Best time of year to buy Kettler? Spring? Also, revisit tires

[AmyZ]

Well, I'm starting to go down that lllloooonnngggg scary kettler road that leaves one feeling very lost and confused!!! I've read so many old posts, my head is spinning!
When is the best time to buy a Kettler?? Do they go on SALE in the Spring in preparation of nice weather? In some old posts, some people seem to have gotten great deals in the springtime - but maybe that was just a fluke. Anybody out there stalking good deals?
Or, should I just go ahead and make my decision and get one now at either Sensational Beginnings or OSA?
Beth (brittone2) -- you seem to be the resident expert -- I hope you have wisdom to share!! :-)

One other question -- a revisit of tires. (I've been thinking about gettin the Happy Nav) At first I was thinking just to go with the regular (non-air) but then it seems like adding $10 for the air tires might be worth while just in case... but then that takes the OSA model out of the running. Anyone with additional thoughts??
Thank you so much!

edited to add one more question -- do you think the footrest is necessary or can kids rest their feet on the pedals comfortably when the wheels are locked?
Amy Z

"Ma!" to Eliana 2/04 - She's 2!
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]

[holliam]

I don't think retailers are allowed to put them on sale. A few months ago Great Beginnings had them on sale and they had 15% coupon both. But, the sale was short-lived, supposedly Kettler told them not to do it.

Another member coordinated a co-op here a couple times. However, I spoke to the store owner a couple of weeks ago and she is unable to do it again.

Holli

[brittone2]

ITA w/ Holli...sales are somewhat difficult to come by because Kettler doesn't want retailers discounting them. It happens from time to time and if you can hit a good sale it works out great. However this doesn't seem to happen very often.

I'm definitely, definitely, definitely not a Kettler expert, especially since we opted for the Kiddio Supertrike 4 ;) I can say that I *definitely* wanted air tires for DS, but that is because we have a gravel driveway, and once he's pedaling independently I anticipate he'll be riding mostly in grass/gravel. We don't have sidewalks in our neighborhood, just a street ending in a cul-de-sac at our house. He'll probably ride in the cul-de-sac too but I think he'll mostly be in the grass/gravel (our driveway is long-ish).

I haven't read too many posts of people regretting buying air tires. If the price difference in models isn't that much for you, then I'd consider it. I think it just depends on where you think your DC will ride. If you have nice, smooth sidewalks or a nice driveway in your neighborhood and think DC will be riding there mostly, you might want to skip them. If you think you'll use it on bumpier sidewalks, gravel, grass, etc. they might be more worthwhile. If you want air tires, then your choices are automatically limited to the Air Happy or the Air Navigator (or an alternative like the Supertrike 4, which does not have autofreewheel or parent lock-out on the steering). So I'd start there...decide if you really want/need the air tires for DC. If you do, that pares down the choices quite a bit.

If you opt for the Air Happy, I think you lose the navigator wheels then? So you might want to decide if you are okay with that. I personally think the Navigator wheels would be more important the longer you anticipate pushing DC (so I'd have been more likely to opt for them when buying for a 1 year old vs. a 2 year old who will be riding independently by 2.5-3).

I can't help on the footrest. Our Kiddio doesn't even have autofreewheel, but I haven't found it to be a problem with DS yet. He manages to keep his feet out of the way, or I just keep the trike semi-wheelied (front wheel off the ground an inch or two) and the pedals don't turn at all. I was fine with that tradeoff. I'd probably opt to skip it (especially w/ autofreewheel) and then if you miss having one or DC isn't comfortable, then buy it later.

Does that help at all? I really don't have any personal experience w/ them but that's sort of the way I went about making my decision...it is so individual depending on your child's age, where they will be riding, etc.

[AmyZ]

Thank you Holli and Beth for taking your precious time to help me make my decision. You guys are awesome -- thanks for responding!! I'm off to re-read your posts again!!

Amy Z

"Ma!" to Eliana 2/04 - She's 2!
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]

[hellosmiletoday]

I have the air navigator and thus far we are happy, but we are pushing DD as she can't reach the pedals! I purchased it for about $150 from Sensational Beginings (I think) during that short lived 15% sale mentioned above -- in Dec.

