My Buddy Wheels
Ages 2 to 3 year olds
Price £70, available late June, halfords.com
Whether it’s on scooters or space hoppers, roundabouts or roller skates, kids love nothing more than riding on something. So imagine the pleasure they’re going to get from galloping round the play park on their very own dinosaur or little pony – a pink unicorn is also available. Beneath the furry exterior of these cuddly creatures you’ll find a lightweight balance bike with a saddle, handlebars and rubbery wheels. The balance bikes help toddlers learn the fundamental skills needed to cycle, including speed, steering, stability and confidence, by letting them scoot forward while having their feet near the ground. They quickly get used to holding their weight over two wheels, without having to worry about brakes, pedals or gears. My Buddy Wheels have been developed by the award-winning design team at Y-Volution – you can thank them for the Y-shaped Fliker boards that kids weave their way to school on. Before graduating to their own pedal bike, there is the far more important lesson of learning to have fun on two wheels – and what better way to do that than with these guys. The only downside is that they don’t come in larger sizes.
Cool kit
Grn Sportswear is a high-performance sustainable teamwear brand. It creates technical garments using yarns extruded from recycled materials, including fishing nets and plastic bottles. All of its technical garments are manufactured in the UK and the company was shortlisted for a BT Sport Industry Sustainability Award in 2018 and won an FSB North-East Ethical-Green Business of the Year award. This hi-tech top will win the ‘green jersey’ every time. Real Grn bike jersey, £69, shop.grnsportswear.com
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@MartinLove166
