Big balance bikes for taller children

Balance bikes are a great way to get children to learn to ride a bike. They provide a fun way to get used to moving around on two wheels, mastering balance, steering and braking, before introducing the complexity of pedaling.

If your child isn't yet ready to move onto a pedal bike but is too tall for the traditional 12" frames listed in our guide to the best balance bikes, don't worry!

In this article, we're taking a look at those bigger balance bikes suitable for older and taller children.

Sizing and age - is my child too old / tall for a balance bike?

The majority of balance bikes come with 12" wheels and are suitable for children about 3 - 4 years in age. However, there are some larger balance bikes now available which are designed for taller children. These are usually marketed at ages 4 and over, but of course, the individual measurements of your child will vary.

Balance bikes for older kids

Here's our selection of the best balance bikes for children aged 5 and over. They vary in size and price, with some converting to pedal bikes when the time is right, and others being pure balance bikes with bigger wheels and higher standover height.

Woom 1 Plus

Cycle Sprog reviewed and recommended brand!

Woom Bikes are an Austrian company renowned for the quality of their bikes.  They have a "big balance bike" available - called the Woom 1 Plus - which comes with 14" wheels.

It is sized for children aged between about three and a half to 5 years of age, with a height of between 95cm and 110cm.   The saddle height ranges from 37.5cm to 47cm.

The Woom 1 Plus is available in 5 different colours - including yellow (which isn't the easiest colour to find!). It comes with both front and rear brakes.

We've reviewed a few Woom Bikes (including their 14" wheel pedal bike, the Woom 2) and our reviewers have always been very impressed with the quality and longevity of these bikes.

Price: £245

Buy New Buy Used

Kidvelo Rookie 14 and 18

Cycle Sprog reviewed and recommended brand!

Kidvelo are a company determined to shake up the balance bike industry with their uniquely designed bikes that aim to get children pedalling more quickly.

They've just released two new bikes that start off as big balance bikes and convert to pedal bikes.

The Rookie 14 (for ages 3 to 6 years) and the Rookie 18 (ages 4-8 years) are great value ways to help your child transition from balance biking to pedalling.

Alternatively you can just use them in balance only, or pedal only mode, depending on the needs of your child.

We've reviewed the Kidvelo Rookie 12 (which is a smaller balance bike) and were really impressed with the design and quality of the bike.

Prices starting from £235

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Hornit AIRO 14

Cycle Sprog reviewed and recommended brand!

New for this year, the Hornit AIRO 14 is a balance bike designed for beginners that are a bit older or taller, but also for kids looking to move onto their next balance bike as they've outgrown the current one!

Built around a super lightweight frame, the AIRO 14 comes with a rear mounted drum brake that is easy to use due to the TEKTRO lever designed for small hands.

It's available in two colours, Hammer Yellow or Magma Red, and comes with a lifetime warranty on the frame and forks.

Priced at £189

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Frog Tadpole Plus

Cycle Sprog reviewed and recommended brand!

Frog Bikes are one of the most popular brands of quality kids bikes, and they have three balance bikes in their offering - including the large 14" wheel Tadpole Plus.

This is a balance bike designed for taller children, with a minimum inside leg of 38cm. It comes in four colour choices - red, pink, green and blue.

It has a rear brake, but not a front brake, which will help ease a child into learning to brake gently.

We've reviewed a wide range of Frog Bikes over the years although not this specific model, and have always been impressed with their quality.  This is reflected in their second-hand values - these bikes are designed to be outgrown and passed on!

The Frog Tadpole Plus is currently the only larger balance bike available at the popular Bike Club - where you pay a monthly subscription and upgrade your bike when your child grows.

Prices from £220 (or £7.99 monthly hire)

Buy New Hire Buy Used

Black Mountain bikes

Cycle Sprog reviewed and recommended bikes!

The really clever thing about Black Mountain Bikes is that they're a bike that can be configured to be either a balance bike OR a pedal bike.

Their larger wheels sizes come with gears so your child can continue to progress with their riding once they've mastered pedalling.

Plus, the frame size of their bikes is adjustable, so as your child grows you can extend the frame, meaning the bike will last longer.  Because these bikes will ultimately end up as pedal bikes, they come with both front and rear brakes (which you don't always get on other balance bikes). This means your child can get used to the braking action before progressing to pedalling.

