Kids' Bikes

Archived Q&A and reviews ▼

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Questions

Bike for 10 year old girl?

Nov 2012

My daughter, 10, has been riding her bike to school on a one-speed bike and it's apparent she needs another few speeds to help her with the hills. I grew up riding a Schwinn Varsity 10 speed (yes, dating myself here) and was hoping to find something similar but to my shock it looks like bikes for kids her size/age go up to 20 speeds? And more? I can't fathom how she would possibly need that as she is riding on pavement and only moderate hills, so can someone please enlighten me? She just needs a good, sturdy, basic bike to get her around town. When I went into a local bike shop to discuss, they were a bit snooty that I was out of date on my bike references and didn't want to spend $500. So that's another question - what is a reasonable price range? We got her current ride on craigslist for $25, so that is not a good baseline... thanks for bringing me into the 21st century! Mom of bikegirl

Your loyal moderator's brother owns a bike store. One thing he always says in response to questions like this is don't buy a grocery store bike. This means the kind of bike you'd find at typical box store. This isn't due to snobbery or wanting to make a sale. It's because there are usually substantial real issues with these bikes that show up when they come in for repair.

I highly reccomend alameda bike on park street in alameda. Owned by a dad (hugely supportive of our schools). Great, knowledgeable staff. They have a program on smaller bikes where you trade up for the difference in cost. Our son (at 5?) got a $175 bike. I had many friends advise me away from bikes from Target etc - made things harder (don't know why exactly). My son has loved all his bikes and will be getting a bike with gears soon (he is going on 8, gear bike will be his 3rd). Good luck

First, I should say that the moderator's brother is very right - grocery/department store/amazon.com bicycles are generally assembled by people who don't really know what they're doing, and they're made with the cheapest of cheap parts.

Your daughter will probably want a small mountain bike - that's what I'd recommend for stability, versatility, and durability.

Most modern mountain bicycles have at least 21 speeds - that's 3 in the front and 7 in the back. Those made after 1992 or 1993 generally have 24 speeds, and those made after about 1999 have 27.

I'd just tell your daughter to only use the rear derailleur (she will just want to shift with her right hand - not her left) unless the hill gets super super steep. Shifting can get complicated for anyone, but be sure to make it clear that bicycles are designed to be shifted just like a car - start low, and move to higher numbers as you get going faster. That'll save her knees and muscles. She'll want to downshift (back to #2 or #3) as she comes to a stop, every time - it'll make it easy to start. Sorry if I'm insulting your intelligence - I just want to make this as clear as possible for everyone.

If you don't want to spend $500 at a shop, I strongly recommend browsing the used market for bicycles. Craigslist has lots of postings every day for them, but it also has a lot of people snapping up the deals just about as quickly as they come up. With apologies to my friends who work at custom shops and smaller brands, and in consideration of the original poster's budget, you'll want to look for brand names like 'Trek,' 'Giant,' 'Gary Fisher,' 'Novara,' 'Cannondale,' 'Bridgestone,' 'Raleigh,' 'KHS,' 'Bianchi,' and 'Specialized.'

There are some brand names that have been purchased by department stores - you'll want to avoid them. 'Schwinn' and 'Mongoose' are two of the biggest - 'GMC' is another that has popped up recently - and 'Huffy' and 'Magna' can generally be depended upon to break soon after purchase.

If in doubt, and you think you've found a deal on Craigslist, just type in the brand name + 'walmart' into Google - if links to purchase that type of bike come up, I have to recommend that you avoid it.

Specifically, to get a simple bike that will get your daughter reliably to and from school, I'd recommend a early '90s 21 speed bike with a rigid frame (meaning it has no shocks). Shocks look cool, but realistically need to be serviced every riding season, have no place in a school commute, and the good ones cost as much or more than your entire bicycle budget. I just searched for 'trek mountain bike' and found a bunch in the $100-$200 range. Any of the brands I mentioned may require a tuneup, but they'll last quite a long time, from frame to components. m

4 year old gift - scooter, Skuut or bike?

