Schwinn Scorcher Boy's 16-Inch Bike - Schwinn Reviews
Disappointing!!!!
Carla Lesko from Winthrop, Maine USA - 1 out of 5.
The bike is cute, that's the only positive. The bike is HEAVY. I understood it wasn't an aluminum frame, but this is so heavy it may have been constructed with solid steel. The heft I could get around but the bike is so hard to pedal that I'm considering buying my son a different bike and giving this one away. If only I still had the packaging this bike would be returned.0 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.
So/so
Mandi A. Marrs from Santa Rosa, CA USA - 3 out of 5.
Bike is nice and sturdy, but we paid $50 to get it assembled. Also it is EXTREMELY heavy for our 5 year old son. He likes the way it looks but because of the weight, he seems to have a harder time stopping (braking).0 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Excellent Bike.. Packaging could be better..
Bert M. from Peoria, Az United States - 4 out of 5.
Purchased this bike for my 5 year old son for Christmas 09. When it was delivered, we noticed several parts sticking out of torn parts of the box. Nothing was damaged with the exception of a few minor scuffs but we figured those wouldnt be the last and since they were on the bottom of the frame, we would accept them. Upon assembling the bike, I found that the thin nut that holds the back tire on was stripped beyong salvation. Seeing that it was 2 days before Christmas, there was no chance of getting a new one from the manufaction so I "borrowed" a bolt from his old bike which worked, but didnt fit properly. The borrowed nut was much thicker than the original one therefore the acorn nut that goes on the outside of the training wheel (stripped one supposed to be on inside of training wheel) barely had any threads to hold it. Needless to say it has held up until now and I am awaiting a response from Amazon on getting a new one. Other than that, he loves it and it is the perfect size for a 5 year old.0 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Solid bike
K. Garber from Atlanta, GA - 3 out of 5.
My 4 year old son loves his new bike, but like other people have said, it is unbelievably heavy. It weighs more than my son and is hard for me to lift into our Jeep to take it places. I'm a little worried that once we take the training wheels off and he starts falling more, the weight of the bike falling on him is going to be a problem. That said, it is a really sturdy bike that I'm sure will last much longer than the flimsy bike he used to have. I do really like the fact that it has both pedal brakes and hand brakes-he can use the pedal brakes until he's more coordinated and has bigger hands, but he thinks the hand brakes make it look like a big boy's bike.My husband put together the bike without a huge problem but got very frustrated that Schwinn seems to make one instruction manual that is used for all of its bikes. It made it very difficult to determine which directions were for this particular bike and which weren't.
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bicycle arrived damaged
Stephen R. Ratcliffe - 1 out of 5.
I ordered this Schwinn Scorcher Bike for my 4 year old child -- Santa was bringing him a bike for Christmas! It arrived in the box, when I finally got around to putting it together (Christmas Eve afternoon) I realized after a while that the front wheel wouldn't ever fit into the front forks -- they were bent, either in the factory in China, or on the ship to the US, or in the UPS truck to where I live. What to do? I went out and found another bike, in a store that stayed open after hours just for me -- a 'near disaster' averted. The GOOD news is that I packed up the damaged bike, returned it to Amazon (post paid) and got a refund. End of story. (Never had a problem buying books from Amazon, will think twice about other 'goods' -- but very good returns policy.)0 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Solid 2nd bike
B. Ruwe - 4 out of 5.
Seems like a good bike, well built with the bigger kid extras (handle brakes, trick front wheel, cool sleek look). I had my bike mechanic put it together though, it was pretty tricky even for him.0 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Schwinn Scorcher
Jeffrey L. Hevener from Shreveport, LA - 3 out of 5.
This bike was damaged in shipping by UPS. The front reflector was broken and the fork was bent so that I could not install the front tire. Otherwise the bike looked good and appeared to be well built. I tried but was unable to straighten the front fork so it must have been subjected to some extreme abuse by UPS. On the positive side Amazon was as usual great about the return and refund. Three stars because of the shipping damage.0 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Good for the price (so far)
Shawn G. Hall from Atlanta, GA USA - 3 out of 5.
I purchased this for my 3-yr old son, as he really wanted a bike for Christmas. We had tested kids bikes at REI (very nice, but very expensive), and at Dick's sporting goods (they had a good Diamondback on display, but it was damaged).I had a neighbor to hide the box in his garage when it arrived, and I put it together a few days later. It is shipped in the original Schwinn box, and it may not be durable enough for UPS shipping as we had several holes/tears in the box. (I found out during the assembly that I was missing some of the handlebar padding, which may have fallen through one of the box holes).