A Black Mountain Bike will help give peace of mind that you've got a bike that will grow with your child.  It also saves you money as you're not buying multiple bikes and they will have a great resale value when you finally sell them on.

You can read a cost comparison here.

Prices starting from £399

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Black Mountain Bikes (who are based in the Black Mountains of Wales) currently have four different models - it's the 18" wheel KAPEL or the 20" wheel HUTTO that you need to be looking at if you've got an older child (shown here with the smaller 16" wheel SKOG)

Black Mountain Bikes suggest the KAPEL would be suitable for a child from 110cm, or approx 5 years old when in mode 1 and when the bike is fully extended they should be able to enjoy it until they're around the 128cm height or about 7.5 years.

The HUTTO is aimed at slightly taller children, from 118cm, around the 6 years old mark, until they reach 134cm or about 8.5 years.

You can read how our reviewer got on using the HUTTO in balance bike mode and then progressing to pedalling.

Obviously, all children grow at different rates, so the ages are a guide only and we'd recommend basing the bike you need on height.

These two larger models don't come with the balance bike option as standard, but you can specify when you order that you want it delivered in balance bike mode rather than pedal bike mode.

There's an extra cost for a balance bike conversion kit for these large bikes - they'll send the pedal/gear kit in a box for you to fit when your child is ready.

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Ridgeback Scoot XL

The Ridgeback Scoot XL is a 14" wheel balance bike aimed at children who are too tall for their smaller 12" wheel offering.

Their website states that the Scoot XL is suitable for children between 100cm and 110cm in height, which is roughly up to age 5, depending on how tall your child is.

There are 6 different colour choices available, including black, lime green, purple and pink and the bike is fitted with a rear brake.

Price: £124.99

Buy New Buy Used

Islabikes: Rothan 14

Cycle Sprog reviewed and recommended brand

Islabikes are the leading children's bike brand with a comprehensive collection of bikes. The Rothan 14" is their larger balance bike which is aimed at children with an inside leg of 36cm upwards.

The new 14” wheeled balance bike fits children from approximately 3 years old and is perfect for mastering two-wheel balance ready for their first pedal bike.

It weighs in at 3.4kg, meaning it is effortless for young children to pick up and ride, and easy for parents to carry.

Price: £199.99

Strider 20 Sport - best balance bike for teenagers

Frustratingly larger balance bikes for teenagers and adults aren't very common.

Strider in the USA make the Strider 20 Sport which is designed for teenagers and adults, with an inside leg measurement of between 69.9cm and 84.6cm.

Sadly their UK franchisee does not stock this bike.  We contacted the USA HQ in March 2023 to ask them if someone in the UK could order the bike from them and pay for shipping and the reply was sadly:

Hello Karen, Thank you for your interest in our Strider 20x model. Unfortunately, we are unable to sell or ship outside the United States. Have a wonderful day!

Not quite the smiley faced answer I was hoping for!

The bike does occasionally come up for sale secondhand in the UK.

Other balance bikes for teenagers and adults 

If your teen isn't too tall (118cm to 134cm), then the Black Mountain HUTTO on the larger frame size could work for them (remember to buy the balance bike conversion kit).

For a balance bike that is more likely to fit a teenager or adult, there's the SUYUDD 18" wheel balance bike.  

It says it is suited for people 135-170cm tall, with a saddle range of 65cm - 80cm.

We can't vouch for this bike, as we don't know anyone who's used it, so do please let us know how you get on if you do buy it.  Thanks!

WeeRide Delux Balance Bike

WeeRide are another brand making balance bikes aimed at the 3 to 5-year-old age range. The WeeRide Delux has 14" wheels, but this bike differs from others shown as it has a rear band brake.

This type of brake is not usually found in Europe, but is a more popular option in the Asian market.

Worth considering if you're either a bike nerd who would love this type of brake, or the complete opposite and who may struggle to find a mechanic who could fix if anything went wrong.

Other articles you should read whilst your here:

• Cycling with older kids who have a disability or special needs
• Choosing the best balance bike for your child
• The best balance bikes as recommended by parents
• Black Mountain Bikes release new 18" and 20" wheel "growing" kids bikes
• Best kids 20" wheel mountain bikes for 5 and 6 year olds
• The best 18" wheel kids bikes
• The best bikes for 6 and 7 year old kids (20" wheels)
• Before you buy a bike for your teenager answer these questions