Ryan McFarland, Founder: The 12 Sport model offers every feature a child (or parent) could want. It is the perfect balance of performance, options, and value, featuring more than 8 years of design evolution and manufacturing improvements.This steel balance bike model is the best seller and will fit all children from ages 18 months (27cm inside leg) to 5 years plus (48 cm inside leg).
Product
Tested By Ulya Malik – Raaziya 2 Years
Ulya
Awarded The Strider 12 Sport Balance Bike 5/5
This
is a sturdy yet lightweight product. Obviously of very high quality. An easy to
carry lightweight box. I carried the packaged product back to my car (approx. 2
minute walk) and had no problem carrying it one handed. Clear and concise on
one side of A4 as instructions should be. I had no problems assembling it at
all. It took a little over 10 minutes, even with a toddler "helping”. As I
received the bike in winter and attended a winter session, it was very cold and
windy. There was only one other child there, who was the son of an
instructor. This is not reflective of
the normal sessions, which I was told consist of around 15 children riding
together. Raaziya fell off her bike and had a very minor injury to her hand.
She refused to get back on for a few minutes but was screaming with delight
when she saw the other child riding. She then demanded to get her bike back. This
is really very sturdy, which is my chief complaint with other similar products.
Despite its quality, it is incredibly lightweight so my 2 year old girl could
lift and carry it easily. At almost
£80.00, the bike is not cheap. Also once a child has learnt to balance, I can
see how they would want to quickly progress to a pedal bike which would render
the balance bike obsolete. This is not really a criticism of the product, but
balance bikes in general. However, for anyone considering a balance bike, the
quality of the build means you would feel confident that your child was safe on
this one. If money is tight, I would advise to just buy a regular pedal bike as
this would be an added expense. I can see the appeal of a balance bike like
this. So light, you could leave it around
the house indoors and the child can play with it whenever they want. As far as balance bikes go, this is
excellent. If you buy into the whole balance
bikes movement (which I am starting to), then there is no question you should
buy this one. It really is a high quality, attractive, sturdy and safe piece of
equipment. The sessions run at BMX parks are excellent and a great morning out
where the kids can watch each other ride and grow in confidence. Ulya Malik – Raaziya
2 Years
Product
Tested By Sarah Dobinson – Violet nearly 3 Years
Sarah
Awarded The Strider 12 Sport Balance Bike 4.9/5
Smart,
well packaged, bicycle which is sturdy and well made. Box was quite compact
given that it contained a bike! All
parts were well packaged, so that nothing could be easily damaged. Box showed image of the bike and contents
were exactly as displayed. Very easy to use and follow instructions, although
they were quite brief. Assembly was very
quick and it was easy to change the saddle so that my older child could have a
go too! Wednesday sessions were not accessible as child attends nursery on
Wednesday and partner does not drive, but Saturday sessions were more
convenient. Member of staff running the
Saturday sessions was off sick for a few weeks, so was unable to book, but will
be attending in the New Year. Really good product, which stands up to the
rigours of being ridden by a child and thrown around. Bike is sturdy and feels
well made. Very good value for money for the RRP of this bike compared to
others. Both children enjoyed trying the bike out. Its good value for money is an added
bonus. Would definitely be on our list
of ‘must-haves’. I have already spoken to family and friends with children of
similar ages and have spoken very highly of this bike. A perfect, well-priced,
bike that undergoes the challenges and battles of a child learning to ride a
bike. The varying colours make it
suitable for every taste and the ease of putting it together and
adjusting/changing the saddle is helpful!
A must-have! Sarah Dobinson – Violet nearly 3 Years
Product
Tested By Suzann Mason – Elizabeth 2 Years
Suzann
Awarded The Strider 12 Sport Balance Bike 4.9/5
Looks
very solid, thick tread on the tyres, great colour and well made. The bike is
well packaged and protected. The pictures on the outside peaked my child’s
interest and show how the bike can be used. The instructions were very concise
and easy to follow. The diagrams were clear and made it easier to assemble. The
bulk of the bike was already assembled so there wasn’t too much to do. All of
the tools needed were included in the box and I put it together really quickly.
Elizabeth attended the lesson and there were about 7 other children in the
group. The instructors were friendly and gave the children lots of praise and
points to improve. She thoroughly enjoyed the lesson and we are going to go
back again as it was noticeable how much she had improved after just one
session. I think the other children helped Elizabeth to learn and improve as
she was watching them carefully as they had their turn. She really enjoyed
seeing some of the more capable children move quickly and pick their feet up as
they went round the corners. They were a great example. It is a really well
made piece of kit. The tyres are solid and have a thick tread which means;
unlike with some other bikes that Elizabeth has been able to go on all
different surfaces without difficulty. I know that you can buy other balance
bikes for less money but they don’t seem to have the same build quality. I
particularly like the section on the frame where the children can put their
feet as it enables the children to do turns without dragging their feet on the
ground. I think the bike has really helped Elizabeth to quickly learn how to
balance on a bike, which is always one of the most difficult parts of learning
how to ride. Also, I think the transition when she’s older to a pedal bike will
be fairly smooth. I have already
recommended the balance bike to a friend. It is well made and is a great bike
for toddlers. It enables them to feel like they are riding a ‘big’ bike without
having to worry about pedals. Focusing on the balancing in this one helps to
build their confidence and their core strength. I am sure that Elizabeth will
quickly master it and will have great fun whizzing round the park like the
children at the Strider lesson we attended. Initially I was quite sceptical
about the benefits of a balance bike but I am a complete convert and would
definitely recommend it to others now. It is well built, comes in lots of
bright colours and I think overall good value for money as it is robust, which
is particularly important when in the hands of a toddler. I look forward to
watching Elizabeth mastering the bike and plan to go to more Strider sessions
to help her do that. Suzann Mason – Elizabeth 2 Years
If you buy into the whole balance bikes movement (which I am starting to), then there is no question you should buy this one. It really is a high quality, attractive, sturdy and safe piece of equipment. The sessions run at BMX parks are excellent and a great morning out where the kids can watch each other ride and grow in confidence.
Ulya Awarded The Strider 12 Sport Balance Bike 5/5
