How to Find the Bike That Suits Your Child
Before, when it came time to buy my son a new bike, we would take him to the store and let him try a pair. Usually, the fact that he sat on one of them for a few moments was enough to tell us if the bike was too small, too big, or fit. Well, here in Eastern Pennsylvania (and many other regions), bicycles have been out of stock for months. And even if they weren’t, I wouldn’t be going to take my son to the store to try them out. That’s why, of course, his bike broke down a few weeks ago.
One moment we ride as peacefully, and the next moment he is on the ground with a bicycle on it, a broken pedal a few feet away, and a kind woman tries to offer socially distanced help hovering nearby. (He is okay).
New pedals are easier to get and much cheaper than a new bike, so we tried one of them first. But the problem seemed to go far beyond pedal replacement. Considering that the bike was really getting too small for him, and not wanting to spend money on professional repairs, we decided to look for a new one – on the Internet.
The fact is that ordering a bike online means that it is almost impossible to determine its size from a picture. Although bicycles are often categorized by wheel size, this measurement is not the final and only criterion for a bike to fit correctly, even if the bike is marketed to children the same age as your child. This is because not all bikes with 14-inch wheels are the same in other dimensions, especially seat height.
Another dimension that you don’t want to invest too much stock in? Consider your child’s full height when buying. Two 48-inch children may not sit comfortably on the same bike – because it is not their height that matters, but their size along the inseam . This is what will determine if their feet can reach the ground while they are sitting, so this is where you should start.
Measuring their inseam
Measuring the inner seam for a bike is a little different from measuring the fit of your pants – you have to reach the area that will be on the seat, not just below the crotch. So here’s what you do:
1. Have the children put on sneakers. They will wear them while riding and this may slightly affect measurements.
2. Ask them to stand up straight with their feet against the wall, shoulder-width apart.
3. Place a book (any size will work) between the child’s legs and (gently) slide it up until it stops.
4. Measure the distance from the ground to the top of the book. If you have two adults to help, one can hold the book and the other will measure. If you are measuring alone, lift the book as high as possible and then have your child move slightly forward from the wall. Holding the book in place and at ground level with one hand, mark the wall where it meets the edge of the book with a pencil. Then measure the distance from the ground to the mark.
Compare their inseam to the height range of a bike seat.
Most bike seats are adjustable, so on the bikes you are considering, the seat height should display in a range. This is especially useful for growing children: you want to buy a bike that suits them now, but also one that they can grow up on for a while. If their inseam size is already in the upper seat height range, you will probably want to look for another option, or it may be too small for them next spring.
On the other hand, if they barely hit the minimum distance and are unsure of themselves, it may be too big for them to handle. A strong, confident rider can be taller on tiptoe than a beginner or less confident rider.
Ok now you can think about the size of the wheels
Wheel size is not the most important thing, but it does matter, so now you can compare. Depending on the size of your child’s inseam, they can be within two wheel sizes. Here’s a general guide from Two Wheeling Tots .
If they fall between two different wheel sizes, Two Wheeling Tots recommends choosing a larger wheel so they have more room to grow and use the bike more.