Tricycles
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Nov 2007
Does anyone have any experience with the Kettler Kiddi-O Fold-
and-Go tricycle? It must be relatively new, because we can't
find any reviews on the web.
P.S. I'd like to buy a used pair of these (or of Kettler's
Happy Navigators) for my twin niece & nephew. Will pick up, pay cash.
Twins' Auntie
Sorry but I cannot recommend the Kettler Fold n ride Tricycle. Last year I was
researching the many different Kettler tricycles forever for my 3 year old son (he is
VERY short for his age BTW) and it came down to the new Fold N Ride Kettler and their
other tricycle, the Junior. I was swayed by the fold up and carry feature for the
newer trike (and the fact the push bar was included and it was slightly cheaper was
also a big bonus) thus ultimately I bought him the Fold n ride.
When we got it home however, immediately we were disappointed. First of all, the
little bucket on the back would not stay on, and my son barely touched it. Also it
just seemed more cheaply made, not as sturdy, it also seemed a lot smaller, not sure
why, than the jr trike. Anyhow, we returned it and even the sales clerk couldn't
believe how the darn little yellow bucket in back wouldn't stay on. We exchanged up
for the junior tricycle (also from Kettler) and have been delighted with it. He is
almost 4 years old and still rides it (again, my kids are super petit so it probably
takes them a good while to grow out of these). Yes, the back bucket also has a
tendency to come off but that is only after many months and it we can easily put it
back on and it will STAY on. I guess it wasn't necessarily just that, just the
overall feeling that the folding tricycle just seemed not as good quality. I have
seen other moms and kids at the park with it (fold n ride) though. I think !
these may also work better for super young tots, like a year and half to 2 years but
they probably would outgrow those quickly.
Good luck in your search
March 2007
Hello! We need brand recommendations for a tricycle for our 3-year old.
He is on the
tall side and fairly strong so we need something sturdy. Also, his
younger brother will
be using it before too long so we're interested in something that will
last. We
definitely prefer a tricycle to a bike with training wheels that will
give him more
stability as he learns to peddle. Thanks!
anon
They're expensive, but I'd go with a L'il Giant Tricycle.
They're made by a bicycle company, of the same materials. See
http://www2.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/kids/599/27374/ for
full specs.
Elizabeth
even though we already had 3 tricycles (a garage sale find, a
handmedown with a missing pedal, and a plastic one), my
connoisseur husband (who has 10 bikes of his own...) saw fit to
shell out $80 for a Giant, because it was ''way superior, a nice
riding tricycle, a quality trike.'' there's 2 sizes, too, and the
one we have seems big to me, but is the smaller one. he got it at
montano velo on piedmont ave in oakland.
Jan 2007
My 3 year old son is very active- loves jumping, climbing,
yelling and playing with balls, but refuses to pedal his
tricycle. I didn't think much of it, but a friend asked if he
was a late crawler (which he was) and said she had heard there
were some exercises he could do to get more interested/able.
Any ideas?
Terry
I wouldn't sweat it. Our son showed no interest in his tricycle
and refused to pedal it. He wanted us to push him. Then one
day, he was interested and started to pedal it. He was over 3
yrs old when he finally decided, Hey, the tricycle is cool.
Leila
Tricycles are hard to pedal, and some kids just don't like
them. The pedals directly turn the wheels - no chains. My now
six-year-old never liked his and would ride on the back of one
and let others pedal him around at preschool. What he loved
though was the trail-a-bike and riding behind his dad. He also
had no problem riding a bike with training wheels when he was
four. You might try one of those wooden pedal-free bikes (kind
of like scooters the kids sit on) that are supposed to help the
kid transition straight to a regular bike (expensive though).
He may just not like the trike.
I guess this isn't really the advice you wanted. I say don't
make it a big thing. He may not be a triker!
momma to non-triker who's now a biker and soccer nut
March 2005
We would like to splurge on a KETTRIKE TRICYCLE for our son. We
are considering the AIR JUMBO and the new AIR NAVIGATOR. Has
anyone purchased or compared either of them? From what I
understand the new Air Navigator does not have a hand brake but
has the new steering feature on the push bar. Also, did you get
a lot of flat tires with the air tires? Any feedback on one or
the other or both would be greatly appreciated!! THANKS!
anon
Hi,
We splurged on a Kettler Air Jumbo Christmas for our 2.5 year
old. I actually got a fabulous deal on eBay ($104!), so I felt
a bit better about it. I like the trike alot.
On the plus side, it's really heavy duty, the air-filled wheels
make riding/pushing easy, and the seat can move so it will grow
with our kids. On the downside, it was kind of hard to put
together (I actually still have 2 screws in the wrong place,
but dread taking it apart to fix it) and the lock to hold the
front wheel straight while it's being pushed is a bit crooked,
so as a result we constantly veer towards the right and have to
correct it. I don't know if that's just something easy to fix
or not (more on dreading taking it apart...)
Check out this web site, it's got a great Kettler comparison
chart. http://www.whatshebuys.com/kecopa.html According to
them, the Air Jumbo has been discontinued (maybe you can find a
good deal somewhere?!)
Check eBay for a deal.
- splurged and happy
Feb 2004
We would like to get a tricycle for our daugther's upcoming second
birthday. Since there seems to be a lot of dimensions of variation
(plastic/metal, adjustable/not, brakes, size, etc.), I thought I would see if
others out there with tricycles had especially good/bad experiences with
their purchases. Thanks!
