Kidvelo Rookie 18- Balance to pedal bike review

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Cycling can be a joyful experience, but for some children, getting started on two wheels comes with unique challenges.

Edie, an autistic child with sensory triggers and communication difficulties, has had her own hurdles to overcome on her journey to pedalling. In this review, we'll explore how the Kidvelo Rookie 18, designed for children who may take a little longer to master pedalling, has supported Edie's progress. With its thoughtful design and ability to grow with the rider, the Kidvelo Rookie 18 proves that the right bike can make a world of difference for children learning at their own pace.

Disclosure: Cycle Sprog were sent the Kidvelo Rookie 18 to review. We were not paid to write this review, and all opinions are our own. We do use affiliate links, so may get a small commission if you choose to buy through the links on this page. This funds the website, and we thank you for your support.

Kidvelo Rookie 18 bike key data:

Price RRP- £260
Weight - 5.5kg in balance bike mode, 7.1kg in pedal mode.
Inside leg range - 48-71cm
Age range - 5-8 years
Colours - Green, Blue, Red
Warranty - Lifetime warranty
Date of review - October 2024

Pros - A unique, lightweight bike that adapts as your child is ready to pedal. Brilliant for older children who aren't yet pedalling.
Cons - The bike is hard to fault! We'd like to see bottle cage mounts for children this age to carry their own water.

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Kidvelo Rookie 18 bike scores

Quality - 5/5 - A bike with high-quality components that last.
Weight- 5/5 - A very lightweight balance bike and pedal bike.
Value for money - 5/5 - A brilliant high-end bike and you get two bikes for the price of one.
Customisability - 4/5 - Being able to add pedals is pretty unique! But it doesn't have any bottle cage mounting points or other accessories such as mudguards.
Resale value - 4/5 - Kidvelo are becoming a more well-known brand and we know their bikes last well.

Final verdict - The Kidvelo Rookie 18 is a well designed, confidence-inspiring bike which enables your child to have a smooth, unrushed journey into learning to pedal.

Find out more about the Cycle Sprog review process

Kidvelo Bikes specialises in innovative "learn to ride" bikes that help children develop cycling skills at their own pace.

With over 40 years of experience, Kidvelo has designed lightweight balance bikes that convert into pedal bikes, allowing kids to naturally progress from balance to pedaling.

Their bikes are built with safety and durability in mind, using high-quality materials and adjustable components that ensure a perfect fit as children grow. Kidvelo’s award-winning bikes cater to a wide age range, making cycling accessible for all abilities.

Cycle Sprog has already reviewed and recommended the Kidvelo Rookie 12 and the Kidvelo Rookie 14, so we were excited to get our hands on another one of their bikes for Edie.

The Kidvelo Rookie 18 is a versatile bike designed to help children aged 5 to 8 years old who may need extra time to develop their cycling skills.

Starting as a balance bike, it features an adjustable seat (48-68 cm), a lightweight 6061 aluminium frame, and alloy wheels. It can convert into a pedal bike using the included pedal kit, maintaining smooth handling and an ergonomic design.

With adjustable reach V-brakes for extra control and only 7.1 kg in pedal mode, it's ideal for children who need gradual progression toward pedalling.

About our reviewer

Edie, aged 7, lives in West Cumbria with her mum who are both new to the world of cycling.

Edie is autistic and presents with some sensory triggers as well as communication/speech differences.

Edie has Afro hair, and wearing a helmet is a battle, as it means changing up her hairstyle. She normally wears her Afro hair up & curly, but unfortunately, a helmet won’t fit over this style, plus the straps on her chin bother her. Find out more about Afro hair and kids' bike helmets. A hair re-style is needed every time she needs to wear a helmet.

She loves to be outside and to go really fast on her scooter, but her only experience of cycling prior to her new bike was on a (much too small) training bike with stabilisers, without much progress!

Edie and her mum were keen to try out a new approach, on a bike that is the correct size, taking Edie back to basics learning to balance before pedalling and were excited to be able to hopefully do this all on the same bike.

April 2024

Edie's first impression of her new Kidvelo balance bike was similar to mine (mum) - it's lovely, shiny and exciting!

The colour is great, and we were both really pleased that it's lightweight and easy for Edie to move it around by herself.

We're starting without the pedals with the hope that Edie can learn about balance and brakes first, before I introduce them. When I have to attach the pedals let's see how easy they are to do, but so far so easy! It's a brilliant idea to have a bigger balance bike for older learners and I wouldn't have known about them if it wasn't for Cycle Sprog.

