Kids can only pedal along on the sidewalk with a tricycle. Strider™ running bikes

are really fun. A kid on a Strider™ can go anywhere. If you take your child for a

walk with a tricycle, you are always waiting for him or her to catch up. If you take

a child for a walk with a Strider™ running bike, you’ll be hurrying to keep up with

your child. Kids learn balance, steering, and self-confidence on a Strider™. On a

tricycle they don’t learn any of the skills needed to eventually ride a regular pedal

bike. In addition, the Strider™ running bike weighs less than half as much as most

tricycles and, therefore, is much more manageable for a small child.

We don’t think so. Most Strider™ kids easily make the transition from their

Strider™ running bike to a regular pedal bike without the need for training wheels.

They’ve already learned the necessary balance and steering skills. Most kids still

ride their Strider™ running bike after they get their pedal bike because they can do

more tricks, have more fun, and go more places on the running bike.

We’ve set up demonstration courses and had first time riders going up ramp-like

teeter-totters in fifteen minutes. It’s really rewarding to watch a formerly timid

three- year old shout, “Daddy. Watch me!” just before he/she goes up and over the

teeter-totter. Kids also make their Striders™ into off-road vehicles, which they

cannot do on tricycles and regular pedal bikes without great strength and skill.

In keeping with our emphasis on the “Fun” factor, the Strider™ comes with superlight,

maintenance-free foam tires. No flats, no pumping air, just get on and go. The

Strider uses an 8” molded rim riding on sealed bearings and a steel axle. The actual

outside diameter of the foam tire is 11 inches. The majority of the Strider™ frame

is made from durable, light gauge steel tubing, the wheels from heavy plastic, and the

tires from solid foam. The Strider™ is not a fragile toy; it is a well-built vehicle that

should easily serve several growing children.

If a child can place his/her feet fl at on the ground while sitting on the seat, he/she

can ride a Strider™ running bike. A few kids fifteen months old have learned to ride

a Strider™ better than they can walk. We suggest a 1 to 5 year old range and an

inseam of at least 11”.

Probably. Most kids feel very comfortable on a Strider™ running bike, because they

feel totally in control. They have four points of contact with the ground (both feet

and both wheels) and the running bike is much lighter than a conventional bike or

tricycle and, therefore, easier to handle.

Don’t worry, your child will figure it out a lot faster than you will figure out a way

to teach him/her. For some reason Strider™ operation seems to come to children

naturally. They do better getting encouragement from parents rather than getting

riding tips or instruction.

Sure. Kids can’t develop enough leg power to operate a regular bicycle “off-road,”

but they can ride a Strider™ running bike on grass, gravel (if it is not too deep), and

up and down dirt mounds.

The beginning rider should only use his/her feet against the ground to control

speed and to stop. For the advanced rider, the Strider™ is designed to accept an

optional foot-operated rear friction brake that not only stops the Strider™ quickly,

but also creates a cool skid mark when applied hard! The brake is a simple one-bolt

installation.

We want children to be safe. We researched various “stopping” methods as they

relate to really young children. In the end, in a panic situation, the natural instinct of

children is to put their feet down. Even children capable of using a brake revert to

planting their feet if they have to stop quickly. The hand brake option does not make

sense based on child anatomy... just gripping the bar is a handful for a 2-3 year old

hand... their fingers are not long enough or strong enough to pull a brake lever.

Training wheels are very scary for children. The sensation of tipping from side-to side

keeps them from focusing on the tasks at hand, pedaling and steering. Learning

to balance and steer on the Strider™ makes the transition to the pedal bike much

easier. Forget the training wheels. Once your child is confident on the Strider™, she

will be able to transfer quickly to a pedal bike without training wheels.

When you see your child coasting down hills with her feet up, going over and

around obstacles, and speeding along with forceful strides, you will know that she

has mastered the necessary techniques of balance and steering to begin riding a

pedal bike. The transition will be quick and easy. However, you will discover that even

though your child can ride her pedal bike without training wheels, she will continue

to ride her Strider™ running bike for pure fun. On the Strider™, a child is confi dent

enough to continually push to higher levels of expertise. Eventually, these higher

thinking, higher level skills are transferred to his/her pedal bike. At this point, the

child may ‘hang up’ the Strider™. However, we have found there is usually a one to

two year overlap when the child rides both.

Strider™ running bikes are manufactured in China. The paint has been tested by an

independent lab and has been certified safe. It exceeds the safety standards set by

codes such as California’s Proposition 65. The Strider™ is available in six vibrant

colors: red, blue, orange, yellow, lime green, hot pink.

Assembly is very basic, taking approximately 5 minutes: tighten one bolt to align the

handle-bars and two nuts to mount the front wheel. Adjust the seat height and your

Strider ™ balance bike is ready to go.

You could, but a conventional bike will still be too tall and too heavy for your two

year old. The Strider™ running bike is uniquely designed to allow the seat to be

adjusted five or six inches lower than the seat on a conventional bike (or other

running bikes) and at only seven pounds it weighs about half as much as a regular

pedal bike.

Could one even hope for benefits for a parent from such a small vehicle that

benefits kids so much? You bet! Freedom! Freedom from carrying a tired or rebelling

child, and freedom from coaxing a dawdling one to catch up. In fact, the parent

will soon become the one trying to keep up; brisk walks, jogging, or bicycling now

become exercise options to make outings more enjoyable for everyone. The outings

will no longer be limited to fl at, hard surfaces either; the Strider™ will easily handle

a forest trail or a two-track dirt road if you feel like a walk in the woods... try that

with training wheels or a trike!

Yes, the Strider™ comes with a 1 year warranty against manufacturing defects. The

warranty is limited to riders less than 50 lbs. The Strider™ serial number needs to

be registered to activate the warranty. The bottom line, though, is we want you to

be satisfied with the product, and we want you to share that satisfaction with other

parents. We welcome feedback and will quickly respond to warranty issues.

With the light weight and simplicity of a Strider™, young riders soon feel confident

and in control. At this young age, bicycles are simply too tall, too heavy, and too

complex for youngsters to feel this sense of control. Advances in coordination

and balance follow quickly as do the development of the thought processes

necessary for steering, crossing obstacles, backing up, and doing tricks. To watch this

development of thought and skill is actually quite amazing.

How early should a parent introduce a child to a new physical activity like biking?

Pediatric neurologists have long noted that there is a rapid learning curve in children

ages 0-6. Most of the great masters in sports and music have begun study at a very

early age. We have found that kids have a natural curiosity about the Strider™.

Watch some of our video clips to see pre-two year olds start their Strider™

experience. They are not frightened by the Strider™, and they advance quickly on

their own.