Just interested in how old people's kids are when they start riding an oset 12.5?? I'm forward planning ( saving money ) for my boys 2nd birthday ( next year ). Just thought I'd enquire the average age of kids getting started and does anyone use stabilisers to start them off?? He's on a balance bike already at 14 months and loves watching me on my 4rt and trials DVDs, so I would like to get him started as soon as I can.

2 years is probably going to work, our oldest started at 3, and his younger brother rode a pedal bike and the Oset at 24 months. Like your son, both started on balance bikes which I believe to be the key to confidence and success. I'm not a fan of stabilizers/training wheels, but there are plenty of success stories from families that used them.

To teach the throttle, we put the bike up on a stand with the wheels off the ground and let them turn it on and off to feel the engine spool up. Two 1 minute sessions of that, and just let them go. We didn't bother teaching brakes in those first months, we just kept the potentiometer low enough that I could run faster than the bike. (and didn't ride near any real hills)

It won't take long until you will be turning up the potentiometer and wishing for a 36v.

Enjoy,

Pete

All three of my children started on a 12.5 with stabilisers fitted. The oldest was three and a half when she started, but as the bike was already in the garage, the others started when they were a lot younger.

Here's a picture of the middle one. (aged 2 years 4 months.)

Incidentally, they could ride the Oset without stabilisers some time before they could ride push bikes without them!

Here's a picture of her in a competition this year (aged 4 years 1 month.)

The Osets have been brilliant at getting children into the sport of trials at an early age.

Pete

Thanks for the replies. I think he will definitely be getting one for his second birthday! Until then he will have to make do with the balance bike and making the bbbbrrumm noises himself.