Welcome to our latest post, a comprehensive review of the Trek Kickster balance bike for kids.
Trek Kickster Specifications
Product: Trek Kickster Kids Balance Bike, 2 color options – Flamingo Pink or Matte Trek Black
Recommended For: Kids 2 to 5 years
Best Place to Buy / Price: trekbikes.com (AUS $280)
Frame and Tires: Alpha aluminum 12″ frame + steel fork / 12″ by 1.75″ air tires
Wheel size: 12″
Wheelbase: 58.3cm (23″)
Seat Height Range: 35 to 43cm (13.7″ to 17″)
Bike Weight: 3.97kg (8.76lbs)
Features: Footrests, 12″ by 1.75″ air tires, integrated headset, steering limiter, padded saddle with handle
Warranty: lifetime on frame
Overall Rating: 8 / 10
As is our custom, we like to begin our reviews with a statement that sets the scene for our readers and adds perspective and insight to your search for a suitable bike for your budding riding champion.
“every child is unique and not all balance bikes are created equal!”
Our goal in this our latest post, is to provide you with all the information you need to decide whether the Trek Kickster may be a suitable balance bike to meet the needs of your child and of course, allow them to have a blast while learning how to ride!
So grab that favorite means of hydration (we recommend that perfect espresso 🙂 ) and enjoy our comprehensive review of the Trek Kickster balance bike for kids.
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This commission helps keep ilovetoridemybike.com riding and writing. We thank you for your generous support. You are helping us continue doing what we love and that’s providing our customers with all the information they need to know about balance bikes for kids.
Trek Kickster Review – Summary
What we really like about the Trek Kickster
- Quality air tires
- Well-designed footrests
- Low step through frame for easy mount and dismount
- Overall durable design
What didn’t we particularly like about the Trek Kickster
- One-piece integrated handlebars not recommended for more adventurous riders
- Integrated seat handle encourages incorrect learning habits
- Overall bike weight is heavy
Trek Kickster Comprehensive Review
Ok, now let’s unpack the above points a little further and provide you with all the details you will need to fully understand the great, and not so great design features that make up the Trek Kickster balance bike.
Remember, balance bikes are essentially your child’s first bike. Therefore, it’s absolutely vital that we are pairing up our little future riding champions with the right bike to suit their unique needs and to ensure these first memories are super fun.
As always, we have conducted our own research and listened attentively to what the experts are saying to ensure we give you the good stuff. That is, the low down on everything this bike has to offer, so you can confidently decide for yourself if this bike might be a great partner for your child.
Enjoy!
What we liked about the Trek Kickster and why?
Quality Air Tires
The Trek Kickster rolls on durable air tires. We really liked the feel of these. They have a grippy tread and overall quality finish that will roll on both on or off-road terrain really well.
If you have visited our website before, then you will be well drilled on our recommendations when it comes to our preference for tire type. We absolutely recommend purchasing a balance bike, if within your budget, with quality air tires.
Just remember these are not maintenance free. You will need to pump these up from time to time and at some point, be ready and able to replace a tire tube.
Overall, when it comes to quality tires, the Trek Kickster fits the bill well here!
Well Designed Footrests
We are always excited to see new and innovative design features on balance bikes and the Trek Kickster pleasantly surprised us with a footrest design that is one of the best we have seen.
Footrests, while not being a necessary feature on a balance bike, if designed well provide a safe and practical platform for kids to place their feet when gliding.
Well designed footrests are discrete, tucked away towards the front of the chain stay (the part of the frame that connects the rear wheel to the seat tube) and when viewed from above, is behind the saddle so this does not get in the way of little feet walking or running.
The Kickster’s frame opens nicely at the bottom of the seat tube to allow space to integrate a tiny footrest that is tucked away nicely and will ultimately fulfill its purpose without hindering a rider learning to ride.
Another big tick!
Low Step Through Frame
The Kickster, like many balance bike designs has what we call a low step through frame.
That is, the frames large down tube reaches all the way down to the bottom of the seat tube, allowing little legs to easily step-through the frame to mount and dismount the bike.
We are a big fan of this design feature, as this promotes ease of learning, particularly for our tinniest of rider’s just starting out aged 18 months to 2 years.
