Tricycle, Small Bike with Training Wheels, Big Wheel or Power Wheels?

We got DD a pink folding Radio Flyer trike with front basket/doll holder when she was 3. She still rides it. She's a cautious child, so the trike was the right choice for us vs the bike with trainers. Power wheels are no fun when the battery gets warn out and kids run each other over. A trike puts her up off the ground vs a big wheel.

A balance bike such as a strider or a shut would be perfect for his age. These style of bikes help them transition to a two-wheeler more smoothly.

None of the above! Seriously, get a balance bike! They are awesome! And your little one will be riding a real bike so much sooner. Furthermore, you won't be that parent trailing behind their kid pushing, balancing and interfering. Both my kids used ours and amazed me. You will not be disappointed. Here is the link to the one we have:

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/kids/hotrockboys/h...

The one we bought is a bit expensive, but there are cheaper models out there. Just be sure to buy something lightweight. The cheap, heavy bikes, tricycles and big wheels are a huge waste of money (yes, we've bought them all). Good luck!

A Strider bike!! Our daughter went from pedaling a Fisher Price trike at 18 mo. to a strider at 2 1/2 and now she just got a 12" big girl bike for Christmas (she will be 4 this month) and literally within 1 hour outside, she could ride the new bike without training wheels. Less than a month later she was cruising all over the neighborhood and starting and stopping by herself.

We went backwards with her older brother and started him on a Strider but then he got a trike from Grandma and that became his go to bike. When he was 4 we got him a bigger bike (one size up from 12") and at 5 1/2 he is still using training wheels with no sign of giving them up.

My recommendation is definitely a Strider bike and then go straight to a 12" without training wheels. If you go with a balance bike, we LOVE our Strider brand.

I would go with a bike. My kids learned to ride without training wheels as soon as they could pedal. My daughter was just under 3 and my son 3 1/2. They were on the young side, but I don't think a tricycle would last very long for the average three year old.

He is probably at the tale end of getting use out of the tricycle. The big wheels are fun, but if you aren't careful, you'll wind up getting something he isn't tall enough to use. And we have friends who refuse to give up their big wheels to ride bikes, because they take comfort in being low to the ground. We have a love/hate relationship with the power wheels truck. The kids do have fun with it, but they get little exercise using it, we do have to keep up with the battery and keeping it charged and it takes up a ton of space. So my vote if for a bicycle!

Does your child know how to pedal already? If not, I'd start with a tricycle.

My 3 yr old has a tricycle and a big wheel, but he never wants to ride the big wheel. My older son does, though.

Big wheel for sure.

Or a balance bike. Your kiddo will learn to balance/glide and will have a much easier time of learning to ride a bike (in a year or two).

That said, my 3yo has had use of her older sister's trike and still loves it (even though she's getting too big for it now since she's tall). We got her a balance bike for her 3rd birthday, and she's not interested yet. She prefers her trike. However, if the only option was the balance bike, I think she'd go for it.

I absolutely agree with the balance bike -- there are articles that talk about how much harder it is to learn balance than pedaling and that if a child learns to balance first, the pedaling comes more quickly. If someone is handy in your family, you can convert a regular two wheel bike to a balance bike just by taking off the pedal cranks. Big wheels/power wheels are generally too big for 3 year olds (or at least my kids were too small for them). I so wish I had gone the balance bike route, but we had already invested in a traditional bike with pedals when I learned about them and my kids didn't want me to take the pedals off.

big wheel, hands down, best thing we have. My kids have bikes too, but they love their big wheels. it's their go too vehicle of choice, and they have lots of options.

Small bike with training wheels!

We started w/a tricylce but before age 3 your little one may be too big for
a tricycle. If so, go with a small (low to the ground) bike w/training
wheels.

Edit: Gets them used to pedaling & balance all in one. Plus if your
little one is anything like my little one, you'll be taking the training
wheels off quite early & turning it into a reg 2 wheel bike.

Agreed. 3 is too old for a tricycle. Go with the small bike with training wheels. When it's time you can take training wheels off and use it like a balance bike. Worked for us! Big wheels are very different and we have both, and sometimes they just like to zoom around on them. They still use both though. On a big wheel though I would make sure your child could reach the pedals.

It depends on your terrain. If you have roads or sidewalks where they have a lot of path to ride then the bike would be the best. Also if it's more ground cover. Bikes are easier to pedal over grass and gravel.

I would definitely go with a balance bike as well. My son was able to skip training wheels altogether because of cruising around on a balance bike and he started writing a regular bike at four years old. I don't think 3 is too old for a trike, but I think a balance bike will give you the biggest bang for your buck.

I say a bike with training wheels. That way it will last for a while. A tricycle will only last a short time and so will the others. With the training wheels they can be taken off once he learns how to ride. That's what we did for both our boys.

I like this:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13092087

(smart trike 4 in 1)

I want to get it for my 2 year old.

I think 3 is too young for a bike, but i could be wrong.

I hate power wheels! no exercise, waste.

I vote for a small bike with training wheels, at this age might as well skip the tricycle or big wheels, he will be outgrowing them soon anyway. I am not a fan of power wheels, I don't like the inactivity when using them. I think the bike is the best choice for this age and will grow with him the most.