We have gravel driveways and it rides smoothly, but I cannot comment whether regular tires would work as well. I think the bucket is a great feature, not only for the kids, but for the parents as well. I use it to store my keys, purse, crackers, etc. One bonus is that the whole trike fits in the trunk of my camry (minus the rod)!

Although we've only used it for about a month (due to weather), thus far I have few complaints. The only problem I have is that I cannot steer with the push rod, whereas a friend of mine has a radio flyer trike which does steer with the front tire.

...maybe we assembled it wrong???

I hope that helps. Feel free to email me if you have any questions...I'm sure we will begin to use it more frequently as the weather warms up.


Mommy to baby girl 5/04

EDIT-- I think I got mine at Great beginnings, not sensational beginnings.

[njsnyc]

I was wondering if you decided on your Kettler? I was all set to order the Air Navigator but then saw that the Footrest does not fit this model (I have a 14 mos old so I need it). I think I am now going with the OSA without air tires but wanted to know if anyone else have the Air Navigator with footrest? TIA
njs

[holliam]

Where did you hear that the footrest doesn't work with the Air Navigator? I read that it works with any that use the auto-freewheeling which the Air Navigator does.

Holli

[AmyZ]

I am still trying to decide... I am really thinking about just going all the way and getting the Air Nav. with footrest (but I'm anxious to hear if other people have had trouble with it not fitting!!!) For a while I was set to do the Air Happy, but then when PP talked about the bucket and how useful it can be to hold stuff, it is making me think again. I often wear a small backpack on my back, but in the summer, I will probably want to be able to put it down, or just bring a few things and not bother with it.
More input from others is always welcome!! :-)

When I buy, I'm looking at either:
greatbeginningsonline.com with GBBABY 15% coupon
oompa.com with 2006catalogs 15% coupon

Amy Z

"Ma!" to Eliana 2/04 - She's 2!
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]

[njsnyc]

Hopefully it is not true but a special note in red on Sensational Beginnings website states differently?

http://www.sensationalbeginnings.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=O+7+9459&Cat=


njs

[hellosmiletoday]

I called kettler and yes, the current footrest model does not work with the navigator, but Kettler is working on a new one that will fit and will be sold starting in August.

I would highly recommend getting one. My daughter is always getting her feet stuck in the wheels and often sits sideways sto prevent this -- so if she can't reach the pedals come august, I'll be ordering one too!

Mommy to baby girl 5/04

[bjessen]

I too am in the Kettler decision quandry now. DS, 2 1/2, got a hand-me-down big wheel bike from our neighbor a month or so ago. Gets on the thing daily and rides "Flinestone" style since he can't reach the pedals all the way around yet. It was fairly sturdy though and in decent shape. Anyway, DD had a b-day party, turned 5, this weekend and one of the 5-6 yr old boys picked up DS' trike and threw it (or banged it) on the ground so hard it broke in two (whole other rant on parents who don't teach their children to respect their or other kids' toys). DS is heartbroken about his bike. So, I started looking at a replacement and of course have tumbled into Kettler.

I like the Air Navigator, Air Happy, and Air Jumbo (now discontinued I think). I don't like the Air Navigator for the lack of a brake, or I'd be sold. The Air Happy has the brake, but no tilting basket, and looks like no expandable seat. The Air Jumbo (on ebay) had the brake and basket I think, not sure about the expandable tandem seat, but the frame looks like it would do it.

Anyway, called Kettler, you can get the tilt basket for the Air Happy for $15.50 (includes shipping) and replace the back footplate....but only on the new Air Happy she said (yellow w/blue seat).

So, now I'm trying to decide between the Air Happy and forgetting about a tandem seat (which I think the kids would enjoy), or going for a used Air Jumbo if I can find one. Anyone know if the Air Jumbo does allow for the tandem seat? Is there any drawbacks to it in general (why did they discontinue it)?

Thanks!

[bluestar2]

We bought the Air Jumbo just before it was discontinued and love it. When shopping for a trike, I wanted air tires with a dump bed and I believe the only one with those two features at the time was the Air Jumbo. I am 99% sure it can't accommodate a tandem seat since it is a straight frame like the Happy. I can't think of anything I don't like about it, except the price since we had to pay an additional $80 for shipping!

ETA: I was on a site which sold Kettlers and noticed the Jumbo on it has an S-frame, which is different from our Air Jumbo, which has a straight frame.

