Glide Bikes Go Glider 16 Review

The Glide Bikes Go Glider 16 was not a favorite with our riders, who found it big and clunky compared to other 16″ balance bikes. Read the review below for more details!

Go Glider 16 inch balance bike has an optional pedal kit to convert it to a pedal bike

Go Glider 16 Overview

RATING: Recommended

MSRP: $139

BEST FOR: Less adventurous kids, who prefer a more upright riding position, in at least size 5 clothes.

SEAT HEIGHT: 16″ – 25″

WEIGHT: 10 lb.

BRAKE: Rear Hand Brake

FRAME: Steel

TURNING LIMITER: Yes

PROS:

  • One of the few balance bikes available with 16” tires for older kids
  • Pedal bike conversion kit available for $30

CONS:

  • Clunky, and quality doesn’t match the price
  • Tall handlebars and seat placement decrease overall comfort
  • Hard to lean forward to run and gain speed

Glide Bikes Go Glider 16 Review – Results of our Test Rides

Designed for kids aged 5 to 10, the Go Glider is one of the largest balance bikes we have tested.  The Go Glider comes standard with a turning limiter, a hand-activated drum brake, a kickstand and front-to-back adjustable handlebars.  A pedal bike assembly is available to convert the balance bike into a pedal bike.

With a six and four-year-old who are both too tall for 12″ bikes, the 16″ Go Glider was gladly received.  Upon assembling the bike, which took about 20 minutes, our six-year-old daughter (who is completely confident on a pedal bike, but still loves riding balance bikes) quickly took it out for a test ride.  She was immediately drawn to the footrest and enjoyed doing “tricks” and standing up on the footrest.

Go Glider Features

After several minutes of riding the bike, however, her excitement died down and she decided to give her four-year-old brother a try.  Although the bike is designed for ages 5 and up, our 40″ tall four-year-old son is the same size as many five-year-olds and we, therefore, considered him to be a good candidate for the Go Glider.  Once on the bike however, it became quite clear that it was simply too big for him.  Being very confident on his pedal bike and our larger 12″ balance bikes, I figured he would be able to manage the bike, but found it difficult to ride.

Go Glider Handlebars

After the adjustment, both of our kids were more comfortable on the Go Glider, but neither chose to ride the bike for more than a few minutes.  Assuming it was simply because my kids were already confident on their pedal bikes, I decided to test the bike on a five, a six and an eight-year-old in the neighborhood who have yet learned to ride a bike without training wheels.  After allowing each child to use the bike for several weeks, I checked back in with their parents to see how their child had progressed on the bike.  Surprisingly, the feedback I received was similar to that of my own kids.  While the bike seemed to work just fine, the kids generally did not enjoy riding it.

While the six-year-old was eventually able to convert to a pedal bike, the five and eight-year-old both disliked riding the bike so much (even after adjustments were made to the bike) that they simply did not put enough time on the bike to learn to balance on it.  Not wanting to write-off the bike completely, I allowed the eight-year-old to use the bike for several more weeks in hopes that he would eventually decide to ride the bike.  Then upon receiving the Stampede Bikes 16″ balance bike, the real issues with the Go Glider started to become apparent.  A 16″ balance bike as well, my kids had a completely different reaction to the Stampede Bikes.  They loved it and quickly began to fight over it. **The Stampede Bikes has gone out of business and their bikes are is no longer available.**

Wanting as many opinions as possible, I dropped the bike off at our eight-year-old tester’s house to see how an indifferent child would react to the bike.  While timid at first, once he jumped on the bike he walked a few yards then took off down the street.  Never having such drastic reactions to two bikes before, I decided to do some side-by-side comparisons in hopes to determine what was so different about the two bikes.  Upon doing so it was clear how different the geometry of the two bikes was.

TykesBykes vs. Go Glider2

*Stampede Bikes was previously known as TykesBykes.

In conclusion, while it was hard to determine the exact reason why our testers preferred the Stampede Charger, we believe the extended geometry of the Go Glider makes it more difficult to ride.  The differences were less noticeable on older riders and as a result, I would not recommend the Go Glider for kids under 45″ in height.

FTC Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this review.  No monetary compensation was provided for this review, however, the reviewed product was supplied by the manufacturer or distributor to help facilitate this review. All opinions and images are that of Two Wheeling Tots LLC.  All content and images are copyrighted and should not be used or replicated in any way. View our Terms of Use.

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