Getting my little one confident on a bike was challenging, and there were several safety concerns about everything.
A bike provides freedom to your children. And for many, the age of six represents the start of an exciting adventure. But, while teaching your child to ride a bike is one thing, assisting them in selecting the appropriate bike is another. That said, what are some of the best bikes for a six-year-old?
The best bikes for a six-year-old include the following:
- Co-Op REV 16" With Training Wheels
- Trek Roscoe 20 Bike
- Guardian Ethos 16 Bike
- Diamondback Viper Mini 16
- Woom 3 16" Bike
- Dynacraft 16" Magna Major Damage
- Frog Road 58 20" Road Bike
- Koda 20" Kids' Bike
- Cleary Owl 20" Single Speed
- Pello Reddi 20" Bike
When choosing a bike, a little more information may make a difference in their riding experience. However, "one size fits all" is not the case when choosing a child's bike. There's a lot to consider when buying a kid's bike because they're typically sized differently than adult bikes. The proper size should help your child feel at ease and allow them to manage the bike.
As a result, when searching for the best bike for my six-year-old, I looked to various cycling coaches. In addition, I conducted a bit of advanced internet snooping on sites like REI.com and more to consider a range of safety, budget, and styles, including the best selections. So, this is what you need to know.
Best Bikes For A 6-Year-Old
Picking the best kids' bike for your child is just as important – if not more so – as choosing your own road cycle. If it's your child's first bike, you'll want to make sure their first ride is a fun start to life on two wheels.
It's critical to acquire the ideal kids' bike for them, which ultimately means one that fits them to be comfortable and in complete control when pedaling. Given the high expense of bikes and the rapid rate children develop, any parent may be tempted to purchase a children's bike that their child will 'grow into.'
However, this will backfire, leaving your youngster in tears as they attempt the difficult job of riding a far too large and heavy bike for them. With that in mind, starting with the Rei Co-Ops REV 16 - here's what value and magical experience this list of bikes may bring to your six-year-old.
Co-Op REV 16" With Training Wheels
The Co-Op REV 16 is an excellent choice if you are looking for something more than a department store special, but you're not ready to spend hundreds of dollars on a high-end kid's bike. Instead, the REV 16 is a good middle-of-the-road option with enough adjustment to accommodate a wide range of six-year-olds.
In addition, the REV 16 protects their legs from dirt, oil, and pinching with a new-generation chainguard. With detachable training wheels and a low stand-over height for simple handling, the kids' Co-op Cycles REV 16 bike lets children make the leap when they're ready to start pedaling.
The riding position is upright and provides excellent sight. Training wheels are offered for parents who like them, and many experts and cycling instructors advocate balancing bikes as a superior learning method.
The robust and light metal frame can keep up with active youngsters, and the sticker pack contains a variety of lettering and colorful drawings so that kids can personalize their bikes as they like.
Trek Roscoe 20 Bike
Is your kiddo ready to shed the training wheels after already getting in some early practice? The Trek Roscoe 20 hybrid bike is an excellent upgrade. Experts typically recommend a bike with thicker tires since it provides better stability and balance.
The Roscoe 20 is a kids' trail bike with a mid-fat tire that is meant to help them gain confidence on the terrain. The Roscoe also features a low center frame, making it simple for short children to get on and off the bike.
It has a robust Alpha Gold Aluminum frame with a sloping top tube for extra clearance and 20 wheels with mid-fat 2.8 tires for grip and stability.
A 1x8 Shimano transmission with a wide-range cassette for hills and tough parts, mechanical disc brakes, and thoughtful touches drawn from adult MTB equipment, such as a closed front dropout and a tucked-in rear brake caliper, are also included. So when children drop and damage their Roscoe, a shopping trip for a replacement component is not required.
Although designed specifically for children, the Roscoe 20 is based on the adult Roscoe. Overall, it is an excellent bike for tiny rippers who want to acquire skills and have ridiculous fun keeping up with Mom, Dad, or an older sibling.