Nov 2012

My daughter is turning four and we want to get her the next step up from her tricycle. Grandma wants to get her a three-wheeled scooter. Some friends have balance bikes like a Skuut. Others seem to go straight for the two-wheeler with training wheels. She is pretty average in coordination, not super skilled, and she only rides her tricycle about twice a week, so wheel time has been a little limited. We want her to exercise, but not get hurt. What do you recommend, and is there a brand or style that is best? She has a helmet, but does she need kneed pads with a scooter? Thanks! Michelle

My vote is for skuut; makes the transition to pedal cycling so much easier. If I can influence it at all I say avoid scooters, razors, and skateboards on the grounds of high fall risk and non symetrical repetitive motions in little developing bodies. kyle

My daughter got a scooter for Christmas 2 years ago, I think she was about 3.5. She still loves it and rides it everyday. Even though it is more money I highly recommend the Swiss scooter called Little Kick. It is easy to figure out, and much smoother ride than the cheaper ones. It was the best and most used present she ever got! I got a cheap razor scooter and sometimes we ride together!

I'd highly recommend going straight to a bike! Get one with a seat that you can lower all the way and have her feet flat on the ground. My son learned at age 4, by rolling down a gentle hill (we used Kensington Hilltop School's playground), with his feet 'walking', and he gradually started picking up his feet, as he got used to the feel of balancing. Then he started coasting with his feet on the pedals, and then he started pedaling. You can even take the pedals off, for the first stage. Just use it like a Skuut. heidilee

For a 4-year old, get a regular bike, ditch the training wheels, and simply take off the pedals for the first few months. Use it like a Skuut, then add the pedals later. Pedal-free/balance bikes are fantastic, but the thing is, while a 2.5-3 year old will get a year's use out of a balance bike, a 4-year old will be ready to move up pretty quickly, and may only need it for 1-3 months. Training wheels are slow going - kids only learn to lean left and right on the training wheels, they don't experience balance, are not gaining confidence, then they get super nervous when you take off the training wheels. Bikes with no pedals and no training wheels teach them to balance, and as they gradually get faster, they lift up their feet a little more, and gain lots of skill and confidence that way. So, the happy medium for a 4 year old is to buy a regular bike, but be sure to look at the pedals to make sure you can remove them (or when assembling the bike, just don't put them on). Leave the pedal cranks and other parts in place, just hold off on the actual pedals. Don't use the training wheels. Let her use it like a balance bike for a couple of months and then when she has some confidence and is able to lift up her feet and coast for several feet, you can ceremonially attach the pedals. The elementary school playground on the weekend is a great place to practice. 4 year olds can handle 2 wheel scooters too. You definitely need the helmet. Kneepads are not necessary - unless you have a speedy, fearless kid, the risk to knees at this age is about the same as running and falling down. Kneepads can be uncomfortable, so it depends on the kid even being willing to wear them. Kneepads might be useful if the child has bare knees, or if wearing long pants, might protect the knees of the pants from holes (which are inevitable anyway). Mom of a 5-year-old

Good quality Bike for 5 year old

Jan 2009

Hello! We will buying a bike for our five year old in a few months. He has not yet learned to ride a two-wheel bike. Can anyone recommend a very durable two wheeler with removable training wheels? We would like to buy a bike of good quality that can withstand a lot of use and also be passed down to our younger son when our older son outgrows it. Thanks!

Wheels of Justice in Montclair is a great bike shop. Good service, and they have a program for kids bikes where you can upgrade as they grow at a discount. Bryan in Oakland

Head down to REI. They have great bikes there. They assemble your bike and training wheels come standard w/ many of the smaller bikes. My husband researched reviews of Toys-R-Us bikes and there were some unhappy campers who felt that the quality of the Toys-R-Us bikes wasn't up to par. The bikes at REI are a bit pricier but as with most things, you get what you pay for. Happy biking

Hi, a couple of months ago we bought the Trek Jet 16 for my son, at a local bike shop. You can easily find pictures on the web. It's not cheap, a bit over $150 I think we paid, but it's VERY rugged and sturdy, it should last forever. He's using it with the training wheels now but they can be taken off. He loves riding it! Good luck. Matt

A great bike for your needs is a Huffy. Nothing fancy is needed. We got a free Huffy from another family that had used it for their 3 kids and we used it for our daughter. I put new tires on and rigged up a hand brake plus got a set of good quality training wheels. The bike is still in awesome shape and should last for many more kids. The kids grow pretty fast and soon outgrow the first bike and even the second bike so I wouldn't get too fancy until bike #3. We went overboard on #2 spending $250 for a bike with gears she soon outgrew. If you truly ride alot a Huffy should be fine. Any U.S. made bike should be adequate. There used to be a JC Higgins bike that was bullet proof too. Check out Sears, avoid the imports. been there

Buying a bike for a four year old

June 2006

I am considering a bicycle for my four year old daughter either this summer for her birthday or I'll wait until Christmas.