[squimp]

We have the Kiddio 4 Supertrike, which is made by Kettler and sold on Amazon for about $100 shipped. It has air tires, a dumping bucket, pushbar and seatbelt. It was pretty easy for DH to put together (took about 45 minutes on Christmas Eve). It doesn't have the freewheel nor footrest nor the swiveling back wheels, but considering that your DD is 2, she might not need those features. We got ours at Christmas time (when DD was 2 and 3 months), and she loves it. At first DD would just move her feet as we pushed her, but now she likes to pedal. We carry a few groceries in it (like a 5lb bag of potatoes) and so we like having the bucket. Good luck with your decision!

edited to fix punctuation...

[brittone2]

We have this trike too and have been very happy with it. DS got it for his 2nd bday and therefore I felt okay skipping over some of the features I would have wanted if we were using it from 12 months on.

[ellies mom]

OK Beth, we are getting to the trike stage. DH is blanching at the cost of the regular Kettlers (understandably). I am just curious why you chose the Kettler over the nicer Radio Flyer tricycles with the steering pushbar. I'm asking so I can answer DH's inevitable questions. I'm not sure that he will take "well, Beth at BBB has one" even if it works for me. ;)

[squimp]

Not Beth, but I haven't seen a Radio Flyer Kettler-style trike that has lots of good reviews on Amazon. The "fold and go" seems to tip, and the "steer and stroll" ones seem to break.

Maybe you're thinking of those red metal ones, which are great for riding around a gym or nice sidewalks. It might depend what you want it for in that case. I decided against these, since don't really give a child the opportunity to lean back and relax, which I find nice when we're off to the grocery store for a long ride. Also, I liked the air tires for our bumpy sidewalks.

[ellies mom]

The one I was looking at was this Deluxe #54 one. Supposedly the steering part is new and improved. I know there were a lot of complaints about the steering stripping out before. I wasn't sure if that had been fixed. I can't decide if it has air tires or not. It seems to say that it does and then it seems to say that it doesn't. I had heard that Radio Flyers weren't that good but wasn't sure of the specific complaints from the moms on the board.
http://www.radioflyer.com/trikes/trikes_54.html
http://www.radioflyer.com/trikes/images/54_hero.jpg

I think both you and Beth brought up a good point though. My DD will be 2 1/2 in May so we probably won't be pushing her as much as if she was younger. I think the Kiddio one will fit the bill and the wallet. Thanks for responding.

[sdbc]

If cost is an issue and you have time (don't need it immediately), you might scan your local craigslist over the next couple of months. I scored the OSA one for $50 last December from Craigslist. It has a few scratches, but is otherwise perfect. Kettlers supposedly last forever, so a used one is a good bet. I'd probably avoid ebay, since you couldn't test out a used one first, and the shipping charge would cut considerably into any savings.

Sue, mommy to Aurora (Rory) born 5/13/04

[brittone2]

LOL...

We got the Kiddio Supertrike 4. It is made by Kettler. Basically, the deal w/ us is that I knew I wanted air tires without a doubt as DS will be mostly on gravel and grass (unpaved longish driveway, no sidewalks in my neighborhood although I think he'll ride in the cul de sac right in front of our house sometimes). I wanted a dump bucket for sure for DS :) So, that pretty much meant the Air Navigator, and I didn't want to spend $200 since he's already 2 and will eventually be pedaling on his own (around 2.5-3 years of age). I do see a PP mentioned you can add on a dump bucket to a Happy now which I wasn't aware of, but that really ups the cost.

Andrea (amp) posted about the Kiddio Supertrike 4 several years ago and when I started researching a while back it had me intrigued. I think when she purchased it for her son, it was still available in TRU brick and mortar stores which made the savings over a regular Kettler more substantial (I think it was 70 or 80 in the brick or mortar stores and no shipping obviously). Quite a while ago, TRU stopped carrying the Kiddio ST 4 in their brick and mortar stores, but it is still available online.

Here's why I like it: it has a dump bucket, seat belt (included vs. extra $$), push bar, air tires, and brake. We bought during a TRU friends and family sale when there was a 15 or 20% off sale (hard to find any codes/sales on this particular trike usually) and that brought the overall cost down quite a bit shipped. I think we paid somewhere around 90-100 bucks shipped. Not inexpensive, and you could certainly get a "real" Kettler for not much more, but a traditional Kettler *with* air tires plus a seatbelt would still be quite a bit more than $100 unless you can find a great deal somewhere.