Anna.
Since she will not be able to actually pedal the trike until she
is at least 2.5, be sure to get something that she can scoot
with her feet and/or that has a push handle in back. We bought
a plastic big wheel-type trike from Toysrus.com that my now
almost 4 year old has gotten years of riding from.
LC
October 2003
I am trying to research a good sturdy tricycle for my 1-year
old. I want something that I can push him on now and that he
can ride on his own later. I saw the Radio Flyer Ultimate
Trike (#48) in a catalog and it looked SO great (the push bar
lets parents steer, seat belt, a bell...) but there were mixed
reviews. I was hoping to hear from anyone who has expereince
with this bike, or a similar style trike that they would
recommend. It costs about $90 so I wanted more info before I
sunk that kind of money into a kids tricycle.
Thanks,
CB
I would not recommend this trike. We purchased a Radio
Flyer trike and, although it is made of steel, the few plastic
parts broke right away and the handlebars do not firmly
attach to the front wheel. Even after many bouts of tightening
the bolt, turning the handlebars still doesn't always turn the
trike!
--Suggest You Keep Looking
April 2003
My daughter's second birthday is coming up in about 2
weeks, and she's expressed interest in having a ''pink
bicycle''. I'm thinking maybe I should get her a tricycle for
her birthday, but wasn't sure what would work the best for
her age. I've already looked at the website, but there aren't
too many posts about what works well for a 2 yr. old. I don't
think she'll be able to pedal for a while yet, but I also don't
think I want to spend $130 for a Kettler Jumbo trike. Does
anyone have any suggestions on what kind of tricycle
is good for a two-year-old, and maybe where to look for it?
Thanks very much.
Looking for a trike
We bought a tricycle for our daughter when she turned 2 and she
loved it at first sight ! Like you, I had my reservations about
buying a trike that I knew she wasn't big enough for but she
kept talking about 'bye-see-coals' so much that we caved in. We
got a great deal on a pink trike at Hank and Frank (around
$70). It was a Schwinn model that was being discontinued. We
spoke with an older gentleman (whom I believe is the owner)
about relevent tricycle advice. He seemed to be the only person
there really knowledgeable on the subject. Interestingly, he
wasn't too fond of Kettlers for safety reasons. For smaller
kids, Hank and Frank sells blocks that you can put on the
pedals. They also sell fabulous pink and white tassles ! I
personally wouldn't worry about whether your daughter can ride
the bike or not. Our daughter would just sit on hers pretending
to ride when she first got it. She was able to reach the block
pedals after a couple of months. She's now 2.5 years old can
pedal with the best of them ! Happy Trike Hunting !
-RK
YMMV on this but I have found my 2 year olds aren't really ready
for a trike. I think a trike-like ride on toy works a lot better.
Radio Flyer makes a great four wheeled push with your feet
bike and so does playskool.
We got a trike for my oldest at 2 (the Kettler trike, which my
third is now using happily) and it brought him endless frustration
even with the push bar option. We hid it away until he was around
2 years 9 months and he could totally manage it then. He was a big
kid so it wasn't a matter of size, but coordination.
A lot of times grandparents want to give a "big" birthday present
for 2 year olds. What was much beloved by all three was a toy
kitchen with plenty of pretend food and utensils. Our kids loved
this deeply, and while it was a pain to try and find a spot for it,
it was worth it.
Myriam
ToysRUs used to have Kettler knockoffs that are stable and a
good size for a 2-year-old. I think they're about $35, and if
memory serves, the brand is Kidco. They're primary colors, but
we've made several bikes girly by adding sparkly stickers.
Jennifer M.
My daughter also asked for a bike at two. I ordered her a
plastic big-wheel type trike from the Toys-R-Us web site. It
was perfect because at two her legs were not strong or
coordinated enough to actually pedal it, and she was low enough
to the ground that she could use her feet to scoot around. Now
she is almost three and still loves to ride it and it will still
fit her for another couple of years.
halfdink
May 2000
I saw the posting about the Kettler jumbo trike on the website. We're in the
market for a tricycle for our two year old. We'd like one with an adjustable
seat height to prolong its use. we heard good things about Kettler. We were
thinking of the simple Kettler junior color. The more expensive ones (jumbo)
have hand brakes and devices so they can be freewheeling or not. what does
this freewheeling lever actually do? do we need one? is a hand brake
necessary? we think not, but we'd like to hear from folks who have had
tricycle experience. any more advice about tricycles would be very welcome.
thanks.
Susan
My son got A LOT of mileage (and I am speaking literally) from a basic
Sears all American red trike (the kind with the step in back). Braking
system: drag well shoed feet on ground; Freewheeel system: lift feet and
legs high enough for pedals to move freely. Cost: about $30
Eric
Sept. 1999
We just bought our daughter a tricycle for her 2nd birthday.
I asked a couple people about bikes vs. trikes and was told
to get a trike as she'll outgrow the bike before she's ready
for the training wheels to come off. We bought her a Kettler
Jumbo, which is a gorgeous tricycle. Kettler is a German
company and has a line of 3 or 4 trikes. They're sturdy and
good-looking, and come with a removable push-bar at
a comfortable height for a parent to push. The one we got
has a handbrake, a cargo basket, and a lever that allows
the bike to freewheel (or not).
Anyway, that said, she hasn't really taken to it yet...
she hasn't tried to pedal it herself, and hasn't gotten the
hang of steering yet. But it's only been a week since her
birthday.
Anita
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