Kids Bike
Gift Guide
Most of us remember getting our first bike and how great it felt to discover new places with our friends. Give your child a love of cycling with a new kids bike and inspire healthy habits that they can take into adulthood.
The kids' bikes here at Tredz are not toys. They are lightweight and modern small bikes, designed specifically to help children get the most benefit from cycling. To help you choose we’ve picked out a selection of our best kids bikes. Grouped by type and wheel size these bikes are for children of different ages and cycling ability.
1 - 4 yrs - Balance Bikes
Balance is the most important skill to master when learning to ride a bike. A balance bike is the simplest type of bike. With no pedals to worry about these starter bikes help kids to learn balance straight away. They simply use their feet for support and to scoot along at a safe speed. Balance bikes generally have 10” or 12” wheels, some have larger 14” wheels for children up to six years old.
2 - 4 yrs - 12" Wheels
For kids who are ready to move on from a balance bike and learn to pedal. Once children have learned how to balance, the step up to a pedal bike is easy and these 12” wheeled bikes the perfect next step. As pedals allow them to go further and faster all these bikes have brakes to help them to stop safely. Some bikes are supplied with stabilizers, but these are easy to take off if they have already learned to balance.
4 - 8 yrs - 14", 16" & 18" Wheels
A step up from 12" wheels, these 14", 16” and 18" wheeled kids bikes are made for little ones between 4 and 8 years old. This is the perfect time for them to catch the cycling bug and get them out in the great outdoors. Some of these bikes still come with removable stabilizers, and all are single speed so they are simple to ride.
7 - 10 yrs - 20" Wheels
These are coming of age bikes. With lightweight frames, geared drivetrains and good quality components, these 20” wheel bikes will help them to progress their cycling skills. Wide tyres and suspension forks make them ideal for cycling through the park and on forest roads. Disc brake equipped bikes offer better stopping power when the roads are wet.
10 - 12 yrs - 24" Wheels
24" bikes mark the last stage in your child's development before they move to an adult bike. These bikes are scaled down adult bikes. You find proper gearing and refined frame designs. This is where you start seeing a split between off-road and on-road bikes. On-road bikes will feature lightweight frames and stiff rigid forks for speed on flat roads and tarmac. Off-road bikes come with 50-70mm front suspension for rougher terrain. 7-9 speed cassettes help your child get to grips with gearing and learn how to ride efficiently.
5 yrs + BMX
For kids who want to have fun and learn tricks BMX's are great, they are strong, tough and built to handle the occasional less than smooth landing. They only have one gear to keep things simple to maintain. BMX's are popular choices for kids and teens, they aren’t really for covering great distances, but for riding in parks and on obstacles. There are different wheel sizes available to suit different sized kids, like this 16" wheel Mongoose below. There are also 18" BMX's for 7-11 years, and the normal 20" wheel size, suitable for kids 11+.
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Kids Bike Sizing Chart |
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Age |
Size |
Height (cm) |
|
1 - 4 |
Balance Bike |
77 – 105 |
|
2 - 4 |
12” |
85 – 105 |
|
4 - 6 |
14" |
105 – 117 |
|
5 - 7 |
16" |
112 – 125 |
|
6 - 8 |
18" |
117 – 132 |
|
7 - 10 |
20" |
125 – 136 |
|
10 + |
24" |
136+ |
Golden rule:
Choose a bike that fits
Avoid buying a bike which is too big for them with hopes they will 'grow into' the frame. It will be too heavy for them and difficult to ride.
You want them to easily reach the floor and pedals, and have full control of the handlebar and brakes.
There are some in between wheel sizes, take a look at our kids bike size guide for more.
Remember, you can always hand down bikes to younger siblings once they've outgrown their bike, or simply sell them on.
Learning to ride a bike is one of the most memorable childhood experiences and is a skill that stays with us our whole lives. From taking those initial pedal strokes to mastering the bike and pushing your limits, cycling is a wonderful journey. While you can learn to ride at any age, the earlier you start the easier it is to progress. Learning to ride a bike has never been easier as there is a wide range of kids bikes to suit every child at every age. Choosing the right bike and setting it up correctly for your child can make all the difference to their cycling experience.