First rides on the Kidvelo Rookie 18

When it came to trying out her new bike, Edie was a little nervous as it was very different from her previous bike, which was too small for her and had stabilisers. She was unsure about using the brakes as these felt different too.

Edie has Afro hair and she likes to wear it up in pigtails, she didn't want to have her hair changed to wear her helmet at first, so we just tried a bit of gentle practice in our garden at home without it, just to get her used to the new bike size and feel.

She's also a fairweather cyclist, and didn't want to go out in the rain over the Easter holidays! But when she got home from school one day she asked to go out on her bike and to wear her helmet, so I put her hair into some low pigtails and she had another try, this time going fast up and down the garden path and using the brakes very well. It's safe to say this bike inspired confidence very quickly!

It's a nice smooth ride thanks to the wide tyres, is light enough that she can move it in and out of the shed on her own and manoeuvre it easily, and she has learned about the brakes quite quickly.

She is still nervous about going out and about on her new bike, so we'll get used to it a few more times at home before we move over to a cycle path - there's a lovely coastal one near us which will hopefully encourage her, and I will take along my bike too so she can see me riding mine and want to join in.

Edie’s cycling journey: bumps in the road

July 2024

As I've already mentioned, Edie is autistic with some sensory issues and we were starting to overcome some of the challenges that were arising when learning to ride her bike.

But suddenly we've had a whole new challenge thrown into the mix: she has been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

We’re getting to grips with managing this, and luckily Edie now has an insulin pump, so no more injections.

Doing exercise, particularly new kinds of exercise, can make it tricky to predict how Edie’s blood sugars will react. But the new insulin pump also has an ‘activity’ mode which helps us to have peace of mind when cycling.

With all this going on, we’ve been waiting for the right time to get back out on her Kidvelo bike, and we were finally in luck this weekend with the sunshine! We’re sticking to the balance bike mode for a while longer as Edie is still getting to grips with the brakes.

We headed out to the Solway coast for today’s practice. It’s the perfect place to learn to ride a bike: 14km of flat cycle path with the sea and views of Scotland on one side and the view out to the mountains on the other.

It’s also got a great playground & ice cream shop, which was our goal!

Edie’s balance is improving so much every time she’s using her Kidvelo! She can now push along fast and rest her feet up on the foot rest - where the pedals normally would be, and will be soon.

She’s got to grips really well with braking and her steering is much more confident. We love the flexibility this bike has given us and its unique design has definitely given her a much easier ride when learning the basics. We saw a few other children on bikes with stabilisers and they looked thoroughly jealous as Edie whizzed past them!

After an ice cream break to top up Edie’s blood sugars, we then had a go at practising some more balancing down on the beach. There are lots of long stretches of beach in west Cumbria, and it’s good to have the soft landing option! Plus the bike is so light, it’s really easy to get down onto the sand.

Converting the Kidvelo Rookie 18 into a pedal bike

Notes from the editor:

Before giving this bike to Edie for her review, here at Cycle Sprog HQ we converted it in and out of pedal mode, to see how easy it was.

The step-by-step instructions and videos on Kidvelo's website make this a really simple process.

If, like our Reviews and Rides Editor Emily, you think you know better and don't read instructions, you might get into a bit of a tangle, but as soon as the instructions were followed it all became a much simpler process.

It's not a process you'd want to do with the kids running around unless you are skilled and confident with an Allen key, so find some quiet with a cup of tea (or wine!) and with the simple tools provided, in around 30 minutes you'll have a pedal bike for your child's next step in their cycling journey.

Edie's mum Kelle, who has limited experience with a set of Allen keys got her dad, Edie's grandad involved to help fit the pedals.

Trying out new activities like this has plenty of layers and nuances to it with Edie. Her autism & sensory issues mean that change and transitions can often be extra ‘sticky’.

Edie’s t1 diabetes means that being active in different ways will affect her blood sugars in new ways too, so all in all, it’s not an easy start.

All this said, I’m so pleased to say that Edie is now successfully riding her bike!

On the first try, Edie was pedalling well, but relying on someone holding her upright.

Overall verdict

The Kidvelo Rookie 18 has been the perfect bike for Edie's cycling journey this year. With ups and downs, this bike has given her familiarity and confidence within the process of learning to pedal, which resulted in an easy transition.

If you aren't sure when your child will be ready to pedal, and you don't want to rush them, a bike that converts is the ideal choice.

The bike is extremely lightweight with brilliant child-sized components, we love the brakes that can adjust to fit her hands. The bike is robust with a good warranty and the idea of having one bike for two stages of cycling is just fabulous.