Children's bikes in 14 inches - 6 important points when buying
That a kindergarten child becomes more independent and mobile, is not always easy for parents. Of course, girls and boys at this age should have their freedom and a sufficient range of motion. On the other hand, you want them to be safe on the road, a real balancing act! When your child makes the first driving attempts on a bike, he should not be exposed to any danger, but on which children's bike he is safest on the road?
1. For what age are children's bikes with 14 inches suitable?
"I want to buy a bike for a four-year-old child!" - if only it were so simple! In many stores you can find children's bikes that are marked with an age statement. Unfortunately, this is not always useful. The bike must fit the body size, and here especially the stride length of the child, and not the age.
When the motor skills are mature enough for the child to control the bike and have a reasonable overview of the riding situation, the fun can begin, but usually a 14-inch bike is not the first bike. Many children gain experience on a smaller bike or a running bike before they whiz around on a 14-inch. And that's a good thing, because bigger wheels mean more speed and on a 14-inch bike, the tots can already give quite gas!
In case of doubt, the bike may be rather a little too small, children cope better with a smaller bike than with a bike that is too big. From about 100 cm tall and at 3 to 4 years of age, a child fits best on a 14-inch bicycle, but many children also skip this size and go from 12 inches directly to 16 inches.
Thus, as a rule of thumb:
A children's bike in 14 inches is suitable for children from about 3-4 years, a height from 95 cm and an inner leg length of about 40 cm.
2. Worth knowing about the 14-inch children's bike
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While some manufacturers swear by two rim brakes with manual operation, other brands believe that children ride safer with a coaster brake. Coaster brakes have the advantage that they usually just do their job for years, rim brakes need to be readjusted and serviced every now and then. Most kids intuitively brake properly with both systems, they just get used to the brakes that come with their 14-inch bike. The brakes should be positioned on the handlebars so that kids can reach them comfortably and without taking their hand off the handlebars, with some brakes you can adjust the grip width, this ensures that your child can easily operate the brake lever.
14-inch bikes usually no longer have support wheels when you buy them. Since many kids at this age have already learned to ride a bike on a running bike or a 12-inch bike, they are rarely needed, but you can buy some later.
Children's bikes grow a bit with, you can adjust the saddle a few centimeters in height, also the handlebars can be adjusted. So not only can you skip a bike size or two, and with any luck you won't have to buy a new bike every year, you can also customize each children's bike to fit your child's proportions.
Apart from a good braking system, "less is more" applies to a 14-inch bike. The less equipment is installed on the bike, the less can break and the lighter the bike will also be. On attachments such as mudguards, side stands or a light is waived for this reason, only a chain cover is important and can be found on almost all children's bikes.
A children's bike in 14 inches
- is equipped, depending on the manufacturer, with coaster and handbrake or two rim brakes with handle
- has no gear shift
yet.
- is equipped with an adjustable seatpost and a height-adjustable handlebar
- should have a chain guard, other attachments only make the bike unnecessarily heavy
- Mostly has no support wheels
ex factory.
- is considered a toy and therefore does not need roadworthy equipment
3. How to buy the right children's bike
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Is a 14-inch bike the right bike for your youngster? For that, you need to know the inner leg length or stride length. Here's how to find it out easily:
- It's best to have your child stand with their shoes back against a wall
- Carefully slide a book or piece of cardboard up between your legs to your crotch
- The distance from the floor to the top of the book or cardboard is the stride length you use to select the appropriate bike
If after measuring you find that actually two frame sizes would fit your child, the obvious idea is to buy the larger bike so that son or daughter can grow into it. This is not advisable, because children have a much easier time with a smaller bike; a bike that is too big is difficult to control and, at worst, can lead to nasty falls.
14-inch children's bikes come with steel frames and aluminum. Steel frames can withstand much more, but they are a little heavier, aluminum frames bring less weight. To shop properly here, you can simply watch your child. If he is not very careful with his bike, a steel bike will survive longer. If it already drives along larger distances, it does itself with a light aluminum wheel more easily.
For a 14-inch bike, the features are less important, safety criterion number one is a good fit, so a children's bike that your child can handle easily and therefore safely. If it then has brakes that allow it to stop safely, you've found the perfect bike.
But does it always have to be a brand-name bike? After all, there are also in the hardware store or in the discounter always cheap children's bikes to buy...
Two important arguments speak for investing a little more and buying a bike from a well-known brand like Ghost or Frog Bikes. Reputable manufacturers grow components that are not only suitable for children, the components have proven themselves in many years of practical testing. Durable bike parts with a good functionality not only make less trouble, they are in doubt significantly safer in daily use. After all, no one wants cheap brakes to fail on a child's bike, for example, do they? Point two is the weight. The cheaper a children's bike is, the more it usually weighs, and with the weight, the driving fun decreases significantly! So it's worth the purchase, even if the kiddies grow quickly and the bike may only be ridden for a summer! You can also usually resell a good kids bike if it no longer fits.
4. 14 inch bikes for girls and boys
Children's bikes in 14 inches are versatile. There is here neither in the geometry nor in the equipment a distinction in boy's bike or girl's bike. At most, the paintwork is adapted to the different preferences. Also, different types of bikes and frame shapes such as mountain bike, city bike or trekking bike do not yet play a role, because all children get along best with a deep entry.
5. How to properly adjust a children's bike
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You can adjust the height of the saddle and handlebars by a few inches on any child's bike. Novice riders need to be able to put both feet "flat" on the ground while sitting in the saddle, so they can get on safely and provide stability along the way if necessary. Therefore, you should first adjust the saddle to fit. Only when the legs have to be strongly bent when pedaling, the bicycle saddle must move upwards. In the second step, the handlebar is then adjusted. It should be comfortable to reach, so often not only the height but also the angle of inclination and the position of the brakes can be adjusted.
A child should sit as upright as possible, this not only protects the back, also the overview is so better.
6. So your child is safe on a 14-inch children's bike
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First the bad news: All beginnings are difficult, it can not be avoided that it comes to falls now and then during the first driving attempts. And now the good news: on a small bike that fits your child, fortunately, usually not much happens in the process. Nevertheless, you should buy your child a bicycle helmet, which he or she will then wear whenever he or she is on the bike.
There are a few other important safety rules, though! A child's bike is considered a toy, not a means of transportation. It must therefore not be on the road. In Germany, many children take a bicycle test in elementary school, and until they pass, children should only ride on the sidewalk. In general, children up to the age of eight are only allowed to ride on the sidewalk, between the ages of eight and ten they are also allowed to ride on the street or bike path, and from the age of ten the sidewalk is then off limits. Since it should stay on the sidewalk anyway, a 14-inch bicycle must also be not roadworthy equipped.
It never hurts to add more visibility to a child's bike for added safety. Stick lights or a flag on a long pole ensure that kids' bikes and up-and-coming bikers aren't overlooked. The safety of the bike itself is also important! A child's bike is comparatively cheap, but it would still be annoying if it is stolen! A bike lock prevents tears and frustration here! Here are simple, shorter cable locks highly recommended, preferably with a number combination, because then no key can be lost.
Here in the BMO online store you can find not only children's bikes, we also ship all bike accessories and have many buying tips in stock! If you need more information, you can simply stop by our kids bikes, there are many more tips for buying.
