Ed Mondello would watch his young children buckle under the weight of heavy bicycles and think, "There's got to be a better way."

At a convention, he saw the better way: German-engineered wooden bikes without pedals that were lighter and easier for children to balance on.

Still, it wasn't quite right.

While living in Massachusetts running an IT business, Mondello put his own engineering expertise to work and tinkered with PVC pipes to create a truly light, two-wheeled cycle that would teach children how to ride safely.

"We worked with that design until we got it right," he said. He adjusted the angle on the handlebars and the seat, he added pegs on which to rest feet and kept testing it with his then 18-month-old son.

When people saw the toddler balancing on Mondello's creation, they would invariably tell him, "You gotta do something with this."

Four years later, he's relocated to Wilmington to start a company to make and sell the bikes he called PV Gliders. He has patented aspects of the glider and says he is close to sealing a deal with Toys "R" Us to sell several products in the line.

Additionally, what Mondello describes as his "selfish" invention has turned into a useful tool for families with children with disabilities who find it even more difficult to navigate the two-wheel world than other children do.

Rob Mellis, a local dentist, has high praise for the Glider. Mondello gave him one for his son, now 3, who had a brain attack earlier this year and was left with paralysis.

"We've been able to use it for balance and control," Mellis said. "Stroke victims can't pedal, so this is just a good tool to learn balance and independence."

Mellis said he likes that the Glider is not motorized and is less intimidating than other walking devices his son was scared to try.

"It's a neat, neat, neat, neat toy," Mellis said. "It's a neat toy for any kid, something alternative to a bike."

At Ogden Elementary School, physical therapist David Murray uses the Glider with children who have Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other developmental delays.

Murray said he started experimenting with using the bikes after Mondello donated them.

"It gave (the students) the opportunity to expand on some of their skills, like balance," he said.

"It can be a challenging task for them. They may be hesitant," Murray said. "There's a cognitive aspect to it, where they need to move a little faster so they can put their feet on the pegs.

"It's been a good experience," Murray said.

"We've gotten really good reports back," Mondello said. "The whole purpose is to help (children) to develop those skills of balance and movement."

Children who don't learn how to ride a bike easily seem to do very well on the Glider, Mondello said. Some parents ready to give up on bicycles try the Glider, and they "are just amazed. It bridges the gap."

Until this year, Mondello and people he hired made the Gliders by hand. Now the bikes are being manufactured overseas because last year demand grew to the point that the crew could not keep up with production.

There are new models this year - the Mini Glider for the 2 1/2- to 5-year-old set and the Go Glider for children ages 6 to 9. Manufacturing changes, including the use of alloy materials, have made the Mini Glider even lighter. It now weighs 8 pounds instead of the original 10. Children's bikes generally weigh 18 to 22 pounds, Mondello said.

The EZee Glider is the name Mondello is giving an adult version of the bike he's working on, for people recovering from injuries or surgery who are looking for a way to improve their balance.

Mondello explained that the gliders are easier to balance because they are designed more like a mountain bike. A road bicycle is designed at an angle to allow for quick movement, while a mountain bike is made to turn more slowly and has a lower center of balance.

His children, now ages 5 and 8, still enjoy riding their Gliders, even though they have their own traditional bikes. Mondello expects to sell hundreds of Gliders this year if the sluggish economy doesn't hit his business too harshly.

"It's going to be an interesting Christmas," Mondello said.