Meet the Strider 12 Comp: The Next Generation of Balance Bikes

Our Vision

At Strider Headquarters, we LOVE bikes. Many of us are bike enthusiasts who ride often and have top-of-the-line equipment, so we take the production of perfect bicycle products personally. Our Strider 12 Sport (steel frame) and 12 Pro (aluminum frame) bikes reflect our passion for leading the industry in quality and ingenuity, because as one big bike family, we know what it’s like to raise a kid who loves to ride.

Over the years, we’ve seen more and more Strider bikes in living rooms, kitchens, cribs, workplace hallways — you’d be astonished by where our bikes go, and just how well they travel! We recognize that not every kid is going to grow up with riding as their top passion and priority, but every kid deserves the independence and confidence that comes with learning to ride a bike. So, we made an all-new Strider balance bike at a lower price point with the same durability and quality that you’ve always loved, but with a composite frame perfect for kids who love to ride but aren’t hitting the pump track for 4 hours every day. The Strider 12 Comp is designed to dominate the living room and the sidewalk, mixing indoor play with outdoor exploration in a perfect combination of adventure and determination.

What It's Made Of

Although plenty of parents don’t mind a bike striding down the hallway when Strider riders take their play inside, we wanted to make this transition easier by introducing another option. When we designed the Strider 12 Comp, our goal was to make a composite frame combined with our most-loved features (the Standing Footrest, adjustable seat, handlebar made for tiny hands, and never-flat Ultralight Wheels). This new frame is made of a high-performance composite material that offers strength and stability without using metal, so the bike performs just as well outdoors while being more living-room friendly.

By manufacturing a new composite frame, we also made an ultra-light ride weighing just 4.85 pounds. If you’re worried about durability at this weight, don’t be! We stress-tested it to the breaking point — although we recommend a maximum rider weight of about 45 pounds, we had adults take turns riding the bike around the warehouse. When the bike easily handled adult riders, our product engineer (hi, Kent!) stood on the footrests and hopped the bike up off the ground. It took multiple minutes and attempts before the front wheel snapped — the frame remains intact to this day. So no, this bike is not any less durable than its metal predecessors, which is great news for the toddlers who may toss it down the porch steps in an excited frenzy to hit the sidewalks for a ride.

The coolest part of the new frame material is the new color scheme — please welcome to the stage: Blue Fade, Orange Fade, Pink Fade, Purple Fade, and Teal Fade. These colors look awesome next to our white no-maintenance Ultralight Wheels. With our lightest tires and feather-light frame, the 12 Comp is the perfect first bike for young toddlers and is the best development tool (disguised as a toy) for kids aged 1-3 years old. Our newest bike will give them the perfect learn-to-ride experience, where falls are no big deal and confidence blooms with every little win.

Compatibility

Getting kids on bikes is obviously pretty important to us, and our 2-in-1 Rocking Bike helped us to introduce bikes to kids as young as 6 months old. Naturally, we wanted to make sure our new bike could be a part of these epic foundational moments too — so we’re happy to note that the 12 Comp fits perfectly into our Rocking Bases. This way, the newest bike slips perfectly into the rocking base so your little one can hold the handlebars of the stabilized bike and pull themself up to stand for the first time, or climb onto the Rocking Base platform and swing a little leg over to sit on their bike — the beginning of a strong body and mind.

Over the years, we’ve also specialized in making bikes customizable, because a bike that matches your personality feels more like a friend, and toddlers are amazing at using their creativity to create a sweet ride that becomes a childhood buddy. The Strider 12 Comp comes with a kid-fit handlebar with ends that are the same size as the grips that come with our other 12” bikes. But, if you’d like to add some more color and protection, our Classic Grips fit onto the 12 Comp perfectly and come in 9 colors to add some fun flare.

The 12 Comp comes with white Strider Ultralight Wheels, which are ideal for first-time riders because they’re made of foam and don’t need to be filled with air. This means the bike is always ready to go when they’re ready to ride — but eventually, your little ripper may be ready to tackle some bigger terrain. When they need some extra traction and shock absorption, you can swap the foam tires for our pneumatic tires!

With all of these compatible features, we couldn’t leave out a cold-weather favorite — Strider Snow Skis! The 12 Comp also supports use of our Snow Skis because toddler life doesn’t take a break for cold snowy weather, and neither should their bike. No matter what changes come your way, from cosmetic upgrades to a seasonal swap, the 12 Comp is ready for customization and modification for whatever life holds.

Uses and Benefits of the Strider 12 Comp

At this point, if you’re not convinced that the 12 Comp is the next best thing for toddler life, we're not sure what to say, because this bike truly sells itself. But here are a couple more factors to consider when you’re deciding if our newest bike will also be the newest addition to your own family.

The Strider 12 Comp is the perfect indoor/outdoor item! If your toddler wants to ride around the living room and kitchen — no worries! The Strider Ultralight Wheels are scuff-free and scratch-free, so indoor practice sessions are no problem. If a rainy day strikes, that’s okay, because your toddler can release some energy and keep practicing their balance inside. You’ll avoid the “it’s too snowy to ride” tantrums because the hallway can turn into a warm, dry sidewalk for the afternoon. If they want to play in the rain or snow, the 12 Comp is up for the challenge too. The durable bike and foam tires don’t shy away from moisture, and punctures simply can’t happen to a fully foam tire, so the bike won’t ever be out of commission (and you won’t find yourself sitting on the floor in the garage frantically airing up a tire with a meltdown in the background).

The bike is so light that it can easily be tossed into the trunk or backseat for a quick ride to a new park, or for a longer road trip where breaks to burn off energy or explore a different landscape are an absolute must. The 12 Comp is the kind of bike that looks and functions great at a campsite for those pre-bedtime energy release activities, and in the living room where couches turn into mountains towering above a linoleum floor trail. The customizations, locations, and learning opportunities are truly endless, and bikes provide mobility that translates into independence and confidence. As much as we truly love seeing the Strider 12 Comp around the office and warehouse, we know it’ll look even better in your living room or driveway; handlebars hugged snugly by the hands of your giggling toddler.