I think Andrea bought it for her son when he was right around a year and she said they didn't really miss the parent lockout on steering or autofreewheel. I was a bit concerned about not having those features initially, but again, since DS was getting it for his 2nd bday, I was willing to chance it since I wouldn't have to push him as long as a one year old, and also because IMO a 2 year old can learn to keep the handlebars straight with some cuing, whereas that might be hard for a one year old (?).

We honestly don't miss having a traditional Kettler one bit. This trike is very stable, I love the air tires, DS loves the dump bucket. We haven't had a single problem due to not having the autofreewheel or parental steering lockout. When we push DS around the yard, he is *thrilled* with his bike. He seriously adores the thing. The air tires are fun and make for a great ride because DH zooms DS all over the yard, going over bumps in the grass, over leaves, through the woods, etc. and the trike handles it all fine.

The pushbar handle is a smidge lower than our ideal would be for DH, but he's 6 ft. Of course, not really a big deal at the same time. When we push him, we generally keep the trike "wheelied" with the front wheel just a wee bit off the ground. That prevents the pedals from turning (although DS does fine at normal speeds w/ the front wheel down on the ground...we mostly keep it wheelied when DH is going very fast with him LOL). DS learned quickly how to keep the handlebars straight but again, using popping a little wheelie for a few seconds to straighten the trike out a bit also solves that problem. It sounds like more of a PITB than it actually is. I'm 100% fine so far with the tradeoffs we made against a traditional Kettler. If we had problems w/ the lack of autofreewheel I was planning to have DH make little foot-shaped blocks that could attach to the pedals, adn then you could velcro DS's feet to them. We actually used something like this when I was working in a special needs preschool.

The air tires themselves actually say Kettler right on them FWIW.

I just haven't heard any positive reviews of the RF trikes really, although maybe w/ the redesign things are different. Someone on the boards called Kettler once and asked about the quality of the Kiddos vs. Kettlers, and I believe what was reported is that Kettler says the Kiddio quality is just as good, however, the trike is complete as you buy it. You can't add on features later (for example, a tandem seat, the basket isn't compatible, footrest isn't compatible, etc.) If you check Amazon, the reviews of the ST 4 are very good (and a few of the negative reviews I question whether the trike was assembled properly, etc.). The reviews from the handful of parents here that have this trike have been positive as well.

It is IMO very well made, very solid, and we haven't missed having a traditional Kettler at all. For us the savings of 90-100 bucks has been well worth not having a few features, since we haven't missed them. I suspect if DS was younger when we bought the trike, my opinion might be different but for us, getting the trike for his 2nd bday worked out great.

Let me know if you have any other questions :)

[ssjarrett]

FYI www.mytoybox.com also sells the Kiddio Supertrike 4 now and it is only $89.99 with free shipping and no tax. I was told by Kettler in January that Toys R Us was no longer going to carry this one. But, I have since seen that it is available again at Toys R Us, after being out of stock for a long time. So, who knows!? In any case, I got it from mytoybox in just a few days after ordering and we are very happy with it.
-Sarah

[brittone2]

That's a great price.

[squimp]

It looks like it has air tires based on the pics - the valve is sticking out through the white "hub cap" there.

That looks a lot like our Kiddio, FWIW. I do like the colors better. But I would want to be reassured that it wasn't tippy (as reviews on amazon said about some RFs).

And come to think of it, it WAS Andrea's review that sold me on it. Thanks Andrea!!

[ellies mom]

See Beth, I knew I could count on you. If that doesn't convince DH, then nothing will. Thanks to Jana also.

[brittone2]

Good luck with it!! If you go with the Kiddio I'll cross my fingers that you are as happy with it as we've been.

:)

[bjessen]

"I'd probably avoid ebay, since you couldn't test out a used one first, and the shipping charge would cut considerably into any savings."

