| Give your kids a head start on learning balance and control of a two-wheeler! The Strider™ running bike eliminates the need for a tricycle or training wheels and offers your child a vehicle he or she can have a blast riding for years. The Strider™ develops muscles, coordination, motor skills, and endurance… all under the guise of sheer fun! |
Description of a Strider bike:
Super light. Less that 7 pounds (about 1/3 the weight of a typical 12″ pedal bike with training wheels).
Unique frame design has integrated Launch Pad™ footrests for gliding and learning advanced riding skills.
Puncture-proof all-terrain tires with sealed bearings and 5/16″ steel axles.
Durable welded steel frame and handlebars
1 year warranty against manufacturing defects
Adjustable handlebar and seat height to fit riders from 30″ to 44″ tall
Saddle height adjusts from 11″ to 16″ from ground)
Paint certified to be significantly below the CA Prop. 65 limits for heavy metal content, including lead.
Available in 6 colors (red, blue, yellow, green, orange, and pink)
Rider weight limit of 50 pounds.
Emma’s Strider PREbike arrived just in the nick of time for Christmas. “Santa” was prepared for a night of assembly when he opened the box to find this nice surprise! The bike was only in 4 pieces! After checking out the instructions he sat down to assemble Emma’s first bike. In no time at all he had this…
I noticed immediately the small stature of the bike and the low placement of the seat. Emma is a small 4 year old and I had worried that maybe even a PREbike would be too big for her, but this was sized perfectly. With the adjustable seat she even has growing room. We have tried tricycles with her and even though she loves hers, she eventually will fall and get hurt (every time she rides).
The frame is very sturdy, the wheels a nice solid piece. It’s not exactly plastic, but it is a puncture proof material. The handle bars can be adjusted for height (plenty of growing room) and the seat also moves up and down.
I know if you have never heard of a balance bike you are thinking “Why on earth would you put that much money into a PREbike when you can buy a bike with training wheels and brakes?”.
Strider Science
The original motivation for the creation of the Strider™ running bike was to provide a safe and easy transition to a pedal bicycle. Obviously, ease of control had to be critical for our targeted rider group of 1-5 year olds. The first requirement was a LOW seat height and center of gravity so our tiny riders felt safe; our seat height starts as low as 11 inches, allowing even the shortest of legs to reach the ground. Control is also aided by the low, straight handlebar design which allows the small rider to reach forward rather than up. That same handlebar design helps the child lift the bike over obstacles because he or she can pull up on the bars with better leverage. As the young rider becomes more accomplished, the foot rest provides a place for both feet as the child coasts down hills. (Placing both feet on the optional brake lever also provides an opportunity at the bottom of the hill to create a great skidmark, which our young test riders really love!) And finally, our low seat, low handlebars, and low center of gravity all combine to build confidence in riders. They soon learn to sit and push hard with their feet to attain speed and at the same time lengthen their stride. Hence, the name of our vehicle, the Strider™. At speed, a small child’s stride will go from approximately 2 feet when running on foot to 6 feet or more when running on a Strider™. This means they’re riding 3 times faster than they can run.
Tricycles tip over, scrape ankles, and have terrible pedal leverage ratios. Training-wheeled bicycles are tall, heavy, tippy, complex, and downright scary for really young riders. Both have great potential for injury. Not true with the Strider™. Due to the low center of gravity, low seat height, low handlebars, and light weight, the rider has much better control. The absence of pedals, sprockets, chain, and cables further reduce the likelihood of injury. The Strider™ is the ‘right tool for the job’.
Emma was excited to receive this bike for Christmas, but with it being so cold outside she hasn’t put it to the ultimate test outside… yet. She was eager to jump right on and was pretty wobbly and unsure of herself at first (see photos above). BUT, I knew our long living room would come in handy one day. We move the coffee table out of the way so she can ride and in just a few short weeks Emma is practically coasting from one side of the living room to the other!
My husband and I are very impressed with the progress Emma has made on the Strider and we both agree that a larger bike with training wheels, peddles and brakes would not have been a good start for her. They are too big and have too many things to learn at once. Balance and confidence are the first and most important things for them to learn when riding a bike. We are pretty sure that with continued riding (and she rides EVERY day in the living room) she may be ready to take on a “big girl” bike in no time! No rush, though… she loves her STRIDER!
Connect with Pacific Strider Bikes
Disclaimer: This post was written by me and was not edited by anyone. The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way. I received product for review purposes only. I was not compensated for writing this post. For more information please read my disclosure policy.
HA! What a great idea! I love the video, that is too cute, too. Not a bad price either!
These are really neat! They didn’t have things like this when I was little.. when my boy gets to that age of being able to do this I will have to look into one. Great review!
those look fun. i’ve thought about these and wondered- i think it’d be perfect for my 3 year old. pedaling is just not working and he desperately wants a big boy bike like his 5 year old sister. thanks for the great review!!
I wondered about these! I thought they were much higher priced.
Thanks for the share!
my boys have the green strider and they love it, it is so light and easy for them to handle. Look how quickly your daughter picked up on this, she looks like a pro! Just wait until she get outside for a real drive on it. and the little guy in the video will be on it this summer too I bet!
This sounds like the perfect transition from tricycle to the big kid bike. Thanks for including the video so we can see it in action.
Better yet, just skip the trike all together!
What a neat product! My 2 year old would LOVE this!
That is awesome! I love that it is only 7 pounds! Sounds perfect for my 4 year old too! Thanks for sharing!
That looks SO COOL! I can’t wait until my little boy is big enough for a bike like that. I’m bookmarking this article!
The Strider PREbike looks so fun! Thanks for sharing the video. I have wondered how kids actually ride those.
Oh, wow! Are those slick!
Wish they were around when mine were little!
Thanks for sharing.
I completly agree, my 4 yr old would fit this perfect and would really help him how to ride without training wheels! Thankyou for this giveaway.
Love it! Balance is the most important and i’m glad the Strider bike focuses on that. Can’t wait for my son to be big enough and the color choices are great!
Love it my daughter need this she is a small four also and is having a hard time at it.
How cool are these! Can’t wait til my nephew is old enough, have some time though. He is due tomorrow!
Great idea/innovation! Too bad these weren’t available when my son was learning to ride 🙁
WOW! I have a 4 yo and he can’t even ride a trike!! I’d like to see if he can manage this without training wheels.
I like the idea of no training wheels for ages 1-5. that’s a pretty good confidence boost for a child.
These are fabulous bikes, I have a 2 year old and a 5 year old that both ride without training wheels after owning their Strider Bikes. In fact when i bought ours in the USA and had them shipped back to the UK, everyone over here was so impressed we started a business selling them here.
I nannied for a boy who had one of these and when it came time to ride a bike without training wheels…he rocked it!
Great way to learn balance.
xoxoxo
I know someone who used to work with PREbike . They are very well designed and solidly built with that type of poly-plastic that will not break or fade in the sun – excellent productSuch a great starter bike for the little ones. Wish they were around when I was a kid.• my homepage
I would love to win this PREbike for my son because he is starting to show interest in bikes and I think starting him a balance bike might be the best first step for him. I can’t even think where we wouldn’t use this bike. We would take it to the park and for walks. I figure we would be able to go farther with him on a bike.