Twelve inch wheel bikes are rare. On reason, not a ton of really little kids (think 2 years) are ready to pedal unassisted at such a young age. Another reason, many 14 inch wheel bikes offer similar minimum seat heights and bike weights. The Cleary Gecko fills that hole of a 12 inch bike with a free-wheel for the tiniest of aggressive riders (see this post why you don't want a coaster brake).
Toddlers with an inseam of 15-18 inches best fit this bike which does make it possible to jump to a Cleary Hedgehog 16 inch bike from the Gecko 12. The really low minimum seat of 15 inches is possible thanks to the bikes geometry and an integrated seat post/seat that forgoes raised mounting rails. Unfortunately kids grow but fortunately you will be able to skip a 14 inch wheel bike in this case because the sizing is so close.
Another benefit of the 12 inch wheels and low seat height is you can use the Gecko as a balance bike by just removing the cranks and pedals. This allows for an easy transition to pedaling when kiddo is ready.
A third reason you don't see many 12 inch wheel bikes is the difficulty in frame design. Creating something rideable around such tiny wheels is tough. With 89mm cranks, cleary was able to get a use-able bottom bracket height and still get enough pedal clearance to the ground. However, there is no denying a more stable bike is easier achieved with 14 inch wheels whereby you get a BB height closer to wheel axle height. The 70 degree head angle and wheelbase of the Gecko does help with stability despite the higher bottom bracket to wheel axle ratio.
The new cockpit serves to widen the bar and raise it up over the previous steel frame. This results in a slightly less aggressive riding position. That said, make no mistake, this is still a bike for the 2-3 year old shredder who likes stand up and mash on the pedals around the cul-de-sac. If kiddo is flying around on their balance bike, leaning forward and jumping off curbs; this little bike could be the ticket.
Drivetrain
A 25T front chainring and a 13T freewheel cog make for a very light gear ratio. This makes it easy for the kids to gain momentum off the start. The hub on the Cleary allows you to thread on another freewheel on the opposite side of the 13T should you want to experiment with a different gear ratio.
Wheelset/Tires
The 2.25 inch tires may seem like overkill but they are really amazing for kids that ride on trails. You can lower the tire pressure for loads of grip and a bit of dampening for these future MTB kids. There is not a lot clearance for the tire at the v-brake cable so it may be an issue in super muddy conditions. We never had a problem.
Brakes
The junior tektro v-brakes are great. An easy pull with kid sized levers, make sure to dial in the reach of the lever to fit their little hands (see video).
Touch points
Cleary provides nice plastic pedals with decent grip for the little tykes without the worry of sharp pins. A nice low diameter bar pairs nicely with 19mm grips for little hands. The width of the bar is 500mm which can be cut down for fit. Further refined, the plush vegan leather seat has a nice parent handle to help with learning to pedal.
What fell short?
The main thing we would change in the Gecko would be narrower Q-factor crank arms to bring the kids feet even closer together width wise. The Gecko does have a lower Q factor than department store bikes but we would like to see it even narrower. A narrower Q-factor would help improve the pedaling ergonomics for these tiny cyclists as they would not be so bow legged when cranking down the sidewalk.
Other little nitpicks would be the clearance issue of the tire at the brake cable and the lack of quick release at the seat-post (easily fixed on Amazon for $7).
The Bike Dads' Take:
"The new alloy Cleary Gecko is the smallest of bikes. Packed with kid friendly features like low diameter grips, easy pull brakes, smooth rounded kid friendly axle bolts and a vegan leather seat with parent handle, this little freewheel platform offers a premium bike for the skilled 2-3 year old. If kiddo is shredding the balance bike and asking for pedals at a very young age, this is a bike to take it the next level!" -Jack
