Madd Gear Urban Glide Commuter Kick Scooter with 12" Air-Filled Tires - Sturdy Adult & Teen Scooter for City Commuting, Campus Travel & Urban Adventures

Just received it today. Easy assembly. Very Solid frame with handbrake and large 12 inch BMX type AIR tires. We initially bought another brand scooter with 'solid rubber' tires for our 10 year old son. The frame was good on that one, but the main problem was the 'solid rubber' 9 inch tires. Because the brake is on the rear tire there is less weight on it and therefore it skids easily and more often. After about 1-2 months of frequent riding, the rear tire developed a large flat spot that made the scooter unrideable. The manufacturer was only reachable through the question and answer part of on Amazon site. I could not find any other way to contact them outside Amazon. That was very frustrating because the manufacturer wanted me to put my address and telephone number on the Amazon Q&A section for that scooter, which I find an unacceptable method of obtaining a replacement tire. Therefore, I looked for a brand name scooter that had 'air filled' and larger 12 inch tires for ride stability over rocks and sidewalks. I also wanted a company here in the USA that was primarily scooters and would be easy to contact outside of Amazon to answer support and spare part questions. I came across this Madd Gear company. They have a complete company website outside of Amazon which is very good if you need the contact them directly. The scooter I received today from them is Rock Solid and my son loves it. It is reasonably priced for the high build quality. If you're buying a first scooter for your slightly older 8-12 child, I would highly recommend this model Madd Gear scooter. I would not recommend getting solid rubber tire scooters. While searching on the replacement tires, I came across other instances of people having the same flat spot issue and need to get replacement tires. Overall, I'm completely satisfied with the Madd Gear scooter. Rock solid construction, big air tires for stability over uneven terrain, nice handbrake for quick braking application (vs. the rear foot press brake that can confuse kids, especially if they need to stop quickly), and a nice tall height steering handle for taller kids. While it would nicer to have a rear 'disc' brake for greater general and wet stopping power, the caliper/rubber pad braking is fine for us because my son won't be riding the scooter in the rain. I imagine the caliber/pad braking system also makes rear tire replacement easier and less expensive.