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Teach your kids to scoot

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By Times staff | Friday, June 20, 2008 |

Having trouble teaching your little tyke about riding his or her bike? Those pesky pedals can be a pain. And who really knows how to put on training wheels? Should they be level, should they not? Ugh.

Maybe you should eliminate both. Yep, toss the training wheels and the pedals. Sound crazy? Not to the folks at Toot Scoot. They have invented a bike intended for the 2- to 5-year-old demographic. You know, those wacky kids ready to skin their knees in order to learn how to ride.

Designed by Buck Hale, the Toot Scoot was created with no pedals or training wheels. Children sit on the seat while pushing off the ground with their feet, scooting themselves and the bike forward. The Toot Scoot teaches children balance and coordination. Because the children do not concentrate on pedaling, they learn to balance first, as opposed to bicycles with training wheels, which they learn to pedal first and balance last. By learning balance first, a news release states, the child will transition easily to a traditional two-wheel bicycle.

The Toot Scoot weighs seven pounds and is made of steel tubing. Because the bike is so lightweight, it is easy for children to pick up and carry anywhere. That also makes it much more convenient to throw the bike in a trunk or the backseat of a car.

There are chrome accents on the bike and round, rubber-cushioned handlebar grips. The rubber helps prevent the scratching of walls and protects the Toot Scoot when dropped. The wheels are made of a durable plastic/rubber material, which means no need to fill the tires with air. Also, the Toot Scoot has wider-than-normal wheels, making it easier for a child to balance. The handlebars and seat are both adjustable.

Finding all this hard to believe? Check out more at tootscoot.com.