Bought this for my 7yo niece (and hand-me down for my daughter in a few years).
The bike is very light compared to other models we have seen at the big box stores so it’s easier for her to transition to her “bigger girl” bike. The top bar on the frame is also lower so it’s easier to get on/off.
The other determining factor was the 1- handle brake that controls both front and back. She is new to shifting gears and this gives her one less thing to have to think about (so she doesn’t accidentally pull the front brake and fly over the handlebars!) and is much safer than just one rear brake.
Bike shipped to me in 2 days (thanks Amazon) and pedals, handlebar and front wheels were done within 10-15 minutes. Was surprised that they even shipped a nicer quality chrome wrench instead of the throwaway tools I usually see.
I took it for a test ride and was pleased that the brakes were set and the gears shifted cleanly right out of the box. I had no need to tighten any cables or anything.
The bike looks great and is well made, so I’m really happy with the purchase.
Bike frame, wheels, brakes, and pedals seem well-made and high quality. I had an issue with a front brake cable being too loose. I contacted the company via the "contact us" link on their site. I received a call-back from 1 of the owners of the company within less than 5 minutes. He walked me through tightening up the front brake, offered to mail a new cable crimp end cap and was extremely patient and kind on the phone. My original review was going to be less than 5-stars, but given to make things right the company did. Awesome experience and a well-made bike. My kid loves it so far.
Received the bike with a scratch on the top tube, wasn't sure if it was a cosmetic scratch or anything structural. I reached out to Guardian and received an email reply within the hour (at 11:30pm no less!).
Kyle at Guardian immediately offered either a small discount or ship a new bike, and also offered to look over the bike with me via video chat. In the end, Kyle shipped out a new bike immediately, and got it all resolved within a week. Incredible customer service, and truely shows their dedication to their customer and their ethos of safety. It's refreshing to have customer service based in the US that is so dedicated to responding and resolving issues.
On to the bike, the innovative brake system works as advertised, and only engaged the front brakes when the back wheel is on the ground skidding. The bike is one of the more cost effective child bikes at this size to offer no coaster brake, hand brake and a relatively light frame.
Would highly recommend the bike both on the product as well as the incredible customer service of Guardian.
This is our second Guardian bike. Our first was an Original 20" for my 8-year-old first time rider. We had such a good experience with it that when Guardian came out with 16 inch models we knew we had to get one for our tall soon-to-be 4-year-old. I decided to take a chance on the new Ethos line because the price point for weight and features just could not be beat in the entire industry. It was a tough decision but came down to the fact that our leggy lady will likely not be in the 16in frame for terribly long, plus she's our last kid so we weren't too worried about being able to hand it down.
While I still think our reasoning was solid, upon unboxing the Ethos I am nothing but IMPRESSED. It is gorgeous. She is going to love this thing, and it looks and feels just as quality as bikes with a much higher price tag. Guess I'll have to find a worthy kid to hand it down to after all!
We love the low standover height (it is at least 2-3in lower than that of a 16in Specialized Hotrock we happen to have) and the lack of coaster brake. And of course their signature braking system is amazing. I can tell you from the heart-stopping moments I've had watching my son that it WORKS -- stops on a dime.
We ordered early to make sure it was up to snuff before Christmas, so we'd have time to look elsewhere if it wasn't, but once again Guardian's product exceeds expectations.
While bike is well made and assembly is very quick, quality control could be better. 7th gear makes the pedals free and doesn't move the rear wheel. Changing to higher gear is easy but moving to lower gears is challenging for my son as the shift grip is really tight. Not expected from Guardian bikes.. Disappointed!!
Update 9/14/18 - Customer service is awesome! They worked with me to resolve the issue. Bike is working as expected now and my son is very happy with his new bike!! changing the review to 5 star.
Feature Product
- SAFER PATENTED SURESTOP BRAKE SYSTEM: prevent head-over-handlebar accidents and allow kids to stop faster. The award-winning brake system is why EVANTUBEHD calls GUARDIAN "WORLD'S SAFEST KIDS BIKE"
- KIDS BIKE 16 INCH: boys bikes and girls bikes for heights 40" - 46" (approx. ages 4-6)
- LIGHTWEIGHT KIDS BIKE: youth bikes at only 17.5 lbs means easier handling for better control and safety.
- INCLUDES: simple 1-speed, kid specific easy reach lever, kickstand, double wall rims, NO TRAINING WHEELS NEEDED (learn more at our website)
- 99% ASSEMBLED: This kids bicycle ships 99% assembled with all the tools you need (<10 min setup for you!)