Tick, tick!
Overall Durable Design
As mentioned in the specifications, the Trek Kickster frame comprises a lightweight aluminum frame and steel fork.
While we think that the term lightweight is misleading, the overall build is of high quality. The weld finish, rugged air tires and alloy wheels, aluminum seat and handlebar clamps, durable padded seat and soft grips do make for a balance bike that will take some beating.
Added to that, the lifetime warranty provided on the frame pays testament to Trek standing behind the quality of their product.
What didn’t we particularly like about the Trek Kickster and why?
One-piece Integrated Handlebars
Kids balance bikes essentially feature two types of handlebars.
An integrated handlebar, where the handlebars slot directly into the head tube, or a true handlebar design that provides a head stem and clamp to hold the handlebars more securely in place which is then attached to a head tube.
Hands down, a true head stem provides the most secure and therefore confident riding experience. That’s why the big bikes feature this design. You will have hassle free and safer riding with this type of design.
The Trek Kickster has an integrated handlebar.
While this will adequately do the job for most rider’s, those wanting to go off-road, or attempt jumps and tricks will undoubtedly have some trouble with this design.
Some great examples of balance bikes with a true head stem include the Jeorge, Vuly and Hornit Airo.
Seat Handle
As mentioned previously in our article, a balance bike is most likely your child’s very first bike and its unique design and ultimate purpose is to teach your little rider balance.
Of course there are multiple benefits, aside from learning balance on a bike that your child will reap as they learn to ride, but ultimately this is the number one goal.
Therefore, allowing your child to physically experiment while learning to walk, jog, run and eventually glide on a balance bike is the role of the parent in this process.
Toddler’s, as any parent will tell you, love to try doing new things on their own. Learning to ride a balance bike, within reason, is a great opportunity to allow them to exercise this toddler driven motivation.
Yes, our role also includes being the ultimate model of positivity and encouragement, ensuring our little gem is safe while learning to ride, however we believe a seat handle is not necessary to complement the learning process innate to that learning.
If anything, this may create problems with their motor development (think balance here) and place unnecessary stress on parents trying to hold onto a bike and run along at the same time.
Ouch!
Overall Bike Weight
The Kickster weighs 4kg. This is getting into the heavier side of the 12″ balance bike market.
To give you a comparison, other 12″ balance bikes on the market weight the following;
- Strider 12 Sport: 3kgs (foam tires)
- Banana bike GT: 3.7kgs (air tires)
- Kriddo: 3.6kgs (foam tires)
- GOMO: 3.2kgs (foam tires)
- Woom 1: 3kgs (air tires)
- Hornit Airo: 2.95kgs (air tires), and
- Cruzee Ultralight: 1.9kgs (foam tires)
The heaviest 12″ balance bike that we can find on the market is the Specialized Hotwalk weighing 4.5kgs. The lightest, the Cruzee at 1.9kgs.
When it comes to learning how to ride, the lighter the bike the better. Because toddlers are, well tiny, they require a super lightweight bike that allows them to experiment with ease, gently guide and manoeuvre their bike as they learn.
The Trek Kickster therefore may be a little difficult for smaller, lighter built toddlers aged 18months to fully enjoy their new toy and benefit from its development potential.
How does the Trek Kickster compare to similar balance bikes?
When completing a balance bike review we feel its important to provide a direct comparison to similar products. It helps to provide perspective and increase your awareness of just what else is out there with similar features.
Overall, the Kickster has a large wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles) which makes this better suited to slightly older riders, hence our recommended age-range of 2 to 5 years. It’s also placed in the higher-end pricing range.
Let’s take a brief look at just a few similar products to give you further insights into whether the Trek Kickster may be the right bike for your little gem.
Summary: Weight – 4kgs, 12″ wheels with air tires, footrests, no handbrake, low step-through aluminum frame with steel fork, large wheelbase, integrated handlebars, tool adjust seat and handlebars and overall durable design.
Recommended for slightly older toddlers due to larger wheelbase, who like flat on and off-road riding. However, not recommended for very small, petite kids or those who are more adventurous wanting to ride on hilly terrain with ramps and jumps.
