Hi all,

Does anyone have any advice on buying a first bike for a 4 year old?

He doesn’t really have any experience riding, so part of me wondered about a balance bike, but that idea seems a bit ‘young’ for him?

Also, I was wondering what size (he is just over 1m tall) and if anyone could recommend a good manufacturer. I know Islabikes are good, but to be honest I was hoping to get something a bit cheaper this time…

Thanks all!

Get a normal bike, take the pedals off and drop the seat as far as it will go so he can scoot on it. If an Isla is too much, then Frog bikes are usually recommended, but Raleigh also have a new premium range of kids bikes which look good. A bit cheaper than an Isla, but not hugely so – alternatively get a s/h Isla https://www.facebook.com/groups/826309394088435/

I would suggest something with a 16″ wheel. My boy is 3 and rides a bike with 14″ wheels, his friend, who is 4 recently got effectively the same some bike with 16″ wheels. The both fit their respective riders perfectly.
They are both Isla Bike Cnoc’s. However, I think that there is a much wider choice from other manufacturers once you start to consider 16″ wheels.
You can always drop the saddle and take the pedals off for a week or 2 to allow him to use it as a balance bike until he gets his balance sorted.

The Specialized Hot Rock 16″ have a really low frame and are ideal for taking the pedals off and getting them scooting along, then putting back on and they’re almost instantly on their way. Theres normally plenty of them in brilliant nick, for reasonable money on ebay.

If you are after a 16in wheel bike then I have just got my son a Frog 48. Seems to me to be the best compromise on price/quality and they seem to hold their value well for when you sell it on. Islabikes are lovely but a fair bit more expensive.

Something cheap and second hand. They grow out of them pretty quick.
Don’t turn him into an Islabrat 😉

My son got an Islabike Cnoc 16 when he was 4 – his first proper day out on it, he covered 13K (I turned on the gps ‘cos I was curious whether he’d manage a 6k loop at a trail centre)

He absolutely flies on the bike – and having seen kids his age and older struggle to keep up on heavy halfords bikes, the one thing I’d say is pay attention to the weight. Some kids bikes are 20-25lbs He’ll have a lot more fun on something decent – and there are great bikes available now like Pinnacle and Hoy that are decent weights and not as expensive as an Isla

At which point you’ll get most of your money back on an Isla.

Good ideas about the pedals, I hadn’t thought about that. So 16″ wheels? I read some sizing info on a bike website and they seemed to think someone of his height should ride a ‘size 14’, presumably this was referring to the wheel size?

My lad was six when I finally got him riding – we’d stupidly started him on stabilisers, I know, I know…. 😳

Bought him a second hand Ridgeback MX16, took the pedals off and got him to practice rolling down a nearby hill like a big balance bike. After a couple of times doing this he pretended to pedal, so the pedals went back on, and he was away.

DezB » They grow out of them pretty quick.

At which point you’ll get most of your money back on an Isla.

Before that one starts again….

Like MoreCashThanDash, get the saddle down, find a nice slope that he can roll down. Most of the time that gets them riding in less time than it takes them to learn to ride a balance bike which most kids struggle with for a bit until they learn its not something you go for a walk on. Be prepared to let him fall over a few times.

Decathlon used to make some nice kids bikes at sensible prices. They were a bit boy/girl branded, (dolly seats for girls etc.) but if you looked past that had nice light action brakes with small levers, not massively heavy, no non-functioning ‘suspension’.

Nothing wrong with a balance bike at 4. My kids and friends kids up to 8 will still pick up the balance bike to practice awesome tricks off.
I believe in starting with blance bikes. As above, Cranks removed seems like a good option. Finding a slope and sending your kid into oblivion on a normal bike seems ‘hopefull’ at best 😉

ess time than it takes them to learn to ride a balance bike which most kids struggle with for a bit until they learn its not something you go for a walk on

Yeah, but they do that bit when they are about 2. All mine were pedalling around their 3rd birthday, but flying down hills on balance bikes for many months before that. Very much a fan of balance bikes.

hey seemed to think someone of his height should ride a ‘size 14’, presumably this was referring to the wheel size?

Weren’t many of those about last time I looked, but most 16″ aren’t a lot bigger, a bit of seatpost/saddle swapping from the balance bikes sorted that for the first month or two.

I go round schools and find it works well if there’s a suitable slope. I’m talking just enough slope that the bike can roll down without picking up too much speed, something like a wheelchair ramp.

Easier to just remove the pedals – decent kids bikes normally have ST cranks, so you’d want to remove the BB as well unless you want spiky bits sticking out.

I’m thinking a 16″ wheel might be a bit big for a 4 year old who can’t ride a bike yet. I would go for a 14″ (Ridgeback do them and they are cheaper than Frog, Isla etc) and, like others have said, take the pedals off and use it as a balance bike.

At 4 I wouldn’t bother with taking the pedals off unless they really struggle with rolling down a slope. If he’s big enough get a 16.

Ridgeback Scoot XL?

They come with 12 or 14″ wheels.

My 4yr old has been using a 12″ wheeled Scoot since he was 2 & still uses it, even tho he can ride his Ridgeback MX16 with no stabilisers no bother…..