I've seen these bikes, wasn't sure if they really work. This video, really cute, shows they do, at least sometimes. I assume the idea is that eventually there is a painless transition to a pedal bike?
I think they offered the kid a hub motor, but he's holding out for a mid-drive.
The people who made the video know what they are doing. A lot of 'story' for two minutes.
DON'T USE TRAINING WHEELS EVER. I used a balance bike for both my son and daughter. The transition from balance bike to pedal bike: 2 hours and with my son: 1 day. It is one of those areas where the US is behind old Europe (I am from Germany originally) but luckily balance bikes are getting more popular these days (but it felt like the bleeding edge 5 years ago).
By the way, if you need really good bikes for your children (balance or pedal), check out the Puky brand. http://www.puky.net/ They are a little tricky to get in the US (Import from Germany via Amazon.com) but just super-nice street-legal bikes.
