“I lost my instructions, how do I assemble my Cruzee?”
If you have lost your instructions, please note, the international assembly instructions can be downloaded from here.
Note that regulations in each country are different. For this reason you might see some difference in markings on the box versus markings in these instructions.
According to CE norms this bike is not suitable for children under 36 months. In USA this bike is approved by CPSIA and meets ASTM standards for bicycles for children 18 months or older.
“So where are pedals?”
The intention of a balance bike is to allow a child to adapt their existing walking/running skills to riding on wheels. By using a tricycle or a bicycle with “training” wheels we actually slow the development of bicycle skills. It is often said if your child can walk, she can ride a balance bike.
“ok, what about my kid’s feet?”
The Cruzee Balance Bike is one of the few balance bikes to offer a convenient foot rest while gliding, to help kids get the hang of getting their feet up on pedals later on. The Cruzee foot rest can also serve as a platform for more advanced tricks as your pilot gains confidence.
“What’s the difference between a balance bike and a running bike?”
“Balance bikes”, “running bikes” and “push bikes” all refer to the same thing: bicyles without pedals or training wheels, which have proven to be the best first bike for young children just learning to ride.
“why no brakes then?”
A child using her feet to stop a balance bike is a reflex akin to walking or running that is quick to develop for balance bike pilots.
Moving feet on and off the foot rest to stop is also preparation for the more complex series of motions that pilots will need later on when they are ready for their first pedal bike.
Cruzee’s philosophy is to remove as many obstacles as possible to pilot fun and pilot development, so we save learning to use a hand brake – a skill that requires multi-modal motor skills that most children develop later anyway – for pedal bike pilots.
“one size fits all” – is that even possible?”
We have very carefully designed our balance bikes to fit children ranging from 60cm to 120cm tall – with easy-to-use, quick-release adjustments, of course. If your child is in this height range, they will fit the standard Cruzee Balance Bike.
If you’re getting real head start and child is smaller than 60cm tall, we have made smaller wheels (sold separately), to allow children as small as 53cm to comfortably ride the Cruzee Balance Bike.
Every Cruzee ships with a longer seat post you can easily switch to (without tools!) whenever your child’s latest growth spurt demands a higher seat.
“if these balance bikes are so light, how can they be so durable ?”
Over 30 years of experience in welded aluminum frame engineering goes into every Cruzee bike.
Using advanced simulation software originally developed by NASA, we test our balance bikes before they are ever built, and the resulting product is equal to our competitors’ steel bikes in both strength and durability.
The weight of a bicycle for such a small child is critical. Development of confidence, independence and coordinated motor skills is vastly improved by making a product a child can manage all by herself.
“do Cruzee bikes come with a guarantee?”
All Cruzee Balance Bikes offer the same warranty, lifetime for original owner, against defects in materials, workmanship or parts.
“won’t my kid learn quickly and move onto other toys?”
We actually continue to see kids play with our balance bikes long after graduating to a pedal bike. We’ve even see older siblings or neighborhood kids too large for these bikes joining in the fun of cruzing around on our balance bikes, amazed that such a small bikes holds their weight with no problem at all.
“do these bikes come assembled or will we be looking for special tools?”
All of the work requiring tools is done in the Cruzee factory.
When you receive your bike, just follow simple instructions and assemble with your hands. Slide the fork into the frame and close a clamp. Slide seat into frame and close a clamp. Assembling a Cruzee Balance Bike is as easy as using a faucet.
“why doesn’t Cruzee offer smaller grips for balance bikes?”
Grip size is related to hand size and is crucial for both control of the bike and confidence in learning. Highly studied sports like rowing and tennis players have found that a somewhat larger grip diameter encourages a more cylindrical grip, which gives the athlete more control with less effort.
Smaller grips for kids might seem sensible at first, but they tend to force the thumb to wrap around the fingers rather than the grip itself, reducing both pilot grip strength and pilot control of the bike.
“should i get a steering limiter for my Cruzee balance bike?”
We have reviewed many videos, of children tumbling on bikes, and strongly feel that steering limiters actually increase likelihood of abdominal injury caused by handlebar ends.
As a child tumbles on a bike with a steering limiter, the handlebar will always be facing up toward the child. Bikes without steering limiters land with the handlebars flat to the ground more times than not, so we recommend “no” to the steering limiter in the interests of your child’s safety.