Your Kid’s childhood memory is incomplete without riding a bicycle with friends. Think about your childhood, I am sure you also have golden memories of riding a children bicycle in your home town, village, and mountain track. It is the best value-adding gift that you can buy for your child. Kids love bicycles because it brings energy, excitement, roaming, and discovery thrill in their life.
Are you willing to give these feelings and a sense of freedom to your child? If yes give them a children’s bicycle.
There are many varieties from balance three wheels children bicycle to crazy mountain bicycle with suspension. There are lots of options available for your kid in today’s market. Among dozens of varieties, it is really hard to choose the perfect one for your kid.
This buying guide is specifically designed for you and I will guide you about tips and tricks to choose a good road bicycle for your child. In the first section, you will learn about the important features of bicycles and in the second section, I will provide you with brief information about different sizes of bicycles so you can select the best one for your kid.
Why your Child needs A Bicycle?
You should get a children bicycle for your kids as it gives confidence and a feeling of independence. Bicycle is a great alternative to move them away from TV or gaming consoles and explore outdoor activity. Cycling is also a great way to increase family bonding whether it’s on Sunday, an evening bicycle ride, or a whole day trip with family.
What Size of Bicycle Do I Need to buy?
Picking the right size bicycle is important for both the safety and comfort of your child. It is important to know that every child is different in terms of height and development. If a children bicycle is too large for your kids, they can’t balance it. Similarly, if it’s too short in size, your child’s legs will crunch with the handle and the ride will become uncomfortable.
The best way to select the right size bicycle for your kid is to put them on a bicycle and take a short test ride. Observe whether your child is scared or enjoying the ride. Have a proper view of his legs and height. Children’s bicycles are manufactured based on wheel size.
Inseam size measurement of your child is essential for selecting the right bicycle and comfortability. To measure your child inseam, follow the given steps:
- Take a measuring tape, a book and stand your kid with the wall.
- Make sure the feet of your child touch the wall.
- Put the book between your child’s legs and spine where the leg’s height finishes.
- Mark this height on the wall with a pencil and measure it with tape.
- This is your child’s inseam Height.
You can select a children bicycle according to the wheel size with the help of the following size chart
| Wheel Size | Kids Height (In) | Age | Inseam (Inside leg length) |
| 12-inch | 30-39 | 2-4 | 12-17 |
| 14-inch | 37-44 | 3-5 | 16-20 |
| 16-inch | 39-48 | 5-8 | 18-22 |
| 20-inch | 42-52 | 6-10 | 21-25 |
| 24-inch | 50-58 | 8-12 | 24-28 |
| 26-inch | 56+ | 10+ |
Things to Consider Before Buying A Children Bicycle
Gear:
Gears are not recommended in kid’s bicycles. According to experts, it is a useless item in kid’s bicycles. At an early age, kids face balancing issues when trying to learn a bicycle. So it’s good for your child that they have a single speed or speed-sensitive gear in a bicycle. As they overcome balancing issues and develop riding skills, then it’s time to add more gears to the bicycle.
Tires:
It depends upon where your child rides a bicycle. Different types of tires are required on different riding paths. Tires with more treading on them will be recommended for new riders as they can handle paths easily. Tires with little threading are good for roads and sealed environment.
Saddle:
It is commonly known as a bicycle seat. It is as important as a bicycle. The kid’s saddle must be cushioning and comfortable. It also contains plush foam padding and spring to absorb bumps in the road.
Brakes:
Breaks are an important part of a children bicycle. They control the speed and assure the safety of your child. There are two types of breaks that are used in children’s bicycles.
- Coaster Break: It is used when the child does not have enough energy to activate the hand brake until 5 years.
- Hand Break: It is fitted in a medium-size bicycle. When a child grows and has enough strength then they can use this break. It is used by squeezing the lever.
Safety Equipment:
Although it doesn’t come with a bicycle, you can’t ignore it by yourself for kids safety. We are talking about helmet and bell. Many countries are restricted by law to wear helmets while riding bicycles. It prevents head injury during an accident. Before riding also ensure it has a fitted warning device i-e a bell. Train your child how to wear a helmet and use a bell during the ride.
Gloves and Protecting Pads:
Elbow and knee pads are extremely important when your child learns to ride a bicycle. At that time, they continuously face balancing problems and has a risk to fall from bicycles. These pads protect your child from injuries, bumps, and scrapes.
