Smartrike Xtend Mg+
Geralyn
The Convertible balance-to-pedal bike was designed to give your child the skills and confidence they need to ride a pedal bike without training wheels. Thanks to the easy pedal installation system, you can take your child from balance bike to pedal bike in seconds, with three simple screws.
Teach your kids to ride the smarT way by simply adding pedals to the balance bike they are already familiar and comfortable with. The added confidence gained from learning to pedal on a bike they can already ride makes the leap-of-faith towards independent pedaling much easier on children.
The innovative design of the convertible bike means that you get three products for the price of one. Start your kids off with a fun sturdy balance bike, when they are ready add pedals and teach them to ride, and finally extend their bike and let it grow with them.
For a bike to grow with a child, it needs to last with a child. We built this convertible bike out of the highest quality materials so that you can hand it down from child to child as your kids get older, allowing the whole family to enjoy their bike for years.
Purchased this for my 2.5 year old grandson. He loves it. It is a little heavy for him but he is tall for his age and a great product to get him starter on with a bike. Love that he can grow into it and have it for a while.
Hi Laurie,
Thank you for choosing smarTrike for your grandson!
We're happy to hear that he is having fun, and wish you more exciting moments as he grows from balance to full pedal bike.
Regards, the smarTrike team
While 2-in-1 (or 3-in-1) products rarely do all things equally well, the Xtend does a surprisingly good job as a balance bike and a pedal bike. While not without its flaws, for a convertible balance bike, the Xtend performs and fits quite well.
The ability to extend the frame as a child gets older, coupled with longer crank arms than you might normally see on a convertible balance bike, the Xtend is a unique and useful addition to the balance bike market.
When your child is ready to transition from balance bike to pedal bike, you take off the plastic rear cog cover, remove the gray footrest, and install the pedal kit. The installation process is incredibly easy and takes just about 5 minutes.
The purpose of a convertible balance bike is that it can be used for several years as your child grows in size and in ability. As a result, it has a larger appropriate age range than most balance bikes.
You can see her with the standard frame (left), as well as with the frame extended (right). The standard frame keeps her a bit more upright, which is usually better for kids just learning to ride. The extended frame allows her to lean a little more forward, which will allow her to maneuver the bike more aggressively as she gains confidence.
The geometry of the SmarTrike Xtend places a child in a natural, upright position, with plenty of room in the cockpit move around comfortably. Our experienced 2.5-year-old rode around with ease throughout the neighborhood, and at the local track.
For new, timid, or petite riders, the weight could be an issue. Heavier bikes are harder to get started, harder to maneuver, and harder to pick up after the inevitable falls. If your child is not athletic or coordinated, or is particularly lightweight, they would most likely benefit from a lighter bike, like the woom 1 Plus.
There are two other well-known convertible balance bikes, the Strider 14x and the Littlebig. While each convertible balance bike has its pros and cons, they all share one common factor. The pedal bike mode is generally a temporary solution because the bike functions much better as a balance bike than it does as a pedal bike. While both of the other bikes have the pedal bike kit as an optional upgrade, it comes standard with the Xtend.
With the bike upside down, you first remove the footrest. Then attach the chain to the chain ring, and slip the other end over the small gear on the back wheel. Nestling the pedal system onto the frame, you secure the pedaling kit to the frame with the three bolts used with the footrest.
In balance bike mode, the Xtend has a single handbrake, which is a disc brake on the front wheel. When the pedal assembly is added, the rear wheel then has a coaster brake. So balance bike = front brake only. Pedal bike = front and rear brake.
While this set-up certainly works to keep your child safe, there are two issues. As a balance bike with a single brake, the brake lever is on the left hand because the left hand always corresponds to the front brake in the United States.
The second issue with the brakes is the coaster brake. A coaster brake activates when a child back pedals. When a child is learning to pedal a bike, they naturally pedal backwards. When the bike has a coaster brake, this back pedaling will cause the bike to stop, the child will lose their momentum, and is likely fall or crash.
While children certainly can learn to pedal a bike with a coaster brake, it is easier to learn without one. The Strider 14x also has a rear coaster brake in pedal bike mode, and no brake in balance bike mode. The LittleBig has dual handbrakes (no coaster brake) as a balance or pedal bike.
The air tires on the Xtend will provide the cushioning and traction necessary for a comfortable ride on a variety of terrains. With a very flat street tread, these tires are best suited for paved trails, but could handle hard packed dirt on occasion.
FTC Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this review. No monetary compensation was provided for this review, however, the reviewed product was supplied by the manufacturer or distributor to help facilitate this review. All opinions and images are that of Two Wheeling Tots LLC. All content and images are copyrighted and should not be used or replicated in any way. View our Terms of Use.
The Xtend balance-to-pedal bike was designed to give your child the skills and confidence they need to ride a pedal bike without training wheels. Thanks to the easy pedal installation system, you can take your child from balance bike to pedal bike in seconds, with three simple screws.
Designed to grow with kids from ages 3 to 7,
it transforms from balance bike to pedal bike with ease. Featuring an extendable frame, it ensures a perfect fit at every stage, helping children learn to ride confidently.
The innovative design of the Xtend Mg+ means that you get three products for the price of one. Start your kids off with a fun sturdy balance bike, when they are ready add pedals and teach them to ride, and finally extend their bike and let it grow with them.
For a bike to grow with a child, it needs to last with a child. We built the Xtend Mg+ out of the highest quality materials so that you can hand it down from child to child as your kids get older, allowing the whole family to enjoy their bike for years.
I am always on the lookout for items that are sustainable, not only to save money but also to reduce waste. So when it came to searching for the ultimate bike for my boys, I really wanted something that would grow with them. I was on the lookout for something that I could easily teach them how to ride a bike with confidence that also had longevity. The SmarTrike Xtend convertible balance bike seemed to fit the description. The concept behind it is an all-in-one balance bike, a pedal bike and also a larger bike that grew with your children. Making the shelf life of this product much longer than a standard first balance/pedal bike.
The bike is well built, durable and pretty solid in our eyes. It managed to overcome the rough usage, crashes and tumbles from our boys. The extendable magnesium lite frame was an added bonus feature. Coupled with the ability to adjust the seat and handlebars meant that it would fit our children for several years to come. All that was needed to make adjustments was an included allen key. Assembly from balance bike to pedal bike only took minutes to complete. Minor length and height adjustments literally takes seconds to complete.
#JasperBean commented that the ride was smooth and comfortable. I guess this was thanks to the air tires that provided better traction and buffering from the lumps and bumps on the roads and paths. We noticed that the bike also had brakes at the front only. Which we were fine with as this allowed for the most effective stopping power. However, we did have to teach #JasperBean to brake carefully and not too hard in case it may topple him over head first. It would have been nice if there were also rear wheel brakes to regulate speed and when there is not enough traction, but this was not a deal breaker for us.
The upright position was most natural for them to steer the bike. It was comfortable and smooth. #DD who was 2 years old at the time had some issues balancing due to the weight, but then again, this bike is geared for 3 years+. The weight of the bike made it a bit more difficult to maneuver and easier to fall. #JasperBean on the other hand had no issues balancing with both legs up in the air and whizzing pass walkers and scaring neighbourhood wildlife in the local park.