What Size Bike For 5 Year Old

Father Helping His Daughter Ride a Bicycle

Children's bikes are sized according to bike diameter.

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When ownership a bike for your kid, it'south important to know whether he'll feel comfortable when riding it. If a wheel is too small, he'll feel cramped and perhaps even embarrassed when sitting on information technology. If it's besides large, he might be afraid of losing command of the bicycle. Using general guidelines for your child's age and leg length will help y'all to cull a bicycle that's a skilful fit.

Considerations

Boy and girl (5-8 years) with mountain bikes in long grass, smiling, portrait

Near children brainstorm riding a two-wheeler bike betwixt the ages of three and 4.

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Co-ordinate to the International Wheel Fund, most children begin riding a 2-wheeler bike between the ages of iii and 4, unremarkably with the aid of grooming wheels. Betwixt the ages of iv and 8, they've grown sufficiently in physical coordination and agility to finish using training wheels. However, most children need a bike equipped with coaster brakes until they're about five years former, since using paw brakes requires strength and coordination. In addition, a child needs to exist interested in learning to ride a bike, which might non happen until he'due south 10 years old.

Bike Sizing

The nigh common wheel sizes are 12, 16, 20 and 24 inches.

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Unlike adult bikes, which are sized past frame and seat height, children'south bikes are sized according to the diameter of their wheels. Children's bike sizes start with 12-inch diameter wheels and increase in 2-inch increments, ending with 24 inches. All the same, 14-inch and xviii-inch diameter wheels aren't usually available. The most common bike sizes are 12, 16, 20 and 24 inches.

A Guide to Bike Size by Age

Bike size depends on age and strength.

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The Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative offers full general age guidelines for choosing children's bike sizes. In full general, children between the ages of 3 and 5 tin can comfortably use bikes with 12-inch diameter wheels. Kids between 4 and 7 years old volition demand 16-inch wheels, 5- to x-year-olds crave twenty-inch wheels and kids from 8 to xiv years sometime volition need a bike with 24-inch diameter wheels. These full general age categories overlap to permit for elevation and forcefulness differences among individual children.

A Guide to Cycle Size past Summit

The International Bicycle Fund advises using your child's age and inseam measurement as a starting betoken for choosing a cycle. The inseam is the length of the leg, measured on the inside from crotch to ankle. In general, children ages 2 to 4 with fourteen- to 17-inch inseams demand 12-inch wheels, ages 4 to vi with 16- to 20-inch inseams need 14-inch wheels, ages 5 to 8 with 18- to 22-inch inseams need 16-inch wheels, ages 6 to 9 with 20- to 24-inch inseams need 18-inch wheels, ages 7 to x with 22- to 25-inch inseams need 20-inch wheels, and kids nine years and older with 24- to 28-inch inseams need 24-inch wheels. The ages and inseam measurements overlap to allow for individual summit differences. Since the 14-inch and 18-inch wheel sizes aren't commonly sold, if you lot determine that your child needs one of those sizes, you lot'll probably have to experiment with other sizes.

Other Considerations

Have your child with you when you choose a bike.

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Take your kid with you when y'all choose a bike. Consumer Search advises that yous have your child sit on the bike'southward seat and hold the handlebars. In that position, the balls of her feet should be on the ground. For a boy'south bike, have him straddle the top bar. He should have a 1-inch clearance. Since some bike models are styled differently, the wheel-size guide might not exist accurate. If the wheel you cull has a smaller frame due to its mode, its top bar might be lower than other bikes. Exist certain that the bike fits your kid according to his leg length.