What Size Bike Should I Get My Kid

The number one electronic mail question I get in my inbox: "What size bike does my kid need?" Let's exist honest, information technology's confusing!

For starters, kids bikes are sized differently than adult bikes (past bike size rather than frame size). Also, fifty-fifty when we're talking about a bike with certain size wheels, the standover height and seatpost heights amongst manufacturers can vary drastically.

Finally, while a bike might be advertised for a 5-year-quondam, some v years olds are tiny while others are huge. There'southward no fashion those ii kids will exist best served by the same bike.

That said, you lot can figure out the right size bike without trial-and-error, or pulling your hair out. We've helped hundreds of parents figure out which size kids bicycle to get. Hither are 3 tips to help you become the correct size bike the first time.

one) Know What Bicycle Size Your Kid Needs

Kids bikes are "sized" by the diameter of their wheels. The tiniest pedal bikes outset with 12-inch wheels while bigger bikes go all the way upwards to 24-inch wheels. When your kiddo is ready for 26-inch, they are generally set up for an adult size ride, although some wheel manufacturers make smaller "youth" size 26″ bikes.

Balance bikes, on the other paw, start with wheels as small as ten″ although most balance bikes take 12″ or 14″ wheels.

The best fashion to first narrowing downwardly which size bicycle your child needs is to determine which size wheels they PROBABLY demand. I say probably because we're basing it on an age range for kids of average height.

If your child is tiny or super alpine, they may need a smaller OR bigger bike than the general range nosotros suggest hither. Don't let that stress y'all out–this is just a starting bespeak, so become a basic thought of what size wheels your kid PROBABLY needs.

Kids Bike Size Chart

Remember, this is just a starting point. Apply this chart to get a general thought of which size bike your child needs, merely don't skip the steps below!!!!

Bicycle size	Age	Height	Inseam
12"	2-3	two'10"-3'4"	14-17" 35-42 cm
xiv"	iii-4	three'1"-3'seven"	xvi-20" 40-50 cm
16"	iv-5	3'7"-iv'0"	18-22" 45-55 cm
18"	5-half dozen	3'9"-4'3"	twenty-24" l-60 cm
20"	5-eight	4'0"-four'5"	22-25" 55-63 cm
24"	7-11	4'5"-4'ix"	24-28" 60-72 cm

2) Measure Your Child's Height and Inseam

The next thing to do is to mensurate your child. Don't skip this step or guess!

If you lot're buying the bike equally a gift, y'all should still be able to ask the child's parents to measure them for you. Lie and say you're sewing clothes or something if it must be a surreptitious!

Measure out your child's inseam AND their height. You'll want to take the measurements in inches (or convert to inches one time you're done). Make sure to write down those measurements and save them for our adjacent step.

3) Expect Up the Specs for the Bike (or Bikes) You are Interested In

Just because you retrieve your child probably needs a 14″ bike doesn't mean that ANY fourteen″ cycle will fit them. Different bikes accept different stand-over heights and min/max seatpost heights. It'southward all-time to look for a bike that will provide the All-time FIT for your kiddo.

Not all cycle manufacturers list the standover height for their bikes. If they do, however, you lot should compare it to your kid'southward inseam.

The standover height is the height of the top tube of the cycle frame where your child will be positioned when continuing with one leg over each side of the bike. This ways that your kid's inseam needs to exist AT LEAST every bit tall every bit the standover elevation. Ideally, at that place will be a little more than infinite than that for your child to maneuver the bike comfortably.

Prevelo Alpha Three Kids Bike — **Your kid needs to be able to comfortably stand over the top tube of the bike**

The other stat that you should absolutely expect upwardly is the minimum seatpost peak for whatever bike yous are considering. How the minimum seatpost height compares to your child'due south inseam is dependent on whether you are buying a balance bike, first pedal wheel, or a pedal bicycle for a confident pedaler.

For a balance bike, you want to brand certain that the minimum seatpost superlative is no higher than your child's inseam length. This allows your child to put their feet flat on the ground, to learn to balance and to scoot.

So if the bike has a 12″ minimum seatpost height, and so you need to make sure that your child has at to the lowest degree a 12″ inseam. If not, look for a bike with a smaller minimum seatpost pinnacle.

**For a remainder cycle, you want your child to exist able to identify their anxiety flat on the ground while sitting on the seat**

If you are ownership your child'south outset pedal bike, and then you want to brand sure again that your kid's inseam is at as long every bit the minimum seatpost height or no more than ane″ apart. This is considering kids who haven't learned to pedal yet, volition want to be able to put their feet flat on the basis. This gives them stability and the ability to "scoot" if they experience and so inclined.

If your kid already knows how to pedal (sans training wheels), so y'all tin can choose a bike with a minimum seatpost acme that is 1-3″ higher than their inseam length. This allows your child's toes to touch the ground but non put their feet flat on the floor.

islabikes beinn 20 size — **This confident rider is at the small end of the size spectrum for this cycle merely is nonetheless able to comfortably accomplish the basis.**

DO Non buy a bike that has a minimum seatpost height any higher than 1-3″ longer than your kid's inseam. They will not exist able to bear upon the ground, will struggle to reach the pedals, and are probably going to struggle or get hurt.

