From Balance Bike to Woom GO 3 AUTOMAGIC: Our Real Experience From Age 2 to 4 Review
Updated: 60 minutes ago
When my son was approaching his second birthday, we decided it was time for his first balance bike. As a mom of a very active boy, I'm always interested in things that get kids moving — bikes, scooters, outdoor games and anything that gives them a new physical challenge.
Before turning two, my son was already confidently riding a Globber scooter with a seat and using a Doona trike. But a balance bike felt like the natural next step.
After a lot of research, several visits to bike shops and watching what other young children were riding, we chose Woom.
Two years later, our journey has taken us from a Woom balance bike to the Woom 2 and eventually the Woom GO 3 AUTOMAGIC. Today, at four years old, our son comfortably joins us on 10–15 km family bike rides.
But it definitely wasn't an instant success.
1. Why We Chose Woom
What first caught my attention was seeing very young children riding Woom bikes confidently around the city.
Woom bikes are designed specifically around children's proportions. They are lightweight, with child-friendly geometry, small grips and brake levers designed for little hands.
For me, weight was particularly important. I wanted my son to control the bike rather than feel like the bike was controlling him.
So we bought his first Woom balance bike. And then it sat at home.
2. The Beginning Was Much Harder Than I Expected
Despite being very active, my son can be stubborn when something feels unfamiliar. For the first couple of months, he simply didn't understand the balance bike. His seated scooter was fast and familiar. The bike required effort without giving him the same instant reward.
Then one day, my husband tried something different. He gently helped him start riding down a small, gradual hill. Suddenly, it clicked. He felt the bike moving while balancing instead of trying to create momentum and learn balance at the same time.
After that, progress happened incredibly quickly.
Soon he was gliding with both feet in the air, steering confidently and riding surprisingly fast.
[INTERNAL LINK: Read what I learned about helping a child who struggles with their first balance bike.]
3. From Balance Bike to Woom 2 — No Training Wheels
Around his third birthday, we decided it was time for his first pedal bike: the Woom 2.
We deliberately skipped training wheels. By then, our son already knew how to balance, steer, brake and control his speed. We wanted to build on those skills rather than take balance out of the equation.The only major new challenge was pedalling.
Once again, it took some practice. But once he understood how to pedal, everything else was already there. For us, that was the biggest benefit of starting with a balance bike: we weren't teaching him how to ride from scratch. We were simply adding pedals to skills he already had.
[INTERNAL LINK: When should you switch from a balance bike to a pedal bike?]\
4. Moving Up to the Woom GO 3 AUTOMAGIC
As he grew, we eventually moved from the Woom 2 to the Woom GO 3 AUTOMAGIC.
The main reason we chose the AUTOMAGIC rather than the regular GO 3 was the automatic two-speed gearing. The child doesn't need to operate a gear shifter. The bike changes gears automatically depending on speed.
For our son, who was already a confident cyclist and increasingly joining us on longer rides, this made a lot of sense. He simply pedals and the bike takes care of the gearing.
5. What We Love About Woom
After several Woom bikes, the things I appreciate most are surprisingly simple. The bikes are lightweight, easy for a small child to control and designed around children's bodies rather than being miniature adult bikes.
I also love the natural progression between models. Our son didn't have to start learning again every time we changed bikes. Each new bike simply introduced another skill:
Balance
Then pedals
Then automatic gears
Today, cycling feels completely natural to him.
6. What We Don't Love
There is one detail on our GO 3 AUTOMAGIC that hasn't worked perfectly for us: the handlebar grips. For shorter rides, they're fine. On longer rides, however, our son sometimes complains that his hands hurt. We personally found the softer grips we were used to more comfortable than the slimmer, firmer grips on our AUTOMAGIC.
We bought children's cycling gloves, which have helped. Woom also offers replacement GO Ergogrips that are compatible with the bike. We haven't tried changing them yet, but we're planning to do so and I'll update this review after we've tested them on longer rides.
It's a relatively small criticism of a bike we otherwise really like — but if your child rides longer distances, it's something worth knowing.
7. Is Woom Worth It?
For our family, yes.
Woom bikes aren't cheap, and I don't think every child necessarily needs the most expensive model. But after watching our son progress from a hesitant two-year-old on a balance bike to a four-year-old comfortably riding 10–15 km with us, I can see the value.
Would I follow the same progression again?
Absolutely:
Balance bike → Woom 2 without training wheels → Woom GO 3 AUTOMAGIC.
Although next time, I might have a little more patience with that balance bike sitting unused in the hallway. Sometimes a child simply needs time. And apparently, in our case, one perfectly placed little hill.
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