Schwinn Scorcher Boys' Bike (16-Inch Wheels)

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.)

Review By. Katherine Blackthorne "Katherine Blackthorne"