It was time to move on from our son’s super cute little balance bike and onto a “big boy’s bike” or so I thought.

I’d read about the pros and cons of training wheels and knew I wanted to avoid them at all costs.

But one Sunday afternoon, when we were at our local outdoor store, our then four year old saw the “most amazing bike ever”…complete with training wheels.

I love bike riding and as I watched my little guy enthusiastically belting around the store on the bike, I had visions of taking long bike rides together and so I caved and bought the bike.

The next day we took it out for a ride. It was like magic. No balance required on his new four-wheeler. But, compared to his little balance bike, I saw him lose focus and concentration in no time.

He no longer needed to balance and started intentionally crashing into the curb, riding too fast and losing control of his steering. He was having fun…but his riding skills were rapdily declining.

Ugh…what had I done?

I suddenly realised that all the reasons I’d read about why balance bikes were so amazing were 1000% true. Why?
Because there are four main skills kids need to master in order to ride a bike proficiently:

1. Balance
2. Stopping or Brakes
3. Steering
4. Pedaling

Where I’d gone wrong? My son hadn’t mastered steps 1-3 yet and we’d tried to leapfrog to step 4.

And so, we sold the clunky four wheeler on Craigslist and I started looking for what my son needed….a bigger balance bike.

And that’s when I found Woom – a company dedicated to designing and creating bikes specifically for kids. Rather than a bike company that makes smaller versions of adults bikes for kids. Huge difference.

These bikes are super lightweight – critical for kids learning to ride…and inevitably learning to fall. Their components are specifically designed for children, and the geometry is made for a child’s body.

Our son was ready for the Woom 3, a bike designed to help children aged four years and older learn how to ride and continuously improve their skills.

The upright position of the bikes makes it easy for kids to maintain their balance and at the same time keep an eye on everything going on around them.

The only downside…the cost.

So, after a few discussions, my husband and I decided to part with USD$389 and order our son the most incredible little bike.

When it arrived we put the Woom 3 together and left the pedals off so that it could remain a balance bike until he was ready for pedals.

To say this bike transformed our son as a rider is a massive understatement. His confidence grew immediately. I absolutely adore these bikes. We are now onto our second Woom bike – the Woom 4 – and I simply can’t imagine buying a different brand of bike for our son.

So, are the Woom bikes worth the cost?

Short answer: Absolutely, yes. Here’s why.

Lightweight: All Woom bikes are super lightweight. The Woom 3 weighs in at only 5.3 kg (11.68 lbs). This is key for little kids learning to ride (and fall). And when your child decides to play or run off and you’re left carrying the bike, you can carry it with one hand.

Beautiful design: We have literally been stopped in the street half a dozen times this past summer by people commenting on how beautiful my son’s bike is and also asking if the Woom bikes are worth the money. This brand is quickly becoming iconic and growing a base of raving fans. Their bikes are simply bright, gender neutral colours lending the bikes to easily be passed down to younger siblings.

Hand brakes: I wanted my son to learn to brake with hand brakes from the start; learning to operate a rear brake as early as possible makes it easier later on to use brakes on a pedal bike and can prevent accidents. Woom makes it easy with brake levers that are easy to pull with small hands. I also love that Woom had kids in mind when they designed the front and rear brakes to be colour-coded with a green rear brake lever and green rear brake pads so children don’t get front brake and rear brake mixed up.

Seat: a non-toxic saddle designed specifically for a child’s small pelvis to make it a super comfy ride.

Flexible Fit: It’s incredible that a few minor adjustments can transform the way your child rides their bike. Woom makes it easy to adjust your child’s bike to their growing body. This guide is really helpful.

Steering: Woom developed a steering limiter as an important safety feature to prevent the handlebars from overturning, helping kids to ride straight and therefore reduces the risk of accidents.

Safe investment: If you’re in the US, Woom has an upcyling program so you can exchange the bike your child outgrows for a new Woom bike for 40% off. And if you’re not in the US, these bikes hold their value so you could easily sell your much-loved, used Woom bike to a local family.

Here’s the Woom 3 in action for young kids learning to ride:

This is not an affiliate post or sponsored post. I genuinely love these bikes and so does my son – it was a game changer for us and I’ll share more about our bike riding journey in future posts! We purchased the Woom 3 bike ourselves and Woom gifted our son a Woom 4 when he outgrew his first Woom.