Joovy Bicycoo Review

Like most boys, Chunky and Monkey love anything and everything that has wheels. This is especially true if it is something they can ride. The past few weeks I have been taking the boys on bike rides pulling them behind me in a trailer. Every time we finish our ride Monkey always asks me for a bike of his own so he can ride along with me instead of in the trailer. The only problem with that is that he is not quite ready for a bike. He has his mothers coordination and still struggles with the concept of pedaling. When I tell him he is not ready for a bike he throws a major fit and tells me that he is a "Big Boy" and ready for his own bike. Lucky for us Joovy has come up with the perfect solution to our bike dilemma.

Joovy is a family run business located right here in America. They believe that the customer always comes first and pride themselves in making family products that are extremely useful, practical, good-looking, and fun. I was recently sent a Bicycoo to try out and Monkey couldn't wait to give it a try!

So you might be thinking what exactly is a Bicycoo? That is a great question. The Bicycoo is a balance bike that is perfect for preparing young children to learn to ride a bike. What makes a balance bike different is that it does not have pedals or even training wheels. Your child will simply sit on top of the Bicycoo and use their feet to walk along while learning how to properly balance themselves on the bike. They will quickly learn how to balance themselves and before long they will be seen scooting along with no feet touching the ground! Balance bikes in my mind are a much better alternative to training wheels on a bike. Training wheels seem to give a false sense of security because they prevent your child from falling over. They do not help teach balance. This can easily be noticed by watching a child ride around on training wheels.  I will bet most of the time the child is leaning to one side or the other relying solely on the training wheels to keep from falling over. Once those training wheels come off the result is usually the child falling over skinning an arm or a leg because they do not know how to balance. My opinion is that it is much better to start off using a balance bike to teach balance first and then transition to a bike rather than using training wheels.

As I prepared to assemble the Joovy Bicycoo the first thing I noticed is that it is made of heavy duty aluminum and very light weight. I was surprised at how complete the Bicycoo was in the package. Everything was pretty much already assembled. To be honest with you I think it actually took longer for me to open the box and get into the package than it did for me to complete assembly. Upon further inspection I noticed that unlike most balance bikes on the market the 12" tires are actually pneumatic meaning that they are not solid rubber and hold air like regular bikes. They have a valve stem and inflate just like any other tire. This makes for a much smoother ride over bikes with solid tires. The Bicycoo even comes with a hand brake for the rear tire. The hand brake is another great feature designed to prepare your child for when they are ready for a full sized bike. The seat is even adjustable so that the bike can grow with your child. Joovy though of everything when designing the Bicycoo. Within minutes of completing assembly we were out the door ready to hit the road. As with all bikes please be sure to have your child properly fitted with a bike helmet to protect their little noggins in case of a fall.

Monkey was very cautious at first when riding the bike. He started off going very slow and you could tell he was having to think about what he was doing. It wasn't long before he started to get the hang of it and gradually increased his speed. With lots of practice he is now able to go at a full speed run and even picks his feet completely off the ground for short distances. I can tell that he is really getting comfortable and starting to get the hang of balancing himself on the bike. It won't be long and Monkey will be ready to give a real bike a try.

The Bicycoo by Joovy has been a huge hit at our house. Monkey absolutely loves to ride his Bicycoo thinking he is now a "Big Boy." We even allow Monkey to ride around inside the house driving through his homemade obstacle course. Can't say that for many bikes! If you are looking to buy a balance bike I highly recommend Joovy. The Bicycoo costs $149.99 and is well worth every penny. You can purchase directly from the Joovy website. They even have three color choices (red, black, or white) for you to choose from. If for some reason you are not completely satisfied with your Bicycoo you may return new and unused items in the original box within 30 days for an exchange or refund. If you call their customer service (Toll Free 877-456-5049) a real person will answer the phone. They encourage you to reach out to them with any questions or concerns you may have.

You can connect with Joovy on Facebook as well as on Twitter to keep up with all the latest news and updates.  I would also encourage you to join their program called Club Joovy which can be found on their home page. By joining you get to be on the inside track to find out about new products, fun contests, specials and more. Members will enjoy the special benefit of giveaways that only club members can enter. As a member you will receive free shipping on your orders and will get a dedicated 800 number for Club Joovy Customer Service. They will even celebrate your kid's birthday with special offers!

Disclaimer: We were sent a Joovy Bicycoo for review purposes. No other monetary compensation was given. All opinions are our own and may differ from yours.