Not only do I not know what size to buy her, I don't know if it is too early for such a gift. While I know of kids younger and smaller than her with bikes (she is pretty tall for nearly four; wears size six clothes) my concerns are twofold. First, will she be old enough (motor skills and balance) to enjoy the prospect of riding even with the training wheels and how long will a small bike made for a four year old last her?

I'd like advice on how to fit a bike (should I decide to do it this year) and I'd like advice on what age kids seem to take to bikes. I'm not expecting her to learn to ride it solo, I just want it to be a gift she is old enough to enjoy. Last, when would I expect to replace this bike because she has outgrown it? If most four year olds outgrow their bikes by 5 1/2 I'd probably wait a year to get a bigger bike that will last us a while. Thanks for any advice. mama likes to bike

Try REI in Berkeley or Marin. They helped fit my 4 yr old daughter with her first bike with training wheels. She still uses it (one year later with slight adjustment to the seat) bike mom

Your daughter is surely ready to ride a bike. I suggest taking her with you so that the size is right. And, I also suggest getting the bike at Wheels of Justice in Montclair. They have a $25 upgrade for future bike sizes, as needed. And, the staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable about kids and bikes and safety, etc -Have fun!!

Go to Wheels of Justice in Montclair. They know all about fitting kids with bikes and have lots of time to talk to you and answer all your questions. They also have an awesome program when your kid is ready for the next size bike you can trade your old one in for the full value of what you paid. bike mom

Hi - I encourage you to get your daughter a bike. We have had a ton of fun teaching our 4 year old son to ride his bike. He got a 15'' wheel size Trek bike for Christmas (his birthday is in March so he was a little under 4). He had no problem at all riding with the training wheels and in fact, we were so encouraged, that we took them off after 2 months and he is now riding along without training wheels. Admittedly, my husband spent alot of weekends taking him to the empty schoolyard and running alongside him, and we had to encourage him and praise him for getting back on after he fell down. I would recommend going to a bike shop to have your daughter try out the different sizes. I asked the bike shop the difference between the expensive Trek and the $30 Target bought bike and they said that cheaper bikes tend to be heavier and that can make it harder for kids to learn. Not sure if this is true or not but we got my son the Trek and he was riding without training wheels in less than 6 months. We have alot of fun and are now going for family bike rides together. Jennifer

we bought our kids bikes as soon as they seemed interested in trying to get on others when available. i think it was around 3, so 4 is certainly not too early to get a 2 wheeler with training wheels. both my kids rode before 5.

one thing you should consider is that if they don't practice, unless they are really extraordinary, they won't take to it magically at any age.

something that we noticed was that razor scooters helped tremendously with balance and/or a tag-a-long bike that attaches to your bike so you can ride together, was also a great learning experience. i think the combo really lent itself to comfort on a bike. i would also not even bother getting something too large to grow into. no matter the child's height, they'll be too far off the ground with a large bike, so get the smallest one that they can fit on, and raise the seat as they go. you can find them used and that's just fine for a learning bike, and then when they can ride well, get the lovely ''dream'' bike. with a growing kid, a year and a half per bike size isn't really unreasonable, they grow, and should have appropriate sized equipment to ride. happy riding cycling away

I have experience and a strong opinion on this. My advice is do not buy a training-wheel bike for the child to ''grow into.'' Doing so will only prolong the time the child needs training wheels. A four year old should have a 12'' bike, and start her on riding without training wheels right before she turns five. By the time she is 5.5 or 6, and proficient without training wheels, move up to a 16'' bike. I've seen a lot of sad six year olds who still need training wheels because their first bike was too big --mom of a little no-training wheel rider

4 years old is not too young for a bike with training wheels in my experience. We got one for my daughter at 4 and she could use it right away. My son got on my daughters bike before he turned 3, so we got him one for his third birthday. One friend advised me to skip the tricycle and go right to training wheel bike. I think the key is your child having lots of opportunities to ride the bike. As for size of wheel - both of my kids started on a 16 inch and they are both still fine sizewise 1.5 years later. My kid are very average sized, some friends who bought bikes later got 20 inch as they had bigger kids. Hope that helps Happy Riding

I have seen a children's bike called Like A Bike. Here is one link to try: http://www.koolstop.com/Like-A-Bike/index.html It is a small wooden frame with two wheels, low to the ground, and no pedals. Your 4-year old can learn balance by coasting along and pushing with her feet. She'll gain confidence too, that will help her better adapt to her next bike. I think bikes are like strollers, you may get a bunch of them over time... good luck Jill

I think it totally depends on how interested your daughter is in bike riding. Most kids, it seems, ride with training wheels for a while before they take them off -- age 5 seems to be a common age for riding solo, though many do it later than that. I think it really helps to have them ride with training wheels for a bit before trying to get the balance thing down - -just learning how to steer, stop, look ahead of where you're riding, etc takes a lot of practice without trying to maintain your balance.

