How To Choose Cool Bicycle For Your Children?

Bikes are a wonderful gift to buy your child. Not only do they provide so much joy, and an immense amount of fun but also in learning to cycle builds confidence and helps to develop a valuable life skill of riding a bike and engaging your child in the benefits to health and fitness. Here are some tips on choosing a children's bike.

With young children it's much easier buying a bike for them but for older children, it can be a bit trickier to choose.

Some types of Children's Bikes

BMX Bikes

child kids BMX bike

BMX bikes are great for general cycling about, and are built specifically for building on bike skills and performing stunts. There are a couple different variations in the kind of BMX bike, each built for a slightly different purpose. In all, BMX bikes are typically characterised with special additions, such as pegs, and rugged tyres to help with stunt riding.

There are three main types of BMX bike, a true BMX a good all rounder, the freestyle, made for tricks and stunts and the "Jump" bike, for rugged trail riding and jumping.

Mountain Bikes & Cruisers

Child Mountain Bikes Cruisers

Children's mountain bikes are often just a smaller version of the adult mountain bike. They often have many of the same features found on adult mountain bikes, such as suspension and a wide choice of gears, but as you'd expect they are just a smaller frame size, and have smaller wheels.

Cruisers are characterised by their low, relaxed seating position, and typically have one speed. Cruisers often have wide handlebars and are designed for comfortable riding. They are great for general cycling on paved areas.

Think about how your child will spend time with their bike, will it be for general commuting around, perhaps to and from school? A cruiser would be good there, or are they adventurous too? Then a mountain bike would be more suitable.

Bike Sizing for Children

Adult sizing for bikes is based of the measurement of the frame, but children's bikes are measured according to the size of the wheel. Here's a simple guide of sizes according to age:

Ages 3 to 5: 10- to 12-inch wheels
Ages 4 to 7: 16-inch
Ages 6 to 13: 20-inch
Ages 9 to 13: 24-inch
Ages 10 to adult: 26-inch

Use this just as a general guide. One 10 year old for example might be much taller than another, and so they may need a larger sized bike than the smaller 10 year old. Another example is a taller child for their age who has little or no experience of riding, maybe better starting off on a smaller bike to build their confidence and ability. So there are many different factors to take into account, such as height and ability when choosing a bike for your child.

Great Bicycles Books on Amazon

Classic Schwinn Bicycles (Collector's Library)

by William Love

Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

Finding the Perfect Bicycle Seat

by Joshua Cohen

Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

Simple Bicycle Repair

by Rob Van Der Plas

Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 07/26/2008)

Smart Cycling: Successful Training and Racing for Riders of All Levels

by Arnie Baker

Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 07/26/2008)

Mountain Bike Performance Handbook (Bicycle Books)

by Lennard Zinn

Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

Great Child Bike on eBay

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Safety Construction Features of Kid's Bikes

Wheels
The wheels of a bike play a very important part in the safety of a bike. The wheel rims ideally should be made of a metal alloy or aluminium. Steel or chrome rims should be avoided, for the reason that when wet, brake pads tend to be less abrasive on these surfaces. Aluminium or metal alloy rims have better non skid properties. While testing the bike, the wheels itself should spin freely without touching or grating against any other bike parts. The CPSC has a safety standard for the front wheels of all bikes, which requires that the front wheel remains attached to the bike even if all the nuts are removed.

Brakes
Brakes are one of the most important aspects of a kid's bike. Kid's bikes typically have coaster brakes, which are engaged by pedaling the bike backwards. Hand Brakes are generally available in older kids bikes as they have better hand power to depress these brakes. You should make sure that the brakes are functioning well, and not creaking or grating against anything. You can upturn the bike, spin the wheels and depress the hand brakes to test the power of the brakes.

Frame
The frame of a bike should be relatively strong and sturdy. An average adult should be able to bend the frame. You can do an alignment check to see if the front and back wheels are in the same plane as the frame.

Chain guards
Chain guards typically cover the chain of the bike. They are very useful in preventing shoe laces, or jean/pant legs from getting caught in the chain or wheels. A good chain guard should cover the chain, and the chain should move smoothly within the guard, and not touch it anywhere

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Some types of Children's Bikes

Bike Sizing for Children

Great Bicycles Books on Amazon

Great Child Bike on eBay

Safety Construction Features of Kid's Bikes

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