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.
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Bikes under $100 are easy on the pocket book, but not always the easiest and safest to ride. The Kent Chaos is your best bet for a boy’s bike in this price range. If you’re interested in checking out mid and high-end bikes, read our Kids’ Bikes Comparison Charts and Recommendations page.
The Huffy saddle is longer and more narrow, which bothered our 8-year-old tester. Size is the most important feature to get right when choosing a bike for your child. Unfortunately, one of the primary difficulties with bikes under $100 is that they aren’t built in the right dynacraft klds bike proportions for a child. The positioning of the handlebars can also make quite a difference. When the handlebars are too high, it limits overall control and maneuverability. Both Huffy and Dynacraft are a little cramped but aren’t the worst offenders we’ve seen by far.
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 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.
I hope this year, he will practice enough so he will have the confidence to ride without them. It could be the motivation he needs to try harder this year. I like the sporty look of the dynacraft bike bike, and he looks happy riding it. When you get right down to it, almost any small bike with training wheels could be called a child’s bike, but does that make it a good child’s bike?