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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.

A pain to put together.
I'm a very mechanical person and usually I'd prefer to assemble things myself. I'll never buy a bike unassembled again! It was almost a two hour job to put this thing together.

Great Bike!
My 4 1/2 year old absolutely loves this bike. It is very girly, with flowers on the seat and all over the frame and hearts on the tire tread. If you have a little "princess" it is just what she needs. The bike itself was very easy to assemble and is really sturdy. It is a pretty heavy bike, but my daughter doesn't seem to have any problems riding it or moving it around while walking beside it. Overall, my daughter and I both think it is a great bike!

Flashy bike
This bike was purchased for my 5 year old daughter. Like the other reviews, the package came pretty beat up. Fortunatly for me though, there were no missing pieces. The instruction book was confusing in that it showed the entire line of mongoose bikes and was only divided into two sections to find your bike and assemble it. This was just a temp. pain as when it was finished it worked just fine. My child rides it at fast speeds and it performs wonderfully. It is a very nice looking bike that gets compliments all the time, and my daughter still has plenty of room to grow into the bike and hopefully out of the training wheels(easily removable).

some what happy with purchase
My husband and I bought this bike for our daughter as a kindergarten graduation gift. It was important for us to select a bike with sturdy training wheels and sturdy construction. Well, what can I say......the bike is alright......not what we expected from a Mongoose or for the price. Our main dislike or concern is that the brake on the handle is too hard for our daughters small hands to reach and close properly. It is not a bad bike, but it is not our favorite either. Our daughter seems to have the same opinion.