What kid doesn't want a new bike from Santa? Even the kiddos who can't yet ride a bike want one.

For those youngest wanna-be bike riders, the Strider 12 No-Pedal Balance Bike makes a great gift — while providing a revolutionized way to teach a child to ride a bike.

Mac tries out the Strider No-Pedal Balance Bike

See, the Strider No-Pedal Balance Bike has — you got it! — no pedals. The idea is that it's not the pedaling that's tough for newbie riders; it's the balancing. The Strider bike is designed to let the child learn to balance and to use his or her feet, not pedals, to get on down the road.

Strider bikes — Gold winner in the National Parenting Publications Awards — make learning to ride a bike easier because they:

• are ultra light weight and easy to control.
• increase balance, coordination, and confidence.
• allow children to focus on learning balance first.
• are free of chains, pedals, and protrusions that can harm a child.
• provide a safe, smooth, and natural transition to a pedal bike.

Features of the Strider 12 No-Pedal Balance Bike ($119 msrp):

• Super Light Weight: 6.7 lbs
• Durable, U. S. Patented steel frame
• No-tool assembly and adjustment
• Quick-release saddle and handlebar clamps
• Puncture-proof EVA polymer tires (no flats!)
• Engineered ultralight molded wheels
• Premium cartridge wheel bearings
• Mini-grip handlebar with safety pad
• Ergonomically-shaped padded saddle
• Launchpad Footrest with grip tape
• Available in 7 dynamic colors

Here, some professional riders demonstrate how the Strider works:

 

I received a Strider 12 No-Pedal Balance Bike free for review and enlisted Mac, my three-year-old grandson, to do the reviewing. His mom (my daughter) said a Strider had been on Mac's Christmas list, so he was more than happy to undertake the hard chore of reviewing for Gramma.

 Mac prepares to review the Strider.

Mac's first comment on the Strider once Mommy put together the review bike with ease: "That thing is awesome! Thanks, Gramma!"

Here, Mac provides his own demonstration of his oh so awesome Ninja Turtle green-colored Strider (the screeching sound you hear in the background is geese, not squeaky wheels):

In addition to Mac's enthusiastic approval of the Strider No-Pedal Balance Bike, his mom says she really likes how lightweight the Strider is, which makes it easy for Mac to carry and for Mom and Dad to put in the car for taking the Strider to the park.

Mom worried the wheels can't be replaced if they wear out — an issue in a family where the Strider will definitely be passed down when Mac's little brother is ready to learn to ride. Turns out, though, the wheels can be replaced if Mac rides and rides and rides the heck out of them.

Perhaps, as easy as the Strider seems to be for Mac to get the hang of, the wheels won't wear out at all before he's off and ready to hop aboard a big-boy bike with pedals and the Strider can be passed along to his little bro.

Rolling on down the road.

For more information on the Strider No-Pedal Balance Bike, visit StriderBikes.com. 

Disclosure: I received this product free for review; opinions are 100 percent my own and my family's.