Child's bicycle, Wishbone 3-in-1 Original, Wishbone Design Studio, Wellington, New Zealand, designed 2008, manufactured 2020-21

Child's bicycle with a frame made from birch plywood, with recycled black plastic wheels, white rubber tyres, black rubber handle grips and a black foam saddle. It can be formatted as a tricycle and as a balance bike with variable seat heights.

Richard Latham, a native of New Zealand, set up Wishbone Design Studio in 2008. Three years earlier, in New York City, he had built a balance bike for his son, Noah, so they could explore Central Park together. Latham received questions from fellow park-users about where he had purchased the bike from, which led him to found the company with his wife, Jennifer McIver.

Wishbone are based in Wellington, New Zealand. They make their products using materials from sustainable sources, incorporating environmental protection into their key corporate values. Their classic 3-in-1 bikes are made from plantation-sourced, preservative-free birch. They also utilise recycled paper printed with non-toxic inks for the packaging and instructions, and have rubber rather than plastic tyres. More recently, Wishbone have expanded their range to include bikes made from recycled plastics, limited edition decoration, and a range of options for children to customise them with different coloured handlebars and accessories, such as bags. The company also offer a parts replacement service, and encourage users to sell second-hand bikes via Wishbone’s online marketplace.

Balance bikes are a common type of bicycle propelled using the feet only, intended for use by early years children. Interestingly, they share similar basic design elements to early pedal-less adult bicycles, known colloquially by colourful names such as Laufmaschine, dandy-horse or pedestrian curricle.

The Wishbone bike is designed to grow with a child. Beginning as a foot-propelled tricycle, two further adjustments transform it into a two-wheeled balance bike. Designer Richard Latham was inspired to develop it after building a balance bike for his son, Noah, to explore New York City's Central Park. Passersby frequently asked where the bike was from, leading Latham to found a company to make them.

B.31-2021