With our daughter about to turn seven, we realized that it was time to officially retire her 12" You&Me pink bike and upgrade. After literally hours of searching reviews online, we had narrowed it down to this model and a Diamondback 16" bike. We chose the RoyalBaby 16" model in orange.
I sat down and read every single review of this bike, and I would like to address what seemed to be the most popular complaints:
* "Too heavy!" - Not sure what these parents are comparing this bike to. I kept checking the shipping weight to see if I missed something and the "2" in the "28 lbs" was actually a 3 or a 4...but nope, I was right. Then, thinking about the mess of returning this large object, I ran out to the shed to see how heavy her 12" bike was. I picked it up...then I picked up my 20lbs bar bell...then I picked it up again. I estimated her bike to be maybe 3-5 lbs heavier than my weight. When the RoyalBaby bike arrived a day early (gotta love Prime!) I assembled it and picked it up. Boy, was I relieved when I easily hoisted it up with one arm. This bike maybe weighs around 25lbs, which is perfect for our 7 year old girl. She's already fallen and can easily hoist the bike back up on her own. To all those complainers, go spend another $100 and buy an aluminum frame bike for your kids.
* "Wheels don't spin freely" - This was also a big concern of mine, as I am a stickler about quality control at the factory level. During assembly, I flipped the bike over and checked out both wheels. They did feel a bit "sticky" at first, and didn't roll to a stop. First off, fellow parents, please make sure you read all the directions before you begin, if you're not mechanically inclined. One thing I noticed was that the front caliper brakes needed to be adjusted, as they were rubbing slightly against the tire, creating that "imbalanced" sound when spinning the wheel quickly. I scanned the directions, and it had some instructions about how to adjust the front brakes. A few minutes later, no rubbing. The rear wheel also felt a bit sticky and had a bit of a rubbing sound also...but then I realized that you must turn it (when upside down) with the pedals fully forward and engaged. If the coaster brake is engaged in the slightest, you can hear it rubbing as the wheel turns, so take note. With an adjusted brake, the front wheel spun much easier, and almost rolled to a stop...there was some resistance still, but I figured with weight on the wheels right-side-up, resistance would be negligible.
As the directions suggest, make sure you lube all moving parts periodically. I grabbed some 3 in 1 oil and some auto grease and lubed everything up. It felt like the wheels were just "out of the box" stiff, and began to loosen up a bit on their own. Which leads me to the next con to address...
* "Wheels out of true" - This one was concerning because it was mentioned by a few reviewers who claimed to have experience in bike assembly, maintenance, and repair. I didn't really know what they meant by "true", so I did some Google research and realized they meant balanced, with a straight rim. Here is where I almost docked a star. Both wheels were out of true and that was part of the reason they didn't spin as freely as I had expected initially. As I spun the wheels, you could see both of them needed adjustment, as they bowed left and right with several "bubbles" causing the rim to wobble considerably as it spun. However, after reading about "truing" a bicycle wheel, I found that it was pretty straightforward: You just adjust the spoke studs at their base, right above the rim, with a spoke wrench. This bike's spokes are a size 13 according to my $9 spoke wrench I purchased on Amazon. Once I figured out tightening the spokes was counterclockwise, in about 10 minutes I had both wheels very close to true and they spun much easier! My daughter even mentioned that the bike seemed to ride much smoother after my adjustments. Since I was able to correct the issue, and I'm pretty sure that places like Wally World and Target don't "true" their bikes prior to purchase, I decided not to dock a star.
* "Royal Baby All Over The Bike = Not Cool!" - I totally get this one for the kids who want to be big boys and girls. However, after easily peeling off a few decals, and throwing out the ridiculous stickers that come with it, this bike only says "RoyalBaby" in two places...the seat and the center of the handlebars. Even the company logo on the front of the frame has a predominant crown where you can't even see the small print "RoyalBaby" unless you stick your face right up to the forks. The company name on the tire tread is black on black so unless you're looking closely at the tires, you can't tell. This bike has definitely passed the cool test with our 7 year old daughter!
* "Missing Parts" - Bike came with all the parts.
* "Pedals won't screw on/break easily" - This one may change after a few months of use, so I'll keep an eye on it and update, if necessary. However, I had no issues with the pedals, they screwed onto the crank arms just fine (take note that the left hand pedal must be tightened counter-clockwise).
* "Water bottle is cheap" - Have to agree with this one, unfortunately, as it already is cracked and leaking. However we have several bicycle water bottles in our home and they all fit snugly in the holder, which is made of metal and bolts to the frame. Not enough of an issue to warrant docking a star, in my opinion.