Summary: Weight – 2.95kgs, 12.5″ wheels with air tires and aluminum rims, footrests, no handbrake, low step-through magnesium alloy frame, padded stem and integrated headset, tool adjust seat and handlebars, excellent seat height range – 11.5″ to 17.3″ (29 to 44cm) and rocking a very impressive, lightweight, quality design.
Recommended for smaller riders just starting their riding journey at 18 months to 5 years, this can be taken on and off-road with confidence. Without a handbrake, it would be best to avoid hilly terrain and may not be suited to more adventurous kids wanting to do jumps and ramps. Overall, this is a quality product that is super light, making this perfect to learn how to ride.
Summary: Weight – 3kgs, 12″ air tires on aluminum rims, rear handbrake, no footrests, low step-through light aluminum frame, integrated headset clamp, excellent seat height range with tool adjustment, comfortable padded seat, removable steering limiter and overall excellent quality product.
Recommended for smaller, lighter rider’s 18 months to 4 years. This bike will handle all terrains really well, including hills and bike parks due to the added handbrake that better allows kids to control their speeds while learning to ride. This is a quality bike that has a great reputation in the balance bike world.
Banana Bike GT (USA $96 at Amazon.com or AUS $345 at Amazon.com.au)
Summary: Weight – 2.9kgs, 12″ air tires on metal rims, no handbrake, no footrests, low step-through ‘banana’ shaped frame, lightweight alloy steel frame, integrated handlebars, quick release clamp seat adjustment with range 12″ to 17.5″, tool required handlebar adjustment, soft padded seat, no steering limiter and overall good quality build.
Recommended for smaller, lighter toddlers 18 months to 4 years, the Banana GT is a budget friendly option that doesn’t match the quality build or finish or the more higher-end balance bikes. That being said, with air tires, simplistic lightweight, functional design, this bike is fine for flat, all-terrain riding for smaller less adventurous riders.
Vuly 12″ (AUS $149 at vulyplay.com)
Summary: Weight – 3.2kgs, 12″ air tires on steel rims, no handbrake, neat footrests, nice low step-through design, lightweight magnesium alloy frame is rustproof and durable, true secure head set, quick release adjustable seat height with range 11.8″ to 17″, soft padded seat, no steering limiter and very nice quality finish and components.
Recommended for smaller riders 18 months to 4 years, this bike is a surprise pocket rocket that has a really sleek design and quality build. With cleverly implemented footrests, lightweight frame and air tires this bike will suit most riders for both on and off-road adventures. With no handbrake, flatter terrain is recommended. This bike will put a smile on your little riders dial!
“your child will have a wonderful introduction to what we hope is a lifelong love affair with a bike!”
Although the above represents just a snippet of the variety of balance bikes on offer, these have been chosen as they present very similar features to the Trek Kickster, such as air tires and no handbrake.
As you can see, they still vary considerably on overall quality and price.
## Important keynote for buyers
You are the person who knows your child’s unique needs best and your now developing a better understanding of the world of balance bike for kids.
When going balance bike shopping, be sure to integrate this knowledge to perfectly match your little riding champion with the most suitable balance bike to suit their needs.
In doing this, your child will have a wonderful introduction to what we hope is a lifelong love affair with a bike.
For some extra help, tips and well, basically all the information you may need before going balance bike shopping be sure to head over to our post Balance Bike Buyers Guide. In addition, for step-by-step help on how to then correctly fit the bike to your riding champion, check out our post Balance Bike Set-up Guide.
We think you will find these reads super helpful!
Overall ilovetoridemybike.com conclusion
Bottom line, we think the Trek Kickster provides for a great all round experience that will suit most toddlers needs. With air tires and quality build this handles on and off-road terrain well. The larger wheelbase make this excellent for toddlers 2 to 5 years.
If you would like to learn more about the Trek Kickster head over to trekbikes.com. Also, if you would like to learn more about additional balance bike reviews, such as the Banana GT or Specialized Hotwalk among several others, you will find these from our home page at ilovetoridemybike.com.
We hope you enjoyed our Trek Kickster review. If you have any comments or questions please leave these in the comment section below as we are here to help.
