Originally Posted by
himespau
Yeah, I get the whole no training wheel thing. I'm just not sure how fast she'd outgrow a balance bike, and, if she outgrows it fast, if it'd be better to have pedals waiting and ready to go. How long did yours stay on balance bikes? A year? Less? More? Is it variable with each kid? Also, how do you know what the right size is? I like buying bike stuff, but not something she's going to outgrow right away and I'm not sure I want to drop $100 or so for a fancy balance bike that will be quickly outgrown.
My kids used their balance bikes for a year. If I had been more proactive, it could have been shorter.
If money is an issue (and, really, it should be), then I'd just do the regular bike and remove/not add the pedals. I'd go to your local bike store and have her sit on a few. My guess is that 12" wheels is what you'll want to do (and this should work for a few years).
If you find that 12" wheels are too big, then finding a 10" balance bike may be a reasonable choice...
Good luck (and when shopping for bikes, don't forget to look at Craig's list and garage sales),
Charles