A tricycle is the first bike a child steers alone, from age two, with no balance to learn first. Here is how to pick a s...
A tricycle is the first bike your child pedals on their own, from age two, with no balancing required.
One question comes up again and again at our branches: a parent asks for a three-wheel bike for a five-year-old, and when we show what we have, it turns out they meant something else — a regular bicycle with two small wheels at the back. The names sound alike. The products are not.
What actually separates them
On a tricycle, the pedals sit directly on the front wheel. Your child pushes, the wheel turns. No chain, no balancing, because the two rear wheels carry their weight the whole time.
A bike with training wheels is a real bicycle with a chain and brakes, plus two small stabilisers at the back that come off once your child finds their balance. The same bike stays with them afterwards.
So a tricycle teaches pushing and steering. Training wheels teach balance. The second does not come before the first.
What we stock
- Single-seat character trikes — lightest and simplest, from age two. The most affordable option, good for a first ride indoors or in the yard.
- Steel-frame trikes — heavier and sturdier, from age three. Built for daily use in the garden and for a child who rides hard.
- Trikes with a rear cargo box — police car, fire truck or school bus, with pedals, in the mid tier. Here your child does not just ride, they carry things and play a role.
- Two-seater trikes — for siblings close in age, and the top of the range. The heaviest option, and it needs more room to turn.
Choosing by age
Two to three years. Start with a light single-seat trike. At this age the win is simply connecting leg movement to the bike moving. Skip anything heavy — if they cannot move it themselves, they lose interest fast.
Three to five years. Steel frames and cargo models fit here. Your child is stronger, rides further, and pretend play now means something to them.
Five and up. Most children have outgrown the trike. This is the moment to move to a bike sized to their age with training wheels. Our smallest size, 12 inch, starts at age three — so the switch can happen before five if your child is ready.
How to tell they are ready: they ride fast and try lifting their feet off the pedals, or they lean into turns. Those are early attempts at balancing, and a clear signal they want more.
Things to check before you buy
The surface. Trikes need flat, smooth ground. Sand, gravel and long grass stop them, because all the drive comes from that one front wheel. If your yard is sandy, the ride will frustrate your child.
The space. Trikes do not turn tightly. Cargo and two-seater models need more room than a typical apartment allows. Decide where your child will ride before you pick a size.
The weight. Steel lasts longer but is heavy for a two-year-old. Too heavy and your child never really rides it — you push it instead.
When a trike is the wrong choice: if your child already rides with training wheels confidently, a trike is a step backwards. And under eighteen months their feet will not reach the pedals — a parent-push ride-on suits that age better.
How long will it last, and how to make it last longer
A trike typically serves a child for two to three years before they move on. That is a short window, which raises a fair question: is it worth buying?
Two reasons it is. First, this is the stage where your child builds riding confidence — without it, moving to a real bicycle is harder. Second, a steel-frame trike passes down to a younger sibling, so the cost splits across two or three children.
To get more life out of it:
- Keep it out of the sun. Plastic degrades fast in Jeddah heat, and the seat and handlebars go first. Store it in shade or indoors.
- Check the handlebar and seat bolts monthly. Vibration loosens them over time, and a basic screwdriver prevents most of the faults we see.
- Clear sand from the wheels. Sand works into the gap between wheel and axle and makes pedalling heavy, so your child tires out for no obvious reason.
And when the trike stage is over, the next step depends on your child: the ones who like speed gravitate to scooters, the ones who want independence move on to a bike with training wheels.
What we hear at the tricycle shelf
How much does a tricycle cost?
Ours step up from the single-seat trike at the bottom, through cargo models in the middle, to the two-seater at the top. Current prices are on the section page. The difference is material, size and number of seats.
What age can my child start?
Age two for lighter models, age three for steel frames. The practical test: their feet reach the pedals while sitting upright.
Are they suitable for girls and boys?
Yes. Most models are neutral, and the difference is in the characters and colours rather than the design.
Can they be used indoors?
Single-seat trikes, yes — on smooth flooring with room to turn. Cargo models belong outside.
How is a trike different from an electric ride-on?
A trike runs on your child's own effort; a ride-on runs on a battery. The first builds muscle and coordination, the second is a different kind of ride that suits a slightly older child. You will find the electric options in the electric motorbike section.
The decision in short
If your child is between two and five and has not ridden before, a trike is the right starting point. Go light for the youngest, steel or cargo for the older, and check your surface and space before choosing.
For everything else, from bikes with training wheels to scooters, browse kids bikes and bicycles or kids scooters.
Before the tricycle comes the the rocker range for younger children. Anyone after a fixed yard toy rather than a moving one will find it in the large toys section.
