We know, there’s no such thing as a stupid question. But there are definitely some questions too embarrassing to ask your local shop or riding buddies. Ask A Stupid Question is our weekly series where we get to the bottom of your questions – serious or otherwise. Hit the link at the bottom of the post to submit your own question!
This one is definitely not a stupid question. Rather, one that probably doesn’t get asked much, therefor it’s hard to find the answer. Jelena’s question is where they can find an adult balance bike for their 12 year old son with Autism.
Specifically, Jelena is looking for the Super Glider Adult folding balance bike in Ocean Blue from Glide Bikes. Basically the Super Glider we saw at Interbike in 2014 but with the ability to fold up.
Unfortunately, it looks as if the Super Glider and the Super Glider folding bikes have been discontinued by Glide Bikes, which is a shame. The bike had a cool design that included a modular drivetrain section that could be replaced with foot pegs for a true glide bike, and the 20″ wheels with 2.35″ tires could support 250lbs. We haven’t been able to get a hold of Glide Bikes yet, but if we hear back from them otherwise, we’ll come back and update the post.
However, there are still options for adult balance bikes if you don’t mind that they don’t fold up. The top choice would probably be the Strider 20 Sport Balance bike. Like the Glide it uses 20″ wheels and a low slung frame with high rise handlebars for comfortable position that’s easy to get on and off, but it also includes optional foot rests at the bottom of the seat tube. Strider’s testimonial points out that the foot rests can be used by the rider, or by a caregiver or therapist and they can actually ride along and help steer to give the rider the feeling of balance.
Equipped with two hand brakes, the Strider 20 is meant for riders 10 and up with a 242lb weight limit, and has a seat height range of 67.3 – 81.9 cm (26.5 – 32.3 in) and is said to fit inseams of 69.9 – 84.6 cm (27.5 – 33.3 in). Available in 5 colors (including blue), the bike sells for $219.99.
The Kazam Swoop is also an option that runs 20″ wheels. It is built with cheaper components and only one hand brake and does not offer the option of the foot rests, but the result is a cheaper bike at $129.95 that also has a lower standover. It appears that some for sale online also have a backrest for the seat, but the Kazam website no longer shows it, so double check before ordering if that’s something you want. The Swoop also has less of a range for seat height, measuring only 25 – 28″ meaning the Strider will provide an additional 4″ of height which would be good down the road.
Those are the two adult balance bikes we know of, but if there’s more we missed drop them in the comments below. We hope this helps, and your son gets to experience the joy of two wheels!
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