At 10 inches, the front wheel is larger than that on many other convertible trikes, making it easier to roll over grass, gravel, and other rough surfaces. The Joovy’s performance was consistently smooth in our cornering tests. When a dozen kids were pedaling all our tester trikes around a track-shaped sidewalk in a local park, the Joovy was noticeably faster and smoother-looking than rival tricycles.
Riders who struggle with balance can easily step on and off the tricycle. The Schwinn Meridian is making its mark in the bike industry as a perfect alternative for adult riders who want to lose weight or need some extra stability provided by a tricycle. Both versions of the bike are sturdy enough to hold the weight of most adults. The 26- schwinn tricycle model can take up to a 300 lbs rider with 50 lbs for the cargo basket. This reduces stress on your wrists and keeps the handlebars from bearing too much weight. The trike took about 17 minutes to assemble—less than average for the 11 trikes we tested—and though it required an extra screwdriver, the instructions were straightforward.
We tested the Roadster side by side with two other Big Wheel-style tricycles, the Original Big Wheel and the Radio Flyer Big Flyer, which are both made of plastic. We preferred the Schwinn’s grippy tire to the Original Big Wheel’s plastic wheel, which felt not-that-durable and slipped all over the place—which, yes, is sort of the idea. The Schwinn Roadster was easier to ride uphill than the Radio Flyer Big Flyer, and the Schwinn clearly outperformed the rest of the low-rider pack when it comes to durability and rideability. The tricycle does not come with a bell, but for less than $10 you can add a perfectly fun one like the Incredibell that kids as young as age 1 can enjoy.
But the Radio Flyer trike is usually less expensive than the Joovy and is still a great option for a toddler who is learning to pedal; it’ll generally work well for kids ages 2 to 5. The high seat back on this trike helps provide the support new riders need to learn to pedal (it’s slightly higher than the Joovy’s) and the bike comes with an old-school bell for signaling parents to get out of the way. Though the Deluxe Steer & Stroll won’t work like the Joovy for the youngest kids, it’s still a good option to use as a stroller alternative with older toddlers. The parent push handle extends as far as the Joovy’s, though unlike that trike’s push bar it is not adjustable. We found that this trike was just as easy for a parent to steer as the Joovy, and easier to steer with one hand. It’s also easier to steer than other push trikes we tested, including the Radio Flyer 4-in-1 Stroll ‘N Trike, a clearly inferior model that’s similar to the Joovy (and easily mistaken for the Deluxe Steer & Stroll).
The Joovy TriCyCoo 4.1 is far more versatile than the shiny-red metal trike or the ground-hugging plastic Big Wheel you had as a kid (modern replicas of which we also tested). The trike can be used as young as 9 months in the first of its four grow-with-me configurations, with a padded ring that circles the bike seat and your baby as well as a parent push bar that allows you to use it like a stroller. It also has a storage compartment, a cupholder, and a sunshade that is significantly bigger and more functional than those we found on other grow-with-me models.
I’m the third owner of this trike and I ride it EVERY day.I noticed a few days ago that I had no resistance when pedaling and then this morning it stopped altogether, I hopped off and checked it. The axle there the back chain connects was moving, but where the front chain connects was not moving. Some customers said they exceeded the weight limit for their Schwinn Meridian with no problems. One reviewer who purchased the tricycle for his weight loss journey was pleased to find that the tires held up for him at 400 lbs.
At 28 pounds, the Midi was by far the heaviest of all the trikes we tested, and user reviews and years of seeing these tricycles in action at schools and other public places tell us they’re also by far the most durable. “Quality and safety come before everything else,” David Curry, the VP of merchandising and product development at Angeles Corporation told us. It wouldn’t be an issue for storing in most garages, but I found it was a challenge to navigate my narrow walkways with this trike (and without a push bar, in narrow spaces, you’re relying on your kid to steer precisely). The platform on the rear wheels is wider than the one on the Angeles, making this trike the easiest of any we tested for a second kid to stand on.