STRIDER Balance Bikes

Tuesday, 30 April 2013 11:02

STRIDER Bikes Featured on Kelo Land News!

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KELOLAND

STRIDER recently had a really fun news story appear on KeloLand News statewide in South Dakota. We know that not every STRIDER rider lives in STRIDERville so we're sharing it with you here!

Watch the video below to hear about how we began and how we're growing. There is also some pretty good footage of Wyatt, Charlie's (Head STRIDER R&D) little scene stealer and super cute STRIDER spokes-person!

RAPID CITY, SD - at least one Rapid City warehouse, it's not all work and no play.

"I like coming here because I like to ride around here," five-year old Wyatt Brumbaugh said.

The building is the headquarters for the Strider Balance Bike, a pedal-less bike that's making it easier for children just learning the ropes. Forget pedals and training wheels. Balance is all any kid needs to hit the open road.

"I think Wyatt was probably 15-months, 16-months the first time he picked his feet up just a little bit.  I think Cole was probably a little bit older.  He didn't go until probably 18 months the first time he picked his feet up," Wyatt's dad and Strider employee Charlie Brumbaugh said.

Even though they haven't started school yet, both the Brumbaugh boys have already graduated to pedal bikes.

"I remember when we first started on a pedal bike, it was hard.  My brother started when he was just turning three," Wyatt said.

"You know, that's pretty early.  I didn't start riding a bicycle until I was probably six or seven," Charlie said.

It's all thanks to a little bit of Midwestern ingenuity.

"I've been a motorsports, motorcycle and mountain bike enthusiast pretty much my whole life and when I became a dad I really wanted to share that with my little boy," Strider's founder Ryan McFarland said.

But at just one-and-a-half-years-old, McFarland's son Bode was too small to get the hang of riding a traditional bike with training wheels.

"Some people may have just said wait a year or two, but I was just too impatient so I thought there's got to be a way where we can make this work right now," McFarland said.

So in true motorsports form, McFarland stripped the boys bike of everything it didn't need including the pedals and the concept for the Strider was born.

"I got it to a point where it was extremely light and small and it was just like magic. He was tearing around on it and exceeding even my expectations of what he was capable of," McFarland said.

Soon, people around the community started to take notice of the little boy on the pedalless bike and began asking where they could get one for their own kids.

"I pulled some friends together and we built some prototypes, developed it a little bit further and eight years later we're selling them all over the world," McFarland said.

Striders can be found at many different retailers including bike shops, motorcycle dealers and toy stores.  But McFarland says the biggest sales boom has come from the Internet.

"We're selling in about 36 countries right now. We've got about half a million kids that are on Strider bikes now, and if you figure that a lot of those bikes have also taught a younger sibling or neighbor kid we're pretty confident in saying that we've taught over a million little kids to ride bikes," McFarland said.

The little bikes have gotten so popular that they've even inspired their own nation-wide racing circuit; the Strider Cup.

"Even on our first round of bikes, we'd get kids together in the park and play.  Sooner or later someone's drawing a line in the dirt for a starting line and we're lining them up to have a race," McFarland said.

"One race we were in Florida, another race we were in Rapid City. A couple races we were in Rapid City," Wyatt said.

Thanks to a ski attachment for the bike, the competition doesn't end once the flakes start flying.

"We race up by Lead on Terry Peak in the winter, and I won first place this year," Wyatt said.

"It's been amazing to see the kids and the parent's enthusiasm for coming together at these events; getting a taste for that competition but very friendly competition at this age, for sure," McFarland said.

But win or lose, these kids are developing skills that will last a lifetime.

"With Striders, it's not just riding but just the whole experience of being outside with your family and with other kids, especially," Brumbaugh said.

Wednesday, 30 January 2013 12:06

STRIDER Rolls Into Dealer Expo 2013!

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Industry-Leading Strider Balance Bikes Roll Into Dealer Expo 2013 
Scientifically Proven Strider No-Pedal Bikes Praised By Retailers and Parents
IMSYamahaFlash
 
Rapid City, SD (January 30, 2013) — Strider Sports International, the world’s premier manufacturer and marketer of children’s no-pedal balance bikes for toddlers learning to ride, will be exhibiting at 2013 Dealernews International Powersports Dealer Expo. Strider will be set up at booth 2821 at the Indiana Convention Center, February 15-17, 2013. Stop by and see how toddlers around the world are quickly learning to ride on two wheels! Press samples and high res images are available upon request.
A Strider Adventure Zone — where young children from just 18 months up to 5 years old can test ride a demo STRIDER bike for free — will also be held next door to the Dealer Expo as part of the Progressive International Motorcycle Show. The two events partnered this year to create the largest ever motorcycle show in Indianapolis. Dealers who visit the Strider booth can also attend the IMS Show on Sunday and enjoy the Adventure Zone for FREE.
 
A recent study on balance bikes and toddlers conducted at the University of South Dakota indicated that the STRIDER No-Pedal Balance Bikes showed significant improvements in children’s Limit of Stability scores (the ability to balance and lean without falling).
Strider is all new for 2013! The STRIDER ST-4 features many new components to accommodate the needs of toddlers. The STRIDER ST-4 retains Strider’s unique, patented Launch Pad Footrest and performance geometry. From enhanced mechanical parts like sealed cartridge bearings to more comfortable handlebar grips and improved tire tread, the new STRIDER ST-4 addresses every aspect of a child’s riding experience. 
 