I bought my son his first bike with training wheels when he was 4, took the training wheels off at 5, and he STILL rides this bike now at age 7. He is a bit small, but I have found that he is much happier and more confident riding a bike that is a bit small than one that is too big. Those small bikes don't have to be a huge monetary investment -- I found ours through BPN.

Happy Riding! Tara

I recently took my almost 5 year old boy down to a bike shop with me to tune up a bicycle I planned to ride. I asked some of the very questions you are asking to the bike shop specialist and he fit a bike to my child while we were there. I ended up buying this bike for him on the spot and we were up riding that afternoon at the Lawrence Hall of Science! He absolutely loves it. His comments were something like, ''wow, I'm a bike rider!'' and ''this is the most fun I've had, ever!'' Prior to this, he'd shown very little interest in bicycles. My suggestion: take your child to a bike shop and try 'em out Richele

Bike for 7.5 year old

May 2006

about to buy my 7 1/2 year old daughter her first (new) bike without training wheels. it seems my choices are target for $30-$40 or else any of several bike shops for $100-$150. i don't particularly mind spending the extra money, but when i asked the bike shops what i would be getting for the extra money, the best they could come up with was that they will put the bike together better and i'll have less need for repairs. i'd much appreciate any experience or words of wisdom on this topic. thanks... doug

If you want to buy a bicycle for your child, do not -- DO NOT -- buy a bike from anywhere else than a bike shop. I have been working for an attorney who is representing families from 10 states who have purchased bikes at Target, K-Mart, WalMart and Toys R Us. Many of these children suffered serious injuries, including brain damage and loss of limbs. Why? Because the bikes sold from these discount retailers are made of defective parts and are put together by people who don't know what they're doing. While you may be saving money in the short-term, the actual costs are horrible to consider. It is a shame that many families have no option but to buy from these big stores because (a) that's all they can afford, or (b) it's the only bike shop within 50 miles. We have choices. Pay the money and save your child. Don't cut corners when it comes to a bicycle. It's not a toy. ms

Bike for 2.5 year old

May 2006

I am considering buying a 12'' bicycle for my 2.5 year old, and would appreciate recommendations for or against different brands. The prices range from $30 at toy stores to $120 and up at bicycle shops. I know you pay for what you get and the more expensive bikes are really nice and look they can last longer. but will my son tell the difference? are there any recommendations for specific brands/models? Thanks! anon

I highly recommend getting his first bike at Wheels of Justice in Montclair. About $120, but they upgrade to the next size (twice!) for $25 each time. 3-5 years worth of great bikes for $170! And, the service, tune-ups, and plain old knowledge the staff has is the best! WOJ lover

We bought our son a 12'' Specialized bike at Wheels of Justice in Montclair, when he was 2.9 years old. They have fantastic service and although the initial cost is a bit more pricey than a Target bike (for example) they have a buy up program. When your child outgrows the bike, just bring it in for the next size and pay only the difference between the new price and what you originally paid (probably around $20). They then donate the old bike to charity. Another perk is that your bike may be serviced free of charge. Jodi

IMHO a bike from Target, Walmart or TRU will work the best for that age or for the 7.5 yo in the next posting. At that age they outgrow bikes so quickly, I don't believe in spending alot of money. Better to save the nice bike for the 11-13 yo when they are hopefully more responsible and will take better care of it. Sometimes toy consignment shops will have bikes (try Toy Safari on Park Street in Alameda) or sometimes your local police department will sell bikes that have been recovered but not claimed by their original owners at a parking lot sale laura

Bike with hand brakes for 6 Year Old?

Jan 2005

My tall six year old daughter is ready for a 20'' bike. But my question is, should I get her a real bike with only handbreaks and gears, or should I get her one that still has a coaster brake and few to no gears. I'm thinking the former will save me having to buy two bikes instead of just one, but that the latter may be too much for her at six. Any advice from bike types out there? Also, any good places to find used bikes? Thanks. Hilary

My 6 year old son just learned to ride his bike without training wheels (yippee!). I took off the hand brakes a while ago because his hand grip wasn't strong enough to stop the bike. That's something you may want to consider! He uses coaster brakes and has a lot of fun skidding around. I imagine any kid's bike you'll find will have both options (hand and foot brake) on the bike. Laurel