Calling 'balance bikes' a fad sounds like odd sour grapes. Why wouldn't you want kids to learn how to ride a bike for real quicker?

My son's Strider was 7 lbs. and he could maneuver around with it before the age of 2. Your basic training wheel equipped bike is barely worth owning as they don't even really fit the size of child they are supposedly designed for. For that reason alone I'm happy about the popularity of balance bikes.