We want to get our son a bike for his 4th birthday in a month. Do you recommended the 12 in or the 14 inch? He is normal, average height for his age. I want him to be surprised so I don't want to take him and have him try them out.
Thanks in advance!
The rule is that when sitting on the bike, he should be able to touch both feet down. Not fully - can be tippy toes. But keep in mind, if you plan to have him learn to ride without training wheels, bigger is not better.
I might suggest surprising him with a "We're going to go buy you a bike today" and then take him.
When looking for bikes for the family we found that no 2 bikes are made the same. Even if they were the same inches and looked the same at first glance, they really weren't. We tried all sorts of bikes before we found ones for each of us.
I really thought it was insane that I was not comfortable on so many bikes until I finally found the right one and rode it around the store.
We were looking at bike shops and REI so we had experts there helping us pick out the right bikes and even they said they all have subtle and not so subtle differences that make them all ride differently and fit people differently.
I know, not exactly the answer you're looking for but I wanted to throw it out there as something to consider.
Can't you just casually have him look at and sit on the bikes while you're in the store one day? That's what I did with my first (after that I knew what to get for the second and third.) One day we were at Toys R Us buying a birthday present and I just said oh look Luke, what do you think of these bikes? It really helped me see what "fit" and also what he liked.
I would think a 16" would fit your 4 year old if he is "average" height. I like the idea of taking his inseam and then going bike shopping.
Another alternative is to wrap up a helmet, bell, etc for his "surprise" present and then take him bike shopping afterward.
i'll take a stab at it,
ok are we talking training wheels?
if he is adventure some and outgoing the bigger might work and last longer.
if he is more tentative the smaller might make him more comfortable while learning.
also some kids have long legs and some kids have long torsos and that might make a diff.
When my son turned 4, we got him a 16" bike for his birthday. Anything smaller would have been much too small. He is tall, but not huge. I definitely wouldn't get your son a 12" and might even think a 14" was too small. Almost all of my son's friends started on 16" bikes.
That said, we did take him with us to the store to measure and figure out which size would be best. Do it now, and the bike will still seem like a surprise when his birthday comes around.
Does he know how to ride a 2 wheel bike? or are you planning on getting one with training wheels? As someone else mentioned, bigger is not better for learning to ride a 2 wheeled bike. We bought my son a nice 14" for his 4th birthday that had training wheels, but then we picked up a 12" bike from a yard sale for $5 for him to learn on. After he had mastered the 12" bike, he started riding the 14" without the training wheels.
I think 16" would be way too big. My son was above average in height (think 2 years above average in size), and the 14" was about right. He didn't move up to a 16" until he was about 6. My youngest (also very tall for his age) is 7 year old and he is on a 20", and it's big on him.
Be very careful because this is pretty tricky. you need to get him the right size for him now not one that is a grow into bike , because he could get really hurt on a bike too large for him. You can always raise the seat as he grows a bit. But do realize you are likely going to be buying him a new one in another year or two no matter what.
Take him to the store and try it out. I would think a 16 inch,even if you have to use locks on the pedals. You will get more time out of it.
I suggest you measure the length of his leg straightened out from the crotch down to his toes with the toes extended. Then go to a bike shop that sells a lot of kids bikes. They may know what size to buy. The reason for the leg measurement is that one should be able to sit on the seat and touch the ground with their toes. I don't know how much leeway to make for growth. Ask an expert.
The is like an inseam measurement. You can tell him you're measuring him for pants.
I think it does depend on his size for sure.
A 12" is out because if it does fit him now it won't fit him all summer. 14" bikes are really hard to find and if you do they are more expensive than the rest. So go for the 14" or 16". My 6 year old grandson has really outgrown his 16" but he's not tall enough for the 20" we bought him for Christmas.
So I bet the 16" bike would be big for him but he's going to have to learn to actually ride whatever size you get him. Leave the training wheels on and lower the seat as much as possible. Then he will fit for a couple of years.
