Its mid-rise handlebars allowed their arms to extend properly and maintain proper control of the bike. Although this bike is by far the heaviest, if you have a confident rider, at this price point the smooth ride outweighs the heaviness. However, if you have a timid rider, heavy bikes will always be more difficult for them to get and maintain balanced.
Teaching your child to ride a bike is one thing, but helping them find the right bike can be an entirely other challenge. To help you get started, we spoke to cycling experts about how to find the right bike for your child and what to consider when it comes to identifying the correct size, weight and type of bike. We also compiled a list of highly rated and expert-recommended options that are in line with their shopping guidance. This may sound silly and obvious, but a kid needs room to ride a bike. Too often super value bikes don’t provide enough space between the handlebars and the bike seat (wheelbase measurement), so a child’s body gets crammed together as a result. It’s uncomfortable, and it makes it much more difficult to pedal efficiently and to control the bike.
Similar to adult bikes, the wheel size will indicate how big the frame is, explained Alison Dewey, education director with bicycling advocacy organization League of American Bicyclists. Typical wheel sizes for kids’ bikes range between 12 and 24 inches, and the bigger (and often older) your child is, the bigger their bike’s wheels should be. Ideally, a bike should weigh less than 40% of a child’s weight. (For reference, most adults ride bikes that are no more than 20% of their weight!). Cheaper bikes traditionally have heavy steel frames which make a 40% threshold very difficult to accomplish. All of the bikes we tested were pretty heavy, although it’s not abnormal for kids’ bikes to be about 50% of a child’s weight.
These tips can help you find the right bicycle for your child’s summer biking pleasure. I learned all of these as I looked for a bike for my son, and they all lead me to the Dynacraft 12″ Boys’ Tonka Bike. When shopping around for a bike, Dewey and Song recommended going to a local bike shop rather than a big-box retailer if you can. “Bike shops have better quality bikes that are going to be assembled better, and they have staff that can help with the fit of the bike,” Dewey said. She added that a lot of bike shops will also allow you to trade in a bike and go up a size at a lower cost or at the same price point as the bike, which can be beneficial for kids who are growing quickly. With a rear brake, if your child throws on the brakes too hard, he or she won’t end up flipping head over heels the way they would if they braked using a front brake.
This bike is designed less like a mountain bike and more like a road bike, with thinner tires and a lighter frame, according to Cannondale. Dewey and Song noted there are several different types of kids bikes to consider depending on your child’s age and size. Whether you are looking for a bicycle to meet your fitness goals or to surprise your little one, having the right bike will make a lot of difference. However, choosing the perfect one is challenging as there are a lot of options out there in the market. This is where we come in to help you get the perfect ride. Adult bicycles come in a wide range of options for you to pick.
There are so many benefits to riding your bike to work or school. Some people ride for exercise, and it becomes their way of life. I see my neighbor fine-tuning his bike almost every day, and he rides every morning before work. The children in the neighborhood are starting to ride their bikes again which dynacraft bike reminds me we need to check the condition of our bikes again. Regretfully, last year we didn’t do a lot of it, and now my boys have outgrown them again. With a longer wheelbase, our testers found the Kent Chaos to be the smoothest ride because they had sufficient room to ride, no crowding of legs!
The first thing to remember when looking for a bike for your child is that it’s for a child. Summer energy means maybe riding too fast or trying to do too much too soon. Make sure you opt for a bike constructed of steel, NOT aluminum, so that it can survive the spill as well as your child can. He’s so happy to be riding with the rest of the family, and I love to see that look of pride on his face when he hops on his bike to go for a ride with mom, dad, and his big sister. It took us a while to find a really great bike for him, and since I already did the footwork, I thought I’d share what to look for in a bike with my readers. Of course, since children vary widely in sizes and body types, the numbers above will also likely vary.