When you toddler gets their first bike it can be a very exciting experience, especially if your child is a recipient of a balance bike, the bike that allows your child how to learn to balance naturally without the added pressure of learning to pedal and balance at the same time and without the assistance of training wheels, which can actually hinder the learning process. However, one of the things that you have to remember when you purchase a balance bike is that it is still a bicycle and there should be real concern for your child’s safety and the appropriate toddler gear should be purchased when you purchase the balance bike.
One of the easiest things to find is the safety gear, however for toddler gear, you do need to ensure that your child’s gear fits them appropriately. The helmet needs to fit properly and not slip and slide when your child moves their head around. Fortunately, many helmets come with additional padding that can be added or removed from the inside of the helmet to get the appropriate fit. What’s more, the chin strap is adjustable as well to ensure that your child is well protected.
Other toddler gear that you will need to purchase are elbow pads, knee pads, wrist guards and shin guards. You will want to ensure two things, firstly that they are safety rated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), you should check for this sticker for all your safety gear. Just like the helmet, your child’s safety gear should fit snugly but not hurt when wearing. While adjustable wear is a little more expensive it will provide you with two thing, a good fit and longer use as you can adjust them as they grow bigger as well.
While this in not part of the safety gear, a safe place for your child to rid their balance bike is vitally important to their safety. Make sure that you choose a place that has nothing but foot and bike traffic (no cars please). Also, choose a location that makes it easy for you to stay with your child while they are riding so that you can be there in an instant if they fall hard enough to hurt themselves. Most of all, make sure that their are few distractions so that they can focus on their bikes and have fun!
