The plastic seat that holds a baby in place is more slippery than the Joovy’s seat, and my 1-year-old was sliding all over the place, even when strapped in. Finally, the wheels are smaller than those on some of the other convertible trikes like the Joovy or even the same company’s Steer & Stroll, making getting over bumps in the sidewalk challenging. The 4-in-1 we tested is the newest model, replacing an older version that doesn’t have a footrest and has a slightly different infant ring and handle design. The Doona Liki Trike S5 has some great features, like the ability to fold down to a 12.5 inch by 24 inch by 9 inch rectangle for travel (it’s designed to fit in airplane overhead bins). Like the Joovy, it has a sunshade and converts to five different stages that take a kid from a pre-walker (10 months) all the way up to age 3. The sun shade is skimpy and the front wheel is smaller than Joovy’s, making for a bumpier ride.
The prevention would be to store the bike in a garage or inside, and to rinse the transmission off after every winter ride – I see a bit of corrosion there which could indicate the cause. That’s the schwinn tricycle bit that lets you coast along without pedalling, and the rear chain will keep moving with the rear wheels. I posted about this about two years ago and the other trike is no longer on the road.
But the Schwinn Meridian Tricycle for adults is an excellent alternative to a bicycle for your commute or weight loss. The spokeless wheels require no maintenance, they have no parts sticking out, and nothing can get caught in them. Angeles tricycles have a five-year warranty—by far the longest of any trike we tested. In addition to several weeks of everyday use, I conducted some controlled tests. I had my 3-year-old ride a block on a concrete sidewalk and take a corner at full speed while timing and recording him. I used this test to help assess how easy it was to start and turn each trike, looking for evidence of wheels lifting up or the trike seat being unstable.
The preassembled bike is extremely stable, with spokeless wheels and a large banana seat that accommodates up to 70 pounds of weight, so it remains fun for bigger kids after they’ve outgrown our other picks. The Radio Flyer Deluxe Steer & Stroll isn’t as versatile as our pick for littler kids, because it doesn’t have a protective ring and straps to hold a baby in place. It also doesn’t ride quite as well for older kids, and isn’t quite as good as the Joovy at smoothness and ease of starting. Although it was the least stable of our four picks, we still found this tricycle easier and more stable to ride than most of the other trikes we tested, including three other Radio Flyer models.
After considering more than 30 of today’s tricycles and test-driving 12 of them with a dozen kids, we think most people whose kids are still toddlers should get the Joovy TriCyCoo 4.1. This grow-with-me tricycle offers significantly more versatility than competitors. It works as a stroller alternative for smaller kids who are still learning to pedal on their own, and allows a smooth, fast, fun ride for bigger kids, too. We also like the Radio Flyer Deluxe Steer & Stroll as a less expensive (though also less versatile) option for older toddlers; the Schwinn Roadster for a stylish low ride; and the Angeles Midi for an upgrade pick to outlast them all.
But the Radio Flyer trike is usually less expensive than the Joovy and is still a great option for a toddler who is learning to pedal; it’ll generally work well for kids ages 2 to 5. The high seat back on this trike helps provide the support new riders need to learn to pedal (it’s slightly higher than the Joovy’s) and the bike comes with an old-school bell for signaling parents to get out of the way. Though the Deluxe Steer & Stroll won’t work like the Joovy for the youngest kids, it’s still a good option to use as a stroller alternative with older toddlers. The parent push handle extends as far as the Joovy’s, though unlike that trike’s push bar it is not adjustable. We found that this trike was just as easy for a parent to steer as the Joovy, and easier to steer with one hand. It’s also easier to steer than other push trikes we tested, including the Radio Flyer 4-in-1 Stroll ‘N Trike, a clearly inferior model that’s similar to the Joovy (and easily mistaken for the Deluxe Steer & Stroll).