Best tricycle for 18 month old?

[veronica]

I am thinking of getting my daughter a tricycle. She was a later walker and therefore a bit behind with gross motor (she isn't climbing much but walks great now). Is there something nice that a parent can push from behind to start with and then she can use herself? TIA

[BeachBum]

Both Kettler and Radio Flyer make trikes with a push bar. Ours doesn't have a seatbelt and that would be a feature I would suggest friends look for.

[shburks]

Our son was a very late walker as well and was behind with gross motor skills, too. We bought a Kiddio Supertrike 4 for his second birthday. At 2.5 he still cannot peddle the trike alone. We love the trike (made by Kettler), but it's been very hard for ds to learn this skill. I would recommend this one or a Kettler or even a Radio Flyer (pretty inexpensive) to push her until she gets the hang of it...might be a while.

[mommytoC]

I bought this for my 19-month old DD...

http://store.babycenter.com/product/trike+rider.do?search=basic&keyword=trike&sortby=shortdesc&asc=true&page=1

...and love it! She's tall for her age, and was out-growing her other ride-on toys; I wanted something she could ride for the next year-or-so, until she's ready for a true trike (ie. pedals).

It's sturdy, and rides so much more smoothly than any ride-on she's tried, at home, at friend's, or at daycare.

It's not quite what you were asking about, but maybe something to consider. HTH!

Ann

DD 11/05

[brittone2]

We have the Kiddio Supertrike 4 as well and have been very happy. DS didn't learn until just over 3 years of age. The average age for learning to pedal a trike independently is 2.5-3ish, even up to 3.5, so you'll definitely want something with a pushbar as it will be more of a stroller initially.

eta: The Kiddios are made by Kettler, but are made as "stand alone" trikes and accessories cannot be added on. The Kiddio Supertrike 4 has air tires, which are nice if your DC will be pushed over/riding over uneven surfaces, but depending on your circumstances, one of the other Kiddio models w/ a pushbar but without air tires might be less expensive (if you don't need the air tires). The tires on our Kiddio actually say Kettler right on them. The quality of the Kiddio IMO has been excellent, and I don't regret not buying a Kettler branded trike. I know some people have said the Kiddios are made in China. Not sure if that was a recent change or only on some models, but our Kiddio says "made in Germany" on the back.

[jess]

We got my daughter the Kettler jumbo trike, and it NEVER got used. She tried and tried, but never was able to pedal--she has very long legs, and even with the seat adjusted correctly, there was something about the angle or her position that made it extremely difficult. We have now moved on to a balance bike, and hope that my son gets more use out of the Kettler when he's old enough.