Ridgeback Scoot 2010 Kids Bike > Reviews (1)

Ridgeback scoot - training bike for toddlers

My brother in law is a bit of a bike nut and has worked as a bike salesman for many years in a London based shop. When my son reached his second birthday, we decided that he was old enough for his first bike so we approached my brother in law for advice on what would be best.

He pointed us in the direction of the Ridgeback scoot. I'll be honest, I had never heard of them, and even though we have owned it for 2 years I have never seen any other child riding one, but I think they are an excellent purchase and I am glad we went for this model.

Basically, it is a bike frame with handlebars and seat. It is missing the pedals though. The aim of the bike is to teach your child how to balance by themselves before they move onto a bike with pedals. It has no stabilisers, and when the child progresses to pedals then there should be no need to use stabilisers. The child makes the bike move by pushing along with their feet like you would on a scooter. Hence the name, the scoot.

The bike costs around £90 in good bike shops. You won't come across it in Asda or Halfords. It is available in a few colours - lime, blue, pink and silver. We went for a silver one to hide any scratches better and make sure we can pass it on to younger brother.

Apparently you can also get wooden versions of the bike that are a bit more expensive, but again, I have never seen one of these versions, and they are not made by Ridgeback. I prefer having a metal bike as I think it stands out less to other kids as being 'strange.'

We got it when he was just 2. My son is a tall boy, and at this stage he was a bit too short for the bike with the seat at its lowest setting. We didn't get out with him on it much till he was about 6 months older, and he didn't take to it straight away until he got a bit more confident. However, in a year he has become very competent and gets a lot of pleasure out of scooting along. He has learned steering, balancing and braking skills. He has had a tumble or two when he has gone too fast, but that could happen on any bike, and we have always made sure he has had a bike helmet on so no more damage than breaking the bell and grazing his knees.

We have got to the stage now where we are about to give him a proper bike without stabilisers. He has tried his cousins bike and managed that, so it will again be a case of building his confidence.

I have to admit, when I first saw the bike, I was very dubious, but it has been a good purchase. We have had lots of people very interested in it when they have seen us out with it because they are so rare. I would say the only downside has been that the frame is quite small and with another bike purchase you may get more years of use out of it. He has grown out of it rather quickly.

But, he has had 2 years of fun, and this bike is so simple to adjust and use that you don't need to be a bike nut to get the most out of it.