Balance Bike Build

angrybadger

angrybadger

Likes Dirt
Elbie said:
Has any one got one of these Commencal ramones 12?
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Dunno, I'd worry about having a rotor on a bike for a kid that young. Both my kids love to mess with their bikes on the floor, spin the wheels and poke at them while they go round. It's pretty heavy too. I'm a huge fan of Cruzees - 1.9 kg compared to 4.5kg for the Commencal, and I don't think a brake is vital - stopping with feet is surprisingly good.
 
XYGTHO

XYGTHO

Likes Dirt
Ive actually been thinking about putting some sort of brake on my daughters Giant balance bike. Stopping with feet works ok but she flies. She rides to daycare 3days a week and I have to run to keep up and then she still looses me. Gets tricky to stop at those speeds. Also had her on the trails and took her a bit to stop on a downhill slop, went over a small log (only 10-15cm tall) and was going semi quick and tried to stop but her shoes just skidded on the loose dirt. She is still to small for her pedal bike which has brakes.

Wonder if you can buy something?
 
fatboyonabike

fatboyonabike

Captain oblivious
this has just revived the plan to buy a Tig welder, and tubing bender..
custom made kids bikes.. made from old, discarded bikes - cut up and modified!
just have to finish the house reno's first.
 
foxpuppet

foxpuppet

Eats Squid
Most claims on brakes I saw was kids small enough to use a balance bike lack the strength needed to actuate a brake using the lever. I'm sure they could learn to use it though. But yeah most folks believe feet are enough. There's a few balance bikes that come with brakes but it's pretty uncommon.
belrose Bikes has that commencal model, I checked it out but it was too tall for my girl and heavy. Went with the cruzee for super low weight and lowest height seat I could get/mod.
 
XYGTHO

XYGTHO

Likes Dirt
foxpuppet said:
Most claims on brakes I saw was kids small enough to use a balance bike lack the strength needed to actuate a brake using the lever. I'm sure they could learn to use it though. But yeah most folks believe feet are enough. There's a few balance bikes that come with brakes but it's pretty uncommon.
belrose Bikes has that commencal model, I checked it out but it was too tall for my girl and heavy. Went with the cruzee for super low weight and lowest height seat I could get/mod.
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Yer some of the kids lever brakes are crap and hard to pull in.
 
D

dain2772

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Has anyone found a place to buy 12" or 12.5" wheels? I am looking to do the plywood balance bike DIY thing, but can't seem to find wheels anywhere - tyres and tubes, yes, wheels no.

Cheers!
 
9

99_FGT

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Check out first bike for the wheels, you can buy the spoked and tubed wheels as an upgrade
My 3yo is good on his balance bike (not as good as the fast falcon up there) but he won't use the brake, and that is concerning me in getting him onto a pedal bike.
 
rotorub

rotorub

Likes Dirt
foxpuppet said:
I didn't mind the overall concept of them, but seat was too high for my daughter with no chance of mods to lower it.

On a side note it seems the likeabike Kokua is back in stock here, distributor keeps sending me emails asking if I'm still keen.
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Thanks for your reply ....did you try the lowering kit....
I have these concerns also as my daughter is very short for her age of almost 2.
I am concerned also that she may not be tall enough even with the lowering kit fitted?
 
geoff_tewierik

geoff_tewierik

Likes Dirt
foxpuppet said:
thats a stunning bit of work, what was the final build cost?
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Just on $1k.

And for wheels, check out ebay and Amazon - both have them as items regularly listed. The aussie supplier I had FTR order mine from no longer stock them apparently.
 
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Slowman

Slowman

Likes Dirt
crummy? said:
Shaped up this little beastie from a curb-side clean-up bike. Ditched as many steel parts as possible, removed the seat-stays, adjusted the geometry.

View attachment 308991
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I like that idea, I wouldn't spend too much money on one.

For my kids I simply took the drive chain off on their ordinary bikes that had the training wheels. Without the training wheels, cranks and pedals they were free to use it like a balance bike...a month later I put the drive chain back on and they got on and pedaled a way. It really isn't a long transition, when they're ready it is a couple of wobbly starts and then they're off.
 
iUDEX_nCr

iUDEX_nCr

Likes Dirt
Slowman said:
I like that idea, I wouldn't spend too much money on one.

For my kids I simply took the drive chain off on their ordinary bikes that had the training wheels. Without the training wheels, cranks and pedals they were free to use it like a balance bike...a month later I put the drive chain back on and they got on and pedaled a way. It really isn't a long transition, when they're ready it is a couple of wobbly starts and then they're off.
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How old are your kids?
My little guy turns 2 in January. He's a pretty small kid though. Not sure if he'd fit.

But he's really keen on getting on a bike, been really enjoying just a wheel around on the top tube with a makeshift seat on my bike. I didn't even put him on it, he must have seen people pedaling around when I take him to the park.
 
link1896

link1896

Mr Greenfield
What is considered best practice for a child to get riding?

start with a trike I can push that he can pedal, then to a balance bike, then to a bike with drive train, skipping training wheels completely?

My little man in currently in the bottom 3% for height so I'm seeing custom balance bike and first bike will be on the cards.
 
Jim Junkie

Jim Junkie

Used to sell drugs, now he just takes them
Just about finished with the balance bike build for my kid, should easily be ready in time for Christmas.

WP_20151113_16_18_10_Pro.jpg

Made from 12mm CD Ply & stainless steel bits & pieces. Wheel are the Strider Ultralights you can get off Pushy's for about $20 each.

Still have the seat left to upholster, add some grips (I'm thinking some light rope), bar ends and a coat of paint to finish it off.

If anyone's interested, I did up some plans in CAD for each piece based on another design I found online to produce the templates. All prints 1:1 on a sheet of A1. I've got a few tweaks to make from things I encountered through this, but overall I think the process went pretty well.

The little guy seems to like it, he keeps walking off with the thing while I'm trying to finish it! Just about the right height, and the seat is adjustable (with a few more drill holes) for when he gets a bit bigger.
 
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