Fortunately, they also
cool off relatively quickly, but it’s something to keep an eye on during long descents. It may also be worth
mentioning to your burgeoning roadster as he or she is learning the basics of hand braking. The spokeless wheels require no maintenance, they have no parts sticking out, and nothing can get caught in them. It doesn’t have storage and doesn’t come with a bell (or tassels).
I checked how the tricycles fit my 1-year-old and almost-4-year-old to assess which models would work best for the same kid over several years. The shiny, steel Radio Flyer Classic Red Tricycle is a well-made trike schwinn bicycles for age 2½ up to about 4 or a small 5. The design replicates that of tricycles from decades ago, though in fact Radio Flyer only started making trikes in 1999 (the company is best known for its red wagons).
It also doesn’t ride quite as well for older kids, and isn’t quite as good as the Joovy at smoothness and ease of starting. Although it was the least stable of our four picks, we still found this tricycle easier and more stable to ride than most of the other trikes we tested, including three other Radio Flyer models. The Radio Flyer Deluxe Steer & Stroll isn’t as versatile as our pick for littler kids, because it doesn’t have a protective ring and straps to hold a baby in place and lacks a sunshade. We also found that it’s not quite as nimble to steer and easy to pedal as the TriCyCoo once kids are riding on their own. 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.
This grow-with-me tricycle offers significantly more versatility than competitors. It works as a stroller alternative for smaller kids who are still learning to pedal on their own, and allows a smooth, fast, fun ride for bigger kids, too. The Radio Flyer Big Flyer is a better version of the big-wheel-style trike, and is meant for kids ages 3 to 7. It has more heft and seems sturdier than today’s Big Wheel brand. Older kids will likely enjoy the speed and easy turns of a lightweight, low-slung trike, but my 3-year-old son had some trouble getting the 16-inch front wheel to move.
Angeles tricycles have a five-year warranty—by far the longest of any trike we tested. 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.
My 3-year-old gave the trike high marks for its ease of starting and turning. 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.
At age 1 to 2, kids can sit securely in a trike, and around 2½ to 3, on average, they are able to start pedaling on their own. The Schwinn Meridian is made of a quality aluminum frame. It can handle more weight than the average bicycle because of its broad and sturdy frame.