The indoor cycling craze has come for America's kids, and child development experts aren't happy.
Little Tikes, the children's toymaker, watched sales of Peloton's stationary bikes soar last year when the pandemic hit. It saw a chance to create something for children to enjoy alongside their parents, according to Little Tikes vice president of product development Kevin Bloomfield.
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Stationary bikes have existed for kids before, but have not lasted. Toymaker Fisher-Price launched a $150 stationary bike for kids in 2007 and updated it in 2017. Fisher-Price then cut its price to under $100 and now no longer sells the bike. It declined to explain why. The bike was sold exclusively on Amazon, which also declined to comment.
But child development experts aren't having it. They say a stationary bicycle, especially one with a screen attached, is a step backward for what a bicycle can mean to child development. Kids riding a stationary bike lose the learning experiences that come from roaming their neighborhood on foot or on bike.