Frog Tadpole balance bike

The Frog Tadpole balance bike is very well made, thought out, and has all the bells and whistles that my daughter loved. However, it is very expensive for a balance bike.

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Frog has become synonymous with children's bikes and the Tadpole is, according to Frog, the best-selling balance bike.

The Tadpole comes in three sizes, the Tadpole mini for 18+ months, the Tadpole for ages two to three and the Tadpole Plus for children aged three to four. I tested, or, more accurately, my daughter tested the regular Tadpole.

This comes with 12in wheels, which means it works for children with 31-41cm inside leg measurements. To be honest, trying to get an accurate inside leg measurement from my daughter is impossible, but it fitted her well and would allow for quite a bit more growth before she became too tall for it.

Here's a secret too – children grow pretty quickly and they're also not the most patient people on the planet, so being able to adjust the bike on the fly is essential. Here the Frog works very well, with the quick-release seatpost allowing you to adjust saddle height quickly and easily.

Unlike some of the other balance bikes we've tried there isn't a similar level of adjustability when it comes to the handlebar, with Frog going for traditional spacers. 

But once you've set everything up the bike seems easy to use, and I noticed that my daughter felt much more confident on the Tadpole and seemed happier to go faster than on her regular bike.

I put this down to the longer wheelbase, which seems to allow for more freedom of movement when pushing the bike along and also makes the steering slightly more gradual. Could I ask my daughter why she felt more confident on this bike than the others she has tried? No – she's two and a half! However, from watching her use the Tadpole and comparing it to the other bikes she has used, her extra confidence is the most noticeable difference between them.

Frog has also made a real effort to create ease of movement for the children using the bike, not only in terms of the length but keeping everything well out of the way. The rear stays are flared and thick, so there is minimal chance of your child catching the wheel with their foot. Similarly, the fork is much wider than the front wheel, which keeps your young one's feet away from the spokes. Frog has even taken this to the nth degree by internally routing the brake cable – something even my climbing bike doesn't have!

This internal cable routing comes from the bike's brake, something most other balance bikes don't have. I can't say that my daughter really got used to using the brake (apologies to the several people whose shins she has rammed over the last year) but as somebody who will be raising her around bikes, I very much believe that getting used to braking early is important. It comes fitted with a rear Tektro mini V-brake that is mounted on the top of the stays, again keeping it away from snagging on legs.

The Tadpole's box also contains a front mini V-brake and the fork comes pre-drilled, so you can fit it a front brake if you want to – though you're almost certain to see your child catapulted over the bar a few times, so best leave this until they become more confident.

As well as the Tektro brake levers the bars also have a bell, something that my daughter enjoyed and added an extra element of fun. There were many times when I found her just sitting on the bike ringing the bell – though I can't imagine my neighbours enjoyed it as much as she did!

The bar also has very effective grips, which are tightened onto the bike with an Allen key. It's a small touch but it shows that Frog knows its game well. Kids' bikes are often left lying on their side, they're dropped, they're scraped and most of the impact is inflicted on the bar grips. This means they can work loose over time and might end up popping off. These higher-end and more secure grips reduce the chance of them flying off over time.

The Tadpole's 12in wheels seem sturdy and unlikely to be damaged too much by anything. I can't imagine there would be much that would put these out of true, which is good as with the brake that suddenly becomes a necessity. Frog has also included a couple of coloured spokes on each wheel – I can't see any practical use but it is a fun flourish.

The tyres are thick and fairly grippy, feel pretty bomb-proof and they're wide enough to help your youngster maintain balance effectively. They come with 12in inner tubes and we had no issues with punctures during testing – the tubes come without valve caps due to safety regulations!

And now we come to the most important elements of any balance bike – the weight and 'carryability'. After what appears to be a completely arbitrary amount of time my daughter will get bored riding and you're then forced to carry it around with you. This could be after an hour just as you arrive back at the car, or it could equally be 10 minutes – just as you've paid to go through the gates of the Cotswold Wildlife Park...

Our bike hits the scales at just 3,850g, which is noticeably lighter than any of the others balance bikes she's has used but is not class leading. The Raleigh Banana that I reviewed last year is nearly a full kilogram heavier at 4780g and the Specialized Hotwalk around 400g more at 4,230g. However, the Hornit Airo that Oli looked at a couple of years ago beats them hands down at just 2,950g.

It is pretty easy to carry, not only because it is lighter than the others I have found myself lugging around various National Trust properties, but those big features that prevent little legs bashing against the bike also make it pretty portable too.

Value

There is no doubt that this is an excellent balance bike, but this all comes at quite a steep £260 price.

This compares to £99 for the Raleigh Banana that I thought was well priced but it was heavy and my daughter harder to mount than other balance bikes.

Pay a bit more and £149 will get you a Specialized Hotwalk. Its airless tyres means no punctures and I found it a solid choice for a mini-Marianne Vos or a petit Peter Sagan.

Oli was very impressed with the £139 Hornit Airo Balance Bike, which is light, well made and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

This makes the Tadpole the most expensive balance bike we have looked at, but I would argue that this price is justified. Things like the brake, internal cable routing and clamped grips may seem on the outside like unnecessary additions, but they make a big difference to how easy my daughter found using the bike and how long it is likely to last.

Conclusion

I was very impressed by the Frog Tadpole balance bike and I'm not surprised it's the best-selling balance bike out there because, quite simply, it is fantastic. My daughter loved using it, it is simple to set up and the bike can grow with both your child's height and confidence. However, there is no getting away from that price.

Verdict

A very good balance bike with nice kid-specific elements – but this high quality comes at a price