At the tender age of one I started out trying to ride a bike. After all my big brothers and even my sisters were riding. Well it wasn’t actually a bike but more of a tricycle. You know the ones with three wheels. While it was all fine and dandy I wanted to be like the big kids. After all the big kids don’t ride tricycles and they don’t use training wheels either. I’ve had a few balance bikes throughout my short two years of living and they’ve all had their pros and cons. Some were made of wood, while others were made of plastic and one was even made of steel. Some had wheels made of plastic while others were air filled. One thing I can say of them all is that they do what they were meant to do. Help me ride like a big kid without the training wheels. When I was given the chance to review the Chillafish BMXie I said “Yes” because as I mentioned, they’re all different and I want to share the BMXie with you today. The Chillafish BMXie is considered one of the coolest balance bike in the world and is currently available in blue, lime, red, yellow and pink. It is recommended for ages 2-5 with a maximum weight of 110lbs.
I was able to review the Chillafish BMXie in my favorite color pink and was very excited to receive it. Now you may be wondering about set up. How many parts does it come with and is it difficult putting it together? Well if mommy can do it without the help of daddy, then it’s super easy to set up. It really doesn’t come with too many parts. The wheels, the frame and the handle bar are all you need to put together. Once thats done, you’re good to go! I would say it took mommy about 5-10 minutes to get everything together and mommy isn’t that good with putting things together at all.
Once your bike is set up though it sure is a beauty. Now one of the things that makes the BMXie stand out is the BMX style look that it has. While most balance bikes look like little kids bikes, the BMXie is made to look more like a bigger kid bike. I do have to say though that this made of fiber glass reinforced materials which felt like heavy duty plastic to me, which I wasn’t too impressed with, but there were a few features that I really loved. With it being made that way though it was super light, light enough for me to pick up and take around.
For example I really loved how easy it was to adjust the seat. No tools were needed. With a simple twist I could have my seat to the right height. The seat also has little grippers so that your little one won’t slide off that easily. The seat adjusts from 12-15 inches so it should be great for a few years of use.
The footrest is just the same. No one likes pulling tools out when you want to ride right away. It has one of the easiest seat adjustments I’ve had to date.
Another feature that mommy and I truly loved was the tires. They are real pneumatic inflatable tires. You know the kind that if they go flat you can take them to the gas station to put air in them. Or if you have a pump at home you can fill them as well. Yeah mommy and I really liked that. No cheap plastic tires that if they go flat, that’s the end of your bike. That was a really cool touch from Chillafish and we really appreciated that they took the time to make this a lot like the bigger kids bikes.
Now for those who like to make their products their own, Chillafish included a few decals that you can put on the front number plate which is detachable, customizing it to just the way you want, making it yours, all yours. The handle bars are also textured and just the right size for little hands. I had no problems steering which is also a plus for me. While the seats do adjust the handlebar doesn’t and while I had no problems with that, it would have been nice to have an adjustable handlebar as well. *hint hint Chillafish*
Balance bikes are great for kids learning how to ride a bike. You can totally skip the training wheels and get right on to riding. I think I’m a pro by now. Now once they’ve learned how to balance they might then need to learn how to pedal which is the easy part. My balance and coordination skills are on point and I couldn’t be happier. Very soon I’ll be on a big kids bike rolling down the streets sipping on my apple juice. Thanks to Chillafish BMXie.
If you have a toddler between the ages of 18 months and 5 years I would say get them a Chillafish BMXie. Most toddlers that age are so ready for a balance bike. It was when I started and I have no regrets. You’ll love the Chillafish BMXie just like I do. It totally gets my TWO TINY THUMBS UP!
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Disclosure: Growing Up Madison receives products in order to conduct reviews. No monetary compensation was provided unless noted otherwise. All opinions are 100% my own. Some posts may contain affiliate links that I receive commission for payment from in exchange for referrals. In the event of a giveaway, the sponsor is responsible for delivery of the prize, unless otherwise noted in the posting. Giveaways are not sponsored by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or any other social media site. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be a good fit for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
