Here’s some quick tips on figuring out which sized bike to get your child for Christmas.
Children’s bicycles are measured by the size of wheel they have, 16″, 20″ and 24″. So here’s some age appropriate sizes you can use:
16″ 5-7 years old
20″ 8-10 years old
24″ 11-13 years old
Now take those measurements with a grain of salt. Kids tend to grow at different rates…especially when they start hitting puberty. But with my own kids, we saw that Breanna, had a major growth spurt and her 20″ bike was stretched out to the limits on the seat post and stem extension after about a year.
So with that in mind, you may want to consider a bike that will grow with your kid. If you’re kid. For boys usually a 20″ bmx bike will suit their needs for years to come and you really don’t have to worry too much about the fit and geometry. For girls, I’d recommend beach cruisers put out by Nirve and Electa, they tend to be more growth friendly than a 20″ mountain bike.
But before you head out to the bike shop, measure your child, and place an imaginary line against yourself so when you talk to the guys at the shop, you can say, “Billy is this tall” (as your pointing to your imaginary line. Then if they’re good, they can figure out which size to get.
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5 responses so far ↓
1 big black shed // Dec 19, 2007 at 1:50 am
Or even better. Take your kid with you to the bike shop and put them on lots of different bikes.
And it’s not just wheel size that’s important. A lot of low end bike companies use adult components like crank sets, seats and brake levers that are way to big for little hands and legs.
You’ll find little Jonny sat on a bike with the seat and post all of the way down so he can reach the ground, only to have his knees around his ears because the crank arms are too long
2 Fritz // Dec 19, 2007 at 4:21 pm
My son is about average height and he was on a 26″ wheel bike at age 10. You might want to revise your age/size chart size up a notch.
Or, like Big Black wrote, just taken ‘em to the bike shop to be properly fitted. While you make a good point that some bike styles are well suited to a large range of sizes, bike styles can be individual even in children — my son has no interest in BMX bikes but would love an Ibis Mojo MTB. My daughter likes cruisers, but a blanket recommendation of beach cruisers seems more than a little bit sexist.
3 RL Policar // Dec 19, 2007 at 4:31 pm
“Now take those measurements with a grain of salt. Kids tend to grow at different rates…especially when they start hitting puberty. ”
Your daugther likes cruisers, my daughters like cruisers…Moe’s daughter likes cruisers…That comment about beach cruisers was taken out of context. I am simply relaying information based on what I’ve seen with my own kids…
Sure it would be ideal to bring Billy or Suzie to the shop, but what about the element of surprise when you show them their new shinny bike….if you take them to the shop, then they’ll get an idea that they’re getting a bike for Christmas….
4 Moe // Dec 19, 2007 at 5:17 pm
My 7 year old is getting a new bike for Christmas. I went to my LBS (the one that does not allow test rides) to see what she would like. She was immediately attracted to the beach cruisers. I asked her if she wanted to check out a small Trek MTB wanna be, but her heart was set on a beach cruiser.
I don’t believe that RL was being sexist, but based his recommendation from our experience.
5 Priscilla // Dec 19, 2007 at 6:53 pm
lol…yeah..as much as I LOVE mountain biking….when i saw my beach cruiser I fell head over heels for that bike!!! There’s just something about a pretty shiny bike when all the colors and details that is put into it…my big seat…big bell..tassels! And when I sit on it…it gets even better! Ahhhh I feel like a kid again! I think it’s the little girl in me that loves that bike…and I am ok with that!
And our three girls…they’ve been bitten by the same bug every time. And BELIEVE me I wish they would ask for a mountain bike..but not yet. Just our own experience.
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