12 Comp

The Strider 12 Comp is the lightest and least expensive balance bike in Strider’s current lineup. At 4.8 pounds fully built, it is one of the lightest balance bikes you can buy, even rivaling the discontinued Specialized Hotwalk Carbon, a wildly expensive benchmark for lightweight balance bikes.

The weight is the main reason to look at it. For a toddler who may only weigh 25 or 30 pounds, every pound on the bike is meaningful. A lighter bike is easier to pick up, steer, stop, and keep upright at low speeds.

Strider gets the weight down with a nylon composite frame. In plain terms, most would call it plastic, but that undersells the material. This is not the brittle plastic found on cheap toys. It feels more purposeful and durable, and the weight savings is undeniable.

The Comp is a stripped down bike in a category defined by minimalist design. The saddle is plastic, the grips do not have rubber covers, the seat adjusts through fixed height positions, and the handlebar height does not adjust. That sounds limiting, but on a balance bike, fine-tuning fit is less important than getting the basic fit right. If your child can sit on the saddle with both feet flat and a bend in the knees, the fit is close enough.

The foam tires are better than expected. They still do not grip or roll as well as pneumatic rubber tires, especially on gravel, grass, dirt, or slick indoor floors. But compared with the hard foam tires on many cheap balance bikes, these have a little more give and a less harsh ride.

The choice is durability and adjustability versus weight and price. The metal-frame Strider Sport and Pro feel more like classic Strider tanks, though they are still very competitive on weight, and they give you more fit adjustment. The Comp gives up some of that in exchange for very low weight and a lower price.

For most families, that is the better deal. If you want a simple, very light balance bike for sidewalks, driveways, garages, and early riding, the Strider 12 Comp is the Strider I’d buy first.