Product Description : Amazon.com Product Description : A great choice for teaching your youngster to ride a bike, the BMX-style 16-inch Scorcher bike from Schwinn features a grown-up look that's great for showing off around the neighborhood. It's outfitted with hybrid slick tires for a good grip over any surface, front pegs (just like a real BMX bike), a handlebar pad for added protection, and an enclosed chain guard to help prevent snags and dirty pants cuffs. The coaster-style brakes make stopping a breeze for new cyclists, and the Scorcher also includes both front and rear caliper brakes for advanced riders. Other features include training wheels for stability while learning and a comfortably padded BMX-style seat that's easily adjustable. Recommended for ages 3 to 6. Enclosed chain guard prevents snags.Front pegs just like a real BMX.Handlebar pad and caliper brakes.Features:I-beam low stand-over frame design with unicrown fork 3-inch wide Super Street tire on double-wide rims Heavy-duty Schwinn training wheels BMX-style handlebar with 2-bolt alloy stem Coaster brake, front and rear caliper brakes 1-piece BMX crankset with enclosed chain guard Measures 7.5 x 36.8 x 18 inches (L x W x H) About SchwinnFounded in 1895, Schwinn is an American icon that has been synonymous with quality and innovation. They have built some of the best-known and best loved bikes of numerous generations--Aerocycle, Paramount, Phantom, Varsity, Sting-Ray, Krate and Homegrown. Today, Schwinn continues to be a leader in the industry with innovative bikes such as the new Sting-Ray, Rocket mountain bikes, and Fastback road bikes. With a continued dedication to quality, forever synonymous with the Schwinn name, America's most famous bicycle brand looks forward to providing another century of innovation, freedom and performance to people of all ages. Before reading this, please understand that we sold our car last summer, so our family uses bikes for every-day commuting, be it to/from work, to/from preschool, or just grocery shopping. Bikes are less "toys" for us, than hard-working transportation that must function well!We got this for my son for the holidays, just before his 4th Birthday. There were some issues with the manufacturer that delayed shipping, but the seller made herculean (and successful!) efforts to make sure the bikes all arrived by Christmas.My husband assembled this bike late Christmas Eve in the livingroom. While the manual was less than helpful for this (Schwinn, apparently, makes one general manual that covers all types of bikes, and therefore doesn't feel it necessary to make model-specific manuals -- or assembly instructions!), he was able to get it ready in a reasonable amount of time. Like all bikes, it comes with the tires deflated, so I had to take it to get air in them. (Perhaps this is why one reviewer complained the tires were fat and soft?)I was immediately impressed with how sturdy the bike is. Strong. It looked cool -- it was also going to withstand anything my son was likely to put it through in the years to come!The first time my son tried it, we discovered the training wheels were set too low: The rear tire wasn't making enough contact with the ground to give "drive". A two-second adjust, and that was fixed.The low "rise" in front of the seat makes it easy for little boys to get on. The combination of coaster and hand-brakes gives many options for learning to stop. One unexpected "bonus"? The front pegs actually keep the weight of the bike OFF the body during falls!We've had the bike for one month now. He's gone from shakily riding to the corner while I strolled slowly next to him, to riding it to school (a 3-mile trip).PROS:* Sturdy contstruction* "real bike" quality* coaster AND full-caliper brakes* Reflectors* Quick-adjust seat* Front pegs make falls safer (who knew?)* Bike is tall enough for an adult to "walk" without breaking their back* Can easily keep up with an adult on a full-sized bike.CONS:* My son's hands are not yet LONG enough to use the caliper brakes, because the levers are so far from the handlebars.* Handlebar structure makes it difficult to mount a basket* Training wheels are loud. (But, then, all training wheels are loud.) It works, I'll give it that.The coaster brake causes so much drag on the hub that my five-year old has difficulty pedaling.The bike is sturdy - too sturdy. It's too bulky and heavy to control well or get started without a push. The tires are so fat and soft they actually interfere with steering.Like I wrote in the title: you get what you pay for. Spend the extra money - get a real bike at a real bike shop. It will make a real difference in your child's riding experience. Our 6 years old, who is tall and well built, fell in love with those bike when we were browsing Amazon for bikes. He loved the color. The price seemed a bit high, but given the brand, we were all waiting excitedly for the bikes to arrive. Great disappointment for me: I am appalled by how heavy those bikes are, compared to bikes our son's friends have, which are not less sturdy. I should have paid closer attention to the shipping weight: 45.8 pounds !!!! I did not weigh the bike, but its probably around 30 pounds, or about half of our son's weight! He is still mastering the art of bike riding, and falling with these bikes is painful due to their heft - lots of iron for little kid's bike. Fortunately, he is not really aware of those issues, and loves the color.
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