Big Wheel Product Reviews: Radio Flyer and Big Wheel

Big wheel trikes were popular in the 1970s and 1980s. We had so much fun with our big wheels that we decided to buy the trikes for our kids. We recently bought the Original Big Wheel from Target for our five year old son. We had to take it back and purchased the Radio Flyer Big Flyer from Toys-R-Us.

Both the Original Big Wheel and the Radio Flyer Big Flyer have a 16-inch front wheel and a three position seat that will grow with your child.

The Original Big Wheel

We purchased the Original Big Wheel from Target for $34.99. The specifications on the big wheel stated it was for kids between the ages of four and eight, and the trike could hold up to seventy pounds. All that was needed for the assembly was a screwdriver and a hammer.

The assembly of the Original Big Wheel was fairly easy. The majority of the trike was a light-weight plastic but it had two metal rods for the wheels and five screws. All the other plastic parts snapped together.

The big, front wheel construction did confuse us a little because the metal bar that connected the pedals was held in place at the wheel by plastic inserts. These inserts needed to be pounded into the wheel correctly or the bar holding the pedals would fall off. We opted to use a rubber mallet instead of a hammer because we were afraid that the hammer would crack the plastic.

The fork axle that attached to the big, front wheel was also plastic. After that was screwed around the axle all that remained was to put the handlebar on and place one more screw to hold it in place. We took great care to follow the assembly instructions. It was assembled 100% correctly, according to Big Wheel's instructions.

When my 41 pound son sat on the Original Big Wheel, the seat sagged. When the seat sagged it pulled on the handlebars. The handlebars then pulled on the plastic axle, bending the plastic. When the plastic bent, the 16-inch big wheel in the front turned on its side making the trike impossible to ride. Remember that this trike claimed to hold up to 70 pounds.

We returned the Big Wheel to Target fully assembled. We did get our money back, no questions asked. I would not recommend The Original Big Wheel for any child that weighs over thirty-pounds.

Radio Flyer Big Flyer

After the first big wheel disaster we went online to find a better constructed big wheel that will last a couple of years. We found the Radio Flyer Big Flyer at Toys-R-Us for $74.99. It was more than double the price of the Original Big Wheel but it looked more structurally sound.

The Radio Flyer Big Flyer is recommended for children aged 3-7. The equipment needed to assemble this trike was a hammer, screwdriver, and a crescent wrench.

When I pulled this trike out of the box the first thing that I noticed was that it was made of a more durable plastic. There was also more metal involved in the assembly of the Radio Flyer Big Flyer.

The handlebars are chrome, not plastic, giving the trike more support. The handlebars are attached to the trike with two long bolts. The front wheel is attached by a long bolt that goes through the axle and the body of the trike.

The front wheel assemble was held together by two metal discs and four screws on each side. This was a lot sturdier than Big Wheel's plastic inserts. The entire assembly was held together by either screws or bolts.

The bonus of the Radio Flyer Big Flyer is the flag on the back of the trike. My son decides each day whether or not he wants to ride with the flag or without it. The flag is just a nice added feature.

My son hopped on his new Radio Flyer Big Flyer and took off pedaling. He did not have any problems riding it. This is a much sturdier than the Original Big Wheel trike. The lightweight plastic made it impossible to ride.

For older children I strongly recommend the Radio Flyer Big Flyer for durability, easy assembly, and sturdy construction.