Guardian Ethos 16 Bike
Next, we have the Guardian Ethos 16 kids bike. Several cycling trainers suggested Guardian, a children's bike manufacturer that has created a Shark Tank-approved SureStop braking system that prevents over-the-handlebars accidents by preventing the back wheel from spinning before the front one.
Aside from this safety feature, Guardian's bikes have a low center of gravity, making them suitable for inexperienced or cautious riders. In addition, the bike's steel frame is only 17.5 pounds, making it light and elegant.
The single-lever hand brake is simple to use, and there is no coaster brake to rely on, so youngsters may adopt adult riding skills.
This bike is intended for riders who are 40" - 46" tall and between the ages of 4 and 6. An optional short seat post is available for no additional charge, giving this bike a seat-height range of 18 to 25.2 inches.
Finally, Guardian has a helpful online sizing calculator that may help you figure out which bike size will fit your child and how long it will be before they need to upgrade. It's also simple to communicate with the firm if something goes wrong with the bike.
Diamondback Viper Mini 16" BMX Bike
The Mini Viper 16 will have even the most inexperienced riders spinning until dawn. In addition, training wheels are offered to assist children in remaining upright while learning the fundamentals of balance and pedaling.
A chainguard protects skin and clothes out of harm's path, while the coaster brake offers enough stopping force and is simple and intuitive to operate. The seat post and stem may be elevated to suit as the child grows until they are ready for a bigger bike.
I like how the frame and fork are made of high-tensile steel — a robust, strong, long-lasting, heavy-duty material that makes it a perfect quality bike for the money.
If you get the bike from Amazon, you will discover that you will need to assemble it, but don't worry; these bikes are classified as Ready Ride.
As a result, Diamondback Ready Ride bikes are designed to minimize the traditional inconvenience of laborious at-home bike assembly, making it a pleasant activity for you and your youngster to do in a simple four-step process with an instruction booklet.
Overall, the Mini Viper 16 has a steel frame and fork, robust wheels, and oversized tires that You can pass down the block or to the next youngster in the family.
This type is designed for riders who are 38"-45" tall and between the ages of 3 and 6. Diamondback is a straightforward firm that is easy to deal with and guarantees the quality of its bikes with a limited lifetime warranty.
Woom 3 16" Bike
Many parents have never heard of the Austrian company Woom. Still, once my coworker's six-year-old tried out this bike, he, myself, and his whole neighborhood couldn't stop talking about it. Every element has been developed with children in mind since it was founded in 2013 by two bike-crazy dads.
The 16in Woom 3 is exceptionally light, weighing only 13.1lbs. A chainguard safely conceals the chain, and the seat and handlebars are comfortable and pleasingly tactile. Even the brakes are made for tiny hands to reach quickly and, as an added benefit, are color-coded — "it's much easier to cry out to use the green gear, rather than the left or right," he said.
My coworker mentioned that his six-year-old had discarded the stabilizers only a few months earlier and had been doing okay. Still, once she started using the Woom 3, her riding abilities skyrocketed. The light aluminum frame has improved her balance to pedal at a leisurely speed to match the dog without a wobble.
The Woom 3 is a delight on bike routes and steep hills, and it handles uneven terrain well because of its thin yet sturdy, deep-tread tires. My coworker chose to add a kickstand to the bike, which was well worth the money.
Overall, if the size isn't perfect, Woom also has anything from balancing bikes to 26-inch kids' bikes, which absolutely won me over.
Dynacraft 16" Magna Major Damage
Next, we have something that can withstand a little more wear and tear: Enter the 16" Magna Major Damage Dynacraft. This BMX dirt bike is a fantastic method for your child to ride around the neighborhood, park, or biking trails. It's excellent for novices and may be ridden by children aged four to eight.
It has training wheels to help kids learn to balance and support themselves on the bike. Then, when your youngster gains confidence, you can easily modify or remove them to allow them more independence on the bike.
