YBike and Strider - Impressions

My boy received a Ybike for his second birthday, and my nephew has a Strider, so I had this opportunity to make some comparisons.

The Ybike

 

The first thing about the Ybike is that it is a fixed design - there will be no adjustments made on this bike, whether it's the handles or the seat.

The child also sits quite low and there is some distance from the seat to the handles. A smaller child will need to reach forward quite a bit.

The bike is also rather wide, which you will see in subsequent photos. During initial rides, my son's heel will often clip the plastic frame, but he has automatically adjusted his movement to counter for that.

You can see the width of the bike in this photo, and how my son adopts a wider stance. You can also see my wife who is 36 weeks pregnant and rocking the LCSG shirt.

Back to business: In only three proper rides (meaning, in the park or playground, where there is some space), he has progressed tremendously and shows development of confidence and balance.

In terms of sizing, i feel that this bike is suitable for children who are at least 0.8 m tall. Here you see my nephew who is around that height. My boy is approaching 0.9m.

 The Strider

From the photo above, you can probably tell that the Strider is designed more like a regular bike. The key differences between the Strider and the Ybike would be the frame geometry, wheels and adjustable seatpost.

In this respect, I feel that it will be easier for a child to start out on the Ybike due to the broader wheels. However, the design of the Strider also lends itself to familiarising the child with the feel of a 'regular' bike.

I found my boy transferring his 'skills' to the Strider with no problem, as you can see here, happily going down a slope.

 
In conclusion, I feel that either bike will help your child to develop his / her sense of balance. It is up to you to provide the situation for that to happen: practice makes perfect. Overall, I feel that the Strider will be a better investment due to its adjustability, and its form which is much closer to a regular bike.

My 4 yr old nephew - downslope

A friendly race