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| My 3 year old on her Runners balance bike |
The most popular balance bike is the Strider, but after trying both, my family prefers the Runners bike. Although the Runners bike weighs more and does not have some features of the Strider, I prefer the Runners bike for the following reasons:
- wooden construction is like built-in suspension; the wood absorbs some shock when riding off road. Update: Runners now makes an aluminum frame push bike as well!
- the wheels have no spokes (my friends’ kids have gotten their feet stuck in Strider spokes)
- pneumatic (air filled) tires: 1) make for a more comfortable ride, 2) last longer, 3) “offer far greater traction on surfaces and prevent wheel ‘slide-outs’. Wheel slide-outs occur when a tire looses traction due to poor gripping ability and are fairly common with EVA polymer wheels.” (Source: Kinderbike USA) Strider will tell you that their EVA polymer tires are better because they won’t pop on rough terrain, but in the 3.5 years our Runners bike has been used by 2 kids on and off road, we have never had a flat. If we did get a flat, we could simply get a $6 tube for the tire. If an EVA tire goes, you have to replace the whole tire (more expensive).
- Steering limiter limits the turning radius and prevents wipeouts. This one is so important because beginning riders have a tendency to crank the handlebars farther than they should. Just watch a kid play with a steering wheel on a ride or playground structure!
- Runners is a Canadian company.
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| runners Balance Bike |
This said, the Strider is also an amazing balance bike. The pros of the Strider are the following:
- it is the lightest balance bike on the market
- you can start your child on it earlier because its lowest seat height is lower
- it costs less
- no maintenance tires (update: you can now get Strider bikes with pneumatic tires if you prefer)
- metal frame can be left out in the rain without worries
- foot rest to put feet up when coasting
- optional brake mount
- optional ski bike attachment
Strider Balance Bike
Strider 12 and Classic Runner Bike specs as of July 2014:
Other Options
If your child is too short for a balance bike or just not ready to balance on two wheels, try out the Radio Flyer Scoot-About. The Scoot-About is basically a ride-on toy that allows the rider to keep her feet on the ground or put them up on the foot rests and coast. We were lucky to find a used one on Kijiji.
My kids started on the Scoot-About, then graduated to a balance bike around 2.5 years old, and my oldest just started riding a “big kid” bike a few months ago (4 years old!). She never needed training wheels – just got on her bike one day and rode.
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| Radio Flyer Scoot-About |
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| Prince Lionheart Balance Bike (Runners knockoff) – almost as good except for the spokes |
Where to Buy
The Strider 12 Classic balance bike is available on Amazon.
The Runners Classic Wooden balance bike is also available on Amazon.
I earn a small commission on Amazon sales – at no extra cost to you! Thank you for your support. ♥
Conclusion
There are several makes of balance bikes out there, but Runners and Strider are easy to find in Canada and good quality and value for the money. Which one do you like best?
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