There are 2 ways to look up all information like minimum seatpost heights. Your first option is to become straight to the manufacturer'due south website. Whatsoever decent brand is going to provide specs for their bikes. If they don't, don't waste your time with their bikes.

Some manufacturers accept even created special tools to help you pick the correct size bike for your kid. Nosotros honey the Woom size chart* that you tin can have sent to your home and mensurate your child against. Some other nifty tool is the Guardian Bikes RideSizer tool* that helps you lot determine which size bike your kiddo needs online.

Your other option is to employ one of our comparison charts. For each child's bike size, we've rounded up a listing of some of the best kids bikes available and included a comparison chart with this info for you. This is a quick and easy style to encounter which bikes will best fit your child.

Remainder Bike Guides & Comparing Charts:

Best Residuum Bikes For Toddlers
All-time Remainder Bikes For Preschoolers (three+)

Pedal Bike Guides & Comparison Charts:

All-time 12 Inch & 14 Inch Bikes
Best 16 Inch Bikes
Best twenty Inch Bikes
Best 24 Inch Bikes
Best 26 Inch Bikes

What To Do When Your Child Is In Between Sizes

Information technology'south pretty easy to choose a bike when your kid fits nicely at the lesser finish of the recommended superlative/inseam for a bike. Information technology's tougher when your kiddo is at the the upper terminate of the recommended top/inseam for a bicycle.

When this happens, we hear from lots of parents that they are worried that the bike won't last very long, and that their child will outgrow it speedily. This is a valid business organization, since neither bicycles nor money abound on copse.

If your kid is pretty dang close to the next size bike, I more often than not tell parents to go ahead and size up. This is especially truthful if your kid already knows how to pedal and is a confident rider.

Yous know your kiddo best. Are they able-bodied and capable of handling a bigger, heavier bike? Are they going to exist confident standing on their tippy-toes or are they going to be scared?

If your child isn't already a whiz on the bike, then consider staying on the smaller size wheel, fifty-fifty if they will outgrow it shortly. In this case, you might desire to wait for a used bike (or borrow a wheel from a friend). You tin buy an expensive bike several months down the line after they've had a scrap of a growth spurt and are ready for the side by side size bike.

A Discussion On Kids BMX Bike Sizing

And now to throw a wrench into everything I've said higher up. If you're buying a kids BMX bike, the above rules on wheel size don't apply.

At that place are 2 unlike types of kids BMX bikes: freestyle/street BMX bikes (that you lot would apply at a skatepark for instance) and racing BMX bikes (which you would use on a race track). Both have unlike sizing.

For freestyle/street BMX bikes, you'll generally want to choose a bike that has a wheel size ane size smaller than you would for a traditional kids bike. In other words, if your child would ride a 16 inch bicycle, they'd want a 14 inch BMX bike.

Larn More:

5 Best 12″ and xiv″ BMX Bikes (Freestyle/Street)
nine Best 16 Inch BMX Bikes for Kids (Freestyle/Street)

For kids race BMX bikes, the wheel size is e'er 20 inches–fifty-fifty for really tiny riders. Only the frame size changes as your child grows.

There are four sizes of kids BMX racing bikes:

Micro Mini (under 5)
Mini (5-seven)
Junior (seven-9)
Good (nine-11)
Skilful Forty (10-13)

And here's how they are sized by your kid's height:

Size	Historic period	Height
Micro Mini	<5	three'6″-four'0″
Mini	5-7	4′-4'four″
Junior	seven-ix	4'3-4'7″
Expert	9-11	4'6″-five'5″
Expert XL	ten-13	5'3-5'7″

Learn More: seven Best Kids BMX Race Bikes (Micro Mini, Mini, Junior, Expert)

Why Size Isn't The Only Matter That Matters

Yes, size is the first thing to recall about when picking out a kids bicycle but it certainly isn't the only thing that you should be thinking about. In one case you know what size bike your child needs, you should begin thinking about things like weight (this one is a biggy), geometry, brakes, tires, whether or not to use training wheels, etc, etc, etc.

For more information on other things you should be considering, read our Guide To The Best Kids Bikes & How To Cull!

Virtually Us

The Rascals are a family of 3. Kristen (mom), Blair (dad), and Parker (kiddo). We started Rascal Rides when Parker was born and we didn't want to give upward our passion for biking. As we learned, we shared. Over the years, we've tested hundreds of kids bikes, helmets, bicycle trailers, and more.

Kristen is a The states Cycling certified motorbus and loves to share her passion for biking with other families. Blair is a bike geek, mechanic, and mountain wheel junkie. Parker is our resident tester and inspiration.

If you see united states out on the trail, make certain to say hi!