Looking for a tricycle

[egoldber]

There was a similar post on the Toddler Board, but it didn't get a lot of responses, so I thought I'd try here. :)

Sarah played with my neighbor's toddler's tricycle yesterday and ADORED it. She cried and cried when we had to leave it, so DH and I think she needs a tricycle. :) My neighbor has a Kettler tricycle and she swears they are the best. She has one for each of her three kids (4 1/2, 3 and 20 months). My other neighbor says she got a cheap one from WalMart and it's not nearly as good as the Kettler, but it's OK. I really like the pushbar for the Kettler and the seatbelt.

Are the Kettlers really worth it or am I better off getting a less expensive more "disposable" trike?

[nohomama]

I've looked at Kettlers too and am inclinded to getone when the time comes. I know folks who had a Kettler last through mutiple children and then sold it when their kids all outgrew it. I've got no personal experience with the brand though.

Ultimately, I think it just comes down to personal preference. When I can, I prefer paying more for something that will last rather than less for something that I know will ultimately end up in a landfill (or recycling center...reduce first, then reuse or recycle).

[parkersmama]

When we were looking for a tricycle, I was really interested in the Kettlers. They look so great in the catalogs and I'm sure that they are excellent quality. When it finally came down to buying one, we ended up going to Toys R Us with our son and letting him try out the different trikes. We settled on one (I have no idea what brand it is) that looks a lot like the Kettler ones. It's brightly colored and similar in shape with a bucket in back to haul things. I think it cost about $40-50. It does not have a handle or seatbelt and honestly I've never missed them at all (I thought that I would!). We don't have sidewalks so my kids mostly ride in our driveway, which is a fairly large area. Both children have used this trike and it's held up very well and we'll use it when our 3rd child is ready for a trike. Right now my 3yo is still using it (it's his favorite mode of transportation!). We actually bought him a small bike for Christmas but he likes the tricycle better! Both my kids started out using their feet on the ground to push around and then eventually learned to do the pedals. I think being pushed by the handle would have frustrated them and annoyed me to have to do it. :-) Anyway, I think that the Kettlers are great and the folks I know that have one love them but I think you can get a decent tricycle that will last through several kids without spending the money it takes to get a Kettler. Sorry this got so long! I didn't know that I had so much to say about tricycles! :-)

[mama2]

KETTLER TRIKES ARE GREAT! YOU COULD SAY I AM BIASED BECAUSE I AM GERMAN BUT MY 5 YEAR OLD WOULD TELL YOU HOW MUCH HE LIKED HIS! THEY EVEN HAVE GOTTEN BETTER OVER THE YEARS! LOOK AT THE ONE STEP AHEAD WEBSITE. THEY ARE FEATURING A REALLY NICE KETTRIKE WITH ALL THE FEATURES I WOULD GO FOR IF I HAD TO BUY ONE (I ACTUALLY DID BUY IT AS A PRESENT FOR MY FRIEND!)

[muskiesusan]

LOL, I have been watching the post on the Toddlers Board, too! Nicholas played with a tricyle in the store a couple of weeks and went crazy for it, so I decided it was time for me to get him one.

I ended up buying the Kettler Junior over the weekend. I used a coupon I had for Zany Brainy, and it ended up only being around $40, which was pretty much the price of all the non-Kettler trikes I was considering. I decided to get the Kettler b/c I too liked the idea of the pushbar and seatbelt as well as all the glowing reviews it seems to receive from everyone. Not sure if I will need the pushbar or not, but just in case, I thought it would be nice to have the option (and in case any future children might need it!). Also, alot of people complained about tipping on the non-Kettler bikes, which made me a bit nervous.

If you buy from an independent toy store, make sure they have the most recent models. I was looking at some Kettlers at a store near us, and the Junior they had on display only had a half seat back and only two adjustable positions, which have been changed in the last year or so.

Sorry so long, I can't give any other feedback on it since the box didn't have all the nuts and bolts to put it together, so I am waiting for the parts.

I am curious, since I almost always second guess my decisions, which of the Kettler trikes are you considering, or do people have. They have so many choices, I ended up with the Junior b/c that's all Zany Brainy had.

Susan
WAHM to Nicholas 10/01/01

[egoldber]

I'm looking at the "Happy Trike" (not necessarily from this site): http://www.trikes-and-bikes.com/happytricycle.html

It has all the things I want: pushbar, seatbelt, adjustable frame, lockable wheels and steering so you can just "push" it. I would probably also get a few "extra" goodies for fun.

I don't have a large driveway and will probably use the pushbar quite a bit at first. At least, all the other moms in my neighborhood seem to use their pushbars a lot. :)

[mama2]

I CAN ONLY SAY ONCE MORE, CHECK OUT THE LIMITED EDITION KETTRIKE AT ONESTEPAHEAD.COM. I THINK IT IS EVERYTHING YOU (OR SARAH) CAN WISH FOR AT A GREAT PRICE! I PAID A LOT MORE FOR MY HAPPY TRIKE 4 YEARS AGO AND IT HAD A LOT LESS FEATURES. OH, THEN, I HAD WISHED I HAD THE LOCKING FEATURE TO MAKE THE TRIKE GO STRAIGHT FORWARD ONLY WHEN USING THE FREEWHEEL WHILE PUSHING THE TRIKE WITH THE PUSH HANDLE. WELL NO NEED FOR DETAILS AT THIS POINT BUT IF YOU NEED THE INFO, LET ME KNOW!

[egoldber]

The OSA Limited Edition looks like a Kettler Jumbo trike. The Happy Trike has many of the same features including all the ones I want as far as I can tell. Are there other differences? It looks like the Jumbo trike has the little dump truck thing on the back, but I don't really want that.

Also, I have not yet shopped around for price, so I can't tell yet if the OSA price is a good deal or not.

[anna lisa]

The Happy model is the most popular here in NYC. I've even seen many people with the stroller push bar, which I think is a great feature. Too bad the prices are so high! I was amazed that some sites even charge $15 extra for the seat belt!

[anna lisa]

http://www.onestepahead.com/jump.jsp?itemID=67755&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C3%2C130%2C132&KickerID=84130&KICKER

Wow, this is a great deal! The seatbelt, pushbar and dump style "basket" is all included for $99.

[mama2]

THE ONESTEPAHEAD PRICE IS GREAT, I HAD DONE SOME PRICE COMPARISONS WHEN THEY FIRST FEATURED IT! I PERSONALLY LIKE THE INCLUDED SEATBELT TO AVOID THE GETTING ON/OFF/ON/OFF WHICH I OBSERVED WITH MY SON. AT THE TIME THE SEATBELT OPTION DID NOT EVEN EXIST. THE DUMPTRUCK PART IS GREAT FOR TRANSPORTING "TREASURES" WHICH COMES IN HANDY AND I DON'T THINK IT IS GENDER SPECIFIC. I LOVE THE FREEWHEEL ACTION AND THE STEERING LOCK, THIS WAY YOU WILL REALLY MAKE IT AROUND THE BLOCK.....