Perfect Holiday Gift, Chirstmas gift ideas, Consumer Promotions website

The GOOD, the BAD, and SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW
PROS:

I. The bike's appearance is quite pretty and fun. It is physically consistent with the impression given by the images here on Amazon. My anticipation of my daughter's reaction when she sees it Christmas morning has me excited and smiling.

II. The bike is better constructed than several bikes of similar appearance, such as those sold with the Disney and Barbie labels.

III. Once assembled, and with some adjustment (see note below), it is fully functional. Mine arrived with all the required parts (unlike the experiences related by some other reviewers).


CONS:

I. While better constructed than many similar 16" bikes, it is not of the quality you find in bikes for older children and adults, despite coming from Mongoose, a brand with a good reputation. Of course, it's inexpensive and not expected to be kept for decades.

II. The bike is very heavy. It seems as heavy as an adult bike, even though it is about a third the size. Inexpensive heavy steel was used for the frame rather than the lighter alloys used in adult bikes. This is a drawback. I think children would find the bike more easily handled if it were lighter. (And I would prefer it to be lighter, simply because I lift it into the back of my SUV.)

III. The wheels (the rim and 5 spokes) are plastic. The result is that they are warped. (This is typical of plastic wheels, I'm told.) You will see a wobble in them as they roll, and this makes adjustment of the hand brake, which grips the rim to stop the bike, a little tricky. The rear wheel of my daughter's bike made contact with the rubber grip on the brake clamp and squeaked. It required a bit of tinkering two or three times. (Note: the training wheels also squeaked until they were lubricated.)

IV. The tassels are just very cheap plastic shreds and do not look like they will last long.

V. Now the biggest con--something that may be important for you to know:

NOTE: ALL OF THE BEARINGS CAME OVER-TIGHTENED AND REQUIRED ADJUSTMENT--SOMETHING THE AVERAGE PARENT MAY FIND DIFFICULT TO DO.

I was very fortunate to have the services of a good friend who has owned a bike shop in Orlando and a bike shop in New York, and who still works with bikes. We assembled my little girl's bike in his workshop garage using a special bike stand that gripped the frame.

When Marc first told me that the crank bearings were over-tight, I thought he might be being a little picky (after all, his bike cost ,500 and he's accustomed to precision), but then I turned the pedals myself, and I found it difficult. It was so difficult, in fact, that I was a little angry with Mongoose. My 38 lb daughter would have had a very tough time pedaling the bike. Marc made an adjustment and the pedals/crank became much easier to turn.

Marc explained that bikes are quickly assembled now days using machine tools that over-tighten. He said THIS IS TRUE OF ALL BIKES THAT ARE SENT IN BOXES, WHICH BY THE WAY, INCLUDES THE BIKES SOLD IN STORES AND BIKE SHOPS. He further explained that good bike shops spend about two hours assembling each bike before they put it on the floor, because they know they should manually readjust the bearings at the crank (aka, bottom bracket), at the wheels, and at the handle bars, and know they should also make a few other adjustments. He said that department stores seldom spend the time to do this, because it cuts into their profit margin significantly. And many bike shops similarly do a poor job of correcting the manufacturer's maladjustments, though they know better.

Thus, this is not a problem isolated to Mongoose. YOU WILL LIKELY ENCOUNTER THIS PROBLEM IN ANY BIKE YOU ORDER ONLINE OR BUY IN A STORE.

1. So, whatever bike you buy, check to see if the crank turns easily when you hold the bike off the ground.
2. Check to see if the wheels continue to spin for a good bit after you give them a turn.
3. Make sure the handle bars are not too tight when you turn them.

If you encounter a problem, which is likely, you will have to put in a little extra work or enlist the help of someone skilled. (If you do not correct the problem, the bike may be hard to pedal/use and the over-tightened bearings may become damaged with use.) Note: Even if you don't encounter a "problem" turning these, you may find that adjustment improves performance. [I tried to link the URL of a useful site here, but Amazon removed the link.]

Good luck, and I hope your little girl or boy is delighted with the bike you choose and has fabulous fun riding it.

questionable quality
Nice looking bike for my 4 year old, who loves the Disney Princesses. The box was delivered in pristine condition, so I thought there was no way that the bike was damaged on the inside.

However, the handbrake level was disassembled and had loose pieces in the box. I was able to retrieve the pieces and reconstruct the handbrake, but if I hadn't been meticulous, this would have been a missing piece.

But worst of all, the fork, which came pre-attached to the frame, was bent/tilted. Again, this could not have been damaged from shipping, there was no sign of damage at all. The fork must have been bent from the factory. Now I have to deal with the headache of returning this bike.

Tough Cover
Bought this cover one month ago. It is a little short, will not quite cover the bottom of the wheels. Don't know about putting it back in the pouch, would probably be difficult. It is however, the toughest cover I have ever seen. I carry my bike on the back of my truck (semi). Things on this truck take a lot of wear and abuse. This cover has worked flawlessly for the whole month! My last bike cover did not last two days. I thought I would have had to patch it up a dozen times by now. This is one well made cover. Best value for the money.