Funny, I was just checking out an Air Jumbo out on ebay that looks in good condition and ends tomorrow. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6045172319&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

I've been hesitant for 2 reasons...the only reason to get the Air Jumbo on ebay would be if I could get it for much less, or if it took the tandem seat. A post above thinks it does not...the ebayer said it is a straight bar (indicating it wouldn't take the tandem), but said it would take a tandem seat though? Odd. It looks like it would from the picture after studying the bars and the differences (it has a slightly curved bar and yellow clip on bar near seat that looks like the one the tandem seats go on).

I'm soooooooo confused, lol ;)

If the ebay Air Jumbo takes the tandem seat, has a brake, and has air tires (seatbelt & bucket too) plus came with the bell, "does it all"...I'm sold. My 5 yr old saw the tandem seat and said she'd like to drive her 2 1/2 yr old brother occasionally (she has a 2 wheeler w/trainers, but they are very close and do everything together). He's not quite ready to pedal himself I think, but close, so would switch it back to single when he can. Plus we plan on ttc in the fall...so it would possibly get used by another munchkin(s).

However, if it doesn't take the tandem seat, I might as well buy a Air Happy & bucket or Kiddio 4. Or, skip the brake altogether and get the Air Navi. However, the safety part of me is hesitant to skip a brake option.

So, those of you with these...how much does the brake actually get used (lady at a local store said kids just use their feet to stop...what if they go down a hill fast as they get older)? Those with the tandem option...did you actually use and like it?

Who knew there were so many options out there and there still wouldn't be one that "did it all"? LOL, I'm probably spending way too much time on this...it is afterall, a trike, lol. But we do plan on having more munchkins, so want the right one that will last if I'm gonna spend the money.

Thanks!

[bluestar2]

Wow, I'm confused too...

I clicked on the link and this is not the Air Jumbo we have. We bought it new a little more than a year ago and it looks significantly different than the one shown. Ours has a straight frame and this one looks like it has an S-frame. The dump bed looks different and the bar near it sticks out longer than ours (which is for the pushbar to snap into). Our handlebars do not have the yellow piece in the middle. The seat looks the same. I even ran downstairs to double check! Anyway, I just thought I'd pass that on since you said you were interested in the tandem attachment. If indeed that is an older Air Jumbo with an S-frame, it may take a tandem but I would double check with Kettler using a product number and make sure the current tandem seat that is available is compatible.

[bjessen]

Thanks for checking! I couldn't reach Kettler in time (I waited on hold for a while, then the call was dropped...I was on a home line...so suspect it was while I was being transferred). I didn't have the product number anyway, but wanted to ask if they ever sold one that way or if it was a Jumbo with air tires added. Anyway, I grabbed it. Figured it is still cheaper than getting an Air Happy & adding the bucket later if it doesn't accept the tandem. And if it does, I just got what I really wanted.

Figure if it is older i might be limited to extras, but looks like there are still push and stroller bars online in places for the older models.

There is a second one like it listed right now that is broken, but could be fixed (I don't have that kinda time or expertise). It is .99 so far if anyone is handy and looking for a potential deal. That seller has a tandem seat also for sale in a separate auction. Looks like it will fit the one I just bought. 3 hrs to go, so I'm gonna try to get Kettler on the line again and find out the real deal.

Thanks again for checking!
Bridget

[hellosmiletoday]

My friend has a trike similar to the one above (from Radio flyer) and I believe it does have air tires. Hers seems to be working great after 2 kids.

One thing I really liked about the RF is that you can "steer" the tricycle with the push bar, whereas the push bar one on the Kettler is stationary. Our Kettler is somewhat annoying to steer, especially on hills....part of the problem is that the alignment is off (I think its our fault and we have to fix it eventually!)

I didn't do much research on trikes b/c the $50 off the Navigator was such a good deal, and the Kettler was so highly regarded on this board.

Other than than the steering issue, I'm really happy with our Kettler. I didn't realize Radio Flyer made trikes until I saw my friends. THe RF is alot cheaper, but if it does have the bad reviews as suggested by PP, then I think you can't go wrong with a Kettler.



Mommy to baby girl 5/04

[Laurelh]

We just ordered a Happy Navigator from Great Beginnings - www.greatbeginningsonline.com - and used the 15% off gbbaby code from this board. Its going accross country so I'll report back after it arrives. They had a large selection of trikes but we chose the Air Navigator purely because of our neighbors recommendation. Laurel