Gloves reduce the vibrations and provide cushioning against the bicycle front handlebar. It is necessary for smooth rides and also protects your little one’s fingers.
Reflectors and Lights:
In some countries, bicycle light is legally compulsory if your child rides in the dark. It is also important to locate your children where they ride in the dark. Reflectors are pre-fitted in some high brands of bicycles.
Maintenance of Kids Bicycles:
Although kids bicycles are designed for rough handling and frequent riding so it is possible that they possess wear and tear. Choose the bicycle for your child that is easy to maintain and their spare parts are easily available in the market.
Light-Weight Bicycle:
If you are going to choose a kid’s bicycle by considering the one and the only factor, pick it up on weight. A heavy bicycle is too hard to balance and ride. Your children will hate it. Choose a lightweight frame for a bicycle. Don’t stick on a steel frame try aluminium, titanium instead. They are lighter in weight.
If tires and other components are light enough then steel is a good option to go for!
Types Of Bicycles
In this section, we are going to give you a brief overview of all types of children’s road bicycles so you can identify which is the perfect fit for you?
Balance Bicycle:
The first ride on a bicycle may be hard for your child with paddle and gears. Balance bicycle is the simplest form of bicycle. It has no paddle, chain, cranks just tires and frame. These types of bicycles are lighter in weight and easy to handle than tricycles. Balance Bicycle teaches the child about understanding direction and balance.
Types Of Bicycles Based On Wheel Sizes
12-Inch Wheel Bicycles:
This size of bicycles is recommended for kids of 2 to 4 years of age. In this bicycle, your child experiences a paddle for the first time and use the motion while pushing the paddle with their feet.
Many 12 inches bicycles come with stabilizer wheels. Your child experiences a smooth comfortable ride without fear of falling when losing momentum. The big benefit of stabilizers is that they can be easily be removed when kids learn the art of balancing bicycles.
14-Inch Wheel Bicycles:
Children grow very Fast. As your child gets older and taller it is time to change the bicycle. Provide your kid with a new 14-inch bicycle. It’s available in eye-catchy designs with great quality material.
14- Inch bicycles also come with stabilizers to overcome the balancing issue. The training wheel is removable. It is comfortable and has a one-speed option with no gears. This size is recommended for kids of 3-5 years of age.
16-Inch Wheel Bicycles:
When a child’s riding skill improves its increases their confidence. As your child grows he/she needs a bigger cycle. The next size is a 16-inch bicycle. It usually has a steel or aluminium frame. It is light in weight. A 4- 6 years child can push it with gentle power. It comes with v-brakes and a single-speed drivetrain.
This bicycle is designed with a low stand height. In case of crash or dismount, there are low chances of your kid to mesh up on a bicycle. Chain retention devices are also fitted in 16 inches kid’s mountain bicycles. It minimizes the risk of chain dropping when your child rides off-road.
20-Inch Wheel Bicycles:
Children between the age of 6-10 years are potentially more adventurous and curious. They don’t like small bicycles to ride.
20-inch bicycles are precisely designed for kids who are not enough grown-up for traditional bicycles and adult bicycles. The 10-inch bicycles are lightweight, robust, and comfortable and have single-speed along with a range of gears to ensure your child’s safe and smooth ride.
It has a disk brake option providing you with more stopping power but this feature is a little expensive. It also comes in a hybrid style bicycle i-e great for all types of riding. These bicycles have narrow tires and are lighter in weight.
24-Inch Wheel Bicycles:
When looking for 24 inches bicycles you will find features more similar to an adult bicycle in terms of material, design, and brakes. The only difference between an adult size bicycle and 24 inches is that its frame is designed according to 24-inch wheel size.
In the 24 inch bicycles, there’s an edition of “Kids road Bicycle”. These types have a drop handlebar like an adult road bicycle. Their shorter reach on brakes makes them comfortable and perfect for children with short legs
These cycles also fall in the mountain bicycle category. They have a front-wheel suspension feature. It helps to facilitate greater exploration on rough mountain tracks. They have more gear options in them so your child can handle steeper inclines more confidently. This size is recommended for 8-12 years of children.
Our Favourite Bicycles:
Are you ready to buy?
Are you ready? Great! Measure your child’s size, list the brand, and order online. Now you have enough information to decide what is the perfect bicycle for your kid and why? Start with the bicycle benefits and features, If they are eye-catchy, comfortable and your child loves the entire design, then your decision is right.
