Kids Bike Size Guide
Why Size Matters
Size is the most important aspect to get right when deciding on a bike for your child. If the bike is too big or too small, it can ruin your child’s first biking experience and lead to accidents. The kid’s bike size guide below will give you an overview of the various kid’s bike sizes, and show you how to choose the best size bike for your child. Getting help from Bike Size guide is mandatory when selecting a bike for your child.
What Size Do Kids Bikes Come In?
Kid’s bikes come in these different wheel sizes: 12-inch, 14-inch, 16-inch, 18-inch, 20-inch, 24-inch, and now even 26-inch bikes for kids. The wheel size is based on the diameter of the tyre (see below) and as each tyre size gets larger, so does the size of the bicycle frame. These different wheels and frame sizes help companies design bicycles that will fit kids of all ages and heights. As you will learn more wheel size is NOT the best way to choose a bicycle for your child.
Kids Bike Size Chart
Getting the right fit for your kid’s bike is so important. The most common size for balance bikes is either 12”, 14”, or 18-inch bikes which relate to the size of the tyres. Although tyre size is a useful measurement we recommend you look at the child’s inseam to get the best fit for your child.
ROOKIE 12 BALANCE BIKE
Our lightweight balance bikes are the best training tool to teach toddlers to ride a bike without having to use training wheels.
- Wheel Size: 12inch Alloy
- Age Range: 18months - 4.5 years
- Adjustable Seat Height: 30cm - 48cm inseam
- Ability Level: Learning to Balance
- Bike Weight: 2.93kgs
- 4 Amazing Colours: Neon Red, Blue, Green, Pink
ROOKIE 14 BALANCE TO PEDAL BIKE
This revolutionary balance bike converts to a child's first pedal bike with an attachable pedal kit once your child learns to balance.
- Wheel Size: 14inch Alloy
- Age Range: 3 - 6 years
- Adjustable Seat Height: 40cm - 58cm inseam
- Ability Level: Learning to Ride their First Bike!
- Bike Weight: 6.6kgs
- 4 Amazing Colours: Neon Red, Blue, Green, Pink
ROOKIE 18 BALANCE TO PEDAL BIKE
This revolutionary larger balance bike converts to a child's first pedal bike with an add-on pedal kit once your child masters balance.
- Wheel Size: 18inch Alloy
- Age Range: 5 - 8 years
- Adjustable Seat Height: 48cm - 68cm inseam
- Ability Level: Learning to Ride their First Bike!
- Bike Weight: 7.6kgs
- 4 Amazing Colours: Neon Red, Blue, Green, Pink
ROOKIE 24 BALANCE BIKE
Largest 24 inch Balance Bike that has add on pedals for older kids 9+ who have struggled to ride a traditional pedal bike or have a disability which makes riding complicated and frustrating.
- Wheel Size: 24inch Alloy
- Age Range: 9 years+
- Adjustable Seat Height: 62cm - 82cm inseam
- Ability Level: Learning to Ride their First Bike!
- Bike Weight: 10.6kgs
- 4 Amazing Colours: Gun Metal Grey
STILL NOT SURE WHAT BIKE SIZE YOU NEED? CONTACT US AND WE'LL HELP YOU OUT WITH OUR PROVEN BIKE SIZE GUIDE!
Why Size Matters
12-inch bikes are typically equipped with pedals and training wheels, but over the last few years balance bikes, bikes without pedals, have started to gain more popularity. Instead of teaching kids to learn to pedal first and balance later, balance bikes take a different approach – teach kids to balance first and pedaling later. This has been a gamechanger for teaching kids 1 – 4 years of age how to balance and is the reason kids can now jump straight into their first pedal bike (14 inches +) without using training wheels. Balance bike fit: When sitting on the bike, kids this age should be able to put both feet flat on the ground and their bodies should be in an upright walking position. They help children learn balance and prevent tip-over accidents. Pedal Bikes
First Pedal Bike
A child’s first pedal bike is one of the most exciting gifts of independence and freedom a kid will receive. With the growing popularity of balance bikes, children are now able to ride a pedal bike without training wheels as early as 3 years old! This has spawned a completely different way for kid’s bike brands to think about children’s bike design. At Kidvelo we believe the balance bike is the best way for a child to learn how to ride a bike. This is why we have designed and developed a new bike category of bikes (Balance to Pedal Bikes). These bikes are designed to give your child the best chance to learn balance without the complications of pedals. Once your child has mastered balance then this unique bike converts to a pedal bike with the easy attached pedal kit. Why buy two bikes when you can have the next generation of kid’s bikes in the Rookie 14 and Rookie18 balance to pedal bikes.
Ssecond Pedal Bike
On a child’s second pedal bike and beyond, they should be up on their tippy-toes 4 – 6cm. Timid riders should stick closer to 4cm while athletic riders should be closer to 6cm. Since children will be riding farther on their second pedal bike, they will want maximum leg extension for efficient pedaling.
What To Expect After The Transition To a Pedal Bike
After kids transition to a pedal bike, it is VERY common for them to want to continue to ride their balance bike. Balance bikes are much simpler, and without the pedals, they are easy to ride up ramps, jumps, and hills.
With time, balance bike graduates will learn to shift their weight around and turn into a fall on a pedal bike as well, but for the first month or so on a pedal bike, kids generally take it easy and mainly focus on mastering pedaling while steering and balancing.
As a result, don’t get rid of the balance bike once your child learns to pedal! Keep it around for at least a couple of months and allow your child to continue to use it as long as they want.
