Choosing the right bike for your child
Does your child want to ride? Our range of kids bikes caters for all abilities whether they want to hit the road or the mtb trails.
“Start ‘em young” as they say! It’s important your child has the right bike from the get go, so they can experience as much independence and freedom on their bike as possible. Many kids' bikes are clunky and poorly specced, so how do you get the best bike for your child without spending a small fortune?
How do I measure my child for a bike?
The right sized bike for your child will depend on their height and age. Reach (the distance between the saddle and handlebars) is less significant for kids because they tend to ride in a more upright position.
Once you know your child’s height, you can start looking for a bike. Some manufacturers display kids’ bike sizes in wheel sizes. At Canyon, we prefer to use frame sizes such as 3XS, 2XS and XS. You’ll be able to find the correct size by referring to the geometry table on a specific bike’s page.
What type of bicycle is best for kids?
Most kids want to rip around the park with their friends and head off into the woods after school. The options for kids are often road bikes or mountain bikes.
If your child is around 2 years old, they have probably only just found their feet. Help them find their confidence on two wheels with a balance bike. These bikes don’t have pedals and let your child push themselves around. They’ll soon glide around and practice their balancing skills.
The next stage in your child’s cycling journey is getting a pedal bike with stabilisers. This stage teaches them how to use pedals and brakes before throwing some balancing skills into the mix.
Avoid the temptation to get a bike your child can “grow into”. A bike that's too big could well put them off cycling. The correct size bike will allow your child to put a foot down while sitting on the saddle.
When they inevitably outgrow the bike, you can recover some of the value by selling it to someone else. If you have other children, stash it away until they’re old enough to jump in the saddle.
Once your child’s confidence increases, it’s time to take off the stabilisers and set them free. As they get older and taller, a lighter bike will help them improve their skills on the bike.
At this stage you’ll know whether your child is of a road bike or mountain bike persuasion.
If they love riding through the woods and want to rip about at the local bike park then one of our Young Hero Mountain Bikes might be just what they need.
If they’ve sat at home watching the Tour de France year after year, the Ultimate Young Hero is a junior racer’s best friend.
Mountain bikes for kids
Getting lost in the woods and carving out a few trails with their friends is what kids do best. For that, they need the best tool for the job: a mountain bike. Our range of Young Hero mountain bikes can grow with your youngster’s ability.
On our Young Hero mountain bikes you’ll find narrower handlebars, easy gears, 27.5” wheels and lightweight aluminium frames. We have designed these bikes so that your child can have fun outdoors and expand their horizons.
Grand Canyon Young Hero
This 100 mm hardtail will tick all the boxes for kid and parent alike. It’s our best value kid’s mountain bike and will help them progress their skills before moving on to something a little more advanced. A wide range of gears will keep your child pedalling up just about anything and a sensitive fork with dampen all the bumps on the way down. The Grand Canyon Young Hero is our lightest mountain bike making it perfect for little legs as they grow stronger.
Neuron Young Hero
It may be small but it sure is mighty! The Neuron Young Hero is a trail bike that’s ready for family adventures. With 130 mm travel, your little shredder will be able to explore the limits of their comfort zone and improve their skill on technical terrain.
Spectral Young Hero
A lot of kids bikes are shrunken versions of their adult counterparts but not our Young Hero bikes. The Spectral Young Hero frame was designed from scratch and has fun at the heart of its geometry. The frame is protected from stones and impact by a plastic shield which doubles up as a cable channel to make maintenance nice and easy.
Cycling gear for kids
Just like you, your little youngster requires comfortable cycling clothing while they’re out and about. Proper cycling gear is more durable than their “normal” clothes and will save a new outfit every weekend when you realise you can’t wash the mud stains out.
Our range of kids' cycling gear has everything they’ll need for a good time on the bike whether that’s on board one of our kids’ mountain bikes or road cycling on the Ultimate Young Hero.
Get your little one kitted up in style with clothing, protection and accessories
Things to remember before you buy
- Get the right sized bike to fit your child now rather than in a year’s time
- Ensure the bike is easy to maintain - it’ll be you fixing it after all
- Get the bike that your child will love rather than the bike you want them to love
- Make sure they’re comfortable riding by getting them comfortable gear too.
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