Best children’s bikes 2018: We pick the best kids' bike for every age

Watching your child learn to ride a bike is one of the greatest chapters in a parent’s life. This, undoubtedly, is one of those unforgettable moments – a child pushing the pedals independently for the first time and pulling triumphantly away from their parent. If you want to give your children the best two-wheeled start in life, however, then you’ll need to invest in the right bike.

You may have got your little one started early on a balance bike, some stabilizers or a trike of some sort. But, at some point, the training wheels quite literally need to come off, and you need to pick up the best children’s bike on the market that suits your child’s unique needs.

This important purchase can seem daunting, with the rise of the internet adding a maddening array of options in this and every other field. So, to help you make the right choice, we’ve compiled a list of the best kids bikes on the market.

How to pick the best children’s bike to buy

What size bike does your child need?

Picking the right size of bike is absolutely vital, since you don’t want to end up in a situation where your son or daughter is whacking their knees on the handlebars or failing to the reach the pedals. Most bike shops and websites will offer their own guides, relating the size of your child to the various wheel size options on the market, but this chart from IceBike.org provides a suitable system for estimating your child’s bike size before perusing the options:

Alternatively, on some retailers’ websites, you’ll see size options that compare your child’s inseam to the numerous wheel size options. IceBike offers this comparison of how inseam measurements should match up to wheel size. By basing your choice of bike on your child’s inseam measurements, you ensure that they will have enough standover clearance to get on and off the bike safely and comfortably.

What sort of bike does your child need?

Is your child an absolute beginner, a budding cycling prodigy or something in between? Depending on where they sit on that sliding scale of bike-based proficiency, you’ll want to pick an option with the right amount of features to suit your child’s needs. It’s best to start the youngest and smallest riders off with a simple balance bike to help them get the hang of riding a bike (you can check out our balance bike buying guide here), then move them up to a simple single speed model with a single brake. Once they’ve mastered that, you can start looking at models with dual brakes and multiple gears which will allow them to both go faster and tackle more hilly terrain. We’ve included every kind of bike in the list below.

Will your child outgrow a perfect bike too quickly?

If your child is right at the upper end of one of the segments in the wheel size tables above, you’ll want to take care as to which size of bike you choose. To avoid this pitfall, it’s worth making sure that a bike has some adjustability which will allow it to grow with them. Check if the manufacturer has any recommended inseam measurements, and make sure that your child’s inseam fits at the lower end of the range – that way you can simply raise the seat and or handlebars as they grow. Failing that, take them to a shop and get them to try a few sizes from different brands to give you an idea of how the sizes match up in the real world.

How much do you need to spend?

If you’re limiting your spend to £100 or thereabouts, you should still be able to pick up a single speed bike for a younger child to learn with. If you can push past the £200 mark, you’ll be able to get something bigger with a variety of gears. And if you can go up to between £300 and £500, you’ll find really impressive features like adjustable frame sizes, suspension and hydraulic brakes.

Which tyre width do you need?

As a general rule, slimmer tyres are better for speed on smoother paths, while chunky ones are better for bumpy off-road terrain. In this article, we’ll cover a range of options from sleek 1.5-inch tyres to all-terrain-friendly 2.8-inch ones. Thinner tyres will roll a little more quickly on smooth ground, but if you want a true do-it-all bike you might want to consider a bike with wider tyres – that way your child won’t get put off exploring rougher ground or forest paths.

READ NEXT: The best mountain bikes to buy in 2018

The best children’s bikes to buy in 2018

1. Frog 43: The perfect starter bike

Price:£240 | Buy now from Merlin Cycles

Designed specifically to be an ideal first pedal bike for young riders, the Frog 43 (so-called as it’s suitable for riders with at least a 43cm inseam) has soft handlebar grips, a locking headset for steady steering and a set of easy-to-reach brakes which have adjustable levers for smaller hands. It also comes with a bell, reflectors and mudguards as standard, meaning that your child’s safety and cleanliness is completely covered.

Despite boasting all of these incredible features, the Frog 43 is not outrageously priced. £240 is the going rate for any of the seven colourful designs, which include block colours, zany spots and even a Union Jack paint job. The Frog 43 even comes with two sets of tyres; one normal set and one more knobbly off-road option.

Key specs – Approx age: 3-4; Wheel size: 14’’; Number of gears: Single Speed; Weight: 6.3kg; Tyre width: 1.5’’ (standard tyres) or 1.75’’ (off-road tyres); Stabilizers included: No

Buy now from Merlin Cycles

2. Pinnacle Koa: The best transition bike for kids

Price:£180 | Buy now from Evans Cycles

The Pinnacle Koa is another really strong option for young children stepping up into the world of cycling for the first time. With a steel guard over the mechanisms, you can be certain that your child’s legs won’t be scraping against the oily chain. And because this is a single-speed bike, you don’t have to worry about the complicated system of gears that could confuse your little one.

The tyres on this bike are also a little chunkier than your average, which should make this bike particularly easy for children to manoeuvre. This bike is also remarkably light, weighing in at 7.1 kilograms, which is an added bonus for parents who may have to carry it around or adhere it to a vehicle.

