Strider, Skuut, Kinderbike??? oh MY!

[chrstene]

I really want to get my DD, turning 3 next month, a Balance bike....these seem to be in the price range we are looking for at the moment. Can anyone tell me any BTDT experiences with balance bike purchases?

Also VERY interested in WOOD VS. METAL? and AIR VS. FOAM tires?

Thanks !

[SparklingGemini]

All I can tell you is that we have the Strider and DD loves it!

She got it for her birthday a month ago and was slightly frightened of it. Now, four weeks later, she can already run and pick her feet up as the bike glides a bit.

I really like how lightweight the Strider is. DD can pick it up and maneuver it herself when she falls or is done riding.

We checked out some other versions of a balance bike made more mainstream companies and they were all heavier.

Also, the Skuut, I'm just not into. Your DD being older, she may fit it better, but DD was too short for it. Plus, it felt awkward to me.

[askew]

We have the skuut and DS loves it. We got it for his 2nd birthday, which was a mistake. While he was tall enough for it then- he is very tall- he did not get it nor was he interested. Now at 2.5 he loves it and plays on it all the time. The one piece of advice I have it check the seat height against the height of your child. Some of them need the child to be pretty tall and long legged to use it, some are shorter.

[DoulaLMT]

My 19 month old has a Strider and loves it. We of course got it for the seat height based on his age/size. However we looked at/tried a Skuut at REI and definitely feel the Strider is a better bike overall. Just our opinion.

[chrstene]

Thank you so much for the input. I think I am leaning more toward the metal bike over the wood at this time...so the STrider or the Kinderbike. For my little guy, when he is tall enough I will start with the Strider definitely since it can be adjusted so small. I'm wondering about my DD who is already tall enough for the Kinderbike....is that supposed to be a better bike? Real tires?

Do you find the foam tires on the Strider to be a problem?? on the pavement?

Thanks.

[iris777888]

We got the Strider for our son a few weeks ago. He's 2.5 and right around 3 ft tall and it's the perfect size for him. He can carry it around since it's so light, and it doesn't hurt him if he falls over and isn't hard to get back up. It seems very well constructed.

We took him out on the pavement with it just once so far. The foam tires are not what I think of when I think of foam typically. They are quite hard, and I really think it would be hard to damage them. They are a big part of what makes it so light.

Surprisingly, he hasn't been as interested in it yet as we expected. He watches the videos of the other little kids using them and is excited, but then loses interest quickly when doing it on his own. I think part of that is that we don't have a great outdoor space for it and inside there's enough room to ride but not enough to really get going.

[noobmom]

Just to let you guys know, upsideover.com has a great price on Striders right now. I just ordered one for DS's 3rd birthday and it was $59 with free shipping. Sadly, only orange is still in stock. When I ordered it a few days ago they had every color in stock except green.

Last year when I was looking at balance bikes I considered the KinderBike. But I couldn't believe how much the price went up this year. Last years were about $60 I think (with "seconds" available at about $45), now they're over $100. The good deal on the Strider I got was enough to sway me towards that one. I can't wait to get it. I'm not sure I'll be able to wait until DS's birthday to unveil it.

[chrstene]

NObody has a kinderbike huh?

NOOBMOM...GREAT site and info. I saw the orange one, waited for my DH to get home to see it and by that time it was gone! Now I REALLY want to find another good deal like that one. although DD really wants pink! but for that price I would have gotten orange and put a few fun stickers on it!!!

IRIS, my DD LOVES watching the videos....as a matter of fact, she is asking to watch them right now!

GEMINI, how old is your DD? sounds like you got it at just the right time and she is doing great!

[Cindy-Lou]

DS has a Toot Scoot and he loves it.

[show&tell]

FWIW DS (who is on the shorter side) has a Skuut and he loves it. We ended up turning the body of the bike upside down when we assembled it so it fits him just right. They show that on the Skuut website. So if anyone has a Skuut and is waiting for their child to grow into it, maybe they can try that.

We love the balance bikes -- DS isn't as physical as other kids his age but he is doing amazing on it. They are such a good thing!

[tonimk19]

Bummer. I don't see anything on the Upside Over website for balance bikes.

Originally Posted by noobmom

Just to let you guys know, upsideover.com has a great price on Striders right now. I just ordered one for DS's 3rd birthday and it was $59 with free shipping. Sadly, only orange is still in stock. When I ordered it a few days ago they had every color in stock except green.

Last year when I was looking at balance bikes I considered the KinderBike. But I couldn't believe how much the price went up this year. Last years were about $60 I think (with "seconds" available at about $45), now they're over $100. The good deal on the Strider I got was enough to sway me towards that one. I can't wait to get it. I'm not sure I'll be able to wait until DS's birthday to unveil it.

[chrstene]

I emailed them, they were getting rid of old stock...they plan to get new shipment in the Fall but they will be full price!

[XanaduMama]

ds has a Skuut and it's fantastic--we love it! I only wish we'd got it for his 2nd birthday, instead of his 3rd. He's really tall and has almost outgrown it already It's meant to fit kids 2-5 though.

[curvyred]

We got DS a Strider for his second birthday and he loves it. We've had good luck with it so far--easily adjustable, a bit scuffed up from use, but not unreasonable.

And did I mention that he loves it?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8405825@N06/3656380000/

[newbie_mary]

We have a Kinderbike and love it. It looks just like a "big-kid" bike without pedals.

[Marinamay]

kinder bike or like a bike

We wanted to get the like a bike for my 2 year old daughter after reading rave reviews here -------> http://tview29.wordpress.com

Unfortunately, we couldn't quite swing the $250. We ended up getting the kinder bike and couldn't be happier. It is really well made and durable and my Ali loved it. It also held it's value (something we found out when we resold it used a couple of days ago for $10 less than we paid for it!).

Some of the other bikes mentioned here are really poorly made according to reviews I've read. If you can afford the money, you might look into the like a bike too.

[grenyehs]

We bought a skuut for our daughter just after her second birthday. She was very advanced on it within a two weeks of me taking her around the block every day. She skipped the whole training wheel bit as well; she rode away on a pedaled bike a week before she turned three. She is five now and is a very proficient bike rider. We still have the skuut, but the wood has now seen better days. Our little one just turned 18 months and got a strider for Christmas today. It looks well made. I hope this helps with making a decision with your DD, DS, BBQ, whatever.

[sk8boarder15]

Strider! We have one for our son and nephew. They have an awesome seat adjustment that goes very small to tall. AND you can buy an even longer seat post for a very tall kid! They are build to LAST. They ride great on pavement, dirt, grass, etc... The boys ride them EVERYWHERE. Now they just made a SNOW attachment so kids can ride in the snow! Strider all the way! 

[milk monster]

We had a wooden likeabike--super-expensive, and too heavy, I don't recommend it--but just got 20-m.o. a Trikke for Christmas. Same price as other options being discussed on this thread. He loves it and was able to use or right away. He's very tall for his age (not sure his height exactly, but he's over 36" for sure), and uses the seat at minimum height. Could probably lift it an inch or two, not more than that. What we like best about it is its light frame. Much easier for young kids to balance a light bike than a heavy one.

[McGucks]

We ordered a Wee Ride.  It was less than $50 and we love it.  You don't have to pay a hundred bucks for a balance bike.  You can also take the wheel assembly off a small regular bike and be done with it.

I could seriously get very angry with the Strider Company for posting a picture of a kid riding without a helmet in a commercial on this website.  Completely irresponsible. Some of the pics had kids with helmets and some did not.  Unacceptable, and I don't stand on ceremony about much.