Originally Posted by
Harhir
We bought our daughter a balance bike as a starter bike. There are different sizes available. I was surprised how fast she learned the balance on this bike. And within a few weeks she was riding like a dare devil. When we moved her to a regular bike she basically did not need training wheels anymore. Meanwhile there are lots of used balance bikes out there for just a few $$. I would try one of these.
A balance bike is the right idea, but larger balance bikes for a 9 yo are not a mainstream item (I think they do make them, but may be more expensive). Just take the cranks, BB and chain off of the 20" bike you already have and it will become a larger balance bike. If you can't do it yourself a good bike shop will likely do it for a few bucks or free if you buy something else. A bad/expensive bike shop would still be about $20 max, I would think. Then, when she is balancing and coasting fairly well, you can just put everything back on.