* "Chain falls off" - Chain was nice and tight and has not come off, yet. Besides, the rear axle sits in a groove which allows you to slide it backwards or forward to adjust the tension in the chain, which apparently, some of these reviewers failed to realize.
* "Tires won't hold air" - I inflated tires to 35 psi 4 days ago and they are still full.
I was a bit apprehensive about purchasing this bike, but so far, it seems to be a home run. We can't keep her off of it, she even just likes to sit on it when she can't ride! The frame seems to be solid, well made, and has quality frame welds. The color scheme of the orange and black with the white seat really looks sharp! Heck, I would rock this bike, if I fit! After truing the wheels,it was definitely a relief to see her get up to speed and coast almost the entire length of the sidewalk. She also loves the big, thick black tires.
I also really like that it comes with a kickstand and a quick-adjust seat, which makes sizing it for her a breeze!
In conclusion, we are very happy with this bicycle. With a little time taken to read the instructions and make some basic adjustments, this bike seems more than capable of providing our kids with years of good riding.
UPDATE 12-18-2015: After reading my review, the company sent me a replacement water bottle, free of charge. Very nice customer service, in my opinion. Bike has performed flawlessly so far...
We got this for our 3 yr old son for his 3rd Birthday (late January). He's brand new to bicycle's and only has experience with a 3 wheeled scooter and tricycle. Here's our initial feedback. I will come back to this review should my opinion change.
Pro's:
1) Good instructions which made this easy to put together.
2) All parts and bolts were in the package upon receiving.
3) Our son LOVE's this bike as you can tell from the picture attached.
4) Great color & style.
5) Very sturdy bike (minus the con below)
Con's:
1) As other's have mentioned, the training wheel bolts like to come loose. A simple fix for this is either plumbers tape, or thread locker. We tried both and both successfully kept the training wheel bolts from coming loose. Otherwise, we'd have to re-tighten them each and every time our son decided to ride it.
Overall, I'd give this bike 4.5 starts (rounding up to 5 stars) The loose training wheel bolts aren't a big enough issue to drop this review down fully 1 star. A simple and cheap fix makes this a super sturdy bike for our 3 yr old.
I bought two of these:
The 16 inch pink bike for my daughter who will be turning 5 next week. I did not take her measurements, but she is a size 5/6 in tops and pants right now for size comparison. The bike is great with the training wheels, but it is too big for her to handle without them yet. If I had known what I know now, I would have bought her one size down to start off with. For now, she can ride this with the training wheels to get used to it and we will just keep her much smaller bike until she has made a full transition.
The 18 inch blue bike for my 7 1/2 year old Son - Again, no measurements, but he is a size 7/8 for size comparison. This bike just fits with room to grow. Last fall, it would have been a bit too big for him.
Sizing aside, here are my thoughts:
This is a great bike! It is nice and sturdy and I love the look. (especially the fact that the pink is still girly looking but has BLACK tires, not the dang white tires that most little girls bikes have) We live on a farm, so no sidewalks. Just dirt, gravel and grass to ride on. These bikes ride just fine on the rough terrain.
My kids love that the bikes came with a water bottle.
The 16" bike has a firmer white seat with what sort of looks like a hand grip in the back. The 18" bike has a slightly cushier black seat - like a normal bike seat. Neither of the kids have mentioned that they especially love or dislike their seats. Both bikes have brake, which is nice - although my daughter is still getting used to using it - it's a little big for her tiny hands. I would recommend getting the hang of that before going down any hills
And last - the assembly was pretty easy - They came mostly assembled already. It took about 15 minutes per bike (Putzing speed) to get everything ready to go. One bike came with the tires ready to go and one bike needed to have the tires inflated before riding.
Overall, these have been great bikes so far and I am very pleased with the purchase!
This bike earned five stars from our household because it's a good-looking, thoughtfully designed option for small kids who want a big-kid ride. Here's what we liked about it:
-- This bike looks more like a mountain bike. There are no plastic shields with cartoon characters and no silly padded bars.
-- It has a clever space for a water bottle, something few bikes this size offer. Our son loves it. He feels his bike looks like his older brother's model.
-- It comes in a hard-to-find 14" size, which is just right for many riders ages 4 and 5. This bike was a present for our son's fifth birthday. He was riding a 16" bike with training wheels, and although he had developed the balance necessary to ride without trainers, he was afraid to ride without them as his feet couldn't touch the ground. With this bike, he was riding without trainers within minutes.
-- Our son loves the bell, and we like the handle on the back of the seat. It makes the bike easier to load into the truck for family bike rides.
