Ask any adult and no doubt they’ll be able to tell you about their first bike or the adventures they had on two wheels as a youngster. A bike provides kids freedom, confidence road cc best road bikes and everlasting memories, not to mention the honing of fine motor skills and muscle development, and so choosing the right one is pretty important! There are no specific rules for buying a particular bike for a child. However, the tips below should point you in the right direction.
Choosing the right size and approximate age guidelines
Selecting the right size bike for a child might seem like a simple equation, but there’s a lot more information to consider than age alone. As you’ll see from the recommendations we’ve made below, many of the sizes overlap in age and are more dependent upon height, not to mention confidence and ability.
It’s essential when selecting a bike that you don’t choose a size the child will ‘grow into’. As the size of a bike increases, so does it’s weight, making it more challenging to manoeuvre. An increase in height raises the centre of gravity and makes it harder to balance. As a result, if you choose a bike that is too large, your child may have difficulty riding it and not enjoy the experience. Use the age and height recommendations below as a guide. Be mindful that the best way to know if the bike is the right size is to see if the child can comfortably stand over the bike with both feet flat on the ground, comfortably reach the pedals from the seat, and comfortably reach the handlebars when sitting.
It’s also important to note that unlike adult bikes that are measured via the frame, kids bikes are measured by wheel size, and so the size is not indicative of the frame size or seat height of the bike. As well as looking at the bikes tyre size, be aware of the minimum and maximum seat height to make sure the child can fit the bike.
Age 18 months + / Balance bikes
Balance bikes are designed to suit children from as young as 18 months and teach balance, fine motor skills and good habits right from the get-go. These bikes have no pedals and rely on the child to push themselves along with their feet. They are a great introduction to cycling and will make the progression to balancing a pedal bike much easier when compared to progressing from using training wheels.
For a comprehensive understanding of these bikes and which ones we recommend, read our Ultimate Guide to Buying a Balance Bike article.
Age 2 – 4 / Wheel size 12in
12in bikes are often a child’s first pedal bike and are designed for two to four-year-olds or those between 85cm – 110cm. As this is often the first foray into cycling, you want to look for simplistic designs without things that could complicate their riding experiences like multiple gears, lever-operated rear hand brake or front suspension.
Feeling comfortable and developing confidence is crucial at this point so ensure the fit is correct and the child is happy with the look and feel of the bike. The frame is likely to be made out of either steel or aluminium, the latter being the preferred (but more expensive) option as it will be lighter and resistant to rust.
Expect the bike to come with trainer wheels and a rear coaster brake, potentially a front lever-operated handbrake too. Children of this age often lack the hand strength to operate this type of brake, but it can be a crucial learning consideration as it will get the child used to using the handbrake to slow down. When the child is prepared to do this will vary depending on their physical ability, confidence and strength. Around three-four years is a useful guide.
Age 2 – 5 / Wheel size 14in
14in bikes share virtually the same form and features as 12in bikes but with slightly larger tyre size. Much of the industry work with wheel sizes of 12in, 16in, 20in and 24in to simplify the progression but some brands, such as Byk, skip the industry’s more common 12in size in favour of a larger 14in wheel. Larger wheels provide better stability, a smoother ride and increased speed.
The age and height recommendations are very similar for 12in and 14in bikes. So the choice is likely to be decided by your budget, brand preferences and availability as 12in bikes are far more common.
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