This Modular Bike Goes From Stroller to Trike to Two-Wheeler as Your Child Grows

When kids outgrow their bikes, most parents settle for buying an entirely new model and leaving the old one to collect dust in the garage. The Monkeycycle, a new eight-in-one bike design available on Kickstarter, works differently. After buying the kit, parents can reconfigure and build upon the bike over the years so it changes at the same rate their child does, following them from 9 months old to 6 years old.

The first model in the Monkeycycle's evolution is a stroller that includes an adjustable handle and child seat that can be removed and attached to an adult-sized bike. When children reach 12 to 14 months old, parents can convert the stroller to a tricycle. As kids get taller, the bike can grow, too. The body of the trike curves to provide a low seat when placed one way and a taller seat when flipped over.

From there, the trike easily switches to a balance bike. Parents can also arrange the wheels to make a quad and a "tadpole trike" with two wheels in front and one in back. Then, once kids are ready to start controlling a two-wheeler on their own, the Monkeycycle can be transformed into a traditional pedal bike.

To get a full Monkeycycle kit, you can pledge $349 or more to the project's Kickstarter campaign before December 13. Monkeycycle is also offering a limited number of basic kits, which only include the balance bike and two-wheeler modules, starting from $200. The stroller option is not included in any of the kits yet, but if the campaign reaches its stretch goal of $150,000, it will be available as an add-on for $150.