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DailyBicycle.com

by Oliver Carbonell

Quick Q&A with Ryan McFarland of Strider Sports

I had orginally written about the benefits of a balance bike versus a traditional pedal bike on this blog 4 months ago (scroll down to view that article). Since then, Ryan McFarland, the “Founder and Chief Enthusiast” of Strider Sports, manufacturer’s of the Strider PREbike, has chimed in with his take on the two types of 2 wheeled vehicles. I did a Quick Q&A with Ryan and here is what he had to say.

DailyBicycle: So let’s get right to it. What’s a Strider PREbike?

Ryan McFarland: The Strider PREbike is a no-pedal bike designed specifically for really small riders. Our goal is to educate parents about the Strider while the child is 12-18 months old so the bike can be purchased and introduced while the child is 18-24 months old. Children develop rapidly between 2 and 3 years old and their riding stills will develop just as rapidly. From 3-4 years old, the kids really start exploring the limits of riding; riding obstacles and challenging terrain, starting to use the footrests to ride while standing up, learning to shift weight while riding standing, hop both front and rear wheels while gliding, etc. By 4 years old, kids are usually starting to ride a pedal bike but will likely ride both the Strider and the pedal bike for about a year. The pedal bike is fun for the child when going a distance on a relatively smooth, level surface but little kids don’t have the strength to ride a pedal bike off-road at that young age due to the gearing and weight of the pedal bike. The Strider, however, is under their total command at this point since it is so light and simple. This allows the children a much higher ‘fun factor’ on the Strider. Let’s face it, if we had to ride our mountain bikes around in a flat parking lot, we’d get pretty bored in a short time. The passion for riding comes from the never ending fun and challenge found by riding new and varying terrain. The beautiful thing is that every moment spent on a Strider is building a skill that will eventually be used on a pedal bike or eventually a mountain bike or dirtbike.

DailyBicycle: What are the advantages of a Strider PREbike versus a pedal bike? Can’t people just remove the pedals, training wheels and adjust the saddle height on a regular bike to make it ‘act’ like a PREbike?

Ryan McFarland: An older child that hasn’t learned to ride at age 5+ can use a pedal bike that has been converted. It is by far the best way to quickly, easily, and safely learn to ride. However, for a really small rider that has an inseam of maybe 12”-13” can’t learn by doing this. The lowest saddle height on a 12” pedal bike is typically about 15”-16” off the ground. Put a toddler on that bike and their feet will be dangling in the air. This is the big misconception. The theory is correct but the actual fit makes it an impossibility. The other MAJOR consideration is the weight. The converted 12” bike is about double the weight of a Strider. Striders weigh less than 7 pounds. A 2 year old is only about 25 pounds, some even lighter. A 15 pound converted bike that is too tall will not work and could possibly backfire by intimidating or scaring the child. If you want to get a child a big headstart and really fall in love with riding, you have to give them the bike that truly fits them the best. Super lightweight, really low saddle, super simple design. This is what allows the child to feel in control. Control builds confidence. Confidence encourages exploration of the new found mobility.

DailyBicycle: What compelled you to design and build the first PREbike?

Ryan McFarland: I’ve always loved riding dirtbikes, mountain bikes and street bikes. When I had my son, I was excited to share my passion with him. When he as 2 years old, I had various ride-on toy; a tricycle, a pedal bike with training wheels, even had a Yamaha 50cc with training wheels. What I learned from witnessing his interaction with all of these items is that they were WAY too big for him and WAY too heavy for him to control. I started stripping down his pedal bike and removing every non-essential item. This led me to really consider what is most important. I came to realize that pedaling is not riding a bike. Pedaling is simply a means of propulsion. Balancing, steering, and leaning is the essence of riding. If pedaling was the definition of riding then a bicycle going down a hill would not be riding. We know this is not true. Riding is balancing, steering and leaning a two wheeled vehicle in motion. The propulsion can be gravity, pedals, throttle, striding motion, whatever is most efficient. For a 12”-14” leg of a toddler, the striding motion is actually the most natural and most efficient. Once I came to terms with this, then the ‘stripping’ of the original pedal bike really took off. Stripping the drivetrain and the upper frame tubes allowed the seat to drop and shaved major weight. When I gave this bike to my son, he took to it immediately. He finally had a properly fitting bike and it showed in the way he could ‘man-handle’ it around and ride it off-road. His abilities far surpassed my expectations. A real an eye-opener. Kids are capable of MUCH more than we give them credit for.We’ve just not given them the right tool for the job until now.

DailyBicycle: Thanks Ryan!

Here’s an interesting link that Ryan shared with us. It’s coverage of the first ever National Strider Cup… too cute! http://www.stridercup.com/

DailyBicycle.com

by Oliver Carbonell

Should you start those kids off on a balance bike or a regular bike? As more consumers find out about balance bikes through news articles or at bike shops, I’ve been getting more questions from parents about whether or not they should be starting their kids riding on this style of bike. The other option, typically the obvious choice, is to get a child started on a traditional pedal bike. Let’s talk about the advantages of both and in the process hopefully clear-up any confusion about the choice itself.

