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Just wondering what peoples thouhts on progression in kids bike sizes are?
My child is currently on a 14inch wheel, its getting a bit too small so thinking of starting to size up. while saddle height is Ok, it seems like its getting a bit twitchy so a larger wheelsize/long wheelbase seems sensible. I think that 20in wheel is too big a step (plus dont want to introduce gears yet!) so thinking of just going to 16in singlespeed.
Really just wondering if other people did this small step and if its noticable in how the kids ride the bikes. Other option is to go for an 18in singlespeed but these seem less common.
I've always moved mine up as soon as possible to the next size, but the traditional Isla philosophy is to skip sizes so a cnoc 14 -> beinn 20 small. I think it depends on the bike, changing brands may not be consistent. Gears are fine, they can just be left alone in a sensible ratio until ready for them, but a decent service with sp41 outer and polished stainless inner is really important.
I never bothered with 14" for my kids. I also used to take a portable pumptrack and other kit like rollers, mini tabletops seesaws etc to schools and shows and even just for riding on grassy surfaces 16" makes a big difference. 14" bikes always looked like hard work compared to the 16" bikes.
of all the bikes my son has had, the 16" commencal ramone was probably the most I paid, and the one he had for the least amount of time.
My lad went from his CNOC 14 straight to a 20" Commencal Ramones at 5 years and the big increase in size actually put him back a little but only for a few months.
My daughter inherited the CNOC 14. Once it started to look too small I bought her a CNOC 16 which was a much easier transition and she was more confident straight off the bat.
You only have to turn your back for a few minutes when there this age and they grow out of their bikes almost as fast as their shoes.
Good this is about the CNOC's is they are always really easy to move on to help finance the next one.
@jam-bo that was kind of my worry, the speed at which they grow! Hoping to get secondhand so if I can buy and sell our 14in at similar prices it might not be that bad jsut too have it for a summer. She only became confident cycling unaided during easter hols so I dont want to rock the boat with changing too much!
edit. Jeff - thanks, that was my concern so I think has made me sure the 20in step is not the right thing to do
Ditto.. my boy went from a frog 14 to a 20 beinn small. The 20 Beinn small has the lowest saddle height of most kids bikes
My 5yr old daughter had a 14" Frog 40 and we were given an 18" Frog 47. She was a bit small for the 47 (she is tiny) when she first got it, but that helped her improve on setting off and getting onto the saddle as well as moving off the saddle to the cross bar when stopping. It is second nature now.
Next bike ideally will be a geared 20" (with forks hopefully) after we have had this 47 for at least a year (if she fits any!). I do think the 18" is a good stop gap.
Cnoc 14 -> Beinn 20 Small for us too.
16 will be waste of cash.
I have a nice 18" wheeled singlespeed for sale if you are interested.
Same as this https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Cuda-CP18-18-Kids-Junior-Green/dp/B07DJMHVLT
My girls have both gone straight form a 14" wheeled pinnacle to 20" wheeled Carerras (one each, as they both neede 20" wheels for about a year at the same time...)
It was a jump, and having front suspension made teh front even higher/more chopper like but they got through it.
Personally I'd go for cheaper bikes second hand, and service them/replace tyres with faster rolling ones than buy flash brands. They don't notice the difference themselves... My younger girl prefers the heavier bike (wheels, tyres, forks mainly) as she prefer how it feels, so weight isnt everything even at age 6/7 ish. I picked up a 24" wiggins Chatres for £90 on FB Marketplce for my eldest. It needed cables and grips, but is otherwise like new...
Now keeping an eye out for a 13/14" 90's/00's kona for the next bike.
14 to 20 is a big jump depending on the size of the kid, my girl went 14>16>20, with the move to 20 a couple of months ago, i found the 16 gave her confidence to go a bit faster, do smallish obstacles and a heavier bike, 20" is the step up to being able to get up kerbs, go fast and do more stuff, but it is geared, and gears can be hard for them, as can saddle position, if they're too small the saddle is low down and can make pedalling properly a bit harder.
littleginge jumped straight from a 14" carrera cosmos to a 20" carrera abyss and was instantly at home on the bigger bike (and about 50% faster round the local forest trails). He was probably riding the 14" for too long though as it looked tiny under him towards the end.
12-14-16-20-24-26-27.5 for both our boys.#2 added a 10 at the start cos he's tiny.
Ours went from 14 to 20 inch.
Halfords Carrera, had a low standover height for the size so was ideal.
Daughter had an Early Rider 14 and is now on a 16. We have a Orbea 20 already waiting (I did what you are thinking about) and although she can ride it and put toes on the ground, she now finds the 16 more fun and easy to handle and is her chosen bike for any rides that we do. She is 4 1/2 and only on the 25th percentile though so maybe a taller kid could manage the extra heft.
She also rode an Isla bikes 20" for a try out, but it was too uncomfortable (her words) for bumpy stuff, despite being a more usable size than the Orbea, and preferered the fat tyres of the 16" Early Rider. By eye the wheel base of the small 20" Islabike looked about the same as the 16" early rider.
Decent kids bikes hold their value well so it is more like renting than a big upfront expenditure.
The biggest difference for our rides has been the addition of a towwhee rather than worrying about wheel size or gears and at 4 1/2 I still occasionallly have to carry the bike so a 16" is better for that.
The Cannondale 20" in the classifieds is pretty small. My daughter went onto one of those at about 4.5. Mind you, she went through a 14" wheel in about a month... then Frog 16" in 5 months.
Nowt to do with me, but those dales are ace.
I found the BB height & crank length far more of an issue than the wheel size.
The best compromise I have found still leaves my boy struggling to reach the ground if the seat is the right height & his knees are up round his ears at the top of the stroke. If I fit shorter cranks it helps his leg rotation but worsens the ability to reach the ground at proper seat height.
14 to 20
12-16-20-24-26. 14 is a redundant size. Some 20’s will adjust down small enough to jump from 14. But 12-16 is the right jump.
Defo get the biggest you can for their height, although 14 to 20 sounds a very big jump.
Maybe consider the black mountain 18" which has a clever way of embiggening the frame
Plus it can fit 20" wheels and disc brakes as a future upgrade