LEGO City 60512 Mountain Bike Adventure Van Review: A $20 Trail Day Gift

As (formerly) avid mountain bikers, us at BrickReport had to pickup the LEGO City 60512 Mountain Bike Adventure Van (at the time of writing, it's backordered on lego.com). It's another set like the LEGO City 60312 Police Car or LEGO 60447 Off-Road Mountain Truck that is perfect as a gift — cheap enough that you are not sweating the price, but still enough of a build that it feels like a real present.

What you get in the box

This one sits in that sweet LEGO City gift tier: a van, two mountain bikes, two rider minifigures, and a pile of trail-day accessories. Official piece count is 260 for $19.99, so you are looking at roughly $0.08 per piece — the same price band as the Off-Road Mountain Truck, with more bike-specific play packed in.

Here's what's inside, at a glance:

• Set number: 60512
• Theme: LEGO City (Great Outdoors)
• Pieces: 260
• Price: $19.99
• Age: 7+
• Minifigures: 2 mountain bike riders
• Vehicles: adventure van + 2 mountain bikes
• Dimensions: over 3.5 in. (8 cm) high, 6 in. (16 cm) long, 2.5 in. (6 cm) wide
• Key features: chunky rubber tires, opening rear doors, sliding side door, fold-down rear bike rack, opening hood
• Accessories: cycling helmets, bike repair stand, wrench, spare tire, pump, water bottle, first aid kit, tool crate
• Suggested build time: a short evening / under an hour for most adults

The build

Instructions are clear and kid-friendly — that 9.0 on our brickScore is earned. You start with the chassis and wheel arches, then work up into the cabin and cargo bay. The sliding side door and rear doors go on mid-build, and the fold-down bike rack lands toward the end once the back of the van is solid.

Nothing here is tricky. Stickers do most of the decorating (more on that below), and the bikes themselves are quick little side builds that feel more like play accessories than a second model. When you are done, the van holds together well enough for kids to roll it around, open the doors, drop the rack, and load the bikes.

Minifigures, bikes, and accessories

Two riders, two bikes, and a crate of trail gear — this is where the set earns its name. The bikes clip onto the fold-down rear rack, which is the standout play feature for us. Helmets, a repair stand, wrench, spare tire, and pump give kids something to do once they "get to the trailhead."

If you are building out a LEGO City outdoors corner, this pairs nicely with the Off-Road Mountain Truck and the LEGO 60454 Holiday Camper Van — the other van in the current City lineup. Want something even smaller and cheaper for a party bag? The Police Car still wins that race. For another low-cost City vehicle in the same gift bucket, see our LEGO 60487 Yellow Taxi review.

Stickers vs printed parts

Our main gripe is the same one we had on the mountain truck: stickers instead of printed parts. At $19.99 we get why LEGO went that route, but once you have applied a sheet full of graphics you feel it. The bikes and play features still carry the set — we just wish a few of those panels were printed.

Is the LEGO 60512 Mountain Bike Adventure Van worth it?

Yes, if you want a cheap, giftable LEGO City set with more play than a plain car. At $19.99 for 260 pieces, two minifigures, two bikes, and a fold-down rack, it sits right next to the Off-Road Mountain Truck as an easy birthday or holiday pick. As former mountain bikers, we were always going to enjoy this one — the bike rack and accessories are the fun of it. Just know you are buying stickers with your van.