Before we go further, let’s define the two types of bikes we’ll be discussing here.

Pedal bike – Refers to the traditional bicycle that most people today learned to ride as kids. It generally consists of a frame, 2 wheels, handlebar, seat, brakes, cranks, pedals, chain and gears. They are propelled by a pedaling motion.

Balance bike – These bikes look like a pedal bike, however, the key differences are they don’t have cranks, pedals, chain and gears. Some have a foot rest that provides the rider a place to rest their feet as they coast. They are propelled by a walking or running motion as the rider is seated on the saddle. As the young rider becomes more comfortable on the balance bike, they often begin to ‘run’ or even coast down hills on them. The are typically for children between the ages of 2 and 5.

Based on my own research and observations, a balance bike is an excellent precursor to a pedal bike. In fact, it’s the way many people are taught to ride a bicycle these days. The popular New York City cycling organization, Bike New York, uses the ‘balance first’ method to teach people of all ages to ride a bike. This method instructs the student to learn to balance a bike first before learning to pedal it. To do so, instructors remove the bike’s pedals and training wheels (if a student’s bike has them) and adjusts the saddle height just enough so the rider can place their feet flat on the ground while seated. What the rider ends up with is something that resembles a balance bike. It’s not exactly a balance bike (as defined above) because the bike will still have its cranks, chain and gears installed. But a student will be able to sit on the bike and just walk with it underneath them, like on a balance bike.

Back to the balance bike. After a child has learned to balance him or herself on a balance bike, learning to ride a pedal bike becomes much easier. Actually, much of the learning can be done on a balance bike because as the rider learns to balance, he or she will also learn to brake and steer the bike too. All the while, the rider will develop the balance, coordination, stamina and confidence necessary to learn to pedal a bike.

There’s another way to think about balance bikes. While they are an excellent start to eventually pedaling a bike, they can also be seen as another type of self-propelled vehicle that can live side by side with any other type of ride-on vehicle. Think of them in terms of bicycles versus tricycles versus pogo sticks versus skateboards versus balance bikes. Each vehicle is different than the others and are appreciated for their own unique traits. Without the cranks, pedals and gears of a pedal bike, there is no pressure on the child to learn to pedal it. The student propels forward by walking and running while seated on the bike. These differences make the experience different than if they were on a pedal bike. Children enjoy the balance bike for what it is. I’ve seen kids on city streets, playgrounds and campsites who looked completely happy and content just getting around on their balance bikes. Some even seek out small hills just for the thrill of the speed they gain while coasting down them. More advanced riders do tricks on them… and these are kids typically under the age of 5! Kids can easily stop or slow the balance bike by placing their feet on the ground or applying brakes (some models include hand brakes).

Now let’s shift our focus to the traditional pedal bike. It’s a beautiful and higly efficient vehicle and most people desire to know how to ride one. While learning to pedal a bike can be a challenging endeavor, once learned, a child can self-propel themselves very efficiently and have a great time while doing it. Riding a bike gives them a sense of freedom and exhiliration that is unmatched by any other type of self-propelled vehicle. Yet they are versatile too. As mentioned earlier, a pedal bike can also be made to function like a balance bike by removing the pedals, training wheels and adjusting the saddle height. While doing this doesn’t turn a pedal bike into an ideal balance bike, it can transform the bike just enough to make it a viable ‘learning tool’ for balance, coordination, stamina and confidence.

This article would be incomplete without considering costs. A balance bike is typically much more expensive than a pedal bike, therefore, the economical route is to go with a pedal bike. If cost is an issue, then the decision is easier as the pedal bike is the likely candidate. However, if cost isn’t an issue, there are a couple of factors to consider. The first is what experience do you want to provide to the child? Remember, a balance bike isn’t necessarily a precursor to a pedal bike, but a vehicle that can stand on its own merits. A child can have as much fun on a balance bike as on a pedal bike. If the intent is to provide the child with the experiences inherent in balance bikes, then this type of bike makes sense. An added benefit is it’s a natural segue to eventually pedaling a bike. Another consideration is how you want your child to learn to ride a bike. If you want them to learn in a no-pressure, gradual yet fun way that builds their balance, coordination, endurance and confidence, then a balance bike again makes sense. But if you want them to learn to ride a pedal bike quickly without the balance bike as a precursor, then a pedal bike might be your choice.

DailyBicycle.com

by Oliver Carbonell

“Peter Learns To Ride His Bicycle”

I’ve just finished writing a children’s book titled, “Peter Learns to Ride a Bicycle”, an entertaining book about a child who learns to ride a bicycle using a highly successful real world technique that’s used to teach thousands of children to ride each year. At the same time, the book is a guide for teaching kids and adults how to ride. It will soon get published online as an ebook (downloadable on Sony’s ebookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and other online retailers) then in physical book format by early summer 2010. More information to come.