Nothing beats getting your first real bike!
As the parent you’ll no doubt want to get a bike that lasts your child for years to come; but your child will want a bike that fits them, and inspires confidence when they’re learning to ride (and it has to be the right colour of course).
Kids grow fast, but buying a bike too big for them in the hope they will grow into it will lead to frustration during those crucial formative years when your child is learning how to move and explore.
Getting the right size bike means it will be easier to control - meaning more confidence inspiring moments and fewer scares. These positive experiences build and build until your child is blasting around and loving the freedom that only comes from riding a bike.
A note on Reid Kid’s Bikes: We treat Kid’s Bikes with care and design them specifically for use by children. It seems obvious to say, but kid’s bikes are not just smaller versions of adult bikes. Shop with a brand that understands this and features those thoughtful extras that make it fun, easy and safe when learning to ride. Things like easy-to-reach brake levers for little hands, comfortable saddles, considered geometry, safety cages over the rear derailleur for protection, and guards over the front chainrings to protect little fingers.
Choosing the right bike to meet all these criteria can be tricky, so read on.
Kid's Bike Sizing
Kids bikes are generally measured by the diameter of the wheels. This differs from adult bikes, which are generally measured by the size of the frame (this is because adult bikes get more specialised and need different wheels for different applications).
Although we provide an age guide when describing all of our kid’s bikes, this should be treated as a starting point only. We recommend you measure the height of your child to narrow down your search (this information is also provided).
If your child is on the cusp of a size, don’t just jump up to the bigger size hoping to get more years of use. Consider the coordination and physical confidence of the child - are they already a confident rider? If yes, then they may be ready for the bigger (and slightly more tricky to control) bike.
Bigger bikes get heavier and have a higher centre of gravity which makes them harder to balance. Choosing a bike that is too large may mean your child finds it difficult to ride and not enjoy the experience - losing confidence and setting them back on their journey.
Use our age and height recommendations as a guide and feel free to ask any questions of our Customer Support team if you're unsure.
When you get the bike, build it up and ask your child to hop on. Can they comfortably stand over the bike with both feet flat on the ground? Can they easily reach the pedals from the seat? Can they comfortably reach the handlebars when sitting? If yes, then you’re good to go.
Progressing Through Sizes
Bikes for infants start simple and light. As the bike gets bigger and the skill level grows - complexity in the form of pedals, hand brakes and gears is added.
This progressive design is intended to let the budding rider get comfortable with their equipment as they grow in confidence.
The other thing to keep in mind is the bike weight. Steel frame kid's bikes are generally a bit cheaper to buy, but aluminium frame bikes are lighter and therefore easier to control.
Balance Kids Bikes
These bikes feature no pedals which is perfect for getting your real young ones started with the gliding motion of being on wheels.
12" Kids Bikes
These bikes are the next step up and include pedals, a rear coaster brake for ease of use and removable training wheels.
16" Kids Bikes
This size bike is generally designed to suit kids aged 4-7 years old and standing between 100cm - 120cm. 16”bikes include pedals, rear coaster brake and a handlebar lever brake (to start getting used to it) and removable training wheels.
20" Kids Bikes
This size bike is generally designed to suit kids aged 5-8 years old and standing between 115cm - 135cm. In terms of functionality, these bikes are getting closer to an adult bike with handlebar brakes and gears. By this age many kids will want to ride for longer distances, so the bikes are made to travel fast and handle well.
24" Kids Bikes
This size bike is generally designed to suit kids aged 8-12 years old and standing between 130cm - 150cm. By this age many children are confident enough to push their riding and the bikes feature gears, more powerful brakes and sometimes suspension forks for tackling some mountain bike trails.
After this you’ll be moving into the small size adult bikes.
Please contact our Customer Service team if you have any questions about choosing the right kid’s bike.
FAQs
Should My Child Learn With Training Wheels?
There are a few things to consider when deciding whether to use training wheels (a.k.a stabilisers).
On one hand, they limit how far the bike can lean to one side and therefore provide stability in those early stages.
This can help inspire confidence. If your child is completely new to the idea of riding a bike, this may be a necessary stage of development.
If your child already brings years of experience riding a balance bike, they may already be able to make the small adjustments required to keep a bike upright without the use of training wheels. In this case, the training wheels may hold them back and encourage reliance and bad habits.
If you do use training wheels, start them level with the ground and gradually raise them as your child becomes more confident (you will notice some adjustability on the training wheel where it meets the bike frame).
Can I Ride With My Child On The Footpath?
In all states of Australia, it is perfectly legal for children under 12 years of age to ride on the footpath. It’s also legal for an adult to ride on the footpath if they are accompanying that child.
Naturally, you are also required to ride in a manner that is respectful to other footpath users, so you should keep to the left unless overtaking, use hand signals and communicate clearly with other footpath users to reduce risk and keep everyone happy.
Do Kids Need To Wear A Helmet?
Absolutely! It is also important that the helmet fits well. An Australian Standards compliant helmet will provide real protection against the knocks and bumps that sometimes come with learning to ride. Check out the range of Reid Kid’s bike helmets here.