Description
Since day one, the Guardian mission has been "accident-free biking" by engineering the safest bikes for children. The Guardian Ethos line continues this mission by taking the safety and design elements of the Guardian Original line, and bringing them into a more economical line of bikes. Every Ethos kids bike comes equipped with the award-winning SureStop Brake System, a patented technology that prevents head-over-handlebar accidents and allow kids to stop faster. SureStop uses just one brake lever to activate both wheels, allowing children to brake with ease and confidence. The Ethos line also features a special frame design that lowers the center of gravity to prevent tip over accidents, kid specific parts designed to make riding easier for children, and eye candy decal patterns hand-picked by children so you know they will love their bike! Your child's safety is our priority, which is why we have developed a one-of-a-kind quality control process. Before shipping, every bike goes through the Guardian 34 point Setup and Safety Check. This detailed process allows us to deliver a consistently safe bike to every Guardian customer and means only 10 minutes of setup for busy parents like you.
Terrific purchase! I get my own bikes second-hand and they are nothing fancy, but while my son is learning to ride I am willing to spend a little more for safety and ease of use so that we can go on longer bike trips together. If both my children ride this bike for 3 years apiece, it works out to about $50 a year, which seems reasonable for such an excellent bike.
The bike arrived tuned and nearly ready to go. Attaching the pedals and handlebars using the YouTube video directions for guidance was a breeze––my 5-year-old was zooming around our neighborhood 10 minutes after the bike was delivered. I was worried about which size to get, as the recommendations on the Guardian website (and the advice on twowheelingtots.com) showed my son as right on the line between the smaller frame and the larger one. I was definitely glad I went with the larger frame, as he is tall enough that we needed to raise the seat right off the bat (raising and lowering the seat is extremely easy, by the way). I thought there might be an adjustment period while my son got comfortable with the new bike, but it is so light and easy to ride he felt completely confident right from the start. My son's friend is always asking if he can borrow it because it is so much easier than his to go up hills. The brakes are incredibly responsive. My only slight complaint is that my son finds the gears a little hard to change (they can get a bit stuck), but we might be able to adjust them.
We love it, truly. My 7 year old flies around on this thing... Such high quality and so easy to assemble. I’d give it 5 stars, but the only reason I’m taking a star off is we bought it as a birthday gift for my 5 year old, and she is very uncoordinated and fearful of falling. It goes fast! and there is no way to put training wheels on this bike. I think there should be the option (or the Guardian company should come up with their own training wheels to help little kids learn confidently!) we tried the “no pedal” technique they suggested with her to get her balance and she can’t get enough speed to really confidently have balance. She just needs training wheels! I’m so sad, she already says “mommy i don’t want to ride my bike today” because she is scared of it.
I researched many bikes for my sons 5th birthday. When I came across Guardian I was intrigued by their SureStop brake system which set them apart from the rest. SureStop is a braking system that keeps your child safe and prevents 'over the handlebar' accidents. This was especially important to me as my son graduated from his Strider balance bike and is just beginning to learn pedals and hand brakes! (I also love that it does not have coaster brakes.)
Guardian also has a wonderful tool called RideSizer that allows you to input your child's stats to ensure the proper fit. I was pleased to find out my son would fit the 20 inch small bicycle which should last him 3 years!
We received the bicycle and set up was very simple. I had one small hiccup where I did not rotate the handlebar completely which inhibited the front tire from spinning freely. I called Guardian and received immediate assistance. Their customer service is truly top notch!
I love Shark Tank and I am so happy to support a such a great company! I am very impressed with their quality and customer assistance. I can tell my son is going to have a smooth transition from balance bike to "big boy" bike!
From the moment we opened the box, we’ve had a great experience. The packaging is well thought out and the bike is almost completely assembled. All of the tools needed are included and it took my husband less than 10 minutes to put the handlebars and pedals on. It fits our 4 year old perfectly, and the quick release seat and kickstand are great added features. The freewheel instead of a coaster brake is much easier for kids to ride especially when they are learning. Combine all that with the surestop braking system and this is the best value you can get for a first pedal bike.
Got this bike for my 4 yo daughter because I did not want her to have a coaster brake type bike. The bike arrived with a factory defect that made the bike unusable. Sent an email to the company requesting help with the defect and they replied back within an hour and within 24 hours sent a replacement part. By the next day the part arrived and the bike was 100%. My daughter has been riding it for a week now and loves it. The bike is excellent quality albeit a bit heavy for a 4 yo girl. The best part is the handbrake. The surestop system works great but even better is that the handbrake fits a 4 yo hand perfectly and is easy to squeeze for adequate braking. Overall very happy with the purchase (though I see its $30 cheaper now....sigh) and very happy with the support of GuardianBikes. Very friendly, professional, and responsive. I'm sure I'll be using GuardianBikes for the 20" and 24" as well when my daughter is ready.
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