# Specialized hotwalk vs strider



## OS cuda' (Aug 10, 2005)

I know plenty of people on here have got their kids the strider balance bike and it has got good reviews... So now that my boy is walking I was going to get him one. Well I was on the specialized website and saw that they have a balance bike too (hotwalk). It looks like the main difference is actually having rims/tires that u can pump up rather than plastic tires. And it looks way cooler, although that wouldn't be a buying point for me. The price is also 160 rather than 100. I'm sure that's because of the name. Does anyone on here have any experience with both? Explain pros and cons of each. 

Thanks


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## canonshooter (May 10, 2009)

In my opinion 160 is waaaay to much to pay for a push bike! I had bought a strider for my son... paid $60 new for it and for the most part am happy. He loves it, but the only issue is the tires wear out quick and the overall quality is just...ok. I know diamondback has a push bike for $120, but you can buy it at dick's sporting goods with a 15% discount code floating around the intewebs. I wish I would have found that one sooner.

MK


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## rcharrette (Dec 14, 2005)

*strider*

My Son had a Strider to learn and still plays with it at 5yrs old (Now rides a 20" MTB). It has held up very well to all his abuse.


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## Mr. Lynch (Jun 11, 2010)

My kids both used a hotwalk and it was a great learning tool. I think the rubber tires help it roll smoother and you can a just the speed by adjusting the air pressure. 

I got mine for $40 on Craigslist. I'd never pay $100+ for one seeing that my kids each rode it for only a few months before switching to a 12" Hotrock (Also $40 on CL) .


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## OS cuda' (Aug 10, 2005)

Thanks for the opinions so far. The 160 was the list price on the specialized website. I would never pay that much either. I'd have to find it on eBay or craigslist for sure. I'll probably go for the strider and may check out that diamondback one at dicks. I do like the idea of actually having air in the tires. We shall see.


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## canonshooter (May 10, 2009)

good luck!


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## norcalruckus (May 18, 2005)

*hotwalk*

My son has a hotwalk, was a gift from his grandfather. He used it for about a year. He is now almost three, and has graduated to a pedal bike. The hotwalk is a good tool, and very light. I think the price is steep like everyone else. I think I could only justify it if I knew it was going to be used by other family members.


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## DSFA (Oct 22, 2007)

My daughter has a Strider. Bought for $85 new at Veloswap a couple of years ago. Got it basically because I sold more stuff than I was planning on and had extra money to blow so a Strider for my baby girl was a no-brainer. Btw, she was 1 when I got it.

I really wish the pushbikes would have been more available for my other kids as my baby girl is doing awesome on the Strider. We have four kids and I would totally go for getting one of the Specialized Hotwalks, even at $160 if I knew it was going to be passed down. 

We have a 12" Hotrock we got used and I am very impressed with Specializeds kids bikes the last few years. They are making aluminum frames that are quite a bit lighter than anyone else's kid bike offerings but the frames are stout enough to hold up and be passed along.

Strider Pluses:
- It is holding up quite well. We have a dirt and gravel driveway so the tires are lasting ok. I think if your kiddo is riding on sidewalks they will wear out fairly fast.
- Strider customer service is great. They handled all the issues I had no problem But....see minuses because there were issues.
- My daughter loves it! Main and Winning Point!

Minuses:
- Price is kind of steep for what it is.
- Bought it brand new in the box from a sales rep. and got it home, opened it up and there was a good size ding on the toptube. Also, one of the wheels wobbled severely. 
Now as I said above CS was awesome and offered me either a refund or if I wanted to keep it they said they would send some goodies. Got a new wheel, new grips, water bottle, and a couple of frisbee things.


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## Eric Z (Sep 28, 2008)

my strider served my son really well and he beat the hell out of it. i was first turned off by the plastic rims and hard foam tires but no issues at all. nice and low maintenance. the bike is really light too- that's good but once we switched to a pedal bike, it was hard for him to maneuver it since it was so much heavier. i'm still amazed how quickly they learn to balance. reminds me, time to sell the strider and 12" bike now that he's cruisin on the 16er. enjoy!


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## CrashWorship (May 7, 2009)

Bought a Specialized hotwalk for my son at 22 months old. we were in the bike shop and he got on it and I couldn't get him off. I didn't look at the Striders beforehand but I see other kids with them at the park. What I like about the hotwalk is it's durability. This thing takes a lot of abuse and the hotwalk is basically bulletproof. It also has a platform to put the feet on. This is key since my son is able to completely put his feet up where pedals would be. He also likes to ride small dirt hills. Sometimes he wants me to do it first. With the "foot-pegs", I can demonstrate and help him. It's challenging to get your feet there but you can do it. My son can also stand up and ride; something you can't do on a strider. I also don't think I could ride a strider either so my son wouldn't be as far along as he is at 2 1/2 now. 

The tires allow him to ride over obstacles like tree roots, sidewalk bumps etc... 

Overall I think either works. The hotwalk suits my son better because he wants to ride down trails, hills, etc... So the hotwalk is better for him and his personality.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Another option depending on your mechanical skill would be to buy a pedal bike and remove the cranks, that way once they get the balance down, you can add the pedal and not have to buy 2 bikes in a year.


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## texacajun (Jan 20, 2004)

TwoTone said:


> Another option depending on your mechanical skill would be to buy a pedal bike and remove the cranks, that way once they get the balance down, you can add the pedal and not have to buy 2 bikes in a year.


Yep...I went the reuse, recycle route too. 20 bucks on craigslist or to goodwill and a short amount of your time.

Now if I was to get a single purpose I've seen the one's Performance sells and they seem super durable, plus they're a bare white blank slate. My kid would have gone nuts with a sharpie or paint pen + the stickers that come with it to make it HER bike. Then you just rattle can it back to plain white when you sell it! :thumbsup:

Everytime I get a new chi chi she goes thru any stickers I get to see if they "go" on her mtb. We like the Salsa skeleton dude in our house.


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## northernblades (Jul 22, 2011)

Giant sells a bike called a prebike too.
that is their version of the hotwalk, except it looks awesome.

the giant and the specialised balance bikes are nothign like the strider.

and can usualy be found for about 100-115, unless our in a small town that likes to gouge


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## Utilityman (Feb 19, 2011)

I see that the strider has the "launchpad" for the child to put their feet while rolling along, does the giant pre bike have the same? Its hard to tell from the pics on the site. I have a 22 month old girl and twin girls on the way so $120 doesn't sound to bad!


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## Garasaki (Apr 7, 2010)

The wheels on the strider are lighter than a rim/tire combination.

Traction is worse, but it will be a while before traction is a factor for a kid that age.

The lil guy will have fun either way, so just pick one and go!!!


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