Every child deserves the thrill of learning to ride their first bike. Find out how we help make that happen by adapting our Strider 12 Balance Bikes for children with limb differences.
Making Riding a Reality for All
At Strider, we believe every kid deserves the chance to learn to ride — including those with limb differences or upper mobility impairments. Every child should get to feel the wind in their hair and the exhilarating accomplishment of independently balancing on two wheels. With the Adaptive Strider Program, we can help make that happen! With a newly purchased Strider 12 Balance Bike on its way home, grown-ups can reach out and ensure that their little rider has the proper fit and bike modifications needed to comfortably ride at no additional cost.
Why Adaptive Riding Matters
For kids, riding a bike is so much more than that — especially for those with disabilities. Riding a bike for little ones often means increased mobility, independence, triumph, and major street cred with their peers.
For disabled kids who miss out on this vital part of childhood, the experience can be alienating and frustrating. They can’t race with their friends or siblings, they can’t build up key developmental skills like balance, and they lose confidence without being able to prove to themselves and others that they can ride like a big kid.
Adaptive Strider Bikes give those same kiddos a chance to have those experiences. With accessible Strider 12 Balance Bikes that fit their needs, those kids get to build their love for riding and have a blast with their friends and family.
Check out these stories from a few of the awesome riders who received Adaptive Strider Bikes to see how this program changed their lives!
Embracing Tabor’s Tenacity
Unstoppable. Strong. Determined. Those are just a few of the words that Tabor Brooks’ parents use to describe him —but it wasn’t always that way.
When Tabor was just a baby, his parents — Tara and Tyler — questioned how he would ever gain the independence and skills needed to complete basic tasks. Tabor answers that question every day by discovering his own way of doing things, no matter how difficult. That same determination propels him to keep up with kids like his older brother, Tayden, without hardly missing a beat.
So, when Tayden began zipping around on his Strider, Tabor immediately wanted in on the action. Like his big brother, Tabor wanted to send it down hills, scoot around the house, and race around the block with the neighborhood kids. He saw freedom and adventure and wanted it, too.
Luckily for Tabor and his family, a close friend reached out to Strider about creating an adaptive bike that would match his needs perfectly. After a few emails and a couple of measurements, a brand-new Adaptive Strider Bike arrived on the Brooks’ doorstep. “This is the first summer he has had his Strider, so we are still working on balance and learning how to turn,” explained Tara. “He’s super excited! He wants to do everything his older brother does, so for him to have a bike that’s just like Tayden’s is really special.”
Now that Tabor has a bike made just for him and he’s found his balance, he loves to cruise all around the backyard with his big bro. For his parents, his Strider has become much more than a bike — it’s something that has helped their son gain confidence. “It’s really bittersweet for me to watch Tabor be independent and not have to stand on the sidelines,” said Tara. “I think it’s great for other kids to see that Tabor looks different, but hey, he can do the same things that they can do!”
The Brooks family is excited to watch the Adaptive Strider Program grow because they know there are still so many families that need this service. “There isn’t a lot of resources for limb differences, so we kind of have to figure it out as we go. For a company to recognize the need and actually do something about it is such a blessing,” explained Tara. “Thank you, Strider Bikes, for seeing the children with differences and being inclusive because it’s not one size fits all.”
Ryder’s Unlimited Potential with an Adaptive Bike
“Anything is possible.”
That’s the family motto in the Morgan Household.
Almost five years ago, Crystal and Ryan Morgan welcomed their son, Ryder, to the world. From day one, his parents say he was expressive and extraordinarily happy.
Ryder was born with a medical condition called Symbrachydactyly and is missing all his fingers on his left hand. This limb difference makes gripping things difficult, but the ever-positive Morgan family refers to his little hand as his “Lucky Fin” — a reference from the Pixar movie Finding Nemo.
Ryder’s determination and can-do attitude pushed him to swing a bat like a pro, play catch, and do all the same things he sees kids his age doing; however, learning new skills can be difficult for Ryder as his family found out when it came time for him to ride a bike.
“When Ryder started to take interest in his bike, it was very challenging for him to stay balanced and stable because he could only grip one side,” recalled Crystal, Ryder’s mom. “This led to a lot of falls and frustration.” However, when Ryder’s parents saw how committed he was to learn how to ride, they knew they needed to come up with a solution to stabilize his left hand. They brainstormed some ideas on what they could add to Ryder’s handlebars to help him keep stable, but nothing worked.
Several weeks later, Crystal came across a Strider Bikes Instagram post that would change everything. The post featured a Strider 12 Bike that had been specially fitted to give a child with a limb difference like Ryder’s the chance to ride unimpeded.
