As your kid grows up and starts wanting to explore the outdoors more, it may be the right time to get them started on riding bikes. Riding bikes is a great way for them to go out and explore, get away from the dreaded screen, and get some exercise. But which bike should you get? With seemingly endless options abound, you might be overwhelmed by the number of choices you have. Here, we’ll go through ways you can narrow down your options to choose a kid’s bike.
Choose the Right Type Bike
The first step in narrowing down your options as you choose a kid’s bike is by picking a type. Typically, all your child may need is a simple sidewalk bike. This bike is great for beginners on the sidewalk and neighborhood streets. However, if they are a budding adrenaline junky, an aspiring road racer, or need a bit of help to go the distance, then there are plenty of other options.
Sidewalk Bike
This bike is your traditional learn-to-ride model bike. Some have the option to add training wheels as they start their riding journey. Once they grow and develop, they can be taken off for the full riding experience.
Mountain
If your kid eventually wants to be jumping off hills and riding those steep curves, a kid’s mountain bike may be an option. Designed for advanced riders, this type of bike is so that they can get their first taste of off-road trails as they continue to develop their skills. It has plenty of features such as shocks and bigger wheels, all wrapped up into a tinier package.
Electric
What’s all the hubbub on electric bikes? Not just for adults, these bikes can help kids go the distance as they learn to ride a bike. Imagine a Power Wheel but in a bike form.
Balance
This type of bike is for the absolute beginners- even before training wheels. As your kid continues to develop their sense of balance and motor skills, a balance bike helps aid in that form of development. Eventually, they’ll be ready to tackle a bigger bike and ride with you and the entire family.
Choose the Right Size Bike
Once you have narrowed down the type of kids you need, the next step is to pick the correct size. Kid’s bikes are characterized by their wheel size. For example, a Strider Sport 12 has a 12-inch diameter wheel while the GT Girl’s Siren 20” Bike has 20-inch diameter wheels. Both are classified as kid’s bikes, but only one will work for your kid. While many places and even some bike shops may recommend bikes based on age, the best way to properly size a bike is based on your kids’ inseam. By measuring from the inseam, which is from the base of the foot and up the inside of the leg, you’ll be able to get the right size bike for your kid. An improperly sized bike can not only lead to discomfort and a bad riding experience but can also potentially lead to injury.
Choose the Right Weight Bike
At this point, you’ve probably narrowed down your choices by quite a bit. With that in mind, it’s time to go on a field trip and test some out. It is recommended to check out a local bike shop instead of a big box store. Besides the fact that most big box stores won’t be able to service your bike if anything were to happen, most bikes from these places are exorbitantly heavy. Kid’s bikes should be lightweight so that they can maximize their energy into going around the neighborhood or keep up with the family. A heavy bike makes it slower, more difficult to stop, and affects the overall biking experience.
Choose the Right Bike Shop
As much as we would love for you to choose a local Sun & Ski Sports bike shop, you should choose one that best fits your needs. A local bike shop can offer you and your family personalized services ranging from repairs, upgrades, and even access to the local riding community. At Sun & Ski Sports, we not only have all that with our bike shop services, but we also give you free lifetime adjustments and inspections when you buy a bike from us. We also have our Kid’s Bike Trade-Up Program where you can get up to 50% credit from the original purchase towards your kids’ next bike. That way, the bike will grow with them as they move on from the neighborhood to the local roads, trails, and beyond.
So there you have it. With this info, you should be able to choose a kid’s bike! Getting your kiddo out there is a great step into developing their sense of freedom and sense of adventure. It will not only boost their confidence but will also help create lasting memories with the whole family. If you have any further questions on kid’s bikes or bikes in general, stop on by your local Sun & Ski Sports and talk to our cycling experts. We live and breathe adventure and are happy to help!