My 4-year old son took to this right away! It's wider wheels provide more stability, and the brakes (hand and foot) are unique for a bike at this age (12"). It makes him feel like a big kid having hand brakes, and I like that he can learn to use them from an early age. He's already asking to take off the training wheels! Oh, and his favorite thing is the water bottle holder. It's the little things at this age :)

Very easy to put together. Excellent quality. It's a bit heavy, but I like that for this age as he learns stability. Doesn't seem to make it hard to pedal at all.

so i read through all the reviews and ordered 14" Freestyle. box arrived in pretty good condition and everything seemed new from factory. first checked peddles to make sure they were threaded correctly (yes). then checked handle bar, seat, training wheels, etc. the tires needed air but they seemed true (front and back). chain tension was good and rear wheel spun freely. i liked that the handle bar could be adjusted up/down forward/backward. the rear seat is not very soft and is a bit short (front to back) but fits my almost 5yr old (42" tall by 42 lbs). he can get on/off the bike and seat by himself and the hand grip (back of seat) does not bother him. after reading reviews i will install lock washers on rear bolts (for training wheels) as the training wheels do move a bit which probably can loosen bolts over time. to peddle the bike does take more effort than 12" bikes probably due to gearing ratios and the larger mass of these tires (14" x 2.4" knobby tires); but this 14" has more top speed than the 12" bikes; i did find 2.4" innertubes on Amazon for future flats. the bike weight is the same or less then other comparable 14" bikes on the market unless you spend a lot more. the bike came as pictured and did not have "Royal Baby" all over it. so far seemed pleased with purchase and I hope it holds up.

We ordered two for twins. A green one and a blue one. Directions were slightly different for both. The rear reflector went on the right side on the blue one and the left side on the green one. They are kind of heavy and a little tall, but our 4.5 year olds were riding the 16 inch ones, for short distances by themselves, without training wheels within 15 minutes (have been on striders since age 2). And this may bug older kids, but it says "baby" in multiple places on the bike.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this bike. The wide tires are great --- seat handle comes in handy if you are helping push a little when your child is learning or picking it up to put in the car to go to the park. Extremely easy to put together since the majority is assembled. We got it and it rained the first few days so my son rode it in the house. The water bottle on the back is really great and he said he kinda felt like a teenager riding it (he is 4). Very happy customer.

this was a gift for my 6 year old for Christmas. He loves the bike and it is the perfect size for him. we got him the blue color. he did mention it did not say Royal "Baby" and the bell that came with it did not work. But I really don't care about the bell...it would have "accidentally" been broken eventually anyway. LOL