In an era where Kids are glued to the TV or a computer game there is no gift quite like a bike to reinvigorate their sense of adventure and love for outdoors! Some of my fondest childhood memories are cycling with my friends to the park or the local shops and feeling like I was a modern day Christopher Columbus!

Below is a brief summary of the different sizes of kids bikes and the ages they’re generally recommend for: 

Of course the above is a general guideline and kids are all different shapes and sizes. Nothing beats coming into the store (we have quite the selection)  and having the child fitted on the bike to ensure they’re comfortable, but if that’s not possible (or it’s a surprise present)  here’s a little table which should help decision making easier..

The inside leg is arguably the most important measurement as it’s imperative the balls of the child’s feet are able to comfortably reach the ground.. especially for a balance bike as they’ll also act as the brakes!

I will go into more detail regarding the different sizes and some personal recommendations for each size below, starting with the enigma that are Balance Bikes:

Balance Bikes

These are the optimum way for a toddler to learn how to balance. With no pedals or brakes you simply propel yourself with your feet and use the momentum to ‘glide’. It’s in those few seconds where they will learn to balance until deciding to brake with their feet. Confidence will quickly grow and your child will likely be taking corners and increasing speed.

The real beauty of the Balance Bike is it helps transition to pedal bikes without the need for stabilisers. I think most of us remember the daunting moments of taking the stabilisers off and trying to maintain our equilibrium without falling off.. I wish I had a balance bike.

Our two favourite balance bikes are from ‘Strider’ and ‘Kiddimoto’ (formerly seen on Dragons Den). Well designed and durable they’re the perfect bike for a newbie!

Kiddimoto are renowned as one of the flag bearers for Balance Bikes and their multitude of colours and designs give so many options! Already perfecting wooden made models such as the ‘Kurve’ they delved into creating lighter weight metal bikes such as the ‘Super Junior’ and ‘Super Junior Max’.

With a brake included it distinguishes itself from many other Balance Bike models and the foot-rest means kids can comfortably ride and glide for longer. The carry handle and puncture proof tyres also make it a pragmatic option and one the parents will be grateful for !

Our Best Selling Balance Bike is the Cube Cubie 120 Walk Childs Balance Bike.  It is unbelievably light and designed to ease your child into cycling.

14″ Bikes

For many Children their first experience on a bike may not be until they’re a little older and too big for a balance bike. 14″ bikes come both with and without stabilisers so depending on your kids cycling experience/ ability to balance will determine your choice here.

Should they already have had fun on a balance bike they are likely ready to go for a pedal bike without stabilisers. 

If it’s their first time or they’re still getting to grips with cycling bikes with Stabilisers are what you’ll be looking for.

We find the CUDA bikes are highly popular with parents and kids alike due to their lighter aluminium frames and quality components.  With better quality bearings, brakes made for small hands, and the lighter alloy frame, they are a joy to ride.

If the Blox are considered an overspend at the 160 euro mark, you could consider the Bumper range – Such as the Goal or Dolly as in the picture above.  These are steel frames but still come with kid specific brake levers and decent bearings.

16″ Bikes

Bigger, faster and with higher specs these bikes are starting to look and feel more like Adult models.

We really like the Orbea MX 16″ as it includes a lightweight aluminium frame along with powerful V-Brakes for extra stopping power. It also comes with stabilsers (which can be easily removed) making it a versatile option.