Children always enjoy being active and having fun. A bicycle is just right for such a purpose. The first bike is a pretty delicate thing. Since it is intended for children, such a bicycle should be as comfortable as possible. It is important that the child feels confident on it.
Therefore, such a bike should combine good performance and design. One of these bicycles is the Stels Pilot 190. Its characteristics can be found in this article.
General information
Stels Pilot 190 is produced by Velomotors. It has been on the market for more than 15 years, therefore it is more or less known. The company produces bicycles and motorcycles. The main products are budget bikes that everyone can afford. Stels Pilot bikes are for children only. They are too small for teens. The frame size is only 10 inches. Suitable for the age category from 4 to 6 years, that is, children with growth up to 125 centimeters.
The latest version of the model was released in 2017. This is worth paying attention to. Every year something new is introduced, so bicycles may differ from each other in some characteristics. Design is also very important. The Stels Pilot 190 is all right here. This model has a good selection of colors.
Usually they produce a Stels Pilot bike in such colors: white, red, green, gray, pink, yellow.
Frame
This is one of the most important parts of every bike. The many characteristics of the Stels Pilot 190 bike depend on it. For this vehicle, the frame is made of a special aluminum alloy. This is a clear plus, since this material is lighter and more resistant to corrosion than ordinary steel. The weight of the Stels Pilot 190 is a little more than 10 kilograms. So it will not be difficult for parents to lift it up the stairs. The geometry of the frame is the simplest. It is tested by generations. This design is unpretentious and strong enough. Therefore, the bike can serve for a very long time.
Fork
The degree of ride comfort on a bike depends on the depreciation. Since the Stels Pilot 190 is designed for children, the bike is designed to ride in yards and sidewalks. Such surfaces do not need cushioning. Rigid stands here - an ordinary rigid fork without a spring.
This is an ideal option for the city. It is light and reliable, since it has no springs and elastomers, it does not require special care. To break it, you have to try very hard.
Wheels
Since the bike is designed for children, the size of the rim here is only 18 inches. It’s just right for the kids. Tires are wide and with a relief tread, so the Stels Pilot 190 kids bike can ride on any surface. The rims are the simplest. They do not have additional walls that make the structure more resistant to deformation. Therefore, it is advisable not to jump on such a bike from high borders and not to crash into various obstacles. From this, a figure-eight may appear on the wheel. Such curvature negatively affects the roll - this is how the bike will ride.
Brake system
It is the basis of skiing safety. Most often, they put one brake on a children's bike. The "Stealth 190" has both foot and manual. This is necessary for greater braking performance. The foot is responsible for the rear wheel, and the manual for the front.
The last of them by design refers to the rim type. Its principle is very simple: 2 pads are driven by a lever and clamp the rim. Its minus is that this type of brake depends on the wheel itself. As usual rims on this bike, they can be deformed. With a curved wheel you will have to release the brake, otherwise the pads will constantly cling and brake.
Transmission
Singlespeed is a design that has been tested for centuries. Translated from English means "one speed." Everything is very simple: on this bike there is only one asterisk in front and behind. It will be hard to ride uphill, but it’s not so scary. But there are some advantages. No need to constantly look after the system and configure it. It is enough just to lubricate the chain in time, and this transmission will live a very long time.
Optional accessories
In addition to the bike itself, some useful “gadgets” also go to it. First of all, you need to evaluate the protection. More likely, the Stealth 190 will be the first bike for a child. That is, it will still have to learn to ride on it. And this is not as simple as it seems at first. Such training will be accompanied by failures and falls. Some "lotions" installed on this bike will help to avoid many unpleasant moments and at least a little to secure the ride.
With a sharp stop, the body flies forward by inertia. And this means that if the baby crashes into something, it can hit its head on the steering wheel. On the bike there are special foam paddings for the crossbar and the steering wheel. Thus, several bruises can be avoided.
There are some sharp elements on the bike. One of these are asterisks. If you fall from the bike, you can touch them. Such an incident will certainly not end in good. You can easily scratch your leg. Therefore, children's bicycles are often placed a special partition that closes the sprockets and chains. She also saves clothes from getting on the chain. It can be jammed and stained with grease.
Not everyone can go the first time. Therefore, to be more confident, in addition to the "Stealth 190" are additional wheels. They help keep balance. If the child brings, then additional wheels do not allow him to fall. They are attached very simply with the help of 2 nuts to the rear axle. You can adjust their height. The higher they are, the easier it is for the child to ride on his own. When he already feels confident, then they can be removed just as quickly.
To make the children more comfortable riding, a wide saddle with springs was installed on the bike. It is very soft, so you can sit on it for a long time. Since in many yards and parks the situation with the road surface is not encouraging, such a saddle will at least somehow soften the blows from potholes and pits. To constantly give sound signals to people around you, a factory bell is installed on the steering wheel. Also for riding in bad weather there are wings. They are easily attached and removed, but they have their own characteristics.
Stels Pilot 190 reviews
Like all things, this bike has its negative and positive sides. A big advantage, according to customers, is the price of the Stels Pilot 190. Almost every store gives it for $ 150. This is pretty good compared to other import options. He is so popular, because many can afford it. Since the frame is made of aluminum alloy, the design is relatively light. This also applies to the pros. For children, appearance is very important. Therefore, the manufacturer made sure that among the models there was a large color choice. The handles are pretty comfortable. They do not rub their palms and do not slip out while riding. In general, the bike is quite simple and reliable. He does not have such basic parts that could break and disable the unit.
But at the same time, “Pilot 190” also has its drawbacks. And there are also a lot of them. One of the most important is the steering wheel. This model has the most ordinary one, which simply cannot be adjusted to the height of the child (at least the saddle is adjustable). This creates some problems. If the child grows up too fast, then it will become uncomfortable for him to ride such a bike.
The second big problem is the wings. This is the eternal problem of Stealth. The same situation with all the other bicycles of this company. She puts on her bikes shortened sport-type wings. Since they cover a maximum of one third of the entire wheel, they can help little against a puddle. All clothes still get dirty. There are two ways out: either buy full wings, which will completely cover the entire wheel, or remove them. They are removed very easily. Simply unscrew the bolts.
Some owners complain of the unpleasant smell of rubber that comes from tires. This is the result of using cheap rubber. But do not worry about this, as it will soon disappear after a couple of bike rides. The call is made very poorly. If the bike falls on it, it may break, as it is made of plastic.