Tag Archives: training wheels vs. balance bike

One of the coolest races that puts more kids on bikes. The Strider Snow Cup, with skis attached to the bike wheels, produces a lot of winners.

Putting more kids on bikes, tots ripped down Buck Hill last Saturday

This last Saturday, HaveFunBiking.com covered one of the coolest races we have seen in a long time. Putting more kids on bikes the Strider Snow Cup, was a great way to see our future cyclists in action. With skis attached to the bike wheels, there were a lot of winners on the hill for this family-friendly event.

One of the coolest races that puts more kids on bikes. The Strider Snow Cup, with skis attached to the bike wheels, produces a lot of winners.

One of the coolest races that puts more kids on bikes. The Strider Snow Cup, with skis attached to the bike wheels, produces a lot of winners.

Putting more kids on bikes

Teaching kids to ride on two-wheels, Strider held the 2019 Strider Snow Cup, on Buck Hill in Burnsville, MN. Youngsters, ages two to five, took to the bunny hill slopes on their Strider 12 Bikes, outfitted with snow ski accessories. It was a perfect, fun-filled, true north, weather day for the kids.

Dubbed as the “Toddler Tour de France” by The Wall Street Journal and ESPN. Wave after wave of toddlers made their way down the course.

The Strider Snow Cup is an extension of the family-friendly events held in the summer months.  This March 2nd event allowed young, two-wheeling tots a much different climate to ride in.  This was the first Strider Snow Cup Race in the U.S.A., since 2013.

Using the Strider Snow Ski accessory, a Strider 12 Balance Bike can be converted for use in the snow. This makes riding year-round in any climate a reality.

Future Strider Cup Races

For 2019, the Strider Snow Cup, at Buck Hill was the first race of the season. And, once the snow melts, Strider will continue its warm-weather races, in the U.S., as follows:

Saturday, May 4, 2019: LA Live, Los Angeles
Saturday, June 15, 2019: Boulder Civic Area (Central Park), Boulder, Colorado
Saturday, July 6, 2019: The Commons, Minneapolis
Friday and Saturday, October 4-5, 2019: NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte, North Carolina (Strider Cup World Championship)

No qualification is necessary to participate in a Strider Cup or Strider Cup World Championship event. Registration for the May – October 2019 races is available at www.StriderBikes.com.

The 2019 Strider Snow Cup event was held right off the “Magic Carpet” section of Buck Hill Ski Area.  It’s a downhill slalom race; some running and striding on the balanced bike involved. 

The Strider 14X is a really cool new balance bike that incorporates an install-able drivetrain for when the kids have learned balance. Read on to learn more

Strider’s 14x is a new breed of balance bikes and out of the box

By John Brown, HaveFunBiking.com

We’ve talked a lot about balance bikes in the past, and with good reason. Balance bikes teach children the most difficult aspect of riding in a fun and easy way. By doing away with the pedals, a balance bike allows kids to scoot along sidewalks and paths with relative ease while learning how to balance a two-wheeled machine. In the world of balance bikes, there is no bigger name brand than Strider. Strider has been at the forefront of creating affordable, lightweight, and adjustable balance bikes since its inception in 2007. What is new to the Strider world is the 14X, a really cool new balance bike that incorporates an install-able drivetrain for when the kids have learned balance. Read on to learn more

The 14x is out of the box

Our 14X arrived in a large brown cardboard box (common for all forms of bicycles). The frame of the bicycle and the fork were separate, but both were protected and stabilized well. I took all the components out of the box and removed the packaging in a few minutes. Once I had everything out, I saw that building the bike was as simple as installing the fork, handlebar, and seat. Happily, Strider included easy to read instructions as well as all the tools necessary for assembly. Now before you run for the hills at the word “assembly”, realize that to put the bike together you only needed to tighten two bolts. It was so easy in fact, I had my 5-year-old son do it. As the recipient of the new bike, he was happy to pitch in.

What is different about the 14X

So what makes the 14x different? To start, this bike incorporates the features that Striders are known for. It is lightweight, has foot platforms for coasting, and a great fit and finish. Additionally, it has a massive amount of adjustability In the bars and seat so your child can really grow with the bike. Where the 14X really sets itself apart is its ability to transition your child onto a pedal bike. As an example, in the story of Strider, Ryan McFarland taught his son to balance on a prototype Strider, then transitioned him onto another bike with pedals. For some kids, that change in bikes is difficult. For the 14X, one simply needs to install the pedals once their child is ready for them. That way the child’s position on the bike stays the same, his comfort is high, and he can focus only on the new propulsion system. Brilliant!

Who does it fit

The 14X is designed for kids from about 3 years to 7 years old. Overall, reviewing the number of adjustments tells me that this range is totally achievable. Although if you are a 3-year-old on the small side or a large 6-year old, you may not quite fit.

Pedal installation

Like building the bike itself, installing the pedal system is really simple. A few bolts secure the cranks in place, the chain goes on easily, and the included chainguard is easy to place. Once everything is installed, this bike looks like a normal bike with a few great features. First, the cranks are narrower than most other bikes, so they match the narrow width of kids hips. Also, the low overall stance of the bike is really confidence inspiring for riders just starting out.

Moving on

I plan to really try this whole system with my younger son. As of now, he isn’t riding on two wheels, and I would love to get him started. We will progress from the balance features, into the pedal features and really test this concept. Stay tuned for more on his progress and how well the Strider worked for him.