Choosing the Perfect Bike…

“How do I know which bike to choose?!”

This is something we get asked all of the time, and let’s face it - there are so many bike shops, with so many different styles and sizes -it really is a minefield!

Obviously there is not definite right or wrong answer, we can only give you our advise based on many years of experience and success (we have definitely learnt new things along the way and don’t claim to be experts!)

So here are our top tips for choosing the right bike for your child:

1) Don’t buy a bike based on the recommended age!
Every child is different - there is no set height that your child will when they reach a certain age! The age suggestions on bikes are exactly that… a suggestion and the size you choose should be based on leg length (not even height!)
The size you see on children’s bikes are the wheel size e.g. 14 inch bikes have 14 inch wheels.

2) Try to avoid superhero or princess bikes!
When your child is learning to ride, you ideally want a lightweight bike, without suspension. Although the superhero and princess bikes might look pretty and appealing to your child, they are often extremely heavy and have tiny wheels, meaning your child is having to work even harder to get that bike moving… not ideal when they are trying to co-ordinate pedaling…and steering… and braking…!
And yes, we know what you’re thinking - “how am I meant to talk my child into choosing that boring, lightweight bike over that super cool batman bike with matching helmet?!”… but trust us, it is a battle worth having and something you will thank us for!*

3) Flat feet & bent knees
If your child is a total beginner, even if they are a pro on a balance bike, the last thing you want to do is knock their confidence and scare them into thinking they are going to fall!
When we teach children to ride, we always put them on bikes that are too small for them to enable them to build up their confidence in handling and stopping the bike without the fearing of hurting themselves. Now obviously, we know you aren’t going to want to spend shed loads of money on a bike that is too small for you child, but we recommend buying a bike that, when the seat is at its lowest point, sees your child sat with the balls of their feet flat on the ground and a slight bend in their knee (rather than on tippy toes, struggling to touch the ground).

Bike shops will often try and sell you a bike that is perfect for confident riders… if your child is just starting their cycling journey, we highly recommend buying a cheap, secondhand bike that is on the smaller side, and saving the new shiny bike for when they can ride!

4) Straight, not dipped!
When your child is learning to ride, they have to think about so many different things all at the same time - balancing, steering, pedaling, braking…
These things become automatic over time but it is a lot of information for one little brain to take in to start with. Over the years, we have found that straight handlebars are much easier to control than dipped ones.
If your child has wobbly arms, or appears to look as though they’re struggling to handle the bike when learning to ride, have a look at their handlebars… they may well be dipped and making it difficult for them!

At CycleBuddie, we have a range of different bikes in different sizes. If you don’t already have a bike, please don’t feel as though you need to go out and buy one before the session - we are more than happy to lend you one of ours and then advise you on which size might be best!

* There is nothing wrong with these bikes at all, we have taught lots of children to ride superhero and princess bikes, but do find that the children who are struggling to pedal are the ones who have the really heavy bikes!