Just a Kid's Toy (MV Sports & Leisure Thomas & Friends 12in Bike)

Member Name: DavyMichelle

Product:	MV Sports & Leisure Thomas & Friends 12in Bike
Date:	14/07/09 (58 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Looks Smart, We Got it Cheap, Safety Pedals

Disadvantages: Very Hard Work, Too Difficult for Kids Without Stabilisers

The MV Sports & Leisure Thomas & Friends 12in Bike was the grandson's first bike. We got it on offer for £30 from Toys R Us though the price is now usually £69.99 when I've seen it around. Do note, that I'm talking about the bike in the picture here, as there are some completely different Thomas bikes around that might appear to look the same on the outside.

This bike, like most kids' bikes, came flat packed in a cardboard box. Toys R Us and Halfords both offer an assembly service but I didn't think it was necessary. So I took this home and got it together myself in about half an hour. The only thing I will say about the assembly process is that the pedals are extremely difficult to get attached. Other than that, it was a straightforward affair.

As far as using the bike goes, I think you have to appreciate that this is much more of a toy than an actual bike. It works just like a bike should do, but because it's really heavy and clumpy with very small wheels, your average three to five year old is just not ever going to be able to ride this without the stabilisers on - they can't get it to go fast enough to stay upright! The heavy weight tells to pull the bike over, and the brakes are pretty ineffective as well.

But for use as a trike for learning to pedal on, prior to getting a proper bike, this isn't such a bad deal if you get it for half price. It's brightly coloured and the plate of Thomas on the front was a huge hit with the grandson. Be warned it's only fastened on with plastic ties though, so really you need to get some string to fix it properly like we did.

The other important thing to note with regards to the lack of speed is that you can't cruise on this bike as the back wheel is fixed. This means that the pedals are fixed to the back wheel and the wheel cannot turn unless the pedals are going around. On a free wheeling bike, the wheels can continue to turn while the pedals remain stationary allowing the rider to cruise down hills or along straight bits. It makes riding a bike much, much easier. But on the plus side, when kids have a fixed back wheel on their first bike, they can just pedal backwards to brake. Hand brakes are tricky things for little hands.

I do recommend this as a trike toy if you've got a Thomas fan on your hands who is not quite ready to learn to ride a bike properly yet, but only if you pay less than £40 for it. Any more and you're just throwing your money away. For a few extra quid you could buy a proper bike, with a free moving back wheel and lighter, thinner frame and just use stabilisers with it.

Summary: Recommended as a toy