Raleigh Sherwood child’s balance bike
Price £120, raleigh.co.uk
It’s small, it’s pink and it has squishy white wheels… What’s not to like about Raleigh’s new balance bike for children learning to ride? The limited-edition model is a super cute, shrunken version of the brand’s bestselling Sherwood, an elegant heritage range that normally sells for £330 – though grown-ups tend not to opt for pink and go for cherry or Provençal blue instead. They do, however, get the wicker basket, white wheels and dingdong bell.
With its chunky little frame, this Sherwood looks more like a toy than a bike, but its surprisingly light weight means that it is very ridable. Balance bikes are an ideal first step on learning to ride. The absence of pedals and brakes means there are two less things to concentrate on while your budding Laura Kenny cracks steering and not tipping over.
The Sherwood has an aluminium frame which is easy to handle and manoeuvre, while the flat handlebars create a nice sit-up-and-beg riding position. The top coat is a clear lacquer which has a pleasingly tactile finish and the grippy wheels will cope with any surface they encounter. Cycling is a lifelong pleasure, so give them a good head start…
Cool kit
Three carbon blades make this the world’s most advanced and artful bike wheel. Carbon wheel, £1,610 per pair, spengle.com
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166
