The bike that GROWS with your child

Learning to ride a bike is an important childhood milestone, but it can be expensive to upgrade models as children grow up.

But now an engineer has created a bike that’s designed to grow with a child.

The ‘LittleBig Bike’ is extendable so it can fit children for a full five years, during which time they would usually outgrow three bicycles.

Aimed specifically at children from the age of two to seven, the bicycle has three different adjustable sizes, so it grows longer and taller when needed.

Parents can adjust the height of the handlebars, saddle and frame to suit their child and its inventor claims there is no need for stabilisers.

The bike starts its evolution as a pedal-less balance bike, its creator says is ideal for little ones learning to ride.

INSPIRATION FOR THE BIKE 

Mr Evans was working in a bike shop when he got the inspiration for the bicycle.

‘I was working as a mechanic and sales person and it was there that I came across balance bikes and saw how quickly kids were comfortable on them.

‘Often small kids would just jump onto one and start zooming around the shop, it just seemed so natural for them.

‘Unfortunately though, normal balance bikes are very small and kids quickly grow out of them.

‘On top of that, when a child is ready to begin using a pedal bike, the parents needed to come back and buy a new bike.

‘Being an engineer, my creative mind began churning out ideas and many iterations, prototypes and pondering sleepless nights later, the LittleBig was born.’

By moving and reattaching the rear frame, it can be turned into a larger balance bike with a taller seat and handlebars.

As the child becomes bigger, parents can increase the bike to its largest size - equivalent to a 16-inch bike - and attach pedals to it.

Engineer, Simon Evans, 33, set up the company LittleBig Bikes in his hometown of Wicklow, Ireland.

‘The LittleBig is great for kids aged two to seven as it allows them to learn to balance and steer with the comfort of having their feet near the ground,’ he said.

‘While sitting on the low saddle, the child pushes off the ground with their feet "Fred Flintstone" style and as their confidence increases they can glide along easily.’

The third stage means the bicycle can be converted into a proper pedal bike.

He said: ‘It's suitable for kids up to age seven and there's no need for stabilisers.

‘Having learned to balance first, the child will have a quick and effortless transition to the pedal bike.

‘These adaptions allow the LittleBig to be used for five years, over twice as long as traditional kids bikes, while giving the parent good value for money.

‘It's high quality and built like a proper bike, unlike many of the throwaway kids bikes that are currently on the market.’

The bike is made from aluminium and weighs 11.3 lbs (5.1kg) in its simplest form and 14.6 lbs (6.6kg) fully extended with pedals.

It can be bought online from LittleBig Bike's website for £155 ($243).

Phase two: By moving and reattaching the rear frame, the bike can be turned into a larger balance bike with a taller seat and handlebars (pictured)

Source: Dailymail