Strider bikes that were originally introduced in the U.S. in 2007, are now going to have their first competition in Okinawa when over 200 children, some as young as two years old, kick their strider bikes off the starting line at JAL-sponsored “Enjoy Cup 2013 JAL Okinawa Stage” on Nov. 24.

According to Japan Airlines Okinawa Branch Manager Azuma Ueki, the cup race will be held at Hotel Nikko Alivila. He says that so far 220 children have been enrolled to take part in the race, 80 of them from Okinawa.

The strider bikes, sometimes called push bikes, are bicycles for children that have no pedals. Instead, riders will have to have their feet on the ground and progress at their own pace. Children as young as 2 years can ride on a strider. Designers of the strider bike say that the design builds children’s confidence and alleviates their fear when learning to master a two-wheeled vehicle.

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