# What's next after a Strider ?



## Phiu-x (Mar 23, 2010)

Hi everyone. 

My son will be 4 in august. He is on its 3rd summer with the Strider pre bike

The bike still fits him and still have a good inch to spare on the seatpost and bar for the coming season. He loves his "mountain bike" and I've bring him with me on real single track and some hydro field road and he ride down like a pro and ascend with heart. We will do this often this summer because he is much more willing to go this year. He is a grinder! Resilient and all. Beautifull (I know I get carried away ..  

Strider is fun BUT I would like him to start learning to pedal this summer.

The thing is, his granny bought him a small 12'' Supercycle kid bike with pedal and training wheel 2 years ago. Even with the training wheel off, this bike weight more than my son!! I recon the good intentions, but there is no way he'll ride that thing efficiently. That would be like fighting with the bike just to keep it up right. I would not ride a 200lb bike myself so why would my son ?! I'll dump this bike on kijiji ASAP. 

So, is there an option for 12'' pedaling bike that is lightweight like the Strider ? Part of the success of the Strider pre bike is that the kid can lift it and can haul his bike. A big confidence booster IMO. What is the next step for my son ?


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## Stockli Boy (Feb 3, 2012)

Don't worry about the weight, all kid's bikes are bricks, particularly in the small sizes. Keep him on the strider for as long as possible, then when you make the transition, pull the pedals off the 12" and let him scoot around for a few days to get used to the new bike. He'll be ready for pedals in a few hours of riding. Screw the training wheels to the sides of your garbage can so you can roll it to the curb, that's all they're good for.


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## Ötzi (Sep 20, 2004)

Spawn gremlin 14


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## GrayJay (May 16, 2011)

Heavy bike is not such a hinderance for a little kid if they are just cruising flat sidewalks. I wouldnt worry about the weight of a 12" bike, they should still just be working on basics of ballancing. Once they are bigger and ready to actually go off-road, weight reduction plan is more of a benefit.

My daughters only rode thier 12" bike for one summer at around age 3-4, by age 4-5 they were ready for 16" bikes. An expensive 12" would have been a very short-lived investment.


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## tkjacobs21 (May 5, 2008)

*Maximize Skill Development on the Strider*

Don't forget that the Strider has built-in footrests!
Set up some fun obstacle courses where your little kiddo has to stand up on the footrests. If any of us are doing any kind of technical riding are we sitting on the seat? No. Develop these advanced skills when they are 4 or 5 and imagine the future!! I wasn't even RIDING a bike by 6 or 7!

Weight is still key to the kid keeping their confidence with the bike.
The harsh reality is that there aren't any viable options for a 4 or 5 year old's bike that are light enough to enable them to pedal on anything but level, smooth ground. Anything more challenging than that and they are going to need the Strider.


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## Phiu-x (Mar 23, 2010)

Love the replies. All good advice. That Spwan Gremlin 14 is sweet.


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## griffter18 (Jul 3, 2009)

I had similar dilemma.
HotWalk 1 - 3 and she was ready for pedals.
Bought her a 16" Hotrock but it was a touch too big.
Picked up a 12" Hotrock (ebay) to teach peddling.
This gave me just enough time to rebuild the 16" (http://forums.mtbr.com/families-riding-kids/hotrock-16-build-thank-you-850533.html)
She turned 4 in March but is tall for her age and has picked it up no problem.
She completed a 6 mile family ride yesterday with some simple technical stuff yesterday (burns, small climbs, quick descent, water splash)
The 3 gears have helped with the hills as it gives he the ability to get up without having to push, and the disc brakes mean she can stop and backpedal without the worry of the coaster break.


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