Of course we’re talking about your first wheels… a tricycle!
For little kids learning how to get around on their own, tricycles were often the very first taste of independence. These sturdy three-wheelers gave kids the chance to ride without tipping over, and they’ve been part of everyday family life in the United States for more than a hundred years. Whether parked in driveways, spinning around sidewalks or zipping through living rooms, tricycles were once a familiar sight almost anywhere small children could be found.
The first child-size tricycles showed up in the late 1800s, patterned after adult models that were mostly pedal-powered alternatives to horses. By the early 20th century, tricycles had become widely available for children, with many made from steel and built to take a beating. Over time, design updates brought lower seats, bigger front wheels and more colorful features. In the 1940s and 1950s, a fire truck-style trike might come with real bells and ladders. By the 1970s, tricycles came in bolder colors, with flashy fenders, plastic streamers and sometimes even a rear deck to stand on while being pushed.
These little machines helped kids build motor skills, coordination and confidence. They were popular in nurseries and preschools for exactly that reason. Kids learned to pedal, steer and watch where they were going all at once. Trikes also gave children the chance to explore their surroundings a bit on their own terms. Even the smallest ride down a driveway or around the kitchen table could feel like a big adventure.
Manufacturers like AMF, Murray and Radio Flyer each brought their own styles to the tricycle world. Some made models that looked like mini cars or motorcycles, while others stuck to basic red-and-white steel frames with wide whitewall tires. In families with more than one child, trikes often got handed down over the years, patched up with new seats or pedals and rolled out again for another go.
Over the years and across the miles, a tricycle has been a rite of pedaling passage for generations of toddlers and preschoolers. Check out our collection of vintage pictures of old trikes, along with some cute snapshots of kids and their beloved three-wheelers. And tell us in the comments: What was your first ride like?
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The Hugger sporty vintage tricycle from the 1970s
The Hugger features a large scoop seat with back rest… A sparkling metalized fender with red trim… step-up-Econopack frame with sturdy top step deck
Retro purple AMF tricycle (1971)
VINTAGE TRICYCLE — DUO-DECK SERIES: Featured Step-Up Econopak frame / Sturdy top step deck / 2″ tubular steel head 11/4″ tubular steel backbone / Chrome plated head fittings / Chrome plated steel Gothic fender / Ball bearing pedal wheel / Chain tread 15/s” whitewall tires / Adjustable 3/4″ chrome plated handlebars / Spinner type plated hub caps / Adjustable contour-styled white saddle with flamboyant magenta trim / Flamboyant magenta finish with white trim
Cute vintage green trike from the 70s
Vintage red firetruck-style tricycle
DUO-DECK FIRE TRIKE: Step-Up Econopak frame / Sturdy top step deck / 2″ tubular steel head / 11/4″ tubular steel backbone / Chrome plated head fittings / Chrome handrails with two 4-rung white ladders / Fire Chief windshield and fire bell mounted on handlebar / Metallized fender with red trim / Ball bearing pedal wheel / Chain tread 15/s” whitewall tires with red inner stripe / Adjustable 3/4″ chrome plated high-riser handlebars / Adjustable contour-styled white saddle with flamboyant red trim / Flamboyant red finish, white trim
Little boy riding his trike in the house on the carpet (1970)
Tony’s little red trike (c1970s)
Photo thanks to Daniel M. Hendricks
Retro red kiddie trikes
Cute vintage red-orange tricycle from 1971
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Nancy takes off down the driveway
Santa Rosa, California – around 1974
A shiny new trike for Christmas!
Vintage Christmastime in Hawaii
Fast-Trac green tricycles from the seventies
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Two kids waiting to take their new trike home (1969)
In the nursery schoolyard
San Mateo, California – 1963
Photo thanks to Pip R. Lagenta
Kids riding trikes by the carport (1960)
Mark on a tricycle (c1950s)
Boy taking his trike to the Ford dealership (1953)
Boy trying to stand on a tricycle (1951)
Vickie & Nick riding around Seattle
Pictures from around 1947-1948
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Roger on a trike (1941)
“I am on my tricycle in front of our home… in Rockford, Illinois. My father probably took this photo around August 1941, when I was five years old.
“My brothers (twins) had been born in June. I had been sent off to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin while they were born. I figure that my cousins Pearl and Punk, who rented my grandfather’s farm, gave me this expired license plate. I must have been proud of it.”
Photo (and story) thanks to roger4336!Photo thanks to Quinn Dombrowski
4-wheel Kar-Bike – like a tricycle (1940s)
Speedy! Smooth! Safe! It will not tip even on downhill corners! Watch their eyes light up when they see this Kar-Bike!
Fast…as they like it, with the kind of safety you’ll approve! Streamlined… modern, in bright red with white, and all the engineering features to delight children 2-1/2 to 7 years.
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Twin girls on trikes
This snapshot dates from about 1940, and was taken in Petersburg or Wrangell, Alaska.
Photo thanks to Tom Brandt
John’s outstanding on his trike
Photo thanks to Akuppa John Wigham
Learning to ride in Florida
Sometime in the 1940s or 1950s
Trike with wooden blocks on the pedals!
Photo thanks to Weibel Kids
Boys with a tent and a trike
Photo thanks to anyjazz65
Terry on his tricycle
On reverse: To Coinne – Terry P Campbell, 2-1/2 yrs old to the day
Photo thanks to anyjazz65
Baby on a trike
Her feet can’t yet reach the pedals!
Photo thanks to anyjazz65
Learning to ride a tricycle (1928)
On the reverse of this picture: “Dec 30, 1928 / 2 yrs, 3 mos, 9 days.”
Photo thanks to anyjazz65
Antique photograph: Trike with a passenger
Photo thanks to Elaine
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One Response
i have a tricycle with wooden wheels wrapped with steel. the seat is steel with the name washington and an axe cut out of it. would you like pics. have been told it is from late 1800s