Is Your 6-Month-Old Ready to Ride a Bike?

Many children learn to ride a bike in elementary school, mainly because this is when most parents feel their children have the skills necessary to master the activity. Strider Bikes challenges this notion and has built bicycles designed to help kids attain that goal at a much earlier age. Believe it or not, even infants can start their bike-riding journey.

Early Starts Are Possible

The makers of Strider Bikes believe that the right equipment can help kids learn to ride earlier. That is why they have developed rocking bikes, balance bikes, and balance-to-pedal bikes with pedal kits that help kids master every stage of the riding process. They are built with a low center of gravity, which enables your child to maintain their equilibrium while learning other critical bike-riding skills like holding onto bars and keeping their bodies straight before moving on to pedaling.

Developmental Milestones for a 6-Month-Old

Infants as young as 6 months old begin developing important motor and cognitive skills that will help them learn to ride a bicycle. At that young age, children start learning the most key skill — balance — as well as a host of other important skills like dexterity, using their hands to support their bodies, pushing up using their arms, problem-solving, and spatial awareness.

The Strider 2-in-1 Rocking Bike

The company produces balance bikes designed to take kids from 0–6 years old through every stage of the learn-to-ride process. The 2-in-1 rocking bike is designed for the littlest riders, allowing kids as young as 6 months of age to experience the thrill of a bike. This fun and educational toy features a Strider 12” Balance Bike affixed to a sturdy rocking base that helps your child safely develop key motor skills while having fun. Children position their feet atop the rocking base, place their hands on the handlebars, and rock back and forth. As they grow a bit older, parents can simply detach the rocking base and watch them progress to balance mode on the Strider 12” Balance bike.

Benefits of Learning to Ride at Earlier Ages

Strider Bikes stands behind the belief that children who learn to ride on their products have a better chance of developing an accelerated skill set and ultimately progressing to actual riding without the need for training wheels, witness a quicker development of motor skills than their peers, and gain a great deal of confidence and independence. Studies have shown that children who learn basic bike-riding skills early tend to develop motor skills more quickly and often succeed with pedal bikes up to two years earlier than peers who begin with training wheels.

Helping Your Children Grow Accustomed to Strider Bikes

The first step to helping your little one ride their first bike is adjusting the bike’s seat and handlebars. Strider’s highly adjustable bikes are designed to accommodate children of a wide range of sizes and grow with them. Both the handlebars and seat posts adjust up and down easily, and with no tools required. Supporting your kiddo is also super simple. Simply hold them or sit close by (depending on their age and motor development) while cheering them on.

In terms of safety, helmets are not encouraged for children ages 1 and under because their necks are still developing. However, kids older than 1 should be safe donning helmets.

Final Thoughts

Don’t be afraid to give your kids a jump start on their bike-riding journey. With the right age-appropriate equipment, like a Strider 2-in-1 Rocking Bike, and enthusiastic encouragement, kiddos can develop the essential motor and cognitive skills they need to ride. Giving kids a jump start on these skills, as well as the confidence and independence that come with them, can open them up to a lifetime of two-wheeled fun and a lasting love of active play.

BDG Media newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.