If you’re looking for a first bike for your toddler, you have a new, lightweight option on the market. Choppy is a wooden balance bike for kiddos from one to four years of age. The company’s pitch is simple: toy-meets-tool, an active, engaging way to kickstart a toddler’s motor skills and stoke their sense of adventure.
Choppy’s key features
The company behind this balance bike for kids puts an emphasis on convenience in several ways.
First, assembly. The bike’s assembly process is tool-free, and the brand prides itself on how much simpler it is than “putting together IKEA furniture.” Sure, that’s a low bar, but it’s not a terrible selling point.
Second, long-term usability. The wooden balance bike is growth-spurt friendly thanks to its adjustable seat and handlebars.
Third, portability. The bike is quick and easy to dismantle. Once dissembled, Choppy condenses down neatly making it suitable for car travel.
Wooden balance bike design
Notably, the built-out wooden balance bike is free from child-safety hazards like metal bearings, screws, and spokes. The saddle is ergonomically spring-mounted to cushion little jammer’s backsides from burly terrain.
Aldis Blicsons, the inventor behind Choppy, noted the bike is, “Probably the most lightweight children’s wooden balance bike.”
The build features birch plywood throughout. Polymer composite appears only where necessary: the tires, handlebars, and hubs. In all, the bike is reported to weigh less than 3 kg, which does sound pretty light. However, the company’s claim of “the most lightweight kids balance bike in the world” falls a bit short considering the Specialized Hotwalk carbon checks in at 4.63lbs (2.1kg) and the Strider ST-R balance bike weighs 5.6lbs (2.55kg). However, the Choppy does get pretty close in weight for a lot less money.
Pricing and availability
STUM Inc. just launched Choppy on Indiegogo. Early pledge packages for the bike start at $150. The first round of orders will roll out as early as September 2021.
To put a pledge in, peddle over to Choppy’s Indiegogo page.
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