For a mom who places a lot of importance on outdoor play and physical activity, I have to admit that my girls are not as comfortable on their bikes as I would hope they would be. My oldest daughter received her first bicycle two years ago and I can almost count on two hands the amount of times she’s actually ridden it. She was always a little awkward on it, but that could be my fault for wanting to get something a little bigger to last longer, so she didn’t feel comfortable with the height. She’s finally grown into her bike, and hopefully this year we can start working on her gaining confidence and riding a two wheeler.
After taking my youngest daughter bike shopping, I knew I didn’t want to make the same mistakes I made with my older daughter when it came to picking out an age appropriate bike for her. I noticed that regardless of the height of the bicycle, my 3 year old just didn’t have the strength or dexterity to pedal, and swished her feet on the ground to get moving. I remembered last year when two friends of mine raved about balance bikes and how both their children skipped right over training wheels because they learned how to balance on a bike without having to multi task by pedaling as well. That’s when I researched some more and came across Strider Bikes.
There are different levels of Strider Bikes, and while to me the Pro seems much smaller than anything I would have purchased in a bicycle, my little one has to be able to comfortably rest her feet on the ground to take off. As I mentioned earlier, the size of the bike is where I felt I went wrong with my oldest daughter initially. After putting the Strider together, my little one was confused. She had never seen a bike without pedals, but once her big sister showed her what needed to be done, she was off! The seat easily adjusts without tools, so both my girls can ride it comfortably. My oldest daughter is 5 and when it comes time for outdoor play, she reaches for the Strider before her own traditional style bicycle. She’s already learned how to balance, and will gain the skills needed to hop on that two wheeler she’s been hoping to.
After using the Strider ourselves, I feel it is a great way to encourage physical activity and gain balance for younger children as opposed to a traditional bike. The tires never go flat, and setup took about 10 minutes, with everything included right in the box. There are 3 levels of Strider Balance Bikes which can all be found on their website.
Find out more by visiting Strider Balance Bikes. Be sure to connect with them on Facebook and Twitter to see what others are saying!
My nephew had one of these and was a terror in the alleyway at age 3 so I can attest that they really work.
I’ve seen these bikes but have never tried them on my kids. It’s an interesting concept.