I like how this bike is bright yellow, making it stand out. It is ideal for cycling through neighborhoods where drivers can see the bike.
When your child is riding their bike through the trails and needs to stop suddenly, the coaster brakes will come in handy. Stopping is smooth, consistent, and safe with these brakes.
Your youngster will be excited to hop on it and take a spin when this comes. Fortunately, assembling is simple and takes less than 30 minutes for most parents. However, several parents complained that the pedals were extremely tight. It made it difficult for smaller children to ride this bike. When shopping, keep that in mind; it's great for youngsters with some muscle!
Your six-year-old and this high-gloss finish Magna bike will cause some major damage in the neighborhood as they ride to their hearts' content.
Frog Road 58 20" Road Bike
According to several cycling training instructors, too few manufacturers produce small-frame road cycles for youngsters who might desire to accompany their families on long journeys. As a result, these experts are eager to suggest Frog's collection of well-built children's road bikes, which they call "an exception to the rule."
They say that while Frog road bikes are pricy, they have a special crank that decreases the bike's "Q factor," which is the distance between the pedals. As a result, this feature allows youngsters to put more force into each pedal stroke, making it easier for tiny legs to go greater distances.
The Frog Road 58 children's bicycles feature short-drop handlebars, nine-speed gears, and Microshift short-reach brake levers to make stopping easier for smaller hands.
Moreover, it incorporates auxiliary brake levers that work together with the drop bar shifting levers, providing an additional braking control point on top of the handlebars for greater confidence.
The bike is recommended for children aged six to seven, with a minimum inseam of 23 inches. However, as I watched the coach train with the youngsters, I couldn't help but think that many of the older boys and girls who wanted to ride it would have liked something similar when they were six or seven.
The youngest kids watched in awe, and everybody who could fit on it had a go! So, from the standpoint of children of all ages, the Frog Road 58 appears to be the desired kids' road bike.
Koda 20" Kids' Bike
The Retropec Koda 20inch bike is the next alternative, and it is among some of the safest options on the list. It includes a dual braking mechanism, so young children may use the handlebars or pedals to stop. In addition, it has an adjustable seat and handlebars, making it suitable for growth spurts.
The Koda 20" is outfitted with top-tier safety measures for smooth, intuitive riding for inexperienced cyclists. This lively, BMX-inspired bike is ideal for young riders on their way to the races and is a two-wheel bike with optional training wheels for assistance.
The strong steel frame of Koda is designed to handle any learning curve. A chainguard protects their legs as they cycle on to the next adventure. Of course, sidewalk whips, park zips, and even some trip-ups are to be expected along the way.
The bike's carefully constructed frame, adjustable seat and handlebars, and removable training wheels allow children to develop with it, and it is built for new riders who want to get to know their bikes.
Adjust the height easily so your young rider can ride securely even after adding a few inches. It also boasts bigger profile tires for a safe and smooth ride with absolute control across sidewalks, driveways, and cul-de-sacs and a low-profile frame design that allows youngsters to get on and off quickly.
As I approached various parents on which bike was best suited for their youngsters, Koda was the first brand mentioned for many due to safety concerns.
Cleary Owl 20" Single Speed Bike
The Cleary Owl 20-inch single-speed bike is a robust, fun-to-ride bike with a more leaned-forward body position and a low gain ratio for those eager youngsters ready to conquer any jump or curb the neighborhood may throw at them but who don't want the added effort of shifting gears.
The Owl frame is designed for multi-terrain adventures. Its geometry has been fine-tuned to center your young rider's weight between the bar and the saddle, resulting in a responsive and stable bike in various circumstances.
However, its single-speed limits its application to simple tracks; still, the Owl's low gearing is excellent for kids tackling slopes or minor bumps frequently merely to get their feel.
The steel frame of the Owl absorbs some of the trail's shocks while also enhancing the long-term durability of this tough little bike. The strengthened steel fork also aids in the establishment of steady, trustworthy steering, especially when the bike veers into intriguing off-road terrain.
