s bicycle market is expected to reach US$4.73 billion by the end of 2023. The market is expected to grow to US$6.33 billion by 2032 at a compound annual growth rate of 5.1 per cent between 2024 and 2032. Balance bikes, a type of bicycle without pedals, are not a new invention, but Strider Bikes has adapted the design in a way that makes them much easier for riders with various physical abilities and small children to manage.  How a love for bikes grew into a multimillion-dollar business Prior to launching Strider Bikes, Ryan McFarland, a longtime lover of both manual and motorised bikes, wanted to introduce his son to his passion, but this proved to be much easier said than done. McFarland tried out several products on the market, from tricycles to mini-bikes with training wheels, but they were too overwhelming for his small child, who was just two at the time, to handle. When McFarland’s wife suggested that the eager father wait a bit for his son to grow before hopping back onto a bike, the founder, president and CEO of Strider Bikes joked that he was too restless to wait another year or two. “I’m quite impatient and thought, ‘There’s got to be a way to get him riding at two years old.’ And so I started taking a hard look at his bikes and realised actually how complex and large and heavy they are, especially compared to a really little kid,” he told Inside Retail. McFarland decided to make a simple, lightweight machine for his son to ride, and it soon caught the eye of others in the neighbourhood. “Strangers would come up and ask us about the bike, so it was really quite amazing how much interest there was from people that we would encounter on the sidewalk,” he said. “Being an entrepreneur, I realised there’s a demand here for what I’ve created, and decided to take a shot at the business. Initially, it was just a bike for my son and it was probably six months later when the idea of starting this business came to be.” From 19th century concept to modern-day design The balance bike is believed to have been invented over 200 years ago, with the more modern version we’re familiar with being designed around 1997. When McFarland launched his company in 2007, he made various adjustments to the design to accommodate small children as well as individuals with mental or physical impairments. “One of the things that has made us successful is that I have a good understanding of bicycle geometry,” McFarland said, citing the steering geometry, weight bearing of the front and rear wheels, and the rider’s weight bias and positioning. “If you look at a photo of a kid riding a Strider bike, and you look at a professional motocross racer, you’ll see that they’re seating their body position on a Strider in a very similar way,” he said. “The bike was built with this idea that if we want the child to be successful, then the bike has to be up to the task, it can’t just be some widget toy that looks cute, but doesn’t necessarily function.” In addition to selling four million new bikes, McFarland estimates that at least 10 million kids have learned to ride on a Strider bike through hand-me-down bikes, second-hand bikes, and Strider’s social impact programs. Strider Bikes contributes one per cent from the sale of every bike to the Strider Rider Fund, which has helped create opportunities for young riders globally. Over US$2 million has been donated to date. Today, besides the brand’s own e-commerce site, Strider Bikes products can be found via retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. They are also carried by toy and sporting goods distributors in over 75 countries around the world.