Kids Bikes

It’s that time of year again where we get thousands of parents coming in-store to shop for a new kids bike, especially for Christmas.

If you don’t know where to start and are slightly confused, we’ll share some fundamental information on kids bikes that will help.

Because sizing up a new kids bike isn’t always easy.

So, on this page we’ll try and help you understand what to look for (just scroll past the bike collection below).

THE FIT: WHEEL SIZE & FRAME SIZE

All kids bikes are sized by the diameter of the wheels.

For example:

• 24 inch bikes
• 20 inch bikes
• 16 inch bikes

But within each wheel size there’s different frame sizes.

And the frame size depends on the brand.

For example:

Both the Mongoose Mitygoose and Giant Animator come in 16-inch sizes, which we recommend for kids between 4-6 years old.

They are both 16-inch kids bikes, so you’d assume they are the same size. Right?

No.

They are slightly different sizes.

The Mongoose Mitygoose is taller and longer than the Giant Animator 16.

That’s because the frame size is different between the brands - even though the wheels (in this case 16” diameter) are exactly the same.

This is where most parents get confused.

But the right fit isn’t about wheels, it’s about the frame.

Because kids come in all shapes and sizes, so the frame has to fit right.

SIZING: SOME BASICS

It’s simply about balancing the horizontal and vertical planes.

First, the vertical (it’s easier).

Kids need a slight knee bend (at the bottom of the pedal stroke, think 6 o’clock) if they’re on training wheels.

The bend becomes a little more without training wheels; so they can place their foot down confidently.

Gradually raise the seat up by 5mm at a time until they’re confident with a slight bend.

For maximum growth:

We prefer kids to have a slight knee bend when the seat is all the way down.

That’s because the more the seat gets raised, there’s less growth in that frame size.

For example:

If the seat needs to be raised by 2-3 inches (that’s a lot BTW), riders are better moving up a size.

Especially if the kids bike size jump is small (18-inch to 20-inch).

Now the horizontal.

Once at the right seat height, if you’re young rider is:

• Rounding their shoulders to reach the handlebars.
• Locking elbows to corner.
• Or just look too "stretched".

Then you should go down a frame size or even a complete wheel size.

The arms should be relaxed. The torso at 45-degrees and relaxed too.

BALANCE BIKE OR PEDAL?

If you’re after a black and white answer - a balance bike.

Most kids struggle with the actual pedalling motion. Then there’s the steering part. Then the balancing part.

So, there’s quite a few layers to riding a pedal bike.

With a balance bike, kids only have to focus on the balance part - they don’t get a choice. It forces them to find their balance point.

We use this technique with older kids too; take the pedals off and use the bike as a balance bike.

Examples of balance bikes we love:

• Kidvelo Rookie 12
• Giant Pre

Sorry, there’s “but” though:

But some kids we’ve seen are just so natural at pedalling a bike.

Or close to it; they only need a few attempts at learning to move the pedals before they get the hang of it.

In this case, we’d go pedal-bike.

But if you really can’t decide or don’t want to buy another bike, our favourite here is the Kidvelo Rookie.

The Rookie is available in 12-inch, 14-inch and 18-inch sizes.

Except for the 12-inch, the others can be converted from a balance bike into a pedal-bike.

And they are one of the lightest, if not the lightest in our range.

30CM OR 12-INCH BIKES

Just a quick reminder that 30cm or 12-inch is the wheel size. There are smaller and larger frames.

These bikes are available as a pedal-bike or balance bike.

You would consider this option for riders who are 2 to 3 years old.

Some excellent lightweight and ergonomic pedal-bike options include:

• Liv Adore 12
• Mongoose Lil Goose

And we’re also going to include the ByK E-250 range (35cm or 14-inch bikes) such as:

• Byk E250 - Neon Yellow
• Byk E2 - Orange
• Kidvelo Rookie 14 which is available in pink, green, blue and red

We’ve included the 14-inch bikes because they’re not too much bigger.

Plus, they’re so light; making it very easy for young kids to pedal.

40CM OR 16-INCH BIKES

By far the most popular size because it has the largest suitable height range.

Designed for riders from 4 years old.

But we’ve also had tall 3.5 year olds fit too (Giant Animator 16).

We’ve got so many great options to choose from but some special mentions are:

• Giant Animator 16
• Mongoose Mitygoose 16

The Animator 16 is slightly smaller than the Mitygoose so it’ll fit kids who are too small for a full-sized 16 and too big for a 12-inch.

We’ve also lumped the 18-inch (46cm) bikes into the same category.

The Byk E50 range are all 18-inch bikes.

And we’ve found that they suit 5 year old kids perfectly.

Additional notes:

If kids fit onto the E350, there are several advantages.

The larger diameter wheels cover distance easier. So less effort is needed to go further.

18-inch wheels are also more stable. This means the E350’s are less likely to roll to the side; the bike and the rider are more likely to stay upright. Less crashes!

If you want more information, visit our Byk E350 collection.

50CM OR 20-INCH BIKES

20-inch kids bikes come in 3 types:

• Single gear or 1-speed
• 3-speed
• 6-speed or more

We suggest 50cm bikes for kids who are 6 years old.

Single speed and 3-speed bikes have a foot-brake, plus a front hand-brake.

Some brands (such as Byk on their E450 models) will also use a rear hand-brake too.

Bikes with at least 6 gears, will not have a foot brake (we call this a freewheel). The pedals will spin backwards.

50CM OR 20-INCH BIKES

20-inch kids bikes come in 3 types:

• Single gear or 1-speed
• 3-speed
• 6-speed or more

We suggest 50cm bikes for kids who are 6 years old.

Single speed and 3-speed bikes have a foot-brake, plus a front hand-brake.

Some single-speed bikes can also be fitted with training wheels.

Some brands (such as Byk on their E450 models) will also use a rear hand-brake too.

Bikes with at least 6 gears, will not have a foot brake (we call this a freewheel). The pedals will spin backwards.

These bikes will only have hand brakes too.

Here are some options to get you started:

For single-speed bikes:

• GT Grunge Boys or GT Siren Girls
• Mongoose Racer X
• ByK E450

For 3-speed options:

• Giant XTC Jr Street
• ByK E450 3-speed

For multiple speed bikes, there’s a couple of different variations; mountain bikes and urban/lightweight bikes.

For mountain bikes:

• Cannondale Trail 20
• Haro Flightline 20 Girls

For street bikes:

• Cannondale Quick 20 in Electric Blue and Ultra Violet
• Giant ARX
• ByK E450 8 speed

THE FRAME & COMPONENTS

There are 2 types of frames - steel and aluminium alloy (or alloy for short).

Steel corrodes more easily than frames made from alloy. It’s also heavier. Heavy = harder to ride. But it is cheaper.

Aluminium is the opposite. It’s lighter and therefore easier for kids to manoeuvre around.

But the frame isn’t the full story.

Some kids bikes will have an aluminium alloy frame but the rest of the parts might be made from steel.

That’s one of the biggest reasons why certain kids’ bikes cost more. They use more alloy components therefore making the bike lighter.

But what are “components”?

It’s stuff like handlebars, seat posts, cranks, rims and hubs.