As for the assembly, well it could be better. I am an engineer, with a whole garage full of tools, and boy did I need all of my brains and my tools! Schwinn only sends a generic black-&-white booklet for assembly instructions, and they might as well not send any for this bike. As an engineer, I have written hundreds of work instructions to be used in multi-language environments, and my wife has a masters in Technical Communication. We both concluded that Schwinn definitely needs to do some work on the booklet. Luckily I was able to figure stuff out on my own.
I had one problem putting the front tire on, as the wheel posts on the forks were welded too close together. With a little bending and prying, the wheel finally dropped into place. I also had problems with the front brake adjustment (one side kept rubbing the wheel, and the cable connections needed adjustments. One hour later, everything was good.
Today was Christmas, and my son tried out the bike. He loved it, and rode it for about 45 minutes.
My summary: If you get it put together, it looks like it is durable enough to last for a couple of years. Until your son gets old enough to hit you up for a more expensive bike...
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Slightly Damaged during shipping
dgy from Los Angeles, CA - 3 out of 5.
I think bike itself looks and feels great. But a reflector was cracked (admittedly, a minor part), and the box was damaged with two large holes. It's a heavy product, but ideally they should pack it appropriately for shipping.0 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.
My son LOVES this bike!
R. Bertz - 5 out of 5.
Our son received this bike for his 4th birthday and is in love with it. So far, so good.0 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.
AWESOME BIKE!!!!
M. Ayers from Idaho - 5 out of 5.
We got this bike for our son's 4th birthday. It is a little heavy, but not too bad. He got on it as soon as we put it together (easy to assemble), and was peddaling up and down our street with no problems.We got him the orange one with flames, and it looks REALLY COOL! All the boys in the neighborhood like it.
We looked at all our local department stores, and none of the bikes seemed very good. We took a chance ordering this one and are very pleased. I think for what it cost it's a very good deal.
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Fun...Fun...Fun
Stacie A. Murdoch from Sunnyvale, CA United States - 5 out of 5.
Our son is 3 years old...BUT his is a verrry BIG 3 year old. This bike is perfect for him. It is nice and sturdy. Some of the other bikes that we tested out in the store seemed like they were going to fall apart. I appreciate the fact that this bike is a bit heavier than the others and our son doesn't seem to have any problems with it. He LOVES it!0 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.
great purchase
M. Landers - 5 out of 5.
Bought this bike for our 4 1/2 year old. It was a great purchase. It is sturdy and well put together, and he loves it! We thought this bike looked a little on the orangish side from the pictures, but it is really a great color of red and we are very pleased with it.0 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Too heavy for kids of this age range
Dad of two crazy boys from Michigan - 1 out of 5.
Strength has nothing to do with weight in bicycles. I've had this bike for two years now. My oldest is 6 and a half and last year he could barely push this beast along. It's just too heavy. I have to push him first until he gains momentum. This year I was hopeful to finally take the training wheels off but after our first ride I can see I'm going to give up and get something lighter. My full size Marin is about half the weight of this and just as "strong."3 people voted this review as helpful and 1 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Great Quality!
Katherine Blackthorne from Chico, CA United States - 5 out of 5.
Before reading this, please understand that we sold our car last summer, so our family uses bikes for every-day commuting, be it to/from work, to/from preschool, or just grocery shopping. Bikes are less "toys" for us, than hard-working transportation that must function well!We got this for my son for the holidays, just before his 4th Birthday. There were some issues with the manufacturer that delayed shipping, but the seller made herculean (and successful!) efforts to make sure the bikes all arrived by Christmas.
My husband assembled this bike late Christmas Eve in the livingroom. While the manual was less than helpful for this (Schwinn, apparently, makes one general manual that covers all types of bikes, and therefore doesn't feel it necessary to make model-specific manuals -- or assembly instructions!), he was able to get it ready in a reasonable amount of time. Like all bikes, it comes with the tires deflated, so I had to take it to get air in them. (Perhaps this is why one reviewer complained the tires were fat and soft?)
I was immediately impressed with how sturdy the bike is. Strong. It looked cool -- it was also going to withstand anything my son was likely to put it through in the years to come!
The first time my son tried it, we discovered the training wheels were set too low: The rear tire wasn't making enough contact with the ground to give "drive". A two-second adjust, and that was fixed.
The low "rise" in front of the seat makes it easy for little boys to get on. The combination of coaster and hand-brakes gives many options for learning to stop. One unexpected "bonus"? The front pegs actually keep the weight of the bike OFF the body during falls!
We've had the bike for one month now. He's gone from shakily riding to the corner while I strolled slowly next to him, to riding it to school (a 3-mile trip).
PROS:
* Sturdy contstruction
* "real bike" quality
* coaster AND full-caliper brakes
* Reflectors
* Quick-adjust seat
* Front pegs make falls safer (who knew?)
* Bike is tall enough for an adult to "walk" without breaking their back
* Can easily keep up with an adult on a full-sized bike.
