The bike that isn't a bike.

At what point in this blogging adventure here do I say, OK. Now I've seen it all. I thought I had with the adult pacifier, but this one is close.

Don't be fooled by the picture. What you're looking at isn't a bicycle. It's a "LikeABike." A wooden toy with two wheels, handle bars and a saddle, but no pedals. The idea is two-year-olds want active toys, and could generally use some forward-motion encouragement during walks around the neighborhood. The LikeABike solves this by giving kids a ride they can push forward with their feet Fred Flintstone style. It's beautiful, made out of wood and costs $279.

Is this genius or absurdity? For the life of me I can't decide. At first I was confused. $279 for a bicycle that doesn't work? Seriously? But then I read some of the testimonials on their web site:

It is so true what the LikeaBike people are saying about how easy it can get to walk your child to pre-school… It used to take me forever, now my daughter happily jumps on her bike and we make it in time... no problem. Petra T. (Brooklyn, Park Slope)

Before we gave our son a LikeaBike for his third birthday he had received physical therapy for more than a year... After learning how to ride that beautiful little vehicle his coordination and sense of balance improved considerably. LikeaBikes should be part of every pre-school's inventory. Jenny and Steve N. (Manhattan, West Village)

Now I'm starting to see the genius. Improve your child's balance, get them around the neighborhood, and give them something fun to do all by avoiding the tyranny of pedals. Still, at $279 I think a resourceful dad, an old bike and a socket set could probably come up with something cheaper.

Check out LikeABike at their official site [via Transport Trends.com]

Comments

[Dave]

I love it. In fact, it looks familiar. I recently saw on the Travel Channel a bike that looked remarkably like this one. I believe they were in the Netherlands somewhere, and said that all children start with these bikes before graduation to the pedal variety. Or I could be hallucinating again.

I think it's a great active toy that will promote exercise and a love of being outside. Plus, as a great admirer or modern design, I think it's beautiful. Get it (then post photos for us).

[Clint]

That is very fab...I know the girl would love a lil cruiser like that, but I'm not sure it's $279 fab.

[kevin]

The LikeABike format is a popular choice in Europe where children graduate from a tricycle (if they have one at all) to a pedal-less bike, to a "real" bike. The base concept is that children quickly learn how to pedal, but the balancing of a two-wheeler is more difficult.

I've taught two kids how to ride a bike in an afternoon by removing the pedals and having them scoot/coast to learn balance. Pedaling is easy after the balance is learned.

And if $279 is a little steep, check out the Kettler Sprint. It usually runs less than $100. (Toys R Us (via Amazon) lists it at $89.99.)

[nadine]

Coordination, Equilibre et Habilité
Equilibre
kitidea ® n’a pas de pédales. Pourquoi ? Parce que les enfants de 2 ans n’ont pas le sens de l’équilibre, il leur faut donc l’apprendre et kitidea ® va les y aider. Et n’oublions pas que le premier vélocipède du grand-duc de Baden, Karl von Drais, la draisienne ou vélocipède, n’avait pas de pédales. Un simple retour aux sources !

Coordination

Avec kitidea ®, les enfants se déplacent à la force de leurs jambes et freinent par le processus inverse, en apportant de la résistance au sol avec les jambes. Simple comme bonjour ! kitidea ® ne possède pas de freins car les enfants de 2 ans n’ont pas suffisamment de réflexes pour les utiliser à bon escient, il est plus naturel et plus efficace pour eux d'utiliser leurs pieds.

En un temps record, les enfants sont en mesure de se déplacer avec kitidea ® tout en gardant l’équilibre.

Plus tard votre enfant pourra ainsi passer sans difficulté de kitidea ® au vélo à pédales. Vous n’entendrez jamais parler de petites roues !

kitidea ® est employé avec succès pour ses qualités par les kinésithérapeutes afin de faciliter le développement moteur de certains enfants en difficultés.

Habilité
Le premier moyen de locomotion de votre enfant va devenir son jouet favori. Vous serez étonnés par son habileté à se déplacer. Offrez à votre enfant la joie de découvrir la mobilité par ses propres moyens !

Verry Good Idea.

[lili madonna]

Fantastic French Idea :-)
J'ai trouve sa genial pour les Enfants de 2 ans a 5ans
http://www.sabamba.eu ou www.bugabike.fr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bugabike-extreme

[Anne Ferrari]

A beautiful form with incredibly fun function! Riding a bugabike is incredible fun for kids! As early as two years old, children can fulfill their urge to be active with this walking bike and have their first experience of riding on two wheels. A bugabike has no pedals. When first trying to ride, kids play with their bugabike as they would with a hobbyhorse.
http://www.stackr.com/links/goto/623610/like_a_bike_my_first_bike_bugabike_sabamba
or
http://www.stackr.com/links/goto/623468/Sabamba_and_Bugabike
Verry Nice bike. I like it.

[Gillian Emblad]

like a bike is great but we found a much more affordable version $80 instead of $280 . I think it is more attractive and just as durable. Our son has learned to balance on the skuut . We found it at www.skuut.com

[Patrick Rooney]

I like the look of this alright but was unsure if it was just a gimmick more than actually helping the child but that's for clearing this up, a company call Imaginarium does a version of this that's alot cheaper €169, you can add pedals onto it when the child has got the balance and it does a child from 2.5 to 8 years, here's a link to the irish website but I'm pretty sure they are an international company
http://www.imaginarium.ie/vie/TiendaProducto.asp?aspidProducto=30894

[Rachel Walker]

We decided to get the likeabike jumper for our boy after taking him to the store to check them out - he wasn't so fond of the wood. It really is the perfect bike for a toddler and I am constantly telling other parents where I got it!

[marie]

Fantastic Designs
These bikes are great. here's video of my 2-6 year old on a Buga-bike. I totally recommend them.
Buga-bike by Sabamba ltd 1999.
(VIDEO)Buga-bike bicycle for toddlers
It really is the perfect bike for a toddler and I am constantly telling other parents where I got it!