"Brake and footrest" extension for adjustable FSC wood balance bike

As children gain confidence in their mastery of their balance bike, their balance, and how to stop using their feet, they learn to pick up speed. So that they are not held back by the difficulty of slowing down with their feet and keeping their feet above the ground, this extension allows children to rest them on a platform that also serves as a brake.

Its positioning under the saddle, adapted to the child's natural posture and physiology, will teach them the basics of gaining speed and braking, which will be useful when they convert their balance bike into a bicycle.

Features

• Helps develop your child's balance, proprioception, movement coordination, and independence.
• Adapted to the child's natural physiological posture.
• Supports children as they learn to ride a bicycle, at their own pace.
• Extremely durable: tested to travel around the world on bumpy roads (40 075 km) - tires need replacing but the frame is still like new!
  
• Made from birch wood: a lightweight, impact-resistant wood with a very fine grain and a fairly light color.

LOOVE Labels

• Sustainable management: Finnish birch wood certified by the FSC, ensuring wood traceability, the preservation of biodiversity, and respect for local communities.
• European manufacturing: In Latvia.

Technical specifications

• Colors: Natural birch wood. 
• Frame material: Finnish birch plywood and rubber.
• Treatment: Certified varnish.
• Wood: Sourced from sustainably managed forests, FSC Controlled Wood certified.
• CE certified and EN 71 compliant: Product meeting European toy safety requirements.
• Saddle height: 36.2 - 46 cm depending on the adjustment.
• Product weight: 4 kg assembled on the balance bike.
• Made in: Europe (EU), Latvia
• Weight limit: 30 kg
• Manufacturer’s recommended age: 2 years - 5 years.
• Packaging: Cardboard boxes, plastic pouch (small parts) and Kraft paper or plastic tape depending on the weight of the package.
• Warranty: 5 years

Care

• Easy to clean with a damp cloth or with soap and water. Wipe dry after cleaning. 
• Storing the product in a dry place will ensure its longevity. Never leave it out in the rain or snow once playtime is over.

Assembly

• Assembly manual: Included in the packaging, in French.
• Easy self-assembly (1 person).
• 30 min. assembly.

Safety

• To maximize the child’s safety, adult supervision is required when the product is in use. 
• Regularly check the tire pressure and make sure it is 1.4 bar.
• Regulations prohibit the use of toys on public roads; do not use on the road.
• Wearing a helmet and protective gear is recommended.

Manufacturing partner

Like many artisanal businesses, Atis relies on a team of experienced cabinetmakers, a family tradition and a love of wood passed down from generation to generation. 

The attention to detail and constant pursuit of innovation inspired by the ingenious work of Atis’s father have led this team based in northern Latvia to win multiple awards and now offer products that are both cutting-edge, focused on child development, environmentally friendly and durable - qualities that are part of the specifications for every item that leaves their workshops and can be passed down to future generations.

What is the educational value of this product?

Allowing children to learn at their own pace is one of the most fundamental concepts shared by active educational approaches, alongside other major principles such as free play, the development of autonomy, and openness to the outdoors and nature in particular.

Each of these principles is represented in what the adjustable balance bike and its extensions offer.

While it supports the development of motor skills, it is the discovery of the body through movement, so characteristic of Pikler-Lóczy pedagogy, that is engaged. 
Learning to stay on course, keep one’s balance, turn, gain speed through the alternating and repeated movement of the feet, and use them to learn to slow down and stop allows children to learn to control their movements and coordinate them. 
In Montessori pedagogy, this is a sensitive period that children go through between approximately 18 months and 4 years of age.
Thanks to its ingenious design, it supports children as they grow. They can grow while discovering the world around them and nature, and spend plenty of time outdoors, as recommended by the Reggio, Waldorf, Freinet, and Mason educational approaches (at least 6 hours a day outdoors for the latter, every day until the age of 6).
With the adjustable balance bike, children experiment, practice, make mistakes, and start again at their own pace, following the learning process described by Célestin Freinet, Maria Montesori, and others.
 

What is its value from a neuroscience perspective?

• Contributes to sensorimotor development (*through balance, movement coordination, speed, and proprioception).
• Strengthens neural circuits through the repetition of movements and experiences.

What is sensorimotor development?

Sensorimotor development is the process through which children develop their senses and learn to perform, control, and coordinate their movements.

These senses include the best-known ones: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, as well as balance (through the vestibular system) and proprioception (the position of the body in space, provided by the somatosensory system). 

These different senses work together and in coordination with the motor system.

In terms of motor development, two main categories of motor skills can be distinguished:

• gross motor skills, which refer to movements involving the entire body or its larger limbs and muscles (legs, arms, torso, and head),
• fine motor skills, which refer to movements involving smaller muscles and limbs (fingers, hands, wrists, feet, ankles, toes, lips, and tongue).

What age range is it suitable for?

This extension can be used as soon as your child begins to control their balance bike and gain speed, and until they are ready to move on to pedaling on 2 wheels (approximately 3-4 years old).

What are the benefits of this product, in summary? 

• Discovering the world around them.
• Developing motor skills, coordination, balance, and proprioception.
• Learning to be independent.
• Building self-confidence.

Shipping

• Shipping fees are: Free
• This product is shipped from Latvia by our artisan partner Atis.
• Delivery takes 7 to 10 business days.
• Shipping is handled, depending on the circumstances, by DHL, FedEx, DPD, UPS, or TNT.
• Once your package has been shipped, a tracking number will be sent to you by email.

Returns 

Have you received your item but it is not suitable for you? Don't worry, you have 14 days from the date you receive your package to return the product concerned. 

As a small family business, we are unfortunately not yet able to cover postage costs. Return shipping costs are the customer's responsibility, and returns must be sent to the country from which this product was shipped, Latvia.

To be eligible for a return, please ensure that the following conditions are met :

• The product must arrive in its original and complete condition (packaging, accessories, instructions).
• The request must not concern custom-made products for which the customer provided personalization details (for example, a cutting or manufacturing dimension).

Please understand that we cannot accept assembled, used, or worn items because they cannot be resold. 

Return process 

Send your return request, including your order number and the product you wish to return, to our Customer Service team by email at the following address: bonjour@monloove.com 

⚠ Please note that a return received without prior contact may result in the loss of the right of withdrawal. 

Refund 

The refund will be issued within 14 days after receipt of the products, for the full amount of the returned products, using the same payment method as the one used for the order. 

Help 

For more details, you can consult our FAQ and our terms and conditions. 

Please feel free to contact us if you cannot find an answer to your questions: bonjour@monloove.com