These days, it’s widely acknowledged that stabilisers = bad, balance bikes = good. Despite all the available advice, Alfie has always been reluctant to try out the rather fabulous (I thought) wooden balance bike we bought him a while back. Toddlers, eh? What do they know? We reverted back to the micro scooter while the bike languished in the hall. But then we were loaned a Strider. A’s eyes lit up as soon as came out of the box. It looked like a big boy’s bike. It was orange (one of the allowed favourites, along with green and blue). And it had a bell like Daddy’s. He was sold. Obviously it’s been a bit nippy to give the bike a really substantial number of outings, but it has been to the park a fair few times and A seemed to instinctively know how to ride it. It was peasy to put together (even I did it in minutes), is mega light to carry around (A does it easily) and the polymer-filled tyres are puncture proof, so no faffing about with pumps.
 
It comes in six zingy colours, plus a Nitro Circus version that’s not personally to my taste (and currently out of stock anyway), so there should be something to please the most particular toddler. The Strider costs a pretty reasonable £84.99 including next day delivery and a lifetime warranty from Balance 1st. Not bad when you consider its longevity – your little one can use it from 18 months up to 5 and beyond – as it has adjustable seat and handlebars and, once your toddler has graduated past the walking stage, footrests for gliding while balancing and an optional back brake. We’re using the super-shiny silver helmet (retrotastic) we bought with our micro scooter, but Balance 1st carry a range of more out-there designs, including spotty, floral or watermelon (yes, really) patterns from Nutcase and the Crazy Stuff animals we featured a while back. All in all a great little starter bike that will see your child make an easy transition to pedal cycles.
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