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 Ditch Training Wheels page to learn more, or get tips on teaching riding basics with our Learn To Ride Guides.

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 bikes we offer with attachable pedals are the Strider 14x Classic for ages 3–7 and the Strider 20x Sport for ages 8 through adulthood.

The Strider 20x model breaks down the overwhelming task of learning how to ride a bike into a safe and natural progression. It was designed as an inclusive learn-to-ride tool for people with cognitive, developmental, or physical disabilities, but it can also serve those who simply didn’t learn to ride as a young child and find the prospect of doing so as an adult difficult or intimidating. The 20x Sport’s low stand-over-height gives it a low center of gravity, making it ultra-stable to teach balance first. An optional Pedal Kit can be attached once the rider can balance proficiently.

While the Classic is our entry-level budget-friendly model, the Sport is what we typically suggest purchasing.

The Sport comes with an XL Seatpost making the age range 18 months to 5 years old vs the Classic 18 months to 3 years old.
The Sport features upgraded build-in performance footrests, while the Classic has integrated footrests on the frame.
The Sport has a handlebar pad and mini grips, while the Classic does not have a pad, and has standard grips. 
Finally, the Sport features no-tool assembly and allows for easy adjustment on the height for a growing child, while the Classic requires a tool for assembly and to raise and lower the handlebars

If that isn’t enough and you’re looking for even more awesome features, check out the All-Aluminum Strider Pro or the best-of-the-best Carbon Strider STR.

If their inseam happens to fall into more than one bike option, the Bike Picker page might help you decide! 

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 height 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. 

We’re glad you asked! If you are in the United States please visit our Dealer Locator and search using your zip code for dealers near you. If you are located outside the United States use our International Sellers page to find a distributor in your country. 

We include any tools you’ll need as well a visual assembly guide in the box, but if you want a little more detail, we also have quick video tutorials for our bikes and accessories.

Check out our Assembly Guide videos.

Proper seat height should have the child sitting on the saddle, with feet flat on the ground, with a slight bend in the knees. For long-distance striding on smooth surfaces, you can raise this slightly. For obstacles, tricks, and off-road riding, the saddle should be adjusted for slightly more bend in the knees. Strider offers two different length seatposts – 220 mm (8.66 in.) and 305 mm (12.0 in.). Older/taller riders will benefit by using the XL seatpost.

Handlebar height should be at the lowest setting for children 6 – 24 months old, mid-height for 36 – 48 months old, and at the highest setting for 48+ months old. Typically, you want the handlebars to be about mid-torso. For older/bigger kids that still love their Striders but are getting too big, we also offer our XL Handlebar.

For most kids, the Strider 14x Classic! Seriously, there’s no better way to teach your child how to pedal than with the 14x Classic.

For bigger kids and adults, including those with cognitive, developmental, or physical disabilities that make learning to ride more challenging, we recommend the Strider 20x Sport. This inclusive, pedal conversion bike is the perfect learn-to-ride tool for ages 8 through adulthood and for people who might need some extra help.

Kids are focused on FUN. The transition to ANY pedal bike is a big one because most pedal bikes are two to three times the weight of a Strider. Most pedal bikes will only be able to be ridden on flat, smooth surfaces. This isn’t nearly as much fun as going on an adventure with your all-terrain-capable Strider. We recommend that you offer both to your child and let them choose. Remember, ALL the skills learned and time spent on the Strider will roll into pedal bike/dirt bike riding proficiency later. So don’t be in a hurry; don’t feel like they are falling behind. When the pedal bike becomes more FUN to them, they will make the switch. Until that time, you want to encourage them to ride and have FUN on whichever bike they choose. That’s why we designed the 14x Sport as a balance bike that turns into a pedal bike. Switching back to balance bike mode takes only minutes, and your child has the best of both worlds.

2022 Holiday Deadline: To ensure delivery before Christmas, please order no later than December 11, 2022. While orders received after this date may still arrive in time, we cannot guarantee it.

For our full shipping policy please visit our shipping & returns page.

We guarantee that all orders will leave our warehouse within 3 business days. Typically orders are shipped via Fed Ex and will arrive with 3-5 business days from when your order was processed. Be sure to check your email after your purchase for tracking information… and double-check your spam folder if you haven’t received an email within 72 hours of your purchase.  

For expedited shipping please contact our customer service team at (605) 342-0266

Our normal business days/hours are M-Th 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

We sure do! To show our appreciation for their service, we are pleased to offer Active Duty and Veteran military customers 10% off their purchase. This offer is only available over the phone, so please contact our customer service team at (605) 342-0266 to place an order using our military discount.

Our normal business days/hours are M-Th 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

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

Please check out our guide on how to identify a Genuine Strider here.