A kid’s bike is one of the best possible gifts that you can give to your child, in fact the only present I can remember getting when I was a child was my shiny new bike Some of my strongest childhood memories are of riding my bike, I remember spending what seemed like countless hours riding around the local streets (after the chores were done) with my mates having fun.

Buying a kids bike for your child will bring them endless hours of fun and adventure in the great outdoors while at the same time helping them maintain a balanced, active lifestyle. Speaking of active lifestyles, why not dust off your old bike and take your kids out for a family ride; you never know, you might have fun too!

WHAT FEATURES? There are two main feature categories, things that are important to you and things that are important to your child.

As a parent or grandparent, the two most important things when choosing a kids bike are safety and quality. All of the kids bikes we stock are quality assured; they are assessed to ensure they meet Bums On Bikes safety and quality requirements and they must be built to last the distance. No supermarket or toy store specials here and definitely no bikes in boxes, all of the kids bikes we sell are assembled by qualified mechanics and are guaranteed to be in perfect working order.

ALLOY vs STEEL Kids bikes are primarily made of alloy or steel or a combination of both metals. The more alloy parts on the bike, the lighter it will be and generally, the better the quality of the bike. Kids bikes with alloy frames and wheels are substantially lighter than the steel models making the bike a great deal easier for your child to pedal and control.

BRAKES: 12 inch kids bikes are considered to be pavement bikes and as such generally have only one brake (by law), all other bikes must be equipped with 2 brakes. Foot brakes, back pedal brakes or coaster brakes as they are know are operated by using your feet. All of the 12 and 16 inch kids bikes we stock have this braking system as it is the safest and most reliable. Leg muscles are very strong and foot brakes are very easy to operate… and you can do really good skids! Hand brakes, are found on all bikes 16 inches and bigger. It is a legal requirement that bikes with larger than 12 inch wheels have 2 brakes so kids bikes with a coaster brake will also have a hand brake fitted. If you are considering a bike with gears for your child just remember that geard bikes only have hand brakes so you need to consider whether your child has the strength and confidence to operate hand brakes safely. If you are unsure about this just ask our friendly staff to help.

TRAINING WHEELS All of our 12 and 16 inch kids bikes have training wheels attached as standard. Generally, the purpose of training wheels is to enable your child to learn all of the general functions related to riding their bike with the initial pressure of also having to balance the bike. The big trick with training wheels is knowing when to take them off! The rule of thumb is if your child is generally racing around on their bike and has good control then it is time to take off the trainers. Don’t leave them on too long or they may become too reliant on them. Some parents raise the training wheels up over time but more often than not you will find that your child will just lean over more… afterall why balance yourself when the trainers can do it for you. In the end, the crash and burn technique (take them off completely) is the best. Yes, they will most likely have a few spills, but this will happen sooner of later and the closer they are to the ground the less distance to topple. This being said, it is a good idea to have the seat low enough so that they can easily place their feet on the ground if they start to topple over.

DOES BRAND MATTER? Mongoose and GT make the best quality kids bikes and surprisingly they are not the dearest. Bums On Bikes has been selling Mongoose kids bikes for 18 years now and they are as close as you will get to bullt proof! If you are looking for a bike to hand down to other siblings, then Mongoose is the choice to make. We also carry a select range of Radius kids bikes, their focus is on colours and they come with all the gizmos making them a winner with the little ones.

WHAT SIZE? Ensuring your child’s shiny new bike fits correctly is obviously important. Because they grow so fast, you will naturally want to allow room for this but be careful not to get carried away, afterall safety is the key to making the right choice. The maximum amount of time you can expect to get from a kids bike, allowing for the occasional growth spurt, is 3 years. It is a good idea, when possible, to take your child with you when shopping for a bike, this will make the fitting part easier as you will be able to see them sitting on the bike. If you are wanting to surprise them it is a good idea to bring their inside leg and height measurements with you so our friendly staff can assist you in choosing the appropriate size.

WHAT IS THE CORRECT SIZE? Your child can place the balls of both feet on the ground and reach the handlebars comfortably while sitting on the seat. The child can place feet flat on the ground and have about 25 to 50 mm clearance between the bar (or where the bar would be) and the crotch while straddling the centre bar.

6 TO 10 YEARS Most children aged six to ten years are the right size for kids bikes with 20 inch (50cm) wheels. Kids bikes this size come in a wider selection of models and with varying features, including coaster brake, hand brakes only and models with gears. Remember your child's abilities and experience should determine which features are to be considered when choosing the right model. Less experienced children might need back-pedal brakes and more experienced children might prefer smaller mountain bikes which will include gears for easier pedalling.