Bentley launches a £450 balance bike with diamond-quilted handlebars

Has your little one been very, vey good? Designed with luxury car brand Bentley, the new £450 Bentley Balance bike has a magnesium frame that draws on the sleek lines of the iconic Bentley Continental GT. It also comes with “the same luxury detailing found in the cars themselves” in the form of diamond-quilted handlebars. 

> 9 of the best balance bikes — push-alongs for kids that get them ready to pedal

The Bentley Balance Bike boasts a magnesium alloy frame which has been developed to be exceptionally strong yet lightweight for an easily portable option that’s still robust. Bentley says it can effectively support up to 35kg of weight, despite only weighing 650g itself.

Balance bikes are normally for children aged from 18 months to 7 years old; and with the average weight of a 7 year old being 22.9 kg, this weight limit should easily cover your little/not so little one.

“The balance bike was designed with the same meticulous level of detail that goes into every vehicle,” says Bentley. “The frame was inspired by the power line that can be seen on our cars and is reproduced in the key line that flows around the frame of the bike.

“The seat, an important contact point for both rider and parent, has hidden diamond knurling to improve grip when steadying the rider and the handlebars feature Bentley diamond quilting for comfort.”

Balance bikes are generally encouraged for young riders as they allow the child to focus on the basic bits of bike riding, balancing and steering, without complicating things further with pedalling and gears. This one does add in braking though.

A rear disc brake has been included “to ensure the safety and comfort of your budding/little cyclist, so they can ride with added confidence and leave you with peace of mind”, says Bentley. 

Available in onyx black, sequin blue, dragon red or glacier white, the Bentley Balance Bike is priced at £450. That's certainly expensive for a balance bike, but surprisingly not ridiculously so - yes, you can get even more expensive ones, more on that in a sec!

First off, what can you expect to pay for a good balance bike? Hornit’s AIRO balance bike is a really nice option for introducing a child to the world of cycling - it looks the part and performs well, and costs just £139. Most of the bikes in our buyer’s guide are sub-£200 and all are cheaper than this Bentley option.

> Read the full review of the Hornit Airo Balance Bike 

However Bentley’s offering is certainly not the most expensive option we’ve seen. Specialized really splashed out with its “ultimate first bike”, giving the 2kg light Hotwalk balance bike a Fact 9r carbon frame, carbon wheels and carbon handlebars. It costs... £999.

It’s all in an effort to keep the weight down, a measure that Specialized says will improve the responsiveness and manoeuvrability of the bike, especially when the rider is very little - lucky kid!

The Bentley Balance Bike is available now at bentley.com