CONS:
* My son's hands are not yet LONG enough to use the caliper brakes, because the levers are so far from the handlebars.
* Handlebar structure makes it difficult to mount a basket
* Training wheels are loud. (But, then, all training wheels are loud.)
28 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Great first bike
Bryan M. Van Uden - 4 out of 5.
Easy to assemble, just make sure the tires are seated in the rims properly before inflating.0 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Needs Extra Christmas Help
Jane Doe from Louisiana - 5 out of 5.
The product was perfect, but everything leading up to its arrival was insane. I had to call three different times to check on the bike, but they could not tell me if it was shipped. I ordered the bike almost a month before Christmas and less than a week before Christmas I could not find out if it would be in on time. I canceled the order because they did not think it would be in before Christmas. I bought another bike, which is hard to find four days before Christmas, only to find the bike I cancelled in front of my door. They were disorganized, could not answer questions, and obviously cannot handle the overwhelming demand at Christmas time. I returned the second bike I thought we had to buy and ended up with the bike I ordered, but that was after numerous headaches, stress, an hour and a half of waiting time on the phone, and unanswered questions.0 people voted this review as helpful and 1 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Super Sweet Bike
John M. Williams from Knoxville, TN US - 4 out of 5.
My 6 year old son absolutely loves his new bike. It is great looking and easy for him to ride. The free style look makes him feel like a "big boy".1 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Best kids bike around
F. Ayd - 4 out of 5.
This thing is heavy - that's a good thing. The material is thick, the welds are great - it will last forever. Compared to other brands that I looked at, Schwinn's build is much, much better.The hand brakes are a little weak.
3 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Sherman Tank
Michael LaSala from Thousand Oaks, CA USA - 3 out of 5.
This bike was a birthday present for my 4 year old son. Overall the bike is a good value. But the one thing that is hard not to overlook is the bike's weight. This bike is very heavy.3 people voted this review as helpful and 2 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Damaged
Lori Halfen from Missouri - 1 out of 5.
When I got this bike, the box had been opened and resealed. There was rust on it, paint was chipped and rubbed off and a bolt was broken. Looks like I got a previously returned bike. I am in the process of returning the bike to Amazon, hopefully with no problems. Buy this bike from a store not Amazon. I purchased a similar Schwinn bike at Toys-r-us and it is a great bike, my 5 year old loves it.0 people voted this review as helpful and 1 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Extremely heavy
Ezra Schwartz from Hyde Park, IL United States - 1 out of 5.
Our 6 years old, who is tall and well built, fell in love with those bike when we were browsing Amazon for bikes. He loved the color. The price seemed a bit high, but given the brand, we were all waiting excitedly for the bikes to arrive. Great disappointment for me: I am appalled by how heavy those bikes are, compared to bikes our son's friends have, which are not less sturdy. I should have paid closer attention to the shipping weight: 45.8 pounds !!!! I did not weigh the bike, but its probably around 30 pounds, or about half of our son's weight! He is still mastering the art of bike riding, and falling with these bikes is painful due to their heft - lots of iron for little kid's bike. Fortunately, he is not really aware of those issues, and loves the color.16 people voted this review as helpful and 4 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Good bike for a new BIG BOY bike!!
C. Stony from PA, USA - 5 out of 5.
My son got this bike for his 4th birthday on March 14th, 2007. I chose this type due to liking Schwinn bikes for a long time...always had this type of bike for myself and my older children. Also, it may be a little large for a 4 year old, but I would like him to have it for some time, not just grow past it! Which is why I also liked that it came with training wheels!! Good sturdy bike that I think my son wil enjoy for a long time to come.8 people voted this review as helpful and 3 people voted this review as unhelpful.
You Get What You Pay For
Argyle - 2 out of 5.
It works, I'll give it that.The coaster brake causes so much drag on the hub that my five-year old has difficulty pedaling.
The bike is sturdy - too sturdy. It's too bulky and heavy to control well or get started without a push. The tires are so fat and soft they actually interfere with steering.
Like I wrote in the title: you get what you pay for. Spend the extra money - get a real bike at a real bike shop. It will make a real difference in your child's riding experience.
17 people voted this review as helpful and 1 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Looks good and sturdy
M. Waters from Denver, CO United States - 5 out of 5.
Got it today and it arrived quickly. Took about 30 minutes to assemble. Training wheels are loud. I think we need to oil it because it's hard to petal for my 4 1/2 year old. Overall, I think it will be a great bike. No complaints.4 people voted this review as helpful and 1 people voted this review as unhelpful.
Great bike, great delivery time, great experience
E. Dostal from Orlando, Florida - 5 out of 5.
Very high quality product. My rough and tumble son has taken a few spills on it already and it is holding up outstanding. I Highly recommend it!!7 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.