Balance Bikes
Balance bikes with pedals
A convertible balance bike takes a bolt-on pedal kit when your child is ready, turning one frame into two stages. The trade is weight: the Strider 14x is 12.5 lb as a balance bike and 15.1 lb with pedals, against 6.7 lb for a dedicated 12-inch.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through one, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes which bike we put first — here is exactly how we make money.
Convertibles are a real answer to a real problem: the balance-bike stage is short, and buying twice is annoying. The catch is that a convertible is heavier than a dedicated balance bike at the start and heavier than a dedicated pedal bike at the end.
The arithmetic
| Bike | Role | Weight | Saddle range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strider 12 Sport | Balance only | 6.7 lb | 11–17" |
| Strider 14x | Balance mode | 12.5 lb | 15–22" |
| Strider 14x + pedal kit | Pedal mode | 15.1 lb | 15–22" |
| woom GO 2 | Pedal only | 12.2 lb | 15.5–19.3" |
| Prevelo Alpha One | Pedal only | 11.3 lb | 14.75–25.2" |
Manufacturer figures, read 2026-09-23. Prevelo publishes its weights without pedals fitted.
Read the last three rows together. In pedal mode the convertible weighs more than either dedicated 14-inch pedal bike, and it still has no hand brake — Strider's pedal mode is coaster only. That is the honest cost of the flexibility, and we take the 14x apart figure by figure in our Strider 14x review.
When a convertible is the right call
Buy one if your child is starting the balance stage late — around four — and you expect the whole balance phase to last months rather than years. The 15 to 22 inch saddle range on the 14x is long enough that a four-year-old will still fit it at six, which is genuinely unusual.
Buy one if a second purchase is genuinely off the table. A heavier bike that exists beats a lighter bike that does not.
When it is not
Skip it if your child is starting at two. They will spend two years on the balance bike, and a 12.5 lb frame is a lot for a 27 lb toddler to pick up every time it falls. Buy a dedicated 6.7 lb balance bike and sell it on — used balance bikes hold value well, because every parent in your neighborhood is in the same loop.
Skip it if brakes matter to you. The convertible route arrives at the pedal stage with no hand brake at all, and a hand brake is the skill worth having by then.
The picks
Every figure below is the manufacturer's own published spec, linked to the page we read it from, so you can check the one number your decision turns on — here is how we choose.
Quick picks — sorted by the inseam it fits
| # | Product | Score | Best for | Inseam | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Top pickStrider 14x Classic The convertible answer: one frame that runs as a balance bike now and takes pedals later, at the cost of being heavier than either a dedicated balance bike or a good 14-inch pedal bike. | 9.6/10 | One bike across two stages | 16–23" | |
| 2 |  Strider 12 Sport The widest fit range of any 12-inch balance bike we found, and the one most likely to still fit a year after you buy it. | 9.8/10 | The widest age window | 12–18" | |
| 3 |  woom GO 1 The lowest published saddle height here, which is the whole argument for it: it fits a 10-inch inseam, and almost nothing else does. | 9.8/10 | The smallest riders | 10–14.4" |
n/p = the manufacturer does not publish that figure. Every other spec number here comes straight off their spec page. Scores are ours, on the 8.4–9.8 scale explained on our how we choose page.
Top pick — One bike across two stages
Category-defining · our scale
Strider 14x Classic
The convertible answer: one frame that runs as a balance bike now and takes pedals later, at the cost of being heavier than either a dedicated balance bike or a good 14-inch pedal bike.
| Wheel | 14" |
|---|---|
| Weight | 12.5 lb |
| Fits inseam | 16–23 in |
| Saddle height | 15–22 in |
| Brakes | None in balance mode; in pedal mode the Easy-Ride kit adds a coaster brake, never a hand brake |
| Gearing | Converts to single-speed with the separate Easy-Ride pedal kit |
| Frame | Steel |
| Brand says | Manufacturer says riders 37–49 in tall, up to 80 lb |
Why we picked it
- 15–22 in saddle range is the longest runway in this registry
- Pedal kit bolts on in minutes when the child is ready
- Air tires on alloy rims
Good to knowThe Easy-Ride pedal kit is a separate purchase, and at 12.5 lb this is built to cover two stages rather than to be the lightest 12-inch alternative.
