Or, there are two new plus options with the Argus 20 and Argus 24. Each is fitted wtih 3.0″ wide tires, disc brakes, and a 1x drivetrain at $449 and $499 respectively. The Woom 1 Bike checked all of our boxes for a great balance bike.
More lightweight than other low-price kids bikes, Btwin kids bikes offer the best quality for the price. If you’re on a tight budget, it doesn’t get better than Btwin. While more expensive, the Btwin bikes are easier to ride and are better quality than the popular Schwinn Elm or Koen. Many bikes designed for kids this age offer training wheels, which can be removed once kids gain the confidence to pedal without balance assistance.
In my eyes, this is the perfect bike for youngsters hitting the trails for the first time. There are no separate brake controls to worry about either, the brakes are of the coaster design, and are activated by pedaling backward. Although these don’t have the stopping power of other braking types, they are a perfect system for that first cycling experience.
Built with high-end components that provide durability and performance, the Priority 16 packs a lot of punch in its price tag. Priority Bicycles got their start with Kickstarter and has grown into a well-respected, innovative bike brand. The bike carried my body weight well, did not flex, and is durable.
With more features comes more maintenance and the potential for breaks and malfunctions, and it’s no different with suspension. If you’re going to get a kid’s bike with suspension, I would recommend spending a little bit more, as a cheap suspension is often more trouble than it’s worth. For bigger, older kids, it might be worth getting suspension if they are planning on using the bike for mountain biking. It’s a good way to get them used to a slightly different riding style that comes with suspension. Aluminum is lighter, and still relatively strong, and I would recommend trying to get a bike with an aluminum frame. Kids’ bikes tend to be a lot heavier compared to their relative body weight than adults’ bikes.
Bike shop bikes, however, always come 100% assembled, tuned up, and come with a bike shop mechanic to help you keep it in top shape. With the purchase of an optional shorter seat post, the Hedgehog’s seat can be lowered to 17.5″, making it one of the smallest 16″ bikes on the market. The Cleary Owl, which is the 20-inch version of this bike, is sized like a larger 16 inch bike and is often a great fit for taller 4, 5 or 6-year-olds. If your neighborhood rider decides to get aggressive and take their love of riding off-road, the Revo’s all-terrain tires are ready for the job! If they happen to fall in love with the dirt, the Revo is also compatible with up to 2.1″ wide tires (1.5″ is standard). The 2022 update to the REV 16 was a big improvement over the previous version.
We surveyed 7 excellent Mongoose kids bikes over the latter 2 years. You can also Narrow by size, model, frame size and gender or settle upon one of our Mongoose kids bike editorial picks. In the end, after testing over 30 different 16 inch bikes, we can confidently say that higher-end bikes are MUCH easier for kids to ride than budget bikes found at big-box stores. Higher-end bikes also typically have great resale values, with many re-selling for close to 70% of their MSRP.
What We Look for in a Neighborhood BikeMost kids on 16 inch bikes stick to riding around the neighborhood. Stable and lightweight, high-quality neighborhood bikes should also be be easy to ride, easy to balance, and perform consistently. Dual hand brakes and NO coaster brake are also a requirement to make our list.
Although both Mongoose and Schwinn are bike brands, we know Mongoose for its BMX bikes and the Schwinn for their excellent commuter and road bikes. If your child has already mastered pedaling, you should set the mongoose kids bikes bike’s seat about 2″ above the child’s inseam to allow for maximum efficiency while pedaling. Not every bike we test can make our Top 10, but here are a few honorable mention bikes you should also consider.
With hand brakes, there are generally two different options, calipers, and discs. Calipers tend to come on cheaper bikes and are easier to maintain. Disc brakes tend to come on high-end models and have superior stopping power. One of the first bike features you need to decide on is the size. Bike sizes often come in three different measurements – wheel size, height, and inside leg. One reviewer considers the bike as the “Cadillac of bikes for kids”, a point I certainly won’t argue with.