Balance Bikes are designed to be the best way for toddlers to learn to ride by teaching balance first. As leaders in the balance bike industry, Strider knows balance is key to almost every physical sport and activity. Kids need to be active daily and balance plays a big role in the development of our children. People of all ages and abilities can benefit from developing their balance. 

When balance is mastered, transitioning to a bicycle with pedals is easy. A child needs to experience the feel of leaning and how steering affects the balance of the bike. A Strider Balance Bike is lightweight and breaks riding down into simple steps, inspiring confidence for a child who has only been walking for a short time. If your child can walk, they can ride a Strider!

Balance is the most important skill for riding a bike and training wheels create a false sense of security. Training wheels are often unstable and are meant to never touch the ground at the same time, causing a child to tilt to one side or the other in order to feel stable with the bike holding them up.
When a child is ready to transition from training wheels to a pedal bike, they have to go back to square one and learn balance. Pedaling is the easy part and typically takes a child just minutes to learn, while balance is a skill that can be developed throughout an entire lifetime. 
Check out our Learning page for some tips on riding basics.

The lightweight 12” Strider teaches riding basics to the littlest riders to develop balance, coordination, steering, riding skills and, most importantly- their confidence.

Transitioning to a pedal bike before they are ready for that extra weight and size is detrimental for a child’s overall riding success. In addition, the Strider 12 ground clearance may be perfect for short legs, but doesn’t allow room for pedals. With that being said, the only bike we offer with attachable pedals is the Strider 14x for ages 3-7 years old!

In order to have the bike fit your child the best, so it is comfortable to ride (which makes it FUN to ride), we suggest you measure your child’s inseam and set the seat hight 1-2 inches below that height. 

Watch this video for the simplest way to get an accurate inseam measurement or simply use a measuring tape and measure from their crotch to the floor while they are standing up. 

Please see our warranty and registration page for a detailed overview of our customer guarantee.