The Off-Road LikeaBike: The FOREST!

Update Oct 24, 2017: The LikeaBike era is ended, but we still have a huge inventory of accessories and spare parts to keep your old LikeaBike in motion. Reach out to us at WeeBikeShop and we'll get your bike sorted out!
The FOREST is a balance bike that is fitted with a very aggressive tires which are designed to grip rough surfaces and make an off-road bike ride safer for your child. The added traction and puncture protection offered by the knobs on the tires makes Forest the official "mountain bike" of the prestigious LikeaBike fleet. It's confusing, in a way because another model offered by LikeaBike, the "Mountain", implies that it's also an off-road model. Not quite so.. We believe that after the "RACER" was introduced in 1997, there was demand for a model with pneumatic tires. (If we look at competitive bicycle racing, we find three disciplines: road, track and mountain.. really four if we count cyclocross). It seems to us that the "Racer" most resembles a track bike or a time trial bike (by virtue of it's hard skinny tires), and that the "Mountain" was the original road bike.. and that finally with the immense popularity of mountain biking, the FOREST was born as the model that's truly compatible with actual off road use. In the LikeaBike USA color brochure, the FOREST is referred to as "the masterpiece".

Main differences between the Mountain and the FOREST:

1. Mountain is offered in 5 different seat colors, FOREST only one- green.
2. The Mountain has color coordinated felt at the frame/fork union, while the Forest uses gray felt only.
3. The Mountain has a clear natural finished mud flap under the seat. The FOREST has a mud flap that is stained a very attractive green color.
4. The Mountain uses tires with an all purpose tread pattern, while the FOREST uses a very aggressive knobby pattern (much like a moto cross bike or a mountain bike)

Confused? Why not let these numerous pictures speak for themselves? Here's the FOREST, up close: Notice the color coordination? The Forest is offered only in green. The mudflap is stained to match, but you can still see the wood grain. Doesn't it look so much like a moto cross bike?
Which child has never flipped their bike upside down to spin the wheels?

Below, the signature gray felt lining in the fork, to keep tender fingertips safe..
Handgrips! The ends are specially shaped to absorb impact, protecting both the bike and your floors (though this model begs to always be outdoors..)
Another note about the hand grips: They're very hard to install! We definitely recommend using them though because the wood finish on the handlebar is quite slick.
Aggressive knobby tires to tame the most unstable, soft, muddy, or leaf covered terrain.
Above, the wishbone shape of the frame is really pleasing to the eye.
The thru bolts at the tip of the fork appear useless, but don't be fooled. They guarantee that your Forest will have a long life span, by making delamination of the plywood impossible.
The floor model pictured above came out of the box with tires fully inflated. We love the "new bike smell" which they give off.

Some notable features of the LikeaBike Mini, common to most other LikeaBikes as well:

• Frame built from two CNC shaped pieces of 10mm thick baltic birch veneer core plywood (9 plies)
• Fork built from a solid piece of CNC shaped 19mm baltic birch veneer core plywood (15 plies)
• Inflatable 12" rubber tires are inflatable to 45 pounds. Schrader valved inner tubes
• Wheels built from solid disks of 15mm baltic birch veneer core plywood (11 plies), with a steel bike rim permanently bonded to the perimeter.
• Removable and washable padded cloth seat cover (GREEN is the only color offered, other colors including leather are offered separately)
• Seat height adjustable to four different positions (11" to 14") for fast growing toddlers
• Limited steering range for extra safety (what happens when front wheel turns too far? Bad things! Ouch.)
• Impact proof rubber hand grips (is Junior dropping the bike onto it's side? No worries!)
• Suitable for use indoors and outdoors (tires will not mark your floors)
• Handcrafted in Germany using wood grown in sustainable forests (FTSE certified?)
• Shipped fully assembled except for handlebar, which is applied with two simple screws
• Compatible with the optional LikeaBike Hopper handlebar basket and the LikeaBike trailer wagon
• Overall dimensions: 14" wide x 21" high x 33" long