Tonka Mighty Tough Bike 12"

Twelve-inch bicycles are a good choice for younger children who are ready to make the move from a tricycle to a two-wheeled bike. While there are few reviews of 12-inch kids' bikes, the Tonka Mighty Tough Bike does get high marks from parents on online review sites. Reviewers say it's a good starter bike, and they appreciate the removable training wheels for teaching their kids to ride. The Tonka Mighty Tough Bike has a full chain guard, which is an important safety feature that prevents pants from getting stuck in the chain. On a negative note, the Tonka Mighty Tough is very heavy, and the seat doesn't adjust much. Several parents complain that their child was too tall or too short for the bike, so try it out in the store if you can. Twelve-inch bikes are suitable for 2- to 4-year-olds, or kids with inseams between 14 and 17 inches. Tonka doesn't make a corresponding girls' version, but we found good owner-written reviews for the Huffy Sea Star (*Est. $39), a 12-inch bike with training wheels designed for girls.

There are few professional reviews of 12-inch kids' bikes, so user reviews provide the best information on the Tonka Mighty Tough Bike. Reviews at Amazon.com and Walmart.com are helpful and reasonably detailed. There are more than 100 individual reviews at Walmart.com alone.