikes are generally sold in April and May - if we try to buy a bike later in the year it will be much more expensive with less choice. So I'm hoping Reddit can help. At what age do kids usually transition from the balance bike to a pedal bike? Do we do an "intermediate step" of the pedal bike with training wheels since she's so small? Will that undo her balancing skills from the balance bike?

Edit: thanks for the comments everyone - maybe she will be getting her bike sooner than I thought!

Hi all,

I'm thinking about putting clipless pedals on my second hand Specialized Allez which currently has flat pedals.

Is the difference in power noticeable from others that have made the transition?

Which pedals and/or shoes would you recommended preferably on the cheaper side but also decent?

Any advice or insight would be appreciated:)

I'm looking at getting into the BMX scene, especially street and possibly park. I'm a beginner in this type of stuff, I've been riding around a 98 Hoffman Condor and wonder what the transition will be like. Also wondering on any recommendations for a starter BMX, I'm 5"7 (173cm) and 77kg (169lbs). Currently looking at 2021 Sunday Primer.

So. I figured that since I already understand how to ride a motorcycle then a stick car shouldn't be much of a problem. I was wrong. Starting to get the hang of it but cant seem to get a smooth downshift to save my life.

Biggest issue I'm having is that my left foot only really seems to know up and down. I can't really feel much of anything and end up relying on hearing the rpm drop to know much of anything. Other issue is really just feeling awkward and slow to get between gears. H pattern is Suprisingly different from sequential, who would have guessed /s.

Any tips other than practice? I don't mind too bad if I wreck the clutch, but I really don't want to damage the trans.

The background; was having trouble getting past about 90km on my Focus Cayo. Turns out was sold a bike a size too small for me and trying to squeeze on it even after a pro fit I’d still have trouble in lower back and saddle comfort (yes tried several saddles too).

In doing some research and talking to people determined I need a bigger frame. Same time I’ve decided to train for tri’s so decided to look that direction. Enter a nice new P3 Cervelo (61cm frame, thing is massive).

Was a pretty regular rider before getting this bike (about 8 years) regular ride being 50km several times a week. I knew the tri bike would use the legs differently (save those precious hamstrings for the run) but have discovered 2 things. I was a heavy hamstring user and this things LOVES quads!

I don’t remember feeling like I was struggling this much when I first started riding let alone this many years in. I’m having to re-think my riding style, I was a heavy gear and grind guy, now learning I need to drop it one or two and spin. I thought the shoulders in aero position would be the problem but my quads are straining from the go.

4th ride in and finally hit that 50km mark. Was happy to see pace was 1.5km/h faster than the old bike but quads definitely letting me know. The job now is keep chipping away building those quads up to suit and hopefully push to break that 90km barrier that’s haunted me for years.

So, after that long story, anyone else made this transition? What was your experience? Does the quad destruction take long to start to manage? Love the bike but the mental aspect of feeling like I’ve taken a step backwards is taking some work.

Cheers for reading