The maintenance-free EVA polymer tires help the bike weigh in at just 6.7 pounds, making it easy for toddlers to maneuver on whatever adventures their legs take them. The 2013 STRIDER ST-4 comes standard with Quick Clamps for the handlebar and seatpost. Parents everywhere smile when they see “NO TOOLS ARE NEEDED FOR ASSEMBLY OR ADJUSTMENT”.
 
To see the STRIDER Bikes in action, visit www.StriderBikes.com.
- end -
 
Note to Editors: Strider logos are available at www.StriderBikes.com/Media.
 
About Strider Sports International, Inc.
Strider Sports International, Inc. designs efficient, no-pedal balance bikes that encourage toddlers to ride, learn, and explore the world on two wheels. Founded by Ryan McFarland in January 2007, Strider Sports is a company full of passionate riders of dirt, mountain, street, and road bikes. The goal of Strider Sports is to simplify a bike to its essence, so that proper size, lightweight and simplicity combine to eliminate any fear of riding and instill confidence in young new riders. The patented STRIDER™ No-Pedal Bike is now distributed in over 35 countries. To learn more and to find a retailer in your area, visit http://www.StriderBikes.com.
 
About Strider™ No-Pedal Bikes
If your toddler can walk, your toddler can rider a STRIDER™. STRIDER No-Pedal Balance Bikes were developed specifically to help toddlers and young children learn balance and coordination BEFORE pedaling. The simple, no-pedal design allows toddlers to learn to ride on two wheels, avoiding tricycle tip-overs and training wheel wobbles, and instilling considerable confidence and stellar bike handling skills sure to last a lifetime. Strider No-Pedal Balance Bikes encourage the development of spatial awareness, balance, and basic motor skills so that all children can reach their maximum riding potential faster, better and safer. Available at http://www.StriderBikes.com.
 
About Dealer Expo 2013
Dealer Expo has become a staple of the powersports community for both dealers and manufacturers for over four decades. No other event captures the breadth and scope of powersports products, services, and education for dealers. This year marks NPA's 21st anniversary as an attendee, and our third year hosting the much anticipated NPA Annual Dealer Expo Auction. We look forward to seeing you there! http://www.dealernews.com/dealerexpo
Wednesday, 20 March 2013 15:35

Check Out The New And Improved www.StriderBikes.com!

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Check out the new and improved www.StriderBikes.com

New Website

We are super excited about the changes we've made and continue to make at StriderBikes.com! The friendly navigation and larger photos on the home screen are just a few of the improvements. 

The STRIDER Events Calendar is just one of the great improvements you'll find on the new site. You can search for events if you have something specific you're looking for.  If you scroll to the bottom of the calendar you can filter what shows up by: Country, State, or City! We're hoping this gives you even better access to STRIDER events in your area. We've already got a lot of events entered, and we're adding more everyday. Do you have something going on in your area? Fill out the STRIDER event submission form and we'll get it posted to boost your participation!

We are also revamping the blog...We'll still have STRIDER Racing results and photos as they become available, Events will be posted as soon as all the details are ironed out as well. On Tuesdays Darren, our resident motor maniac, will be posting on all things moto: preparing your STRIDER rider for their first 50cc, group dirtbike rides, and cool new tech. Susie is taking Thursdays and will be posting on STRIDER staff happenings: Family outings to the jump park, Group mountain bike rides, trips to Hairball concerts (our favorite 80's cover band). Dan will be posting on Friday about bicycling. He'll be covering tips on biking with kids, latest and greatest gear, and sharing the STRIDER love of all things two wheeled.

Take some time to scroll through the site: Check out the 'Community Page', Learn about the new 2013 STRIDER ST-4, and then go to the 'Dealer Locator' to find your local STRIDER dealer!

Share your Strider success stories, photos, video and interact with other Strider enthusiasts by joining the Strider conversation on our Facebook wall! Do you tweet? We Do!

Monday, 10 December 2012 16:27

STRIDER Article In The Rapid City Journal!

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Take a look at the inner workings of Strider in the local Striderville paper! Click on the image below to head over to the Rapid City Journal website to read the article and check out the photos.

RCJournal

Join the Strider conversation on our Facebook wall!

This was broadcast on BBC Breakfast on 20th October 2012 with Mike Bushell, BBC Sports Correspondent talking about the Strider UK & World Cup events in Manchester, UK and the STRIDER World Championships Sarasota, Florida. It also includes an interview with the current UK champion, Ashton Heron (aged 3) and his father Adrian. It was great to meet Ashton and his parents in Florida! Best of luck defending your title.

There are still 2 more chances for the US Strider Riders to race at USA BMX National events this year. The Disney Cup Fall Nationals are taking place in Orlando the 26th-28th of October and the Grand Nationals are November 22-25th. The next UK World Cup event takes place on the BMX Track at the National Cycling Centre, Manchester, UK on Sunday 18th November 2012.

Further information on the Strider Cup UK races can be found at http://stridercup.org/

Share your Strider success stories, photos, video and interact with other Strider enthusiasts at our newest centralized social media outlet www.StriderLife.com! Join the Strider conversation on our Facebook wall!

Thursday, 22 July 2010 12:32

Strider Local TV Coverage on KOTA

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KOTA did a nice story on Strider. Have a look.

Strider TV coverage