What bike size is right for my child?

Choosing the right size bike for your child can seem like a recurring nightmare! There is so much information and misinformation out there on what is right caused by genuine mistakes and ignorance down to sellers perhaps wanting to keep you hooked into buying a new bike more frequently than you need to keep their balance sheets looking sweet for the end of year report!

Well! We are here to cut to the chase and give you the best advice on what is right, right now, for your little one.

Getting straight to the point, us humans, are a funny breed as we come in all sizes anthropometrically speaking that is. A lot of sellers, including ourselves, use age as a guide. That's all well and good if your little darling is in the 50% percentile of the population and that tallies with the average for inside leg length. So it is best to grab a tape and measure their inside leg length because some kids will have longer legs than others and, of course, their height plays a factor in this because you have been feeding and watering them since birth and now your lovely little flower has bloomed into a fun-loving, two-wheel lover.

Next check this against our guide on the product to see what is the recommended wheel size. Don't get too bogged down with this but other things to consider are:- a) Is this their first bike? If so, stabilisers are a good addition to help them gain confidence in the first instance. They can be used on bikes from 12" - 20" wheels! If they are just below the next recommended size by 1 cm., then stabilisers might well be the way to go as that centimetre is likely to vanish fairly quickly and you'll wonder where it's gone! b) The seat post on any given bike allows for a wide range of use and can be adjusted upwards as they grow. Always observe the MINIMUM insertion mark on the seatpost as it is there for safety reasons. c) Handlebars can be rotated forwards and rearwards to allow for differing arm lengths too. There is plenty of tolerance and room for growth. One final word is our Forme and Cuda bike range are incredible value to lighten the burden on your pocket so upgrading to the next size up will not be as painful as you think.

Children's bikes are generally sized according to the wheel size of the bike, with the wheel size recommended for an age range based on the average size of a child within that range.

There's no hard and fast rule as to what size bike fits what age of child, but if your child is above or below the average height, consider moving up or down a bike size.

It is important to consider your child's confidence in cycling. Too large a bike may prove daunting, or require the additional purchase of stabilisers.