Immediately, the family reached out to Strider about the possibility of creating a bike for their son’s unique condition. After a few measurements and a couple phone calls, an altered Strider Bike arrived at the Morgan family’s doorstep. Crystal and Ryan watched as Ryder took to the new bike right away. “He quickly figured out that the new adaptive piece on his handlebars was for his ‘Lucky Fin’,” Crystal explained. “It was as if the piece had been there all along.”
After that, Ryder and his Strider Bike were inseparable. His confidence sky-rocketed, and he was a tornado on two wheels. Crystal said, “To see him so happy riding his bike is the best feeling in the world.”
Unstoppable Luke and his Adaptive Strider Bike
A few months after his birth, Luke Adkins had a disarticulation at the elbow due to pediatric cancer. With his adaptive Strider, he was able to race around the track.
Luke was born in December of 2021 with a lot of personality in his little body. According to his mother, Grace, he can be the sweetest, most cuddly little guy one minute… and then an absolute wild man the next. Luke loves bath time, playing with his monster trucks, watching Blue’s Clues, and dancing to music.
At surface level, Luke sounds like your typical toddler. In reality, his story goes much deeper.
Prior to his birth, Luke’s parents had no idea he would be born with a tumor. At delivery, it was very obvious. The Adkins family stayed in the NICU for five days before being told the tumor was cancerous and that they would need outpatient follow-up.
“I still get teary-eyed recalling that day,” Grace said. “When Luke was 19 days old, he had his central line placed in his chest and received his first dose of chemotherapy.”
A few months after his birth, Luke had a disarticulation at the elbow. Different from an amputation, a disarticulation is when the limb is taken apart at the joint, rather than cut at the bone. In growing kids, you cannot cut through the bones and must go at the growth plate.
Originally, the plan was to take Luke’s arm at his shoulder. But when Grace and Riley spoke with their medical team, they made the decision to attempt to shrink Luke’s tumor from the elbow joint and save the upper arm.
He had 12 weeks of chemo prior to his surgery and was just shy of four months old when they took the arm after successfully shrinking the tumor down away from the elbow enough. Luke had negative margins after the surgery, meaning they removed all of the cancer cells.
Post surgery, he received 4 more cycles of chemo, which made him terribly sick. Since he was immunocompromised, the Adkins family basically lived in a bubble for the first year of Luke’s life. Through these tough times, Luke and his parents stayed strong.
Luke has had clear scans and remains cancer-free; however, the Adkins family never lets their guard down knowing that there is always a possibility of Luke relapsing.
Grace found out about the Adaptive Strider Program through the Lucky Fin Project. She looked further into the program on Strider’s website and learned that all she would need to do is measure Luke’s “lucky fin” and fill out some information on the attached form. Once that was submitted, the process was slick. Strider’s Fabrication Specialist took the information that she had provided and within a week, a custom, one-of-a-kind bike had arrived at the Adkins’ doorstep for Luke to comfortably and confidently ride.
His father, Riley, is stoked for the day his son will be able to shred alongside him.
“Riley is big into dirt bikes and motocross,” Grace said. “He races in the SECCA circuit, which are trails through the woods. Race day is an all-day affair, and the very first races are the ‘tadpoles’ which are little toddlers on Strider Bikes! Riley is absolutely beside himself waiting for Luke to be able to go race his Strider with the tadpoles!”
Luke will still need to go in for scheduled checkups but as of now, his prognosis is good. The Adkins family is preparing for many happy and active years together!
Piper’s High-Speed Strider Cup Race
Piper, an adorable 4-year-old with a “lucky fin”, just got her first Adaptive Strider Bike last spring. The bike was customized with a cup to allow ease of riding and the extra length she needed to become the cutest little Strider Rider.
Piper had attempted to ride previous bikes (even an un-adapted Strider) and tried using her lucky fin to hold the handlebar. This resulted in an uncomfortable position for Piper that wouldn’t allow her to take long rides and brought her face in a potentially dangerous location near the handlebars. But with her new Strider 12, she mastered balance and striding in no time at all and raced in the 2024 Strider Cup in Rapid City, SD!
Piper and her family love the outdoors, and camping is a huge part of their lives. Kelsey, Piper’s mom, said they never leave the house without her Strider. She has had many, many adventures on her Strider Bike and is looking forward to even more with her newfound confidence!?
Help Other Families Find This Wheelie Great Program
Since August 2022, we've adapted?more than 100 bikes for kids with height or limb differences, so they too can experience the joy of riding. Tabor, Ryder, Luke, Piper and many more children ride Strider Bikes with a proper fit for individual and specialized needs thanks to the Adaptive Strider Program.
Seeing confident kiddos riding Striders and experiencing the world on two wheels is the best! If your child is in need of an Adaptive Strider Bike, please fill out our Adaptive Strider Program contact form to tell us all about your child’s modification needs, limb differences, measurements, grip, and more.
