The woom was a game changer for my smaller kids. They went to 3s as they were older. And after heavy REI coop bikes, it was amazing how fast they started riding confidently. Get a used one and then sell when he grows out of it.

A noon hasn’t been worthwhile for my 3 year old. My older one took to it at 4.5 and it was amazing to see.

Regular trime for the 2 year old imo

OP you can consider the Woom 1 Plus, which comes with 14 inch wheels. It is a great transition bike because it has the footboards and handbrakes, so once your kid gets comfortable with the 1 Plus, it is a very easy transition to a pedal bike. You can probably find a used woom 1 plus somewhere, but also if you buy new, you can sell it later for a good price. Wooms are expensive but I think they are really crucial for those early years (wooms 1-4) because the weight REALLY matters, and they hold their value so you really just need to get on the Woom ladder.

As an example, my son was cruising on the strider and then Woom 1+ at around 2.5. It was during covid so we could not find a woom 2 for him and opted for the next lightest brand I could find, some Canadian company I cannot remember now but that bike weighted maybe 15/16 pounds vs 12/13 pounds of a Woom 2. We got him to figure it out pretty quickly but he did not enjoy the pedal bike at all and would still prefer his Woom 1+. We eventually got him a Woom 3, which had 16 inch wheels, but was still lighter than the canadian 14 inch bike, and he took off immediately. He loved it from the moment he got on that Woom and has biked so much since then. Second son followed same bike progression and also did knew how to pedal but did not love biking on the 14 inch canadian but loved the Woom 3 once he got it. So long way of saying, those 2-3 pounds that Woom takes off absolutely vs competitors make a HUGE difference to young kids.

Seconding the folks above about a lightweight, quality ballance bike. You can get a Strider, Gaurdian, or Woom fairly affordably on FB marketplace- I think I paid around $100 for my son's Woom 1. A heavy, poorly fit bike (or bike-shaped object) will be hard for your kid and make him less likely to enjoy biking.

It would be a good idea to do a little research on the size of biek for your kid, but I'd caution against the Woom 2 just yet. We just transitioned to pedals and the Woom 2, and I was amazed at how much heavier the Woom 2 is than the 1. It's definitely a bike to learn to pedal on, not a starter balance bike.

I would also just keep giving him opprotunities. Bring the bike along, let him ride for as long or as little as he wants, try again tomorrow.

As another parent said, it could just be your kid. My 3 year old is pretty risk-averse, but he is obsessed with his bike and does not care about falls unless they are pretty serious. Your kid might be very happy riding a trike for now. Trikes delay the transition to real biking, but your kid will being having fun and absolutely no one has given my kid a trophy or early college acceptance because he learned to ride a bike early. And he has jealous eyes for those kids on trikes.

I could have written your orig post about my 2.5 yo and we have a woom. I dont think its the bike, just seems like some kids arent as into riding early on.

Id use a strider (they are light enough and can be bought second hand for little $) for a balance bike then get woom 2 at 3 yo. Remove pedals at first then add them back on.

You may be able to try one out in person at REI to help you decide. I have seen REI sell them at a significant discount as well compared with the Woom website.

My son was similar (we had a Strider) and it wasn’t until 3/3.5 that he really took off on liking the bike. We used the bike in our walks, to get to the playground, etc. and not just biking for the sake of biking, which may have helped.so it may not be a weight issue. The woom bikes look cool but chances are you don’t need to buy a new one. It just may not be the right moment - they change so much in a month and he might take to it more next month!

My 2.5 yo says he wants to bike, LOVES seeing the big kids biking, but hasn't quite grown the confidence to go for it in the 6+ months since we gifted him a balance bike. He'll go a short stretch but if it falls or wobbles just a bit, we're done for the day, and he'll just want to walk with it. I realized recently, after I momentarily picked up another kid's bike, that it's very likely the weight that's holding him back.

We have a heavier brand/model so now I'm thinking about selling it and getting a Woom bike secondhand. He's average size kid, currently 36 in. Size-wise, is it worth it to get the Woom 1 at this point? Or should I wait longer and then go for the Woom 2 and remove the pedals? We already had the experience of having a bike for half a year we didn't really use, so I'm fearing potentially more buyer's remorse here with outgrowing the Woom 1 quickly.

Appreciate any kind recs, please.