The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Kids' Bike

Get your little one used to balancing on 2 wheels without the fuss of pedals. The Co-op Cycles REV 12 kids' balance bike has a maneuverable aluminum frame and rugged, kid-friendly construction.
Imported.
Best Use | Recreational Cycling |
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Recommended for Ages | 2+ years |
Recommended Rider Weight | Under 60 lbs. |
Frame | Aluminum step-through balance frame |
Handlebar Shape | Riser Bar |
Wheel Size | 12 inches |
Weight | 9 lbs. 0.3 oz. |
Bike Weight | Bike weight is based on median size, as sold, or the average of two median sizes. |
Gender | Kids' |
Sustainability | From a Climate Label Certified brand |
12 IN | |
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Reach | 233 |
Stack | 268 |
Effective Top Tube | 331 |
Seat Tube Center-Top | 150 |
Standover Height | 250 |
Head Tube Angle (degrees) | 71 |
Seat Tube Angle (degrees) | 70 |
Wheelbase | 567 |
Chainstay | 220 |
Fork Offset | 23 |
Measurements are stated in millimeters unless otherwise indicated.
From feedback to field testing, all of our gear is dialed-in by REI Co-op members. Their adventures informed every stitch and detail—making for better, longer-lasting gear.
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We came to Boston REI to pick a balance bike in person and this was the only option they had in a store, so we just went with it. It looks decent, but we quickly realized major drawbacks. Previously we owned Woom 1 (until stolen) so I have good comparison points to make. Major drawbacks of this bike: 1. No steering limiter. The major one. My little one keeps falling and hurting himself not having the limiter. He oversteers, hurts his belly, gets stuck, and falls down. I hope he gets used to it, but so far it causes us major tantrums, bike rejection and disappointment. 2. No hand break. Toddlers 2.5 + years old have no problems using child friendly hand break. Not having it makes them use their feet to control the speed. The major problem here is destroyed shoes. We made a mistake to wear expensive leather shoes the first day we purchased and tried this bike and both shoes got holes on them in just below 2 hours or riding. We would be much more happy to spend extra on a hand break than wasting expensive shoes every day. It's too wasteful and I am not sure how long we can take this amount of loss. Shoes are expensive these days 3. No feet rest. This bike is for older toddlers 2.5 years + based on the height of the seat. At this age kids become pretty good at using balance bikes and they want to rest their feet somewhere when riding down the hill. 4. This bike has super weird tire valve caps. The rear one on our bike does not close properly and the REI bike shop was of no help. They could not properly close it so it just hangs there loose. It is some "child proof" design that brings more issues for the non existing problem. 5. This bike is heavier than other high end 12 inch alternatives. For an adult it might not feel like much, but extra 3 pounds is very noticeable for a little toddler. My toddler keeps asking for our stolen Woom 1 complaining that this one is too heavy. It might not be too bad of a deal on a straight road, but as soon as they need to go over the elevation (like a small hill) they would drop the bike or ask for your help. It's just too heavy to push it up the hill. This bike weights 9 lbs. 0.3 oz. while Woom 1 weights 6.37 lb and Strider Pro weights just 5.6 lbs. If you want your toddler to enjoy little hills you would go for lighter options. 6. I agree with another comment —> The bolt that holds wheel and fork too wide - several inches —> kids hit bones on it. Other balance bikes like woom specifically protect kids bones and make it narrow. But this one is really poor design and my kid complains that it hurts his legs.
Extremely happy with my purchase. My son loved it so much he would ride his bike around the house regularly. So he quickly developed into a good rider and is too fast for us to keep up with on foot. Good problems to have. We've had it for about a year and my son still loves to ride it. Much lighter then the previous bycycle he had and it has proven to be very durable. Highly recommended as a beginner bike. REI, if you're reading this, i would pay xtra if I could add brakes. He's pretty fast on the bike and brakes with his shoes, it would be awesome if he had brakes to save the shoes and train him for the next bike.
best built balance bike I've seen with inflatable tires. Seat height is a little too high for my 1.5 y.o. but I 3d printed this seat and it works!: https://www.printables.com/model/941200-balance-bike-seat
Very nice construction, definitely worth not getting those cheap ones on bargain sites. My 2 and 4 year old both love it! Has helped them both with balance after just a couple days.
Purchased for my 2ish boy as a replacement to a cheaper balanced bike that was purchased second hand. My boy loves it! He rode it nonstop around the house for two weeks. It's much lighter and better quality than the previous one he had. Highly recommend. He's advanced so fast that I'm considering upgrading to a pedal version.
Got this for my son when he turned three. After a few tries he got the hang of it and loved it. He is now five and he was able to start riding a bigger bike with no training wheels within minutes since he already knew how to balance.
I just set this up and as a last step I was going to inflate the tires. My bike pump is too big to fit in the small wheel. The spokes and axel are in the way of the lever. So, now I need to either buy a new bike pump or return the bike.
Has worked great for my 2 yo. Light and sturdy. Been riding it for about 6 months now. Solid bike. No real issues, minor issue, grips can slide off. Easy fix.
Light but sturdy balance bike. My two year old took to it quick. Though, I did purchase a little handle that attaches to the back wheel bolts so I could guide him a bit in the beginning. The paint is a mate finish that scratches when he drops it or runs into things. I think it looks pretty cool regardless.
Got this for my 3 year old and she's doing great on it after only 2 days. Made very well and love the color options. I purchased in-store and it was fully assembled, so it was ready for my kid to ride as soon as we arrived home. Sturdy, strong wheels, and perfect size.