When I saw the opportunity to review this Radio Flyer four-in-one tricycle, I was eager to accept: My cousin and his wife, who live a couple doors down the street, have a three-year-old, and they have just learned that they are expecting another baby in June. So I knew that this toy would be used in all four of its "incarnations" at one point or another.
The toy arrived within three days, even though I did not request any special shipping status.
The directions for putting the tricycle together are excellent and detailed. They are entirely pictorial, with no words at all, which is a godsend for those of us who labor for hours trying to read badly translated written instructions. Laura (the mom) put the entire tricycle together with only minimal help from Brian (the dad). Brian did have to help with Instruction #13, and also with tightening screws and bolts here and there. I was delighted to hear that one does not need an engineering degree to put this toy together.
The tricycle went together very easily for the most part. The handlebars are the hardest part of the construction. Laura recommends that anyone putting this tricycle together pull up on the handlebars after attaching the bars and the clamp to be sure that the clamp has tightened properly. She pulled up on the handlebars at least four times and was able to remove them despite that clamp being on. You just have to tighten the clamp as much as possible.
This tricycle seems very durable, though I will add to this review after Brandon (the three-year-old) has used the toy more. The canopy is very nice, and the straps on the seat will be great for the new baby when he or she can use it (at nine months or so). The cupholder that surrounds the infant in the seat will be great for the baby as well. My only wish is that the tricycle had rubber tires instead of plastic tires. We live in a somewhat rural area with no sidewalks, and the plastic tires may not hold up as well as rubber tires. The push handle, to be used for infants, adjusts to the height of the adult pushing the tricycle, which is a wonderful feature.
Now to the acid test: Does the child like the toy? Brandon has been off this tricycle only to eat and sleep ever since it was put together. He even attempted to get on it several times while his mom was putting it together, saying, "I should try it!" With winter coming on he will probably use it only in the house at first, but Brian and Laura have a huge basement, and riding his tricycle there will give him hours of play time.
I highly recommend this tricycle, especially if your child or children are young enough to take advantage of it in all its formations. The product description says it can be used from nine months to five years, and that sounds about right.
Review By.
K. Blaine
