A proper boy's bike (Raleigh Mini X 14in Boys Bike)

Member Name: mosaic369

Product:	Raleigh Mini X 14in Boys Bike
Date:	21/07/09 (144 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Looks cool, well made, stable

Disadvantages: A few minor faults

We bought a Raleigh Mini X 14" bike from Halfords almost a year ago for our son's fourth birthday. It is recommended for children between the ages 4-6. We thought the size of the bike was spot on for a four-year-old child with plenty of room to grow with both the handlebar and the seat height being adjustable. Apart from the fact that this bike looks cool, it is also quite well made. It was easy to assemble and with the stabilisers fitted, it is quite stable even when riding around sharp corners.

It has both front and back calliper brakes, which work quite well. The chain guard is fully enclosed to prevent accidents. It has a plastic mudguard at the back, which is a bit wobbly and you constantly have to reposition it. Perhaps it's better not to bother with it and just leave it off as it is not an essential part of the bike. The bike came with a front plate and letter stickers, so you can spell your child's name or any other word, like 'champion' for example. There's no bell or basket on it, which my son is a bit disappointed about, but then again it's a boy's bike, so it's not supposed to have those girly accessories! It is a nice red colour and we bought a Cars Lightening McQueen cycling helmet with it, which matches it perfectly.

The bike is a bit heavy to carry around and there's no comfortable way of holding it. I really miss a parent handle, but I know these types of bikes don't normally have one. My back aches when trying to push my son uphill, or making sure he doesn't roll too fast downhill. (He's only just getting to grips with using the brakes.) A parent handle would also be nice when learning to cycle without the stabilisers. We removed the stabilisers once to see how we could get on without them, but it didn't go very well. My son got upset and my back was killing me, so we had to put the stabilisers back on. I feel we would have been more successful with the help of a parent handle. That's how I learned to ride a bike when I was a kid.

All in all, the bike is good and definitely worth the price we paid for it. It was on a half price offer for £60 at the time. I'm not sure we would have bought it at full price, though. It is currently available for £114.99 from Halfords, but do look out for special offers.

Summary: Recommended at half price if/when available