These tips can help you find the right bicycle for your child’s summer biking pleasure. I learned all of these as I looked for a bike for my son, and they all lead me to the Dynacraft 12″ Boys’ Tonka Bike. When shopping around for a bike, Dewey and Song recommended going to a local bike shop rather than a big-box retailer if you can. “Bike shops have better quality bikes that are going to be assembled better, and they have staff that can help with the fit of the bike,” Dewey said. She added that a lot of bike shops will also allow you to trade in a bike and go up a size at a lower cost or at the same price point as the bike, which can be beneficial for kids who are growing quickly. With a rear brake, if your child throws on the brakes too hard, he or she won’t end up flipping head over heels the way they would if they braked using a front brake.
If you’re looking for a durable mountain bike for your child, this option from Co-op Cycles is designed with extra-wide, all-terrain tires for smooth and stable riding along trails, according to the brand. It has six gears to help customize their pedaling, which can be easily adjusted using a twist shifter, according to the brand. It has a weight limit of 80 pounds and has a 4.5-star average rating from more than 100 reviews at REI.
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With a 993 mm wheelbase, kids have room to spread out for an efficient, comfy ride. Now, we don’t want to harp on how much better a $300 boy’s bike is, but we do just want to make sure that you know what you’re giving up when you decide to dynacraft bike go for a bike under $100 – just to set expectations. Hanna Horvath is a personal finance reporter based in New York City. She currently writes for Policygenius and her work has appeared in Business Insider, MSN, Inc Magazine and more.
Bikes under $100 are easy on the pocket book, but not always the easiest and safest to ride. The Kent Chaos is your best bet for a boy’s bike in this price range. If you’re interested in checking out mid and high-end bikes, read our Kids’ Bikes Comparison Charts and Recommendations page.
To help your child have fun and stay safe while on the road, here are a few highly rated and expert-recommended bike options that are in line with guidance we received from our cycling experts. We listed different types of bikes for kids of varying ages and sizes based on our experts’ advice (we go into detail on the types of kids bikes below). We also noted the wheel size, suggested ages and weight of each one based on the bike manufacturers’ recommendations.
Teaching your child to ride a bike is one thing, but helping them find the right bike can be an entirely other challenge. To help you get started, we spoke to cycling experts about how to find the right bike for your child and what to consider when it comes to identifying the correct size, weight and type of bike. We also compiled a list of highly rated and expert-recommended options that are in line with their shopping guidance. This may sound silly and obvious, but a kid needs room to ride a bike. Too often super value bikes don’t provide enough space between the handlebars and the bike seat (wheelbase measurement), so a child’s body gets crammed together as a result. It’s uncomfortable, and it makes it much more difficult to pedal efficiently and to control the bike.
It’s available in five colors, including red, blue, green, yellow and purple. While the Huffy Pro Thunder comes in 3rd place, it’s still a decent bike for riding around the neighborhood. We loved how lightweight it was compared to the others. Additionally, dynacraft bike its minimum seat height is the smallest of any of the three, so a younger, shorter rider can still touch the ground with his tippy toes. Our 6-year-old tester chose to ride this bike on many occasions and zipped happily up and down the street.