Guardian Kids Bikes Ethos. 16/20/24 Inch, Multiple Colors for Boys/Girls. Safer Brake System for Kids. Lightweight Steel Construction. Easy Assembly. ASO SharkTank.

To give a little background on my kid’s-bike buying adventure, I spent a good amount of time on the Two-Wheelin Tots website. The way they explain things on there just makes sense. For instance, I see kids riding around on those cheap "big box store" bikes and the kid looks so awkward on it - their legs don't have room, the handle bars are up to their shoulders and the whole thing looks unstable. A dead give-away that the bike isn’t designed well is if it looks like a toy instead of a miniature adult bike. Two Wheelin' Tots explains in basic terms the concept of bike frame geometry and the importance of having a light weight bike with a low center of gravity and a longer wheel base.In other words, If a bike is uncomfortable because it sits too high and is unstable, or it's too heavy, it makes it harder for a new rider to learn. The better the bike's geometry and weight, the easier it is to ride and the more likely a kid is to keep at it and they’ll actually enjoy the bike.The Ethos has a steel frame and is listed as being 20lbs. To compare, the Schwinn Koenn is about 25lbs for the same 16 inch size but other brands like Raleigh make a 16 inch that’s around 19lbs. The Guardian Original is a lighter aluminum frame but the smallest size of those is a 20 inch.My oldest kid, who was 5 at the time, was very timid with anything remotely resembling “adventure”. We got a balance bike for his little brother but he was too big for a trainer like that. So, after a lengthy amount of research into various brands and hoping to get the “best bang for the buck”, we went with the Guardian.The 5 year old was pretty hesitant at first but instead of running behind him, holding on to the seat and hoping he caught on to peddling a bike suddenly, I went with another suggestion - I left the peddles off the Guardian Bike and let him cruise around like it was a regular balance bike. Once he was comfortable with the feel and weight of the bike (which was about a week), I put the peddles on. As he already had confidence in the bike from walking and coasting around on it, he started getting the hang of peddling pretty soon after. Now he’s a bike ridin’ fool, cruising around all over the place.One thing we ran into though, and it was purely my fault, is that the 16 inch was just about maxed out for the height limit when we first bought it for my kid - I should have looked at the specs more closely… Luckily his more coordinated brother was ready to move on from the balance bike pretty quick so we just bumped the older one up from the 16 inch to a 20 inch. And because we liked the Guardian bikes so much, we went with the 20 inch Guardian Ethos and moved the younger onto the 16 inch Guardian.Now to tackle all the features and some very minor drawbacks.The biggest touted feature of the Guardian bikes is their SureStop brake system. There's 1 brake handle on the right grip that works the rear brake. When the brake pads grab the rim of the tire, the thing that holds the brake pads slide forward, pulling a secondary cable that actuates the front brake. As Two Wheelin' Tots explains, coaster brakes are not ideal for kids learning to ride a big-kid bike because they tend to balance by peddling backwards. With coaster brakes, this locks up the rear wheel and the kid goes skidding off. Some bikes have only a rear wheel hand-brake but this may not give enough stopping power. Other bikes have separate front and rear brakes (like all adult bikes have) but small kids may not catch the concept of going light on the front brake when stopping and they end up going over the handlebars.A few other things I like - the chain-guard on the front crank helps keep errant shoe laces and pant-legs from getting snagged, the seat seems well made and is well cushioned, and the whole thing is just well made from the smaller components to the rims and tires and the frame itself.The bike comes mostly assembled so there’s minimal Christmas Eve night or birthday-eve headaches. Aside from setting the bike up for your kid’s height/inseam, the only thing you have to do is put the handlebars into position, put the seat on, put the peddles on, then tighten everything down.As for the drawbacks - the previously mentioned weight of the bike can be an issue for little riders but my bird-boned middle child is only about 35lbs and he can still peddle it around with ease, so long as he doesn’t encounter any long inclines or any semi-steep hills.Another thing - as with any object that has moving parts, the more complicated it is, the more chance there is for a problem at some point. We’ve had the 16 inch Guardian bike for almost a year and haven’t had any issues with the special braking system but I foresee it being a pain when it needs to be tuned up or taken off for any reason. There’s very little movement when the little brake pad things slide forward to actuate the front brake, so getting the tension on the cable to be “just right” may require some patience - I’m hoping it’ll be easier done than said but I suppose only time will tell. Right now, since it’s 105 degrees outside, the bikes aren’t getting used much, so with luck the kids will be gentle on the bikes until they grow out of them and I won’t have to deal with it.Last of all is the price. The listed price when I wrote this review was $240. I bought mine when there was a sale going on so I snagged the 16 inch for about $190. It’s a great bike for $190 but at the $240 range, you can get a Trek, Giant, or other similar better-known-brand of bike. However, the other 16 inch bikes from these big brands lack the braking system that the Guardian has, and they all seem to have coaster brakes (which I hate) regardless of whether or not they also have a hand brake - so the Guardian does earn a win for me there. These other big brands may not have the best kids-bike geometry in their lower $200 price range as well - obviously their ridiculously expensive competition bikes will be honed-in to perfection but their lower end, suburban family bikes may not have all the features and design qualities of the Guardian so do your homework if you look elsewhere.Again, these bikes are built very well. I’ve looked at the common cheap bikes and the way the tires are so close together with high handlebars and a frame made of what feels like lead when you lift it, they’re just terrible for kids trying to learn how to ride. My neighbors who have kids the same age as mine were all impressed that my little guys took to riding a bike so quickly - My kids are NOT coordinated - They catch footballs with their faces instead of their hands, sort of coordinated - So I chalk it up to a well designed bike that the kids are comfortable on and can handle with ease.

