Product Review: Steady Eddie Learner Bike
Source: Everyday Cycling
News Posted: 9 November 2007
There are as many approaches to teaching young children to learn to ride bikes as there are parents, some more successful than others. Some favour stabilisers. Some start with a tricycle before making the leap to two wheels. However, those in the know realise that both of these approaches are delaying the inevitable - i.e. that the child has to develop the necessary balance and co-ordination to keep a two wheeler on the straight and narrow. That's why most savvy parents will ditch the stabilisers, take off the pedals and lower the seat of the bike, enabling the child to plant their feet firmly on the floor and make like Fred Flintstone - that's right, were talking scooting here. Seen those old pictures of country gents on wooden hobbyhorses - You get the idea. This allows the child to concentrate on the fundamentals of balance and co-ordination without having to worry about the added dimension of pedalling and braking.
Until recently however, there have been no commercially available products that have easily facilitated this. Sure, taking the pedals off a normal bike is a workaround, but the cranks and chainwheel still get in the way and many parents haven't got the tools, knowledge or inclination to faff around. Enter the Steady Eddie learner bike - the first really affordable scoot along learner bike that we've seen.
On first acquaintance, I was impressed. The Steady Eddie (love the name!) arrived well packaged with a personalised message on the outside of the carton, a nice touch in this world of corporate anonymity. I eagerly opened the box and got the bike out, which required a little bit of assembly. Nothing arduous, just a pivot to mount the fork, a few nylon washers in the right place and two Allen screws to secure the handlebars. Full instructions are provided, making the process a doddle and just like Ikea furniture, (which in many ways the Steady Eddie resembles) it comes with all the tools you need for the job.
Standing before me a few minutes later was a brand new Steady Eddie, ready to roll, or more accurately, scoot. The bike is constructed of laminated birch plywood, beautifully shaped and finished, with nice, organic curves. The main frame is made of two ply sections bolted together, with a separate adjustable seat support, making the bike adaptable for children aged from around 2 to 5. There's even two seats included, pink and blue, so everyone's happy. This makes the bike a great investment for a family - it can be passed on to brothers, sisters, cousins, friends - addressing the issue that a learner bike will inevitably (and hopefully) have a short window of usage before the child progresses to a fully fledged bike with pedals and so on. Allied to this, the excellent build quality and pleasing design will make you want to keep it in the family, unlike a lot of throwaway, 'landfill fodder' children's bikes.
Another thoughtful touch is the centrally located carry handle, for those all-too-frequent occasions when your young charge has had enough and you end up carrying the bike home. The bike's low overall weight (approx 3kg) really helps here too.
The bike runs on solid tyres which banish puncture woes yet gives a soft ride (akin to running tyres at around 40psi, so were told) and the wheels run on maintenance free cartridge bearings, with the steering relying on a clean and simple nylon bushing.
All in all, we really couldn't fault the Steady Eddie. Sure, its not the first or only learner bike on the market - Like-a-Bike has marketed a range of wooden and aluminium starter bikes for a few years. Isla Rowntree's Islabikes range also includes a scoot along option. What makes the difference is the price, currently at £79.99, undercutting the competition substantially, with no apparent sacrifices in quality.
Verdict: Well made, stylish, fun and well thought out. A hit!
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