Strider Balance Bike Review

Posted by Rachel on January 13, 2010 · 504 Comments

Congratulations to Ellie Wright!

Learning to ride a bike is a long process for kids. Toddlers normally start learning the skills they need to ride a bike with simple ride on toys, then move up to tricycles, then a bike with training wheels, until they are finally able to remove the training wheels and ride a bike on their own. Strider Balance Bikes change the process up a bit by teaching young toddlers (as young as 18 months old) how to balance by using a two wheeled bike rather than a ride on toy or tricycle and then move kids straight to a 2 wheeled bike without training wheels. Since kids who are used to riding a balance bike already know how to balance, they only need to learn how to pedal a bike rather than starting the process from scratch.

Balance Bike for Toddlers

Photo (c) Strider Sports

We received a Strider Balance Bike several months ago. It was interesting to see the different reactions that my kids had. I had originally planned on having my then 3 ½ year old use the bike since he had been riding a tricycle for some time already and needed to learn how to balance before moving up to a big boy bike. He’s a stubborn little guy though and isn’t fond of change. He took one look at the Strider Balance Bike and said “That is not a bike. It has no pedals”.

My 20 month old, who I had previously thought was too young to use the balance bike, fell in love with the bike at first sight. It looked just like a big boy bike and for a little boy who was desperate to be big like his brothers and wanted nothing to do with a tricycle, it was heaven. I was shocked that my 20 month old was able to begin using the bike immediately. While my son didn’t start sitting on the seat and riding it the way it was intended right away, he did straddle the bike and use it to run around with no outside help. At first he fell quite a bit since even running while straddling a balance bike takes quite a bit of coordination, but it didn’t take long before he was hauling the balance bike up dirt hills and riding back down with squeals of delight. After riding the Strider balance bike for several months, my now 2 year old can keep up with his brothers on their big boy bikes and every time he sees it he gets excited and yells, “my bike, my bike!”. At the rate he is going, it wouldn’t surprise me if he is riding a 2 wheeled bike much younger than his brothers did.

Lightweight Balance Bike for Kids

The Strider balance bike is small enough that we often take it with us in the car to the park or take it with us on trips. The bike itself is really lightweight, only 7 pounds, which makes it portable, but also makes it really easy for young toddlers to maneuver it.

I have actually stuck the entire bike in the basket of my double stroller on a walk to take to the park before. The size and weight make it much easier to transport than traditional tricycles which are usually heavy and bulky.

Affordable for Families on a Budget

Many toddlers go through a string of ride on bikes before they make it to a 2 wheeled bike. The Strider balance bike allows you to skip the tricycle stage and the small preschool-sized bike that often only lasts for a year before being outgrown. The seat adjusts easily so it can fit kids from age 18 months to 5 years, making it unnecessary to purchase multiple bikes as children grow.

Enter to Win (Closed)

Win a Strider Sports Balance Bike in your choice of colors. This giveaway is open to the U.S. and will end on February 3, 2010.

This Giveaway is Closed

Please see our site’s Terms and Conditions for a complete list of our contest and giveaway rules.

In compliance with the new FTC Guild lines, please note that this is a sponsored post. I was given a Strider Balance Bike to test and review free of charge. However, I was not paid for the review and the opinions are my own.

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About the Author Rachel is the mother of 4 boys ages 6, almost 4, almost 2, and one angel who passed away at birth. Rachel is the creator of Busy Mommy Media and works as a freelance writer from home. Read more from this author