Best Kids’ Bikes (2026): Woom, Prevelo, Guardian, and more

Frequently asked questions

How do you determine the size of a children’s bike?

Bikes are expensive. It’s tempting to secure your purchase for the future by purchasing a bike a size or two larger, so your child doesn’t quickly outgrow it. Don’t fall into this trap! Not only is it uncomfortable, it’s unsafe. how You Did you expect to control a bike that was a size too big for you?

Measuring by age group is also risky; For example, my 10-year-old daughter is half the size of some of her peers (sorry, honey). To find the correct size, you will either have to measure your child’s height or their minimum inseam length. Children’s bikes are measured by wheel size, so a 12-inch bike refers to a bike with 12-inch wheels, and so on. When you get the bike, make sure your child can stand on top of the frame with their feet comfortably flat on the ground. Make sure your child can get on and off easily and that his or her hands can reach the brakes and shifters if the bike has them.

What features should I look for?

• Brake: Most children start out using coaster brakes, also known as pedal brakes. They let you stop by moving the pedal back. An older child may need a hand brake so they can pedal backwards like mom or dad. Rim brakes are cheaper, but disc brakes will help it stop faster.
• Raiders: Once your child is old enough to understand basic physics, the intuitive transmission will help them keep up with mom or an older sibling. I can always hear my 8 year old tapping frantically behind me and his sister on our way to school.
• comment: Are you planning to drag your child mountain biking with you? Then you might be considering a bike with shocks. However, this will add significant weight and cost to the bike. Children are also usually light enough so suspension may not work. If you plan to do a lot of off-road riding as a family, I’d suggest prioritizing the bigger wheels and better brakes first.

When should my child get gears?

From personal experience, kids start wanting gears around 6 years old. This is the age when their hands are large enough to curl into a fist and move around. This is especially important if you are biking in a mountainous area or as a family – they will really want to keep up with your needs. I recommend twist shifters, like the Woom, for younger children.

How much should a children’s bike cost?

I think about $400 is a reasonable price for a brand new kids bike. Don’t get the cheapest brand new bike from the big box store; I’ve done this before and ended up carrying mini bikes to the nearest parts store. There is a healthy secondary market for children’s bikes that kids have outgrown. You may want to check Craigslist, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or ask your neighbors.

Should I get training wheels?

If you want to teach your little one to ride a bike — especially one who’s trying hard to keep up with her older sibling — it’s very tempting to install some training wheels and think you’ll teach her later. It’s even more tempting because you don’t want your child to stop cycling completely.

However, if you are a child learning to ride a bike with training wheels, it is very frustrating to have them taken off and learn how to balance from scratch. I highly recommend skipping the training wheels altogether and letting your child know that they can ride two wheels on their own. This video is a good summary of the process (although they call the bunny hop a “frog hop,” which I disagree with, because rabbits are much cuter than frogs). A properly equipped bike also goes a long way to ensuring your child feels comfortable.