And the harness didn’t tighten well; Jenni’s 15-month-old daughter kept nearly falling out. When an adult pushes this convertible trike, the handle (rather than the kid steering) directs the front wheel, which is ideal for younger kids. But our top pick and runner-up pick simply felt safer and more durable, and they were easier to build. This tricycle comes with a canopy, a wide schwinn bicycles push handle for parents (it’s reasonably adjustable for caregivers of different heights), a wraparound tray and cupholder, and a storage bucket. It also has a three-point harness, and this one was easier to use than the harness on any other model we tried—it actually pulled tight, too. The 4-in-1 Stroll ’N Trike has a steel frame but is mostly made of plastic (wheels included).
Kate lost interest even sooner, when it took a whopping 54 minutes to assemble, mostly due to the number of decals. Jenni’s 3-year-old son also screamed in frustration while using the Big Wheel and found it didn’t move well across pavement or dirt. Like its namesake, the Big Wheel is better for bigger kids. It accommodates kids up to 70 pounds and 8 years old, and we’ve known older children who did, in fact, love it. But this trike is the most fun when it’s used to barrel down steep hillsides; even older, stronger pedalers will find it difficult to use for sidewalk travel.
Yet despite its heft, it provides a very smooth ride and is easy for kids to start pedaling. The spokeless wheels move smoothly, and the rubber tires, though narrow, seem to glide easily. The wheels require no adjustments; no parts stick out, and nothing can get caught in them.
This trike is the hardest to tip of any we tried, due to its weight and welded steel frame design. But we also found the MyRider Midi harder to stop when going fast downhill. Many of today’s parents (and grandparents!) may have fond memories of rolling down the driveway—and perhaps over homemade jumps, definitely helmet-free—on an Original Big Wheel. The actual Original Big Wheel was manufactured in Pennsylvania by a company called Marx, which went out of business in the 1980s. Today’s Big Wheel (the name was sold) is lightweight, and the wheels slip a ton. It was difficult for Kate’s young son to get started on the trike, and he soon lost interest.
And our kid testers found it less easy to use, likely because the IFANS trike is about 4 pounds heavier than the Radio Flyer tricycle (20 pounds versus the Radio Flyer’s 16). The seat should ideally include some back support to help brace a child’s trunk, especially if they’re under age 3, said Rebecca Talmud, DPT, a pediatric physical therapist in Washington, DC. We looked for trikes that can be passed down from child to child. We tested tricycles made from steel, aluminum, and plastic, in varying combinations. Compared with trikes that were 100% plastic, trikes with at least some steel tended to age better and more consistently stood up to a beating.
With all the style of an icon reimagined as a tricycle, your child can take a ride on the coolest wheels in town with the Lil Sting-Ray tricycle by Schwinn. Just like the vintage Sting-Rays of the late sixties and early seventies, this tricycle features a real low-rider banana seat and sissy bar. Add in scalloped chrome fenders and your little rider will be turning heads around the neighborhood in no time. Steel spoked wheels with air-filled tires provide a smooth, comfortable ride. Sidewalk fun never looked better than with the Lil Sting-Ray by Schwinn. The MyRider Midi has no extras, but it accommodates older kids.
Verify the secondary chain sprockets are in alignment. Reinstall the four bolts from the inside of the frame. Slide the rear drive sub-frame all the way forward schwinn bicycles to ease installation of the chain. Lower the secondary chain into the frame ahead of the front gear, then wrap the chain back over the front gear.
The banana-shaped bike seat doesn’t adjust, but because of its ample length, kids can comfortably push back and stretch their legs as they grow. We found that bigger kids could more comfortably ride the MyRider Midi than our other picks, and that could help justify the much higher price tag. The MyRider Midi doesn’t have storage or come with a bell or tassels.