By Anne Barnes
From Licking It to Sending It!
It’s been awhile since we started the Baby on a Strider series of articles documenting my baby daughter’s journey learning to ride her Strider bike. The last update was nearly a year and a half ago, after Olivia’s first birthday, when she was just learning to pull herself up to stand on her Strider with the rocking base. She was also still in the sensory-exploring stage—spinning the wheels, tugging on various hard parts, laughing at the funny sounds she could make by scratching and hitting it, and getting a few tasty licks in when she could. All fun baby stuff!
Around the time she turned one year old, once she got fully acquainted with all the parts on the bike and realized it was there to stay… she totally lost interest. No joke. Imagine my shock—as a former MotoAmerica motorcycle racer and someone with a lifelong passion for cycling (and who has stood on a mountain bike race podium!)—that my kiddo did not care about two wheels! I could not believe it.
I’m never going to force Olivia to do any sport or activity she doesn’t want to do. I want her to find her own way, and I’m happy and committed to doing my best to provide her the tools to pursue whatever she chooses. Once she started walking, she basically took off running. Her balance and perception were incredible. I knew that one day, if she ever took an interest in the bike again, she wouldn’t need the rocking base at all. I removed it and parked the little yellow bike in the corner of the living room, hoping it might entice her to pick it up again.
It sat. And sat some more. And then… it didn’t. More than a year (14 months to be exact), and then one day she grabbed the handlebars, leaned it away from the wall, swung her leg over, shuffled her little feet, and slowly scooted away.
For the first week of being reacquainted with the bike, she would only stand and walk with it. Sometimes she would sit on the seat, but mostly she preferred to stand. The seat on the Strider is easy to adjust with a single lever, so we tried a few different heights before settling on one that made the most sense—even though she wasn’t really using the seat yet and couldn’t tell us what she preferred. Honestly, she didn’t want us touching her bike much at all!
By week two, she was fully capable of coasting with her feet up—and gasp—she had picked up a lot of speed riding around the house and driveway. We gave her a little blue-and-pink butterfly helmet, just in case.
I guess she noticed the look of amazement (and a little terror) on my face when she would buzz around the corner of the countertop after flying down the long hallway. So now, that’s her favorite trick. She gets the bike going at top speed down the hall, lifts her feet, and coasts through all the obstacles—coffee table, kitchen counters, couch, etc.—with jaw-dropping precision, sometimes even skidding the little front tire.
Olivia is a very calm, sweet, and somewhat shy little girl. My favorite thing about her little Strider is how it built her confidence—not only her self-confidence when she achieved a new milestone, but also her confidence when interacting with others.
For example, when we go to local playgrounds and parks, Olivia tends to hang back and either watch the other kids on the playset or play with me. There are always other kids her age around, many who have Strider bikes, too. Once Olivia sharpened her riding skills, I started bringing her bike along. It’s been a great icebreaker for her to meet and connect with other kids. Most of the time, they don’t even need to talk—they just see another kid on a bike, lock eyes, and set off riding together.
The single coolest moment since becoming a parent happened at the Daytona 200 earlier this year. Olivia and I headed to the vendor area to hang out with some Roadracing World partners, play some games, and collect a few cool souvenirs. She spotted the All Kids Bike display and asked to ride their course. She strapped on one of their helmets, grabbed a blue demo Strider just like it was her own, and confidently set off through the roped-off course—riding up and coasting down small wooden ramps while I walked alongside her. This was big-kid territory. So cool.
I’m incredibly happy that Olivia shares a love for bicycles, just like I do. Beyond opening doors for her sense of achievement and social interaction, it’s also been a durable toy we’ll keep around for a long time. Writing this series and looking back on how far she has come has been a joy for me, too.
The post A Baby Having Fun On A Strider, Part Four appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.