How is your child’s riding going? We hope its going super.
Happy riding!
Fantastic review on the Trek Kickster balance bike! The Trek Kickster balance bike definitely sounds like a great balance bike for young kids. I will share this review with a couple of friends who have young children that are around 2-5 years old. I do have a question, though. What’s the benefit of choosing a balance bike over a normal bicycle with training wheels?
Hi Kevin, thanks for commenting and we are so glad you enjoyed the article.
We do really appreciate your feedback and that you are sharing our post/website with other parents. We want to help everyone learn all about kids balance bikes so that they too can enjoy the wonderful benefits these provide.
Regarding your question; a tricycle, or bike with training wheels teaches the rider the incorrect motor skills, such as leaning the wrong way to steer and not allowing the rider to learn the key skill to riding a bike, that is balance.
A balance bike promotes the exact skill it was names after, balance! Once a child learns to balance on a bike, the transition to a pedal bike will be seamless.
Thank you for taking the time to comment and follow, we appreciate hearing from you. Reach out if you have any questions, we are here to help.
Happy riding!
I was so excited when I saw your review of the Trek Kickster bicycle. My grandson had one of these bikes at 3 years old. He was able to ride all over the place after about ten minutes of teaching him how to ride it. My husband and I were very impressed with this bike. It provided a great all round riding experience for our grandson’s needs.
Hi Carol, thanks for your comments and feedback, this is so appreciated.
We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed the article and better yet, to hear that your grandson is off and riding this bike around and loving the experience.
Overall, was the bike a good match for your grandson? What did he like best, or maybe not like so much?
We hope that he continues to enjoy learning to ride a bike, it’s a wonderful, fun skill to learn and enjoy throughout our lifetime. Let me know if you have any questions, we are here to help.
Happy riding!
The tires are what drew me to this bike in the first place, as it would be great not to have to repair punctures so often or buy new tires. The bike also looks sturdy, so it should survive the roughest rider, which most of the boys I know are.
I don’t mind if the bike is heavy, as that makes it stronger, however, I was surprised to read that the integrated seat handle encourages incorrect learning habits. Will this hamper their balancing efforts in any way I wonder?
Hi Michel, thank you for reading and your comments. It’s great to hear from you.
Regarding your questions. The Trek tires do require maintenance, as these are air tires. So unfortunately, while giving a great ride and superior cushioning, will need to be inflated at times and possibly have a tube replaced if they puncture.
Your second question, I think you mean the ‘integrated handlebars.’ These provide perfectly fine learning habits and will not hinder a child learning to steer a bike, however the durability of this feature is not of the same quality as a true head set design. Basically, a true headset is more durable and allows the rider to feel more confident in steering and handling the bike.
An example of a true headset can be found, for example on the Specialized Hotwalk balance bike. This will give you a ‘visual’ of what the difference looks like.
I hope this helps you. Let me know if you have any questions. We are here to help!
Thanks for sharing your review of the Trek Kickster Balance Bike! It sounds like a great option for parents looking to help their young children learn to ride a bike. I’m curious to know if you have any tips for parents who may be hesitant about investing in a balance bike or unsure how to teach their child to ride one.
Hi Miki, thanks for reading and sharing your comments with us.
To help answer your questions, please head over to our posts with these titles;
How To Teach Your Child To Ride A Bike – Part 1 – ilovetoridemybike
How To Teach Your Child To Ride A Bike – Part 2 – ilovetoridemybike
Benefits of Balance Bikes For Toddlers Part I – ilovetoridemybike
These are probably the most appropriate reads to help answer your question, however as you explore our website, you may find more information that is relevant to your needs.
We hope that you enjoy learning more about kids balance bikes. Please reach out and let us know how your balance bike riding is going with your child. We are here to help.
I really love your review of the Trek Kickster Balance Bike, you really go into detail. It really seems like a fabulous option for parents with young children that are learning to ride a bike. I think the topic you have chosen is great and you have really executed it well.
Hi Sophie,
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts and feedback.
Do you have any experience with balance bikes in the past? We would love to hear how you have found these.
We are so glad that you found this helpful. Reach out to us if you have any questions regarding kids balance bikes, we are here to help.