# Balance bike made in the USA



## poontank (Apr 5, 2004)

I'm looking for a balance bike for my daughter, but I'm having difficultly find one that is made in the USA. Does anyone know who makes one?


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## Jwiffle (Jan 26, 2004)

I'm going to guess that there aren't any. Good luck finding any small kids' bikes made in the US. When too few people are willing to pay for made in the US stuff, companies just won't make them. I see if all the time in the shop I work at. I have customers come in and ask for a made in the US bike, then have sticker shock over a Chinese-made bike. They can't have US products at Walmart prices. Not to say you're like the above, but too many are. If you are set on US-made, that is great, but you'll probably have to pay to have it made by a custom frame builder.


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## trailof (Mar 18, 2010)

Roll: bike shop in Columbus Ohio has them made of wood. Made in the USA? Unsure. Take a look.

http://www.roll-online.com

I taught both of my girls the "balance" way by taking the pedals off of their actual bikes. They both one day said "Daddy, I want my pedals" and rode away. Just another idea, depending on how old you child is.


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## chadmart (Nov 30, 2010)

I've just seen the ads on this site for www.tykerider.com. I don't know if it's made in the US or not though.


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## velomom (Dec 15, 2010)

Don't buy wooden one unless you want to buy another one by summer. If left in the elements it will fall apart. Ours lasted 2 months. Another friends fell apart while the child was riding and he got hurt. Strider is a US company and their bike is the lightest on the market and will last years. So even if it is made oversees you are saving resources by having a bike that will last to resell or hand down and not be thrown in the trash.

Jen
www.velomom.com


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## sxr-racer (Nov 17, 2005)

I like the US Made idea, but it kinda hard to find.

My Daughter got a Strider last christmas. She has been tearing it up for a year. Tough bike. Had an issue with the seat, they sent a new one with not questions asked.


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## Mikey (Jan 15, 2004)

velomom said:


> Don't buy wooden one unless you want to buy another one by summer. If left in the elements it will fall apart. Ours lasted 2 months. Another friends fell apart while the child was riding and he got hurt. Strider is a US company and their bike is the lightest on the market and will last years. So even if it is made oversees you are saving resources by having a bike that will last to resell or hand down and not be thrown in the trash.
> 
> Jen
> www.velomom.com


Oh, come on! What do you expect leaving a wooden bike outside? That's not the maker's fault, it's yours.

My girl's (wooden) $90 Skuut was in fine shape after 1.5 years and a LOT of use, kept in the garage. Recently sold to another family off Craigslist. It'll surely last at least another 2 years unless abused, or left out in the rain.


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## criticalmass (Feb 20, 2009)

Here's a made in USA option


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## poontank (Apr 5, 2004)

criticalmass said:


> Here's a made in USA option


Thanks, that is exactly what I'm looking for.


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## sxr-racer (Nov 17, 2005)

criticalmass said:


> Here's a made in USA option


Yeah, but for $289.00???

The Strider may be welded up overseas, but its designer is a guy from here in the US. Nice guy, delt with him on my Daughters.


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## johnrobholmes (Dec 6, 2010)

sxr-racer said:


> Yeah, but for $289.00???
> 
> The Strider may be welded up overseas, but its designer is a guy from here in the US. Nice guy, delt with him on my Daughters.


And people wonder why China and Mexico get all the labor jobs. The value is in the eye of the beholder.


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## velomom (Dec 15, 2010)

Just to clarify we did not leave our wooden bike outside overnight etc... (which yes was a Skuut) my son just used the heck out of it in all conditions(especially dirt on MTB trips) and it fell apart. I have talked to other parents that have had the same experience over the years. 

Good to know there are some wooden bikes holding up out there. IMO they are good to look at and maybe if you are going to stick to the sidewalks of the burbs with them.


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## Kyle.coffman (Nov 27, 2011)

*U.S. made balance bike*

Guess I'm a little late to the thread but maybe it will help someone else later. I own Dooter's Trunk which makes high quality wooden balance bikes in Austin, Texas. Our bikes have been through the necessary consumer testing and are lead free and we test ride each bike before it leaves the shop (I weigh 175 pounds so I feel confident that 5 year olds can ride them safely). The finish on our bikes far exceeds that of other brands on the market and we are competitively priced. Feel free to check out our facebook page for more info.


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## nov0798 (Nov 27, 2005)

Just bought one from Performance on sale for like 50 bucks. While I do like US made stuff, its not worth my time and trouble to hunt it down for a bike that probably will only be used for a year.


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## Maida7 (Apr 29, 2005)

velomom said:


> Just to clarify we did not leave our wooden bike outside overnight etc... (which yes was a Skuut) my son just used the heck out of it in all conditions(especially dirt on MTB trips) and it fell apart. I have talked to other parents that have had the same experience over the years.
> 
> Good to know there are some wooden bikes holding up out there. IMO they are good to look at and maybe if you are going to stick to the sidewalks of the burbs with them.


I also had a skuut wooden bike and it also fell apart. Not from the weather but from wear and tear of regular use. The bars and fork blew apart within the first few days. I repaired and strengthen it. The hubs lasted a year before they needed major repairs. Eventually the frame broke in half and I just gave up on patching it together.

I've never had a strider but It must be more durable then the wooden crap.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Why does every other forum let you delete expect this one


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## johnrobholmes (Dec 6, 2010)

I taught my little nephew how to ride by taking the pedals and cranks off his bike. Instant balance bike!


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## Lintott (Oct 14, 2006)

The best balance bike on the market in my opinion at the moment is the Kokua Jumper. My kids have one each. We also had a strider bike before, but the strider bike is a low quality offering and does e.g. not have pneumatic tires. The Kokua Jumper both has pneumatic tires and rear suspension, so they can go off road, down small stairs and curbs without their spine getting too much punishment. You can however only get a front hand break as extra, but a rear break would be a lot better. They are high quality and made to last so you can pick up one used from ebay. Here's a video from a couple of days ago when they were riding downhill at night.

While my older kid (3.5Y) already can ride a pedal bike without stabilisers, the running bike is way more flexible and he can go downhill, do tricks, carry his bike up steep slopes etc. The running bike lets him do what we do on MTB's, while on a pedal bike he can only go on flat surfaces for now.

I am not sure where the Kokua Jumper is made though.


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## BeginnerCycling (Nov 21, 2011)

It looks like these Go Glider balance bikes are also made in the USA.


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## stolat01 (Feb 26, 2013)

*The Made in USA Balance Bike has returned in 2013*

Yes, you can get a Made in USA balance bike. They are made in Texas. I was inspired in October 2012 to revive the classy and elegant design of an American-made balance bike that I had purchased for my son in 2005 but was no longer manufactured and the owner had retired. I started with a successful Kickstarter campaign in December and now we continue to make them and even succeeded in making improvements. You can find us at rollicoaster dot com (I need 9 more posts to provide the link. I ride my bike and read about all things bike far more than I post about bikes). Thanks for your support of American-made products.


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## ironlegsracer (Feb 5, 2004)

We got the Specialized Hotwalk. Durability? Check this out.....


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