Bicycles

A child’s first sized pushbike, with stabilisers, squeaky horn and clip on basket.
Adjustable handlebars and seat, suitable for children from approximately 2 to 4 years.
Manufactured by Universal and costing around £30 from large toyshops such as Toys”r”us.

My 2 year old was desperate for her own “big girls bike” with two wheels and stabilisers.
I looked at many, most of which were above £50, as I didn’t have as much as that to spend, I homed in on this jazzy little bike initially sold in Index.
After realising that they were from the old stock and that they were not in the catalogue, the pleasant assistant offered to go out to the back of the store to see if there were any still lurking in the warehouse.
Perfect, one left, and as it was old stock at an unmissable price of £22.00.
Suitable for inside leg 12-16inches

The bike was self-assembly, with most of the difficult parts already assembled for you.
The only parts that the new owner has to put together are the handlebars, saddle, stabilisers, pedals, squeaky horn, and clip on basket.

The instructions were more than comprehensive, and Universal supply a cycle spanner in with the bike to avoid any disappointment.

It took only 10 minutes to construct the bike, even with an inquisitive 2 year old hanging on your every move, and repeatedly asking “is it ready yet?”

The most difficult part of assembling the cycle was trying not to cross the threads on the metal shafts of the plastic pedals.

The bicycle itself is black and yellow and stands around 13 inches high from the saddle to the floor in its lowest position.
The seat is adjustable by about another 4 inches in height, and has a small cover on the seat post as a safety precaution.
It has a painted steel low step through frame and is quite easy for youngsters to mount and demount without toppling, which seems sturdy enough.

The handlebars are adjustable by a couple of inches and have nice handle grips that are easily held by my daughter.

There is a small parcel carrier to the rear and the bike has 10inch mag(Plastic) wheels, with solid tyres(No punctures here)
Both wheels have small yellow mudguards to protect the rider from inevitable puddle splashes.

The bike is chain driven with the chain completely enclosed within the guard ensuring that little toes do not become trapped and entangled in moving parts. The rear wheel is fixed; therefore it does not allow the rider to freewheel.

The stabilisers are more than adequate, and when correctly fitted are extremely stable, allowing the transition from tricycle to bicycle to be easier on the child.
The bike is equally as sturdy without stabilisers, unlike some others that state that the bicycle must be not be used with stabilisers removed.

One important thing to note is that this cycle has NO brakes.
Where I live is quite flat and our front garden is paved and fenced, which is the only place that my daughter rides it on (and all around the house of course)
My daughter is just the right size for the lowest seat and handlebar position and rides the bike quite easily.

It is very important to be aware of the dangers of head injuries acquired whilst riding cycles and personally I feel that adequate protection should be foremost in your mind when considering purchasing a ride on toy for yours or others children.
The child should wear a helmet that conforms to the relevant regulations at all times whilst riding their bikes.

Other cycles in Unversals range can be seen at http://www.unibikes.com/

In conclusion.
This little bike is a wonderful next step for little ones too big for a tricycle(Or too independent), and too small for a big bike.

The basket and the squeaky horn are very cheap and cheerful, but the manufacture of the bike is good quality and robust.

The fixed wheel prevents too much speed being gathered by an enthusiastic child.

It looks good, didn’t cost a fortune and my 2 year old daughter loves it.