As an avid mountain biker, I desperately hope my infant son will someday become a mountain biker as well. To ensure this happens, I’ve been indoctrinating him with bike magazines, bike videos, and hauling him around in a bike trailer. But the best way to get a baby to ride a bike is to get the little dude on a damn bike! Enter the Strider Bike Rocking Base.
If you’re not familiar with the Strider Bike, it is a balance bike for children who are just learning how to ride a bike. These tiny, pedal-less rides encourage and teach children how to steer and balance. Kids use their feet on the ground to propel themselves, just like walking.
But what about those kids who are just learning how to walk? That’s where the Strider Base comes in. This nifty invention basically gives your kiddo a rocking bike instead of a traditional rocking horse. You simply take the Strider 12 bike for ages 18 months-5 years, and install it onto the Rocking Base. It’s very easy to put the bike on the base using the included hardware and tools. Once on, the Strider bike is super stable on the rocking platform so the child can get used to sitting and playing on their bike before they are even old enough to ride it.
My son, Ridge, is only 16 months old, and as of this writing, only started walking a week ago. After I put together the Strider Bike and Rocking Base, it was time for the little dude to ride! I put him on the seat, placed his hands on the handlebars, and gently rocked the base back and forth. At first, Ridge was unsure about what to think of the whole thing. But after rocking and ensuring him that this is fun, he got really excited and even started to rock the bike all by himself. He even make engine noises as he did it!
The Strider Rocking Base is low to the ground, so if Ridge does fall while trying to get on or off the bike, he won’t fall much farther than he does when simply walking (which is about 200 times per-day at the moment). It is also made from an all-weather, durable plastic, so I think it will take a beating as this boy gets older and more destructive. Plus, you can use it outdoors and not worry about the plastic degrading. The Rocking Base also features rubber floor protection strips for good traction and grip on little feet.
Overall, the Strider Rocking Base is a cool solution to getting even the youngest toddlers excited about riding a bike someday. Hopefully, the Rocking Base will get Ridge on the right path to be kicking his old man’s butt on the singletrack in just a few years. I think we’re off to a good start, as the pictures can attest, Ridge loves his Strider Rocking Base.