The Ultimate Kids’ Bike Guide: How to Find the Perfect Bike for Your Child

Having their own bike is a child’s first step towards independent mobility. It allows them to get to meet-ups and appointments on their own, explore their surroundings and stay physically active. But a kids’ bike is not just a kids’ bike. We’ve put together important tips to help you find the right bike size and choose the right components, so your child can truly enjoy cycling.

The right bike size: Why it really matters

The most important factor when buying a children’s bike is choosing the correct size, as a well-fitting bike ensures greater safety and more fun when riding. For children’s bikes, size is usually defined by the wheel size. Important: Don’t rely solely on rough rules of thumb such as “a 20-inch bike fits five-year-olds”! Every child is different. Be sure to compare your child’s height and inseam length with the recommendations provided by the respective bike manufacturer. In our shop, practical filters and the product page descriptions help you with this.

Please note: Do not buy a bike “to grow into”! If the bike is too large, children quickly lose their enjoyment of cycling. They sit too stretched out, have difficulty getting on and off or may even hurt themselves, struggle to control the bike, and can hardly hold the handlebars during large steering movements.

How to determine the right bike size for your child

To find the correct bike size, you need two measurements: your child’s height and inseam length (inside leg length). Both measurements should be taken without shoes.

How to measure the inseam length:

• Your child stands with their back against a wall and places a book between their legs, with the spine facing upwards.
• Then pull the book up until the pressure feels similar to the saddle pressure when sitting on a bike.
• Make sure the book is level! This works best if the back of the book is touching the wall.
• Now measure the distance from the top edge of the book spine to the floor.

With your child’s height and inseam length, you can now easily compare the manufacturer’s recommendations and choose the correct bike size.

Tip 1: If your child has little or no experience riding a bike or a balance bike, initially set the saddle so that both feet can safely touch the ground. This provides confidence. As riding skills improve, you can gradually raise the saddle so that only the tips of the toes touch the ground. Once your child rides confidently, adjust the saddle so that they sit ergonomically on the bike and can pedal comfortably.

Tip 2: If your child often rides standing up, the saddle may be too low. Pedalling while seated then becomes difficult and power transfer is poor. If the knees hit the arms or even the chin while pedalling, the saddle is definitely too low. In this case: raise the saddle or, if necessary, consider a larger bike.

Child-friendly components: What you should look out for

The most important thing is that your child can operate the bike easily. Too much technology often overwhelms very young riders. As children grow older, taller, and heavier, more advanced components can make sense.

Gears on kids' bikes: yes or no?

Children’s bikes up to 16 inches usually do not have a drivetrain, with only a few exceptions, as operating gears could overwhelm young riders. Gears are typically introduced on larger bikes, and learning how to use them correctly takes a bit of practice. Make sure the shifters are designed to be child-friendly and easy to operate.

Brakes: hand brakes or coaster brake, rim brakes or disc brakes?

Coaster brakes are now rarely found on children’s bikes. This is because your child will eventually switch to a bike with hand brakes, coaster brake hubs are heavier than hand brake systems, and they require higher operating forces. High-quality children’s bikes use child-specific brake levers that are specially designed for smaller hands with less strength. On children’s bikes from SUPURB, for example, the reach of the brake levers can be adjusted. Whether a children’s bike should have rim brakes or disc brakes depends on its primary use. If the bike is mainly used in the city or on flat terrain, lightweight rim brakes may be the better choice. The more often the bike is used in hilly terrain or even in bike parks – and the bigger or heavier the child – the more advisable disc brakes become.

Tip: If a children’s bike is too large, the child not only feels unsafe while riding, but may also struggle to reach the brake levers or use levers that are not designed for smaller hands. Always make sure to choose the correct frame size.

Is suspension useful on a kids’ bike?

Suspension forks on children’s bikes look cool, but they are not always useful for younger kids. Many children are so light that suspension forks or rear shocks cannot be properly adjusted or are not activated noticeably at all. A rigid fork is lighter, requires no maintenance and copes better with rough handling or crashes. From a body weight of around 35 kilograms upwards, a high-quality suspension fork with sensitive response can make sense. It is also important to consider your child’s technical riding skills. If your child is already riding rooty trails like the grown-ups, they should also have the appropriate equipment – and that includes a suspension fork. If you mainly ride on paved roads, a rigid fork may again be the more sensible choice for the reasons mentioned above – possibly combined with wide tyres for increased traction, safety and comfort.

Tip: When buying, look for suspension components that can be individually adjusted. Your child will grow and gain weight, so you should regularly check and fine-tune the suspension. This is much easier with air suspension components.

Wide tyres: comfort and safety

If you’re looking for more comfort off-road even on smaller bikes, models with wide tyres, such as our Early-Rider-Bikes, are a great choice. Thanks to their larger volume, these tyres can be ridden at lower air pressure, which already provides a noticeable amount of damping. This also increases safety – and looks cool, too.

FAQ: Kids’ bikes

My child is exactly between two sizes – which one should I choose?

If your child is exactly between two sizes, choose the larger one! However, make sure that you don’t buy the bike too big. Measure your child’s height and inseam length and compare the values with the size recommendations of the bike manufacturers.

How do I correctly measure my child’s inseam length?

Your child stands barefoot with their back against a wall and places a book between their legs. The book is then pulled up until the pressure feels similar to sitting on the saddle. Now measure the distance from the top edge of the horizontal (!) book down to the floor. This is the inseam length.

When is the right time for the first “real” bike (after a balance bike)?

In our shop, you’ll find kids’ bikes starting at 14 inches, which are suitable from an inseam length of 37 centimetres. Bikes of this size are often suitable for children between three and five years old.

Is it possible to skip a wheel size (e.g. from 14 to 20 inches)?

You should always buy a bike that fits properly. If you buy a kids’ bike “to grow into”, your child may feel unsafe on it or hurt themselves when getting off. This can quickly take the fun out of cycling. Always follow the manufacturers’ recommendations for height and inseam length.

Training wheels – yes or no?

We clearly advise against training wheels. With training wheels, children often develop incorrect movement patterns when cornering. Simply start with a balance bike! This helps your child practise balance and prepares them perfectly for the transition to a bicycle.

Is it worth buying an expensive kids’ bike?

A very clear yes! High-quality kids’ bikes are lighter, better built and equipped with child-friendly, ergonomic components. This ensures greater safety and more fun when riding. And as a bonus, the resale value of a kids’ bike is also higher.