GlideBikes Mini Glider Balance Bicycle - A Review and Giveaway!

***Giveaway Closed 9/20***

Learning how to ride a bike is a rite of passage. You see in enacted in movies all the time. Dad spends a few minutes helping Junior. Junior tries a few times to no avail, and then finally rides off sans training wheels. It looks so easy.

The truth is, I've seen my neighbor trying to teach his son how to ride his bike and it isn't so easy. And now that Cakes is of the age to start trying, I'm not in too much of a hurry to get her started.

Up until this point, she has been riding her bike with training wheels. She gets it. She can pedal around, steer, and use her brakes very effectively. Training wheels have made it easy. But, the problem is learning balance. That's the hard part, and training wheels do nothing to help learn balance.

Glide bikes, or balance bikes help kids learn balance.

What is a Glide bike?
It's a bicycle that has no pedals, no crank set, no chains, and no training wheels. It utilizes downhill mountain bike geometry to achieve a very low speed balance point of less than 2 mph. It's very light weight and easy for a child the use. It is small enough for a child to walk the bike while sitting comfortably with both feet on the ground.

How does a child learn to balance on the bike?
They learn by walking the bike until they become comfortable enough to run and "glide" by lifting their feet off the ground and balancing. Since they can put their feet down while seated, there's never any fear of falling off the bike. If they lose their balance they just put their feet down.

When GlideBikes contacted me about doing a review, I wasn't sure if I was interested. Quite honestly, I had my eye on another balance bike. My nephew had a Skuut and I thought that was the one I wanted to get for my kids. After doing a little reading about GlideBikes, I was quickly convinced that GlideBike is a far superior product.

The GlideBikes aren't like any other balance bikes out there. The most notable differences are the adjustable seat, foot pegs, brakes, and foam tires.

The quick release adjustable seat height enables the bike to fit your child perfectly. Since it's quick release, both of my kids can take turns using the bike without needing tools to adjust it. The unique foot pegs give your child place to put their feet while gliding, and teaches them proper foot placement for pedal bikes. The brake is another great feature that give your child some more control (and sense of security). It also prevents them from destroying their shoes! No need to drag their feet to stop. And lastly, the foam tires are maintenance-free! The 12" durable foam tires are puncture proof and never need air. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, the GlideBikes come with a Lifetime Warranty!

GlideBikes are available in three different sizes: Mini Glider (ages 2-5), Go Glider (ages 5-10), and Super Glider (for riders 5' to 6'2").

We tested the Mini Glider from GlideBikes and are very impressed. The Mini Glider is designed for the youngest learners, from age 2-5 years. Since Cakes is 4 and the Bubby is almost 2, both kids will get a chance to learn on it! Since both kids will use it we chose red, although it is also available in blue and pink.

Cakes was very excited to ride her new bike so as soon as it got here she insisted that I get it ready for her to ride. I wasn't so sure I would be able to assemble it myself, but I gave it a try. To my delight, the only tool required was included so I didn't need to search the junk drawer for a screwdriver, wrench, hammer, or anything. That in itself would have taken me at least 30 minutes!

The bike came partially assembled and all that was required was to attach the front wheel, install and adjust the handlebar, set the seat height, and adjust the brake. It only took about 15 minutes and we were ready to go!

And go she did!

This was taken just after a few minutes on the bike. She was gliding short distances in no time, and was never scared that she would fall because all she had to do was put her feet down. What a confidence booster!

Since we got the Mini Glider, she hasn't wanted to ride her bicycle with training wheels. She asks to ride her GlideBike every time. She enjoys learning how to balance and is so proud of herself when she glides.

We think that the GlideBike is the best balance bicycle available!

Want to win a GlideBike?! The nice folks at GlideBike have offered a giveaway for a Mini Glider!

Enter to Win!

Mandatory Entries:
Visit GlideBikes and tell me what your favorite feature of the GlideBike is.

Extra Entries:

After completion of the mandatory entry you are eligible for any of these additional entries. Remember to leave a separate comment for each additional entry!

• Become a Facebook fan of GlideBikes
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• Subscribe to Eco-Cheap Mom via email.
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• Vote for Eco-Cheap Mom on Top Mommy Blogs.(once per day)
• Blog about this giveaway. Be sure to link back to my site and leave the URL where you blogged in your comment. (2 entries)
• Post about this giveaway on Facebook.
• Follow @ecocheapmom on Twitter and tweet (up to 2x/day): Teach your child to ride a bike the easy way...with a @GlideBike! Win one from @ecocheapmom! http://bit.ly/dC438f #giveaway ends 9/20

Good Luck!

Open to US. Giveaway ends September 20, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. EST. The winners will be drawn by the random number generator at Random.org and will be notified by email and announced on this blog. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.

*** I received a Mini Glider to review and was not compensated in any other way. The statements above are my own honest opinion.***