Key specs - Approx age: 3-4; Wheel size: 14’’; Number of gears: Single Speed; Weight: 7.1kg; Tyre width: 1.7’’; Stabilizers included: Yes

Buy now from Evans Cycles

3. Black Mountain Epok Series Pinto: The most adaptable children’s bike

Price:£329 |Buy now from Black Mountain

If you’ve got a child around the age of three and you’re worried that they’ll outgrow any bike that you buy, you should check out the Pinto. It’s the most adaptable children’s bike on the market, with a ‘growing triangle’ frame that you can adjust as your child grows. There is also a ‘growing gear’ system, which allows you to add more gears into the mix as your kid becomes more proficient.

The bike has three distinct modes, each of which is suited to a different stage of your child’s development. You start off with a very low saddle (which is effectively a balance bike), but as your child grows in confidence, skill and size, you can enlarge the frame, boost the seat height and add the extra gears. This bike will last longer than your average, and literally grow with your child.

Key specs - Approx age: 3-5; Wheel size: 14’’; Number of gears: Adaptable ‘growing gear’ system; Weight: 5.7kg; Tyre width: 1.5’’; Stabilizers included: No

Buy now from Black Mountain

4. Ridgeback MX14: The best cheap children’s bike

Price:£159 | Buy now from Evans Cycles

Decent children’s bikes don’t come much cheaper than this. If you just want something affordable to swap in as a replacement for your growing child’s now-defunct balance bike, the Ridgeback MX14 is a strong choice that’s well worth considering. It only has one speed, so it’s perfect for a child that isn’t yet ready for gears.

The seat height, the handlebars and the brake levers can all be adapted to match your child’s growing confidence. The Ridgeback MX14 is also lightweight, which is handy for travelling. And it is highly durable, too, which makes it a plausible hand-me-down or resale item when your child moves onto bigger things.

Key specs – Approx age: 3-4; Wheel size: 14’’; Number of gears: Single Speed; Weight: 7kg; Tyre width: 1.75’’; Stabilizers included: Yes

Buy now from Evans Cycles

5. Hoy Bonaly: The best bike for intermediate children

Price:£310 | Buy now from Evans Cycles

As your child reaches the age of 5, it’s probably the right time to transition them over to something a bit more challenging than their first bike. It’s time, quite literally, to take the stabilizers off. The Hoy Bonaly, which is associated with Olympic legend Chris Hoy and named after one of his favourite off-road cycling spots, would be a great choice for a child that is no longer a beginner. Winningly, this affordable intermediate option achieves a mountain bike feel without over-complicating matters.

The Hoy Bonaly’s short cranks and rigid forks provide support and control for smaller riders, while the semi-treaded tyres are designed to make off-road cycling that little bit easier. If you want a bike that your child can use on rougher terrains such as grass and uneven paths, this would be a great choice.

Key specs – Approx age: 5-8; Wheel size: 20 inches; Number of gears: 6; Weight: 8kg; Tyre width: 1.75’’; Stabilizers included: No

Buy now from Evans Cycles

6. Specialized Riprock: The best all-terrain children’s bike

Price:£350 | Buy now from Evans Cycles

The Specialised Riprock children’s bike is absolutely perfect if your planning on taking your young child on a challenging, all-terrain cycle ride. If you’re plotting some serious cycling in somewhere like the Lake District, for example, this bike is an option you should seriously consider.

The massive 2.8-inch width on tyres allow this bike, and its rider, to tackle any bumps and bobbles with ease. The 7 gear options also make incline changes easy to manage. The Specialized Riprock offers all of this without being overly heavy, either. It’s a simple, elegant design with the perfect features for off-road cycling. (And if this version looks a bit too small for your child, check out the 24-inch-wheel version that is aimed at 8-to-11-year-olds.)

Key specs – Approx age: 5-8; Wheel size: 20’’; Number of gears: 7; Weight: 12.2kg; Tyre width: 2.8’’; Stabilizers included: No

Buy now from Evans Cycles

7. Pinnacle Aspen: The best bike for ages 8-11

Price:£260 | Buy now from Amazon

When your child has outgrown their first couple of bikes, you’ll want to pick up a new one that can tide them over until the adult bike sizes become suitable. The Pinnacle Aspen is a great option for children at this level, with its 24-inch tyres being the right size for children aged between 8 and 11.

This bike has rear gears only, which makes it a simplified model that will help your kid learn the ropes in the gear department. Rigid forks are also included in the design, which aims to provide a light and easy-to-control bike with reliable suspension. The Aspen is a safe pair of hands, then, for children at that transitional stage.

Key specs - Approx age: 8-11; Wheel size: 24’’; Number of gears: 6; Weight: 10.1kg; Tyre width: 1.95’’; Stabilizers included: No

Buy now from Amazon

8. Saracen Mantra: The best bike for confident riders

Price:£580 | Buy now from Tredz

Alternatively, if your 8-to-11-year-old is already a confident cyclist, you might want to try them out with something a bit more advanced. The Saracen Mantra is a top-notch option in situations like this, with its design being geared towards serious riding. It has nine speeds and hydraulic brakes, which – compared to the other options on this list - will give your child more control over their speed and stopping.

The Saracen Mantra also has Kenda Small Block 8 tyres, which provide good grip on and off-road – again, this puts the control in your kid’s hands and allows them to develop. So, if your little one is a budding bike racer, this bike will help them reach that next level.

Key specs – Approx age: 8-11; Wheel size: 24 inches; Number of gears: 9; Weight: 10.48kg; Tyre width: 1.95’’; Stabilizers included: No

Buy now from Tredz