After two months of thrashing, testing and countless rides to preschool, Bonnie’s YCF 16-inch e-balance bike is holding up well. It’s been through everything – off-road trails, footpaths and one particularly wild encounter that tested its durability (and Bonnie’s resilience).
The YCF 16-inch e-balance bike itself has proven bulletproof. Nothing has broken, despite Bonnie getting absolutely T-boned by an old bloke on an electric bike. One minute she was cruising along, the next she was airborne, her Alpinestars helmet peak flying off like a frisbee. Luckily, she walked away rattled but unscathed. The YCF? Also fine, minus some bent handlebars and a few scratches. That’s a win in our books.
This crash, though, was a stark reminder of something parents should keep in mind: just because your kid can ride well, brake fast and is aware of their surroundings, that doesn’t mean others are. The explosion of electric bikes has introduced a whole new hazard; some riders who can’t even ride a regular bike think they can magically handle an e-bike. Of course, e-bikes are heavier, faster and require actual control, but there are no competency rules… and that’s a problem.
Despite the occasional run-in with clueless e-bike riders, the YCF 16-inch e-balance bike remains an excellent tool for teaching moto skills. Whether it’s hitting the local bike path, learning balance and throttle control, or just ripping around before school, it’s proven to be a tough, well-built machine. Bonnie, despite her post-crash meltdown, shook it off and rode to preschool like a champ. If that’s not proof this thing can take a hit and keep rolling, we don’t know what is.