When I was looking to get our kids started on bikes, I did a lot of research. Two things came out of it: training wheels are a bad idea, and the right place to start is a balance bike.
After the balance bike stage, what mattered most was weight and kid-specific ergonomics — bikes actually engineered for small bodies, not adult components shrunk down.
A handful of brands came up:
- Woom / Woom Off Air
- Whyte
- Cleary
- Scout
- Vitus
- Frog MTB 69
- Frog MTB 72
I settled on Woom and stuck with it the whole way — Woom 3 up through the Woom Off Air 6. I’d have started even earlier with their balance bike, but I didn’t find the brand until I was already researching first pedal bikes.
They’re pricey, and worth it. Very light, not intimidating, with brakes and grips actually sized for small hands. Every kid who came over to ride one ended up wanting one. The bikes earn their reputation.
The resale market is solid too. When your kid outgrows one, you can hand it off to a family that wants a great bike without the new-bike price. We did the same on the way up.
Our kids learned fast, and we were able to do family rides early. We may have pushed them a little too far too early — that’s not the bike’s fault. They’re 10 and 11 now, and we’re still working on getting them excited to ride again.
A few things I’d add
- Get a kickstand if the bike doesn’t come with one. Cheap insurance against tip-overs.
- We live near an unpaved rail trail, so I swapped the tires for wider, more off-road-friendly ones.
- Fenders help a lot if you’re not riding on pavement.
- Gel seats and slip-on gel cushions saved us from “my butt hurts” complaints on longer rides.
Even that's Odd 
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