It depends on age and experience. A balance bike teaches the single most important cycling skill, balance, without the distraction of pedaling. Kids learn to glide, steer, and catch themselves, which makes the move to a pedal bike much easier and usually skips training wheels entirely.

• About 18 months to 4 years, or a child who has not ridden before: start on a balance bike such as the 12-inch Alpha Zero.
• Already balances confidently, or is about 3.5+ and eager to pedal: a pedal bike such as the 14-inch Alpha One is a great first pedal bike.

Prevelo does not recommend training wheels, a balance bike builds real balance faster. Many Prevelo pedal bikes are BALANCE-TEC compatible, so you can remove the drivetrain to run it as a balance bike first, then convert it back once your child is ready to pedal. See sizing to match a bike to your child.