Brayden's Strider Bike: Best. Thing. Ever.

Yesterday, if someone hadn't told me, I would have thought it was Christmas morning. Or Christmas evening really, since the UPS man came during bath time. I wasn't really sure who was more excited: Drew, who was the one who got the package, or B, who was told about the package at bathtime. 

Wanna know what was delivered?

Why, it was Brayden's new balance bike of course!

You may remember my recent post where I told you about a balance bike we were able to review for CSN Stores. In case you missed it and aren't familiar with balance bikes, basically the theory is that a child has a hard time cognitively learning how to peddle and balance at the same time. Thus, the need for training wheels. The balance bike eliminates this problem by removing the pedals and allowing the child to learn how to balance first. It develops self confidence, it allows them to go at their own pace (from tottering to actually balancing) and it sometimes even eliminates the need for training wheels once they transition to an actual bike.

The original bike we got was OK, but there were some issues with the size of the bike. Brayden loved it, but we were left to wait until he got tall enough to reach the ground when he sat on it. Enter the Strider PreBike.

After seeing my post, the Strider Sports company contacted me to let me know they wanted to see Brayden on a bike now, not when he grew a bit more, and wanted to send B a Strider bike to try out. We were more than happy to take them up on their generous offer, and have waited patiently during our blizzards last week for the bike to arrive. It showed up last night, and Brayden (and Drew) could not have been happier.... CLEARLY...

It was SO easy to put together.

Once it was together Brayden hopped right on. He EASILY touched the floor, and acted as if he'd been riding the bike all 2 years of his life.

He even spent some time tuning his new bike up for a ride :)

(crazy biker dude!)

Today he's spent a majority of the day either riding the bike around the house, or talking about it. We skyped my mom this afternoon so that she could see him ride. He was so proud. The cutest part is when he comes up behind something and says "beep beep!" as he's passing by. SO funny. I love how light the bike is; Brayden is easily able pick it up and carry it around on his own. It looks and feels like a real bike though, and Brayden has often said "like me Daddy" today as he rides around the house.

A big thank you to the Strider Sports company for making Brayden's bike dream come true! 

PS-- if you're wondering why Brayden is only wearing a diaper in these pictures, it's because when he found out his new bike was in the living room, he bolted out of the bathroom from his bath. It was all we could do to get a diaper on him while Drew put the bike together. Be thankful... you almost got pictures of him naked with his new bike... haha!

Disclosure: The Strider PreBike was given to our family as a gift from Strider Sports Intl. Inc. All opinions and views in this post are my own, and I was in no other way compensated for this post. To view my blog's complete disclosure, click HERE.

Prince Lionheart Balance Bike: A CSN Stores Review

Remember this post, in which I listed a couple of things on my want list? Well, guess what? I got one of them!

CSN Stores was gracious enough to allow me to review one of their many products from one of their 200+ stores. Drew and I had been talking about getting Brayden a balance bike soon, and so we took the opportunity to purchase and review the Prince Lionheart Balance Bike.

First off, let me just say that any mention of the word 'bike', or the sight of a bike, Brayden immediately starts stuttering the word "Daddy" because he gets so excited. He has correlated that Daddy has a bike, and so he wanted a big boy bike like Daddy. A friend of ours had purchased a balance bike for her 4 year old daughter for Christmas and swears by it. Basically, the theory is that a child has a hard time cognitively learning how to peddle and balance at hte same time. Thus, the need for training wheels. The balance bike eliminates this problem by removing the pedals and allowing the child to learn how to balance first. It develops self confidence, it allows them to go at their own pace (from tottering to actually balancing) and it sometimes even eliminates the need for training wheels once they transition to an actual bike. The concept is genius really, and since Drew is an avid biker, this was a no brainer for us.

I had a few problems with my giftcode going through, and as always I had the great help of a CSN Stores representative to help me through my transaction. That's what I like about CSN... it's not just a website where you have to search high and low for contact information... they have phone numbers that you can call and talk to REAL people, and you can even complete your transaction on the phone! I've always had great service through their customer service center. ALWAYS. Once I placed my order, I was happy to find out that they UPGRADED my shipping for me, and shipped it THE SAME DAY! WHOO HOOO!

It only took 4 business days for the bike to arrive. And when it did, Brayden was BEYOND excited. We had to wait until Daddy came home to unpack and put it together.




So excited to open his new bike!




helping daddy put on the wheels!

All ready to ride his new bike!

So here's the lowdown: the bike says it's for ages 2-5. Brayden is a bit tall for his age (he'll be 2 in April), and still is not able to touch the floor at the lowest seat setting (there are 3 settings in all). We were (Brayden included) a little disappointed. It's ok though because I know he'll grow into it. On the flip side, the seat has 3 settings, so we know it's something he'll eventually grow into and be able to use for quite a while. The bike is made out of quality birchwood. While I think it will be OK, Drew is a bit worried about the seat having a piece of wood that is only screwed into the seat, not the actual body of the bike. He's worried it won't hold up with two boys, but all of the reviews I've read online make me think that we shouldn't really worry about it too much. The tires are REAL bike tires, so it makes the bike seem more like a big boy bike, which I know B loves. Overall, I think this bike is a GREAT concept, I think we probably just shot the gun a little early on it. If you have a 2 year old (or older) I would definitely recommend the bike, especially if they are interested in a big boy (or girl) bike... it's a great alternative to having to deal with training wheels. And if you're looking for a place to purchase it, I'd DEFINITELY recommend CSN Stores.


Disclaimer: In exchange for this review, CSN Stores provided me with a giftcode to go towards the purchase of the bike. I was in no other way compensated for this review, and all opinions expressed in this post are my own. To view my blogs full disclosure policy, please click HERE.