Compare the top kids’ bike brands
honorable mentions
Photograph: Adrienne So
Linus Roadster for $349: We tried the 20-inch Roadster and it’s a small kid’s bike, with coaster brakes and no gears. The reach is a bit far even for a 7 year old child. However, this Is A beautiful bike with an aluminum alloy frame and gorgeous, vegan leather handlebar grips and seat. You also get a doorbell and a kickstand.
Byke E-450 for $191: This first pedal bike has an alloy frame that keeps its weight at an extremely light 18 pounds. It’s also cheap for everything you get – a big saddle, a bell, and both coaster brakes and hand brakes.
Best Accessories
Getting a bike is the first step. Here are some bike accessories that my kids use every day. For more accessories, check out our roundups of the best bike helmets and best bike lights.
Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani
Nude Unicorn Helmet with Mips for $60: Nudel helmets are equipped with Mips, an in-helmet system that protects against rotational impact and reduces the risk of injury. For added peace of mind, the Nudel helmet also features a new technology called Twismy, which is a chip embedded in the helmet that can be accessed by tapping the helmet with a smartphone. There, friends, passersby, and even first responders can quickly access important medical information like emergency contacts, allergies, or necessary medical notes in the event of a bike accident. Of course, my kids don’t really care about Mieps or Twismy. They care about Noodle’s fun and kid-friendly designs. -Michael Venutolo-Mantovani
Giro Fixture II Helmet for $75: We’ve tried pretty much every helmet out there. Style-wise, my kids love skateboard-style helmets Lil Linus ($69). But personally, for my own peace of mind, I prefer to have them in the Giro MI helmet, which is more comfortable and versatile for camping and mountain biking. The vents are larger and it’s a little lighter.
OttoLock Sidekick Lock for $36: Kids’ bikes are prone to theft, but for smaller children you may want to consider the variation in weight and cost. The Sidekick comes with three keys, so you can give one to your child to teach responsibility, keep one at home, and still keep a spare key on your own keyring. It also has a nice soft silicone cover that dramatically reduces the chance of your child needing another tetanus shot.
Thousand Front Traveler Magnetic Bike Light for $35: Again, considerations when purchasing bike lights for kids are different from purchasing bike lights for adults; My 8 year old is not riding a bike 12 miles at 25 mph in the dark without me. I want bike lights that are affordable and easy to take off and keep in a bag or pocket. This is my favorite light for my kids’ bike, but if the bad reviews scare you off, we like these too. I also picked up a pack of these lights for your bike wheels from our neighbor, which are fun even if not durable.
questions to ask
How do you size a children’s bike?
Bikes are expensive. It’s tempting to buy a bike one or two sizes larger to future-proof your purchase so your child doesn’t outgrow it too quickly. Don’t fall into this trap! This is not only inconvenient but also unsafe. How it will happen You Are you hoping to control a bike that’s two sizes too big for you?
Determining size according to age limit is also risky; For example, my 10-year-old daughter is half the size of some of her peers (sorry, honey). To find the correct size, you will need to either measure your child’s height or their minimum inseam length. Children’s bikes are measured by wheel size, so a 12-inch bike refers to a bike with 12-inch wheels, and so on. When you get the bike, see if your child can stand comfortably over the frame with feet flat on the ground. Make sure your child can get on and off the bike easily and that their hands can reach them if the bike has brakes and shifters.
What features should I look for?
- break: Most kids start out with coaster brakes, also known as paddle brakes. They allow you to stop by pedaling backwards. An older child might want a hand brake so he can pedal backwards like Mom or Dad. Rim brakes are cheap, but disc brakes will help them stop faster.
- Shifters: Once your child is old enough to understand basic physics, an intuitive twist shifter will help them keep up with mom or an older sibling. I can always hear my 8-year-old shifter clicking uneasily behind me and her sister on the way to school.
- Suspension: Are you planning on taking your child with you on mountain biking? Then you may be considering a shock bike. However, these will significantly increase the weight and expense of the bike. Children are also usually quite light so the suspension may not work. If you plan on doing a lot of off-road riding as a family, I would suggest prioritizing larger wheels and better brakes first.
When should my child get gear?
From personal experience, kids start wanting gear around age 6. This is about the age when their hands become big enough to grip and shift. This is especially relevant if you bike in mountainous terrain or with family – they’ll really want to keep up with you. I recommend twist-grip shifters like the Voom for younger kids.
How much should a children’s bike cost?
I think around $400 is a fair price for a brand new kids’ bike. Don’t buy the cheapest brand-new bike at the big box store; I have done this before and taken smaller bikes to the nearest shop to have parts replaced. There is a healthy secondary market for kids’ bikes that kids have taken over. You might want to check Craigslist, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or ask your neighbors.
Should I get training wheels?
If you want to teach your little one to ride a bike – especially one who’s trying his best to keep up with his older sibling – it’s tempting to just put on some training wheels and think you’ll teach them later. This is all the more attractive because you don’t want your child to stop riding a bike altogether.
However, if you’re a kid who learned to ride a bike with training wheels, it’s very frustrating to take them off and learn to balance all over again. I highly recommend skipping the training wheels altogether and letting your child figure out that they can ride on two wheels alone. This video is a good summary of the process (although they call the bunny hop a “frog hop”, which I reject, because bunnies are much cuter than frogs). A properly fitted bike also goes a long way in ensuring that your child feels comfortable.
Power up with unlimited access wired. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive client content that is too important to ignore. Subscribe today.
<a href