I also just did exactly this. My 4.5 yr-old was on a balance bike since before she was two and has been pedaling for seven or eight months now. She's taken to pedaling quickly, but my commuter is too fast for her 20" wandering pace, and the MTB was too much of a pig to ride around the neighborhood and pump track, so dirt jumper it is! I found a mint Deity Cryptkeeper and have been having a ton of fun on it on rides with her.
Fun story: We have a little bike park nearby, and a couple of weeks ago I thought she _might_ be ready to go down the easiest trail. She loved the lift ride up, and actually did really well on the first few little berms and rollers. However, I misjudged how rough even the not-so-rough sections would be on 20" wheels and no suspension, and even though she was having fun I could tell she was getting a little overwhelmed. So I started giving her assists where I'd put my bike to the side, run along beside her holding the back of her saddle, she'd steer and brake while I made sure things stayed upright. After a little way I'd find a good spot to pull her off the side of the trail and sit, I'd run back up the trail and get my bike and then ride back to where she was waiting.
We ended up doing this pretty much the ENTIRE way down. After running down the hill halfway bent over holding her bike, and then running back up it to get my bike in 100 ft sections, I thought I was about to die at the bottom. But she was so stoked at the end and wanted to go again (we opted for popsicles instead), and that it was all worth it. We probably won't try the park again for awhile but it's awesome seeing kids enjoying bikes.
May 19, 2023, 8:21 a.m. - dsc
I also just did exactly this. My 4.5 yr-old was on a balance bike since before she was two and has been pedaling for seven or eight months now. She's taken to pedaling quickly, but my commuter is too fast for her 20" wandering pace, and the MTB was too much of a pig to ride around the neighborhood and pump track, so dirt jumper it is! I found a mint Deity Cryptkeeper and have been having a ton of fun on it on rides with her. Fun story: We have a little bike park nearby, and a couple of weeks ago I thought she _might_ be ready to go down the easiest trail. She loved the lift ride up, and actually did really well on the first few little berms and rollers. However, I misjudged how rough even the not-so-rough sections would be on 20" wheels and no suspension, and even though she was having fun I could tell she was getting a little overwhelmed. So I started giving her assists where I'd put my bike to the side, run along beside her holding the back of her saddle, she'd steer and brake while I made sure things stayed upright. After a little way I'd find a good spot to pull her off the side of the trail and sit, I'd run back up the trail and get my bike and then ride back to where she was waiting. We ended up doing this pretty much the ENTIRE way down. After running down the hill halfway bent over holding her bike, and then running back up it to get my bike in 100 ft sections, I thought I was about to die at the bottom. But she was so stoked at the end and wanted to go again (we opted for popsicles instead), and that it was all worth it. We probably won't try the park again for awhile but it's awesome seeing kids enjoying bikes.