Seems like there’s some recent blog posts concerning a European toy called LikeABike.  Designed as a sort of “push-bike” to teach children ages 2-6 how to ride a bike through a method ostensibly more natural than the typical “training wheels” method used here in the U.S.

Recently referenced on Gizmodo and Engadget and Treehugger, the LikeABike bears the German speil gut association good toy rating and seems to be sold by many merchants if you look on Google.  It’s an intriguing concept however without having seen one firsthand and considering its price is between 250 and 300 bucks, it’s not yet clear to me as a layperson whether one is paying for legendary German engineering prowess and craftmanship or incredible markup and “euro-toy” hype. 

Has anyone seen results or studies done on the merits of push bikes as learning aids?  I didn’t see any direct references posted on LikeABike’s site...but would be interested in the data.  The closest to data-driven coverage I’ve seen is in a Wall Street Journal article but registration is required.