With our girls turning 3 and 6 this summer, it’s easy for my wife and I to see the difference in skill level between “The Rock Daughters,” and to consider the difference in development when comparing how our oldest was when she was the same age as our youngest. In a few spots, Addie was undoubtedly presented with vehicles that were ahead of her age and skill level – something that’s easier to see now. She received a 12″ bike for her second or third birthday, then a 20″ for her fifth birthday, and now here she is about to turn six and there’s still training wheels on both. Little Finn on the other hand is working both a Radio Flyer Tricycle and the 12″ Huffy Cinderella bike that she’s inherited from big sister, but the game just changed. When the folks at STRIDER approached me about having the girls try one of their famed “balance bikes” (no pedals, no training wheels), with the idea that both of my girls could soon learn balance to graduate from the trikes and training wheels, I was skeptical at best. Does the STRIDER Bike really teach balance?
The answer is YES – and I have proof. Watch the video below to see Adalyn go from her first day on the STRIDER Bike (June 5) to her first time on a pedal bike with no training wheels (July 19):
It’s shocking to see how quickly Addie took to the Strider 12″ Sport Bike – but as the video above shows, balance was learned by changing the method of propulsion from pedaling to “striding.” While we’ve temporarily gone backwards for her first pedal experience devoid of training wheels (to the Cinderella bike), I have no doubts that she’ll soon have the training wheels off of her 20″ bike as well. And while Finley wasn’t ready to tackle the Strider on day one (she was quite frightened by it), she’s now warmed-up to it and is striding herself – three years ahead of where Addie was in the grand scheme of things. It’s long-been debated that trikes and training wheels can hinder the development of balance rather than help… and from what I’ve seen here, that may be completely accurate.
*Please Note: While my girls are featured at times not wearing one under my supervision, a helmet is recommended when using the Strider – or any bike.
For us, the next step is getting Finley to ride her 12″ pedal bike on her own, and for Addie it will be the 20″. As tested here at Rock Father HQ, the STRIDER 12″ Sport Bike starts at an MSRP of $119, with additional accessories available. To check out the entire line of bikes for kids of all ages (grownups, too), check out my associate – Amazon.com/strider.
Absolutely 100% Rock Father Approved!
