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 dynacraft klds bike 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.
Co-op Cycles also offers a 24-inch version of this mountain bike for older kids and teens. It features a durable and lightweight alloy frame and high-grip tires to handle dirt roads and off-road cycling, Fuji Bikes says. Made from lightweight dynacraft klds bike aluminum, the Woom 4 bike weighs under 20 pounds, making this the lightest option on this list for kids above 6 years old. When shopping for a kids bike, you want to make sure you’re getting a bike that will actually fit your child.
The Magna Throttle was declared by our testers to be more difficult to control and a wobblier ride than the Kent, although they did like that it was easier to turn. But even despite its wobbliness, the kids still enjoyed shorts rides around the neighborhood. And if you’re really looking to save, that $75 price tag can’t be beat. Three popular brands, but which one makes the best cheap bike for boys? Read our review below for the results of our test rides on these three 20 inch boys bikes. Growing up, I always enjoyed riding my bike and still love to spend time on a bike today!
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 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!
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.
With a 993 mm wheelbase, kids have room to spread out for an efficient, comfy ride. Now, we don’t want to harp on how much better a $300 boy’s bike is, but we do just want to make sure that you know what you’re giving up when you decide to go for a bike under $100 – just to set expectations. Hanna Horvath is a personal finance reporter based in New York City. She currently writes for Policygenius and her work has appeared in Business Insider, MSN, Inc Magazine and more.
The worst offender here is the Kent Chaos, which is a beast in the weight department. Dynacraft sent us a bike to test out which is perfect timing. It’s an 18″ Next Surge Boys’ BMX Bike in Black and Green. The helmet is not included and some assembly is required. I think my husband assembled it within 30 minutes or so, but he’s usually handy and he makes it look easy. It also comes with training wheels which my son still needs.
Road bikes are made with a lightweight frame and aerodynamic seating position. The mountain bikes have sturdy frames and rugged brakes. You can go for hybrid bikes that can be used on roads and on tough terrains. The other models include cruisers, folding and specialty bicycles. If you are looking to upgrade your kiddo’s bike or buying them their first, we have options here too. Choose from tricycles, balance, transitional or pedal bikes.