When is the perfect age to teach your little one how to ride a bike? Traditionally, your kid needs to be old enough and big enough to handle a bicycle that has training wheels. I’m sure we all have fond memories about taking off the training wheels…or maybe not…
I distinctly remember being a kid and having the training wheels taken off my bike. We were in the van on the way home from church and I spent the whole trip building up the courage to ask my dad, “Can I try riding my bike without the training wheels?”
There is a neighborhood kid in elementary school that made the decision to take off the training wheels this summer because some of the kids on the bus were picking on him. He got the hang of it really quick – by the end of the week, he was a pro.
BUT – What if I told you we could completely skip the training wheels and still have our kids be a pro on the bike?
AND – what if this meant we could get our kids on their bike at an even earlier age than previously thought?
That is what the Strider bike – or balance bikes in general – offer to parents and kids. The opportunity to put your 1-2 year old on a bike without training wheels and set them up for huge success down the road, without the dreaded training wheels. In this Strider Bike review, I explore the Strider Bike all the way from assembly to graduation.
About
Balance Bikes are becoming increasingly popular. I’m sure you’ve seen a kid around the neighborhood, at a playground, park or campground cruising around on a bike without pedals. They play a role in developing balance of a child on a bicycle – the most challenging part of removing the training wheels.
Studies show that kids who start on balance bikes end up learning how to ride a stand-alone bicycle earlier than kids who learn on training wheels (!!).
When a kid rides a bike with training wheels, they don’t have to make any balancing effort at all. Kids can cruise around on their bike and not have to worry about falling over unless they are taking a corner like they’re in Fast and Furious 72. To mitigate this, training wheels have the ability to be raised off the ground by a few inches. The idea is to slowly raise the training wheels higher and higher and before you know it: Boom! The kid isn’t even using them any more! But, if you’re like me, you have seen a kid leaning into those training wheels that are 3 inches off the ground and riding their bike on a steep angle.
The Strider bike allows kids to find their balance immediately. They essentially start by walking the bike. As they grow more confident and want to go faster, they realize that they can push harder and pick their feet up the ground for longer. This eventually leads to kids sprinting on their bike and then coasting all around with their feet up on the rests. Now, all they have to do is learn how to pedal and they can ride their bike.
Strider does the balance bike better than anyone. They make an incredibly durable, quick to assemble, easy to use bike that my son has had a blast with. We’re going to go over the assembly, things I love, things I don’t love, and a final verdict.
Lets get started!
Assembling the Strider Bike
This bike was incredibly easy to assemble. It literally came in 4 pieces… thats it! It came with everything you need to assemble, meaning; it came with the pieces, washers, bolt and tool to use in order to get the bike up and running. Assembly took less than 10 minutes and my son couldn’t wait to ride it.
The frame is made of painted steel, it has ultralight molded wheels with flat-free foam rubber 12” tires and an all-weather plastic seat. The whole bike weighs 6.5 lbs, and can support up to 60lbs.
Things I Love about Strider Bike
The things I love about this bike are…everything? There is only one thing I don’t love (which we’ll get to in a sec), but the people at Strider did such a great job with this bike.
It is very durable, so I don’t have to worry about it breaking down, getting flat tires, scratching up the handlebar grips, leaving it out in the rain and ruining the seat, etc. It is built to last! And when my son outgrows it, it’ll still be around for his little brother.
This bike is very lightweight without feeling cheap/fragile. It’s light enough to allow an 18mo kid to be able to walk around with it. It’s also lightweight enough that I can toss it in the back of the car without thinking twice. Yet, despite being lightweight, the bike is very sturdy. The steel frame makes it feel more like a real bike and less like a kids toy.
The adjustable seat is great because it can last a kid a few years until they are ready for a real bicycle. They can start under 2yrs old, and make it until they get to 60lbs. This also helps accommodate kids with long legs that are tall for their age. They can still benefit from the Strider bike even though they have Giannis Antetokounmpo as a father.
Lastly, the overall look of the bike is just cool. The bike comes in a wide assortment of colors and tons of accessories are available. Like I mentioned above, this doesn’t look like a childs toy. It looks like a legit bike that your kid is going to love.
Things I Don’t Love
Again, there really is only one thing I don’t love – and that is; I wish the bike could get 1-3 inches lower. My son started walking fairly early, and I felt that he was ready to try this bike. But he was a little too short (despite being 60th percentile for height) to feel comfortable on the bike. I know this is being really picky (since all we had to do was wait a few months), but it could be cool for the bike to be a tiny bit smaller.
Final Verdict
Fact: Balance bikes are awesome.
Fact: Strider makes an awesome balance bike:
Fact: Bears eat beets.
…..wait…never mind…
I have loved watching my son enjoy his strider bike. I can’t wait to see him gain more and more confidence on this thing, and allow it to help him transition to a big boy bike. It is so cool to ditch the training wheels from the jump, and I’m glad we have a Strider bike to help in that journey.
Pricing and where to buy Strider Bike
The Strider Bike retails for around $99 and is available from a number of online stores, including REI, Target, and Amazon.
What’s next?
Hello, we’re Fathercraft. We’d invite you to explore more— we review stuff for parents — everything from baby and newborn essentials to books and toys. And, we make stuff that makes parenting even more awesome, like a men’s diaper bag and an online course for expecting dads.
