bikes for 3yo

my LOs will be 3 and we are looking to get them bikes!
i read on here A LOT about balance bikes. what are they? are they really better than regular bikes with training wheels? how do they ride them IF they have no training wheels?

 

They use their feet to push them pretty much glide on them. It's pretty neat. It teaches them balance mostly. My kids still can't pedal for some reason...

 

is it better for them not to learn to pedal first?

 

The hardest thing about learning to ride a bike is learning to balance. The peddling will come if they are confident with their balancing.

 

I promised my girls bikes when they turned 4. They are on balance bikes right now and loving them. They are getting pretty good at it and maybe by the end of summer they will be ready for pedals. I would recommend balance bikes first.

 

My 2 had balance bikes & absolutely LOVED them. Lila moved to a regular bike last summer (no training wheels) & was doing great in less than an hour of trying because she had learned to balance so well on her balance bike. Luke is still working on the transition, mostly because he still loves the balance bike & is a lot more cautious than Lila.

ETA I recommend balance bikes with hand brakes because it is helpful in the transition if they have already learned how to use brakes.