LikeaBike: An EasyRider
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.23.05
How's this for product endorsement? ”I don't like when Mom and Dad always get stopped by people who want to talk about my bike... I like it best after it rained so I can run my bike through puddles.” Joseph (3 years, 7 months). The bike in question is a LikeaBike, brainchild of German product designer Rolf Mertens. It suits kids 2 to 5 years old, who are too young for a real bicycle but still benefit greatly from developing a sense of balance, movement, oh yeh and fun.
Weighing only 3.5 kg (~8 lbs) it’s light enough to be propelled by little feet pushing along the hallway or footpath. Winner of the prestigious Spiel Gut (Good Toy) award, the fully adjustable LikeaBike is formed of birch plywood, stainless steel, rubber and felt. A two year warranty is offered, so it seems to be virtually kid-proof, though apparently it does suffer from being driven over in the family driveway! Available in Europe, UK, Canada, USA and no doubt, many other places too. ::LikeaBike [by WM]
5 models available, including this 'Mountain'
LIKEaBIKE is a truly fabulous "bike". Our 3 year old rides his constantly inside and out. It is now available in Australia through www.likeabikeaus.com. It was quite awesome to see how quickly and confidently he mastered his bike and he will most certainly never need training wheels when he moves to a conventional bike in a few years time. What's more, it looks terrific and there is not a piece of plastic in sight.
Get the bike in Canada!!!
It's fantastic that you have discovered the wonderful world of the Like-a-Bike! My wife and I were introduced to the bike a couple of years ago by some friends who had bought one for their son. After watching our 3-year-old go from struggling with a tricycle to coasting down hills on a wooden bike after only a few days, we were hooked! In fact, we started selling them!
We are now the Canadian distributor of the Like-a-Bike, and have been selling to clients all over North America. The demand is growing faster and faster; we sold more bikes last month than we did last year, and we've tripled the number of stores carrying the bike for us.
To find out more, visit our website at www.woodenbike.ca or www.likeabikecanada.com
Thanks, and keep on riding!!!
David & Deidre, Wooden Bike Distributing, Victoria, BC, Canada
(250) 598-3250
LIKEaBIKE is also available now in New Zealand from www.likeabikenz.com
Aloooooha to all!
If you're wondering where to get your LIKEaBIKE® in the Islands, try WWW.ALOHANONSTOP.COM, Hawaii's LIKEaBIKE distributor.
Are there any cheaper alternatives? $300 is more than I'm willing to spend.
The only other one I found lists $80 for this: http://www.backtobasicstoys.com/item/productid/5779/
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.
The new buga bike are a new design, I like it very much. http://www.bugabike.com or http://www.bugabike.eu or http://www.bugabike.co.uk
LikeBike its very nice bike, but my children's like more the BugaBike for the new colors. Look this www.bugabike.ch or www.bugabike.ca
best value I've found is the Skuut bike, which has great reviews. the cheapest price i could find was at builditplayit.com for 84.95, and they have a special right now for free shipping. i'm thinking of buying one for our daughters birthday.
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!
Watch out for the Bugabike or likebike whatever they are calling it.
The bike is a low quality learner bike. The company Sabamba is just trying to fool customers into buying a inferior product by trying to pass it off as a LIKEaBIKE. They have registered domain names like www.likebike. which leads to their U.K site. I even had to threaten legal action because they had simply copied all the text from a LIKEaBIKE dealers website to correspond to their products that are actually nothing like LIKEaBIKE. All the text they use is copied from LIKEaBIKE sites. It's very frustrating and pathetic. A true reflection of the intellect of the people behind the company. Take a truly fantastic product and make a bad copy then have the cheek to try and fool people into buying one!
Now I have got that off my chest I would like to share with you a new LIKEaBIKE video that HELEMILL one of my LIKEaBIKE retailers have had made.
In 2007 LIKEaBIKE are celebrating their 10th Birthday. Now there are 9 models in the family all with their own individual features. Each bike is made to such a high standard I can't tell you how much of a joy they are to sell.
Take a look at my site http://www.likeabike.co.uk to see the bikes in more detail.
I couldn't agree more with John. The Bugabike people must be without any self respect. They took a name from a well selling stroller (Bugaboo) and the concept from a well selling run bike (LIKEaBIKE) in an attempt to cash in on either companies' successes.
Radio Flyer is selling a run bike that's in structure identical to the Bugabike for half the price. Same Chinese manufacturer. It's pathetic. Now they are also copying all of LIKEaBIKE's accessories, including a display stand for retailers.
Give me a break.