Parents in Australia consider safety the most important feature when choosing the right bike for their children. Training wheels are how most Australians learned to ride a bicycle, and while bikes have changed somewhat over time, similar principles around what to look for have remained sound.

When you buy a bike for your child, you should consider a few important factors first:

         1.Size

Although you might want to buy a back that your child could use for years to come, the size of the bike ‘at the time’ is more important than anything. When your child sits on the seat, both feet should be able to touch the ground and they should be able to reach the handlebars with slightly bent arms.

Kids bikes can be very discretionary according to the height of your child, but we use the guide below as a rule of thumb:

2 - 5 years = 12 inch

4 - 8 years = 16 inch

7 - 10 years = 20 inch

8 - 12 years = 24 inch

         2.Type

It’s always a good idea to start with the easiest bike to ride, especially when your children are young. You don’t want to scare them off riding for good after they experience a fall. As mentioned above, training wheels have worked well for decades, and they’re not going anywhere soon, with good reason.

But it’s much different when it comes to your child who is 5+ years old, of course only if they’ve mastered the training wheels first. Obviously, you can take the training wheels off their current bike, but you’ll need to update the size of the bike as your children grow.

         3.Safety

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission have approved a particular helmet, which you can find out more info about here. However, there are other safety precautions you can take for your children as well:

- Brakes: Children’s bikes need to have at least two braking systems and it’s recommended that the safest option is to use the back brakes primarily, supported by the front brakes.

- Gears: Should you buy a bike with any gears at all? It’s probably best to buy a single-speed bike at first, but it certainly can’t hurt to teach them how to use gears properly. Perhaps a two or three-gear bike would be best for 10+ year-of-age.

- Accessories: Apart from the mandatory helmet, it’s also recommended that you buy knee and elbow pads as well, to help break their fall.

With a comprehensive range of kids bikes and accessories to choose from, visit Bikes online or in store or call us on (03) 9529 3752.