Bike recommendation for (shorter) 6 going on 7 YO girl?

[Anonymous]

My daughter is clearly too big for the kiddie bike with (what I think are) 16 inch wheels that we have. I looked at bikes on Amazon but there's such a wide range of products and prices. Does anyone have a suggestion for a reasonably sturdy bike, with adjustable seat height, that will get us through the next several years? Probably need to be able to put on training wheels too....

Thank you!!!

[Anonymous]

Does your child already know how to ride a bike? You mentioned training wheels so I am going to gather not?

If so -- the best starter bike is one that is a little too cmall for her. 16 inch sounds too big IMO. I would go to a thrift store or look for a used bike or borrow someone's bike and get one that has 14 inch wheels; 12 inches is also fine for learning on. You want the child to be so close to the ground that she has no fear of falling off at all. If she has training wheels the small bike would feel silly, but without the training wheels, she'll be happy to be closer to the ground.

Here is someone's description of teaching their child to ride a small bike -- it miirrors my experienc e with 2 kids -- NO training wheels.

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~hause011/article/Learn_to_Ride_Bike.html

also more safety ideas here:

http://www.helmets.org/kidteach.htm

Finally once your child can ride a bike you can get a new bike that fits her better. 16" should be fine for a few years. When she's more comf

[Anonymous]

Go to a bike store. They will measure your child and suggest a bike based on her height. You don't have to buy there, but you can get an idea of what you need.

[Anonymous]

If your child is 6 going on 7, the bike is likely to last only a year or two before she grows to the next size. I always just go to Toys 'R Us and buy the cheapest thing in their size. All of our bikes have lasted through three kids (rough one that use them everyday, I might add). I just bought a Rally the other day for $59 - we have another Rally that has been in use for at least five years and will definitely be handed down when the next kid fits its size.

As for fitting a bike, it's not rocket science for a kid. Have your child stand over the cross bar and make sure there is at least an inch between the crotch and the bar and make sure she can reach the pedals and do a full stroke with them.

[Anonymous]

I bought a used bike at a garage sale for my child -- it cost $15 and was great for learning on. Once she learned I got her a bike that was the right size for actually riding. For learning you want a small bike.

[Anonymous]

My 6-year-old son (average height) just moved up to a 20" wheel from 16". He's a strong rider, though, and I'm not sure this size bike would take training wheels.

Bike stores are a wonderful resource, though I disagree with 11:38. I think if you use their expertise, you owe them the courtesy of buying the bike from them, rather than freeloading. We've bought all our kids bikes at bike stores. They've been good quality, well-fitted, and retain a lot of value if you want to re-sell.

[Anonymous]

I have a very petite 7 year old (less than 5th percentile). She learned to ride last year on a 12 inch bike...clearly too small (we got it when she was 3) but good for learning. Now at 7 approaching 8 she is on a 14 incher and probably could ride a 16 incher if we had one.

[Anonymous]

We just bought a 20" bike for my 6 yo's DD's birthday. She doesn't need training wheels, and we bought it at a bike store. She tried it out before we bought it so we knew it was the right size for her. It is very adjustable and she barely fits on it now, so it should last her 2 summers at least. She learned to ride without training wheels on a small bike where she could touch the ground flat-footed easily. The one we got was a 20" Fuji Princess Inari bike, very pink which was also a criteria, right after being adjustable.