-- The seat is more comfortable than those typically found on small children's bikes. That helps-- our son rode nine miles on it one day. It's also a bit lighter than some.
We had one complaint: one of the pedals cracked after a few weeks. They were of a standard size, so we substituted one from an old bike. Overall, build quality on this bike is good.
So, if you're looking for a nice-looking "big kid" bike for your little rider, the Royalbaby is a fine choice.
Back in college, I used to work in a bike shop that sold low-mid price bicycles. I spent a lot of time assembling and repairing them. Lots of times, lower-end bikes had lots of issues: bent parts, untrue wheels, misaligned brakes, etc. I had never heard of the Royal Baby brand before, but after reading other reviews, I decided to get one for my eight year old son. Of course, when it arrived, I gave it my usual thorough walkthrough. Initially, I noticed that the parts seemed to be good quality. Welds were solid and the finish was perfect.
Assembly was just like any other bicycle: pedals, handlebars, seat, accessories. All parts lined up perfectly on the first try. No fighting, no twisting and pulling, none of that. It also comes with some cheap tools to help with assembly, so you don't have to worry about finding a pedal wrench, or the right size metric allen. Once together, I started to look at the mechanics. Tires were very true. There was no noticeable wobble to them, which was abnormal for bikes in the $100-150 range. The brakes were adjusted perfectly. They were centered on the rim and had the perfect amount of pull.
Overall, it seems like a quality bike for the price and I am pleased with the purchase.
Feature Product
- This sporty bike for boys and girls comes with a bell, a water bottle, training wheels, and a quick release seatpost which makes it easy to adjust the height of the seat (with carrying handle on 12-14-16 inch)
- Easy to put together! 95% of the bike is assembled, leaving only the need to install the training wheels, pedals, handlebar and saddle. All assembly tools are included. Features cushioned seat and high back
- Also features a sturdy steel frame, a one-piece crank, ball bearing drive shaft, a full chain guard and steel wheels with pneumatic rubber 2.4" wide knobby tires featuring a custom Royal Baby tread
- The combination of a front caliper brake and rear coaster brake gives many options for learning to stop. Foam vinyl seat
- The heavy-duty, long-lasting training wheels are of a RoyalBaby-patented design with extra rubber to reduce noise
Description
RoyalBabys newly developed Freestyle bike for boys and girls offers factory direct sales with favorable retail price. They are the most famous and best selling kid bike brand in China, with patented components featuring outstanding designs and quality. They are built to be compliant with CPSC and ISO standards. The bikes also come with unique strong individual packaging that is easy to carry which improves safe delivery. Available in 12, 14, 16 and 18 inch wheels. Creative colors to choose for your little riders' favor.
My 2 year old girl cruises on this bike. She loves it. Her twin brother can't quite coordinate and push the pedals. Riding a bike is dependent on a kid's strength, coordination and determination. If your kid has all three then the 12' bike can be enjoyable for your kid as early as 2 yrs old.
The best first bike. I did a lot of research. As an avid MTB rider I wanted my grandson to learn to ride and hopefully develop the same love of peddle sports that I have. I also wanted him to learn as quickly as possible, I'm hoping he gets to the point that we can ride mountains together while I'm sprite myself. This bike has many feature that build confidence and make learn on it safe and fun. The large tires make it more stable. The handle on the rear of the seat, which is for the teacher to grab, is placed there to create a true center of gravity while learning balance. (Even if you can't afford this bike, when you teach kids to ride, never hold their shoulders, it's not our center of gravity and is counterproductive to learning balance, alway grab lower, in the waist area) The fit and finish of this bike is also very stout, it's a firm foundation, which completes the riding experience. This is, hands down the best first bike you can find.
This bike is really good quality, sturdy build, great tires, heavy duty training wheels. The water bottle and bell were a hit with my 4yo. The assembly was super easy, came with all the tools and took about 20 minutes! The14" was perfect for my 38" tall 4yo, with room to grow.
Fantastic bike! Easy to put together and sturdy. I love that just comes with a kickstand and training wheels because I hope my daughter gains enough confidence to ride without training wheels on this bike. However the rear reflector can only be attached to the bike if the kickstand is not attached. That is okay for right now, but when the training wheels come off I'm not sure where the reflector is supposed to go. Only reason it is getting 4 stars is because of the rear reflector issue.
Our son got this for his 3rd birthday. He's a little small for his age but it fit perfectly at the lowest setting. He quickly got the hang of peddling and thinks he's pretty cool on his bike like big brother. Assembly want to difficult and took about 20 minutes. I love that it's not a character themed bike and will grow with him. He loves the water bottle too.
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