I bought this bike based on its focus on safety. My daughter is 6 and did not grow up with a balance bike or bike with safety wheels. We started using the bike for about 20 minutes a day without the pedals so she could learn to balance and break. By day 7 she was ready for the pedals and learned to ride the bike with not more than a push. Since then I've seen a marked improvement in her confidence and skills. The safety breaks system is ideal and easy to use. My daughter is getting used to the gear system and as she develops the motor skills needed to navigate riding, and changing gears. But already she is pretty comfortable with it.The bike was easy to assemble. When I called their customer helpline about one of the steps they provided good advice which got me through the assembly. As my daughter is tall for her age 50+ inches the bike is a perfect fit which will allow her to grow into the upper seat and handlebar adjustments for years to come. I couldn't be more pleased with the overall bike and would highly recommend it.

Unfortunately, my six year old was stuck with riding his old 12" bike for faaar too long. We have four children, so most of our bikes are handed down from one to the other. However, once they migrate to the 20" bikes, I always try to by something quality that will last a while.My first instinct is always to go to our local bike shop to support, however, with the COVID-19 items, stock was extremely limited and knew they had more pressing things on their mind. I read several reviews for bikes for my son and decided to value both quality and budget and take a rider on the Guardian. I was unfamiliar with the brand (but then again, I am not a biker, so I typically rely on the bike shop's expertise).I ordered the bike through Amazon and it arrived very quickly. Setup was a snap and my son was off and riding on a bike built for him. The braking system works great, although he still likes to skid out :). The bike is well built, sturdy, and the color scheme was perfect for him (went with the Black/Red).Very pleased with the bike and its construction. Although there is some guilt not supporting my local bike shop during these times, I found this bike to be a perfect fit for my budget!

I did a good bit of research on a first pedal bike for my 5 year old and decided on the guardian ethos based on 1. it is very light compared to most bikes on the market for this age making it much easier for a young child to handle and learn on; and 2. It is one of the only bikes (certainly at this price point) that has a hand brake instead of coaster brakes. Since my daughter had already learned to use a hand brake on her balance bike I did not want to go backwards with a coaster. Other bikes with these features are more expensive so I landed on the guardian ethos.My 5 year old was cruising around the neighborhood the very first time she got on. I really think the weight makes a big difference for this age. She was extremely proud and happy, as were her parents! She loved the look of it too.Assembly was easy and the instructional video was simple to follow. I am not handy and was able to do this in about 10 minutes.I wish it came with a bell. Seems silly but at this age, a bell is an important feature (in the kid’s mind) and I bought a separate one on amazon and it didn’t fit as the handle bars may be a little slimmer in diameter than average. But that’s not even close to a complaint with this great bike.