Trike vs. Bike with training wheels for 3 yr old

DS has a trike (radio flyer) which never really worked out for him - it is very hard to pedal and, since he is extremely tall for his age his knees hit the bars making it even more difficult.

So now, I'm torn - do I buy him another more user friendly trike or just skip to the bike with training wheels. I can't remember if there is a real difference?

He will be 3yrs and almost 4 mos on Christmas TIA!

Re: Trike vs. Bike with training wheels for 3 yr old

My older DD never really took to the tricycle, so we bought her a 2 wheeler with training wheels for her third birthday. She rides it great! She was very motivated to ride it with her cousins, so she really has taken off with it. She has had it for about 6 months and can ride around our block without any help from us (pushing, etc.)

Re: Trike vs. Bike with training wheels for 3 yr old

My son is the same height and finally took to riding his tricycle this week. I don't know what clicked for him but thankfully it did. He has had his for almost a year. I really thought that he might be to big for it, but it seems fine. It is the go green kettler trike. When I looked at trikes in store last year it was the largest one I saw on the floor.

Re: Trike vs. Bike with training wheels for 3 yr old

DD does okay with the tricyles at preschool - but she is short and some of them are just too big (we had to put blocks on the pedals for her to reach the pedals on her princess trike).

My parents took her to the mineola bike store last weekend and bought her a small bike with training wheels and she LOVES it. It is so much easier for her to pedal (I think pedaling down rather than forward is easier for her too). The seat raises higher so when she grows we can raise it to grow with her and the training wheels can be put higher as she gets better. She rides it for quite a distance now.

I would check out a bike store like that b.c my parents said that they are good with evaluating which ones are best for them and they can try them out in the store. They got her a helmet there too.

Re: Trike vs. Bike with training wheels for 3 yr old

DS is 2.5 and loves the Radio Flyer and Kettler trikes they have in the playground at daycare. We were considering getting him one for Christmas but were afraid he would grow out of before spring even came. So we are going to wait and get him a training wheels bike for his 3rd birthday in May.

Re: Trike vs. Bike with training wheels for 3 yr old

Go for a bike with training wheels. I bought both my sons bikes with training wheels for their third birthdays. While both learned before 3 on either a trike or big wheel (both did much better on a big wheel than the trike - neither loved a trike) they were both fine with a bike at 3 with training wheels. My younger one did much better with his bike than a trike and still even does...he is 3 yrs and 3 mos old. He is a maniac on his bike!!!! Speed demon. Both my sons were around 75-85 percentile for height at 3yrs. I bought my older the 16 in to start and my younger the 12 in. While the older one could ride the bigger size - he did get intimitated after his 1st big fall thus why I started the younger son with the 12in and it worked well for me. So even though it would only last a year being they are on the taller side - I figured it was worth it. Plus I knew the older would grow into his brothers 16in and I had it waiting.