24 March 2015

REVIEW: Kiddimoto Kurve Balance Bike

Check your balance.

In the wake of last summer's Grand Depart, and in the run-up to the new Tour de Yorkshire, cycling has never been so popular in the UK. But as you don your fancy cycling gear and sit bestride your high-tech road bike, it's worth remembering that everyone has to start somewhere. Enter Kiddimoto with their brand new range of balance bikes for toddlers, the Kurve.


Balance bikes are something that only parents might be familiar with. Essentially they are bicycles for very young kids who are migrating from the tricycle phrase to riding something with two wheels. Lacking any pedals, the bikes are intended to help kids learn how to balance before moving onto something bigger.

That is what Kiddimoto have made in the Kurve, their new range of balance bikes designed from a simple curve of wood, complete with turning handle bars, adjustable seat, and loads of funky paint jobs. The bike itself requires assembly, but this is as easy as screwing in a few bolts through the wheels and steering column, then attaching the handlebars. It took us ten minutes using the included Alan keys.


The bike itself is made from birch plywood which has been sourced from manageable forests, while the coat of paint, rubber grips, and any small plastic parts, are all non-toxic. Speaking of the design, we were sent the 'Skullz', complete with skull and crossed bones motifs, but many others are available. The designs feature Union Jacks, butterflies and some are even inspired by Jorge Lorenzo and Evel Knievel! We were happy to see that none of the designs were gender specific (pink one for the girly girls, blue one with guns for the gruff boys), and think that any child would love all of them.


And that was surely confirmed by our expert four year old reviewer, who despite being a bit of a girly girl herself, loved the pirate themed designs of our Kiddimoto Kurve. As the Kurve aims to cater for the three to six years age group, she was a perfect test pilot for the maiden voyage. Just a note on that - although the Kurve does state it is designed for kids up to the age of six, we couldn't see how our four and a half year old tester would get any more than six months use out of it. She's not a big girl in any way, so if you're considering getting this for an older child it might be worth checking out the Kiddimoto site to check size and dimensions.


Anyway, she loved it. Although the Kurve was not her first balance bike (in fact , she really wanted us to let you know that she's already graduated to an actual bike) she seemed to relish whizzing about the garden on it, gracefully bouncing over bumps thanks to the 12-inch pneumatic tyres with an actual inner tube. The steering column is locked at about 30 degrees, meaning the bike can never jack-knife, and the wheels are solid wood, so no worries about snapping spokes.


This is a great first bike for kids, and a definite stopping point on the road to winning their own yellow jersey.

£64.99

Available from www.amazon.co.uk

For more reviews on balance bikes checkout www.proscootersmart.com



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