How to Ride a Strider in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Put a saddle on an adult strider and steer it with a warped fungus on a stick (fishing rod + warped fungus). Striders walk on lava at 4.24 m/s (Java) or 3.71 m/s (Bedrock), making them the best Nether transport.

What you need

Saddle (3 leather + 1 iron ingot)
Fishing rod
Warped fungus
Fire resistance potion recommended for the lava seas

Step by step

Get a saddle: craft one with 3 leather + 1 iron ingot, or kill a strider jockey whose strider always drops its saddle.
Craft a warped fungus on a stick: fishing rod + warped fungus from warped forests (or huge warped fungi).
Find a strider walking on the Nether lava seas and use the saddle on it.
Hop on and hold the warped fungus on a stick: the strider walks toward wherever you point it.
Use the stick for a speed boost: 7 to 49 seconds in Java, a flat 16 seconds in Bedrock, costing 1 durability per boost.
Breed striders with warped fungus to build your own herd near a lava lake.

Java vs Bedrock

Striders are faster in Java (4.24 m/s on lava vs 3.71 in Bedrock) and their boost lasts a random 7-49 seconds, while Bedrock gives a fixed 16 seconds. Out of lava, striders shiver, turn purple and slow down in both editions.

Versions: Striders exist since 1.16 (Nether Update). Baby striders cannot be ridden, only adults.

Frequently asked questions

Can striders survive out of lava?

They survive but hate it: they shiver, turn purple-gray and move slowly. Rain and water hurt them, so keep your strider on lava or dry land and never let it touch water.

How do you control a strider?

With a warped fungus on a stick, exactly like pigs with a carrot on a stick. Hold it and the strider walks in the direction you look; right-click for a boost that consumes durability.

Do saddles come back off a strider?

Yes: use shears on the saddled strider to remove the saddle (since 1.21.6), or kill the strider and it always drops the saddle it wears.