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He's almost 4 and has balance bike. He doesn't ride it a lot but when he does he has fun. He won't even try to ride a bike with pedals and training wheels though....not sure why.

We are avid cyclists so started our son on a balance bike at 18 months. (prob too early but it was a Christmas present) At 2 years and 9 mos right now he rides the thing every single day. My husband gets on his mtn bike and they play follow the leader in the yard. He rides it down little step drops (no more than 2 inches), over every stick he can find, and sometimes forgets to drag his feet on hills - but he always seems to save it before he crashes! We go to a local paved trail and he'll ride it for 2 miles - which is crazy he has that stamina. We'll probably have him riding (trying) a regular 2-wheeler by the end of the summer.

Needless to say - I'm a fan of the balance bike! Ours is the performance brand.

DD will be 3 in about a month, and up until now she's been riding the Radio Flyer trike. We have a hand-me-down bike with training weeks that she'll get for her birthday, and we'll give the Radio Flyer trike to her little brother.

@T-Mom: yeah it's going to be tricky. I figure, I potty trained all three I can teach them to do anything. But I have to be in the right mind set. It's going to be like watching an episode of the three stooges, I Just know it. They are going to be bumping into each other and knocking each other down, it's just going to be a mess.

@Mrs. Train: This past weekend we had all the cousins riding their bikes (some training wheels/some balance bikes) inside a tennis court. It was nice to have them fenced in Maybe a good place to start with your three when you are ready! One one went full speed into the net - and only once

@T-Mom: @Mrs. Cowgirl: how does a balance bike work??

For anyone interested in some fun videos... I heard about the balance bike from a friend.... I am so impressed with his sons skills!! He even won 2nd place in a Strider Cup race! (Obviously they are outdoor people - and both parents are big mtn bikers!)

On his balance bike, he'd been riding if for a while! -- http://dougandlana.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/treyden-and-noah-at-the-new-valmont-bike-parkpark/

Here he is a barely 3 trying the pedal bike for the first time: http://dougandlana.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/treydens-first-attempt-at-a-pedal-bike/

And a pro at 3 yr 4 mo riding over a log!!!: http://dougandlana.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/treyden-riding-the-log-at-the-valmont-bike-park/

Personally I have a this little bitty fear of turning my son into Travis Pastrana by encouraging all these helmet required sports so young!! He will be in gymnastics soon so he can learn how to fall gracefully! Luckily my kid proceeds with caution still!

@T-Mom: thanks to your rec last Christmas, DD and I are super happy with the Strider! Like you too though, I'd like the younger one to start on it soon too. Maybe later this summer... Been also toying with the idea of giving her or both of them scooters (for variety?) too.

Anyway, DD1 does have two-wheelers with pedals (and no training wheels) at school and she can pedal for about 5 seconds on her own! Sort of hard to do any more than that because the playground is sort of small and filled with kids. Her friends helped her learn... How sweet is that? But I also know it's because of the Strider at home too.

I think we'll buy her a big girl bike in a few months and see how she does on it.

@T-Mom: yikes, now I a going to be worried about my fingers! @babycrz: good idea thanks

@Mrs. Cowgirl: love the video!