How we checked it: Researched from published specs · Strider — 14x Classic specs
#ad · How we make money · Price as of November 12, 2026
#2 — The widest age window
Category-defining · our scale
Strider 12 Sport
The widest fit range of any 12-inch balance bike we found, and the one most likely to still fit a year after you buy it.
| Wheel | 12" |
|---|---|
| Weight | 6.7 lb |
| Fits inseam | 12–18 in |
| Saddle height | 11–17 in |
| Brakes | None — riders stop with their feet |
| Gearing | None (balance bike) |
| Frame | Steel |
| Brand says | Manufacturer says 1–4 years |
Why we picked it
- 11–17 in saddle range covers a 12–18 in inseam — roughly two years of growth
- 6.7 lb, light enough for a toddler to pick up unaided
- Flat-free foam tires never need air
- Tool-free saddle and bar adjustment
Good to knowFoam tires and a steel frame mean nothing to inflate and nothing to break; there is no hand brake at this stage, so feet do the stopping.
How we checked it: Researched from published specs · Strider — 12 Sport specs
#ad · How we make money · Price as of November 12, 2026
#3 — The smallest riders
Category-defining · our scale
woom GO 1
The lowest published saddle height here, which is the whole argument for it: it fits a 10-inch inseam, and almost nothing else does.
| Wheel | 12" |
|---|---|
| Weight | 6.4 lb |
| Fits inseam | 10–14.4 in |
| Saddle height | 10.2–13.9 in |
| Brakes | Child-friendly mini V-brake with a hand lever |
| Gearing | None (balance bike) |
| Frame | 6061 aluminum |
| Brand says | Manufacturer says 1.5–3.5 years |
Why we picked it
- 10.2 in minimum saddle height fits genuinely small toddlers
- 6.4 lb aluminum frame — the lightest in this registry
- Has a real hand brake, so braking is learned before the pedal bike
- Air tires
Good to knowThe 13.9 in saddle ceiling is the number to check - it is built for small riders, so a fast-growing toddler moves up to the GO 2 sooner.
How we checked it: Researched from published specs · woom — GO 1 specs
#ad · How we make money · Price as of November 12, 2026
Questions parents actually ask
01Can you put pedals on a balance bike?
Only if it was designed for it. The Strider 14x takes an optional Easy-Ride pedal kit; a standard 12-inch balance bike has no bottom bracket and cannot be converted.
02Are convertible balance bikes worth it?
They are if your child starts the balance stage late and you want one purchase. They are not if they start at two — the extra weight is significant for a toddler and dedicated balance bikes resell well.
03How much does the pedal kit add?
Strider publishes 12.5 lb without the kit and 15.1 lb with it, so about 2.6 lb.
Our recommendation
Top pick
9.6/10Strider 14x Classic
One bike across two stages. The Easy-Ride pedal kit is a separate purchase, and at 12.5 lb this is built to cover two stages rather than to be the lightest 12-inch alternative.
#ad · How we make money · Price as of November 12, 2026
Runner-up
9.8/10Strider 12 Sport
The widest age window. Foam tires and a steel frame mean nothing to inflate and nothing to break; there is no hand brake at this stage, so feet do the stopping.
#ad · How we make money · Price as of November 12, 2026
Sources
Read next
- Balance BikesBest balance bikesFour real balance bikes, compared on saddle height and weight.
- Learning to RideWhen to switch from a balance bike to a pedal bikeThree readiness signals, and what to buy when they appear.
- Balance BikesBest balance bike for a 4 year oldWhat actually fits a 4-year-old, by saddle height.
- First Pedal BikesBest first pedal bikesSeven real bikes, from 11.3 lb to 21.16 lb, on published specs.
- Balance BikesBest balance bike for a 5 year oldThe balance bikes that still fit at five — and when to skip to pedals.