Finally, I like that Cleary eliminates the risk of cable tangling by combining the Owl's front and back brake lines inside, which isn't something we frequently see on kid frames. That said, it's a feature I'm confident riders still learning to ride would enjoy.
The Owl Single Speed is a 20-inch lightweight bike designed for children aged 5-7. Furthermore, as long as a youngster has an inseam of 19", their arms and torso are long enough to reach the handlebars comfortably.
Pello Reddi 20" Bike
Finally, there's the Pello Reddi 20-inch bike. The Pello Reddi was created to be really simple! It was built for single-speed use, with its 20-inch wheel, to let your child's emphasis concentrate on the basic joys of riding, stopping, and having fun.
The Pello Reddi is ideal for regular neighborhood cyclists looking for a pleasurable, smooth ride in an upright position.
The geometry of the Reddi is based on Pello's "Ride Right Geometry," calculated for optimized stable riding and a longer wheelbase that makes it easy to steer. Its child-sized seat grips and bike pedals are intended to keep their feet in place.
The incredibly lightweight frame, unique crank design, and comfortable Kenda tires make the Reddi perfectly accommodate six-year-olds and provide the confidence your child needs for a lifetime enjoyment of riding a bike.
The single-speed bikes with the most excellent gain ratio require a little more work to start but may attain quicker speeds and travel farther with each pedal stroke. It makes it an excellent alternative for long family rides.
The Best Bike For Your 6-Year-Old: What To Consider
When choosing the best bike for your six-year-old, a few checkboxes need to be ticked before buying. It includes the wheel size, weight, breaks, brand quality, and safety and comfort. That said, here's what you should know.
What To Consider When Choosing The Right Wheel Size
Unlike adult bikes, which are classified based on frame height, children's bikes are classified based on wheel size. As a result, the table below will assist you in determining what your child needs.
While wheel size might indicate what age range a bike is appropriate for, it's crucial to be more precise when selecting a bike for your child. Although some manufacturers provide guidelines on the minimum and maximum rider heights for each model, you're better off going by your child's inseam measurement (their inside leg length).
Even youngsters of the same overall height will have different proportions. So once you've got your inseam measurement, double-check the bike's stand-over height to ensure they'll fit. Bicycle World co-owner Ilene Marcos believes a child should be able to touch the ground on tiptoe when sat in the saddle (or on level ground) on a correctly suited bike.
When seated on a correctly suited bike, a child should be able to touch the ground on tiptoe or flat feet for novices who are still gaining confidence. Additionally, they should be able to pedal with a minor bend in their knee at the lowest position.
Consider The Weight Of The Bike
Biking uphill, especially for smaller children, can be challenging. As a result, buying a bike composed of lightweight materials might make bicycling for your youngster a bit simpler. You also want a sturdy metal that will weather all of your children's playdates.
Look for carbon steel, aluminum, or titanium bike frames. All of these items are lightweight and long-lasting.
Consider The Breaks And Safety Features
Different bikes have different braking systems, so it's essential to know which one your child prefers.
Handle brakes, where you press a lever to brake, pedal brakes ( aka coaster breaks), pedal in reverse to brake, or a combination of both, commonly known as a dual-braking system, are available on children's bikes.
As a result, I included all the various break types in this list to ensure that you pick the best type of bike while also considering your child's preferable breaking option.
Additionally, bikes with bright, flashy colors that may also have reflector panels to keep youngsters safe at night should be considered. Additional safety measures, like chain guards, are required for bikes geared for novices.
Consider The Brand Quality Of The Bike
Spending a few hundred dollars on a child's bike may seem excessive, but it is well worth it. Spending a little more money on a reputable brand (such as those listed above) ensures high-quality materials and long-term durability.
Furthermore, these bikes are either professionally constructed or come with a simple step-by-step instruction manual, as well as a warranty.
Finally, good brands last longer and may take a beating, and when your child outgrows their bicycle, you may expect to resell a name-brand bike for far more than a generic bike.
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