My 7yo daughter (135cm/4ft5 tall) is due a new BSO. She’s going from an 18 inch Dawes Blowfish.

I’ve tried her on 24 inch bikes and they’re fine, but she tried a small frame 27.5 and it pretty much ‘fitted’. It was 1kg heavier than the 24 inch but did seem a lot bigger and maybe less manageable. Obviously if she’s on an adult bike it’s less inner tubes to carry and more chance of available standard parts etc.

Anyone tried a very young child on on adult bike? How did it work out?

Bike is for riding along flat bridleways/canal towpaths/New Forest Forestry Commission trails.

My son is 8 in November and can ride his mums 14inch 26er Kona…she never rides it so I reckon he might get it soon.

My youngest is almost 9 and very slightly taller. She only moved up from 20″ to 24″ wheels this spring.
She can ride my dirt jump bikes and BMX but they are both far too big for her to maneouver properly and the DJ bike is a struggle to even get on and off safely.
If money’s tight, instead of buying a cheap poor quality new 26″ or 27.5 bike I’d look for a second hand 24″ hardtail from a decent brand. £100 Should get you a spesh hotrock or similar from gumtree or your local FB for sale pages.

If you only want to carry one tube simply fold your adult sized tube inside her tyre, it’ll work fine.

Eldest is 9 and has been on 24″ bike for a couple of years.

He’s got growing room left.

Voodoo thing from Halfords. Was the best overall mix or cost/kit/image for £300 at the time and although it’s had a couple of spares bin tweeks it’s proved a very nice bike.

He’s probably shorter age for age then the OP’s daughter but my instinct is even a small adult bike is going to be too big at 7.

There’s a cracking 14″ Kona Lisa for £150 on mountainbikesforsale svotland Facebook page at moment…in pink…

My learning was can they sit on the bike and fully turn the bars? My wee fella couldnt on lots so therfore would of struggled to control the bike.  I found one he could, aged 10 145cm, a ladies voodoo soukri. Great wee 27.5 bike, a bit mahoosive on him but he can manage it, just. At 7yrs I think it would be too big.

Might be worth seeing if she fits a 13″ https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/junior-bikes/voodoo-nzumbi-mountain-bike-26-wheel , their blurb reckons their 26″ bikes work for 138-159cm tall kids.

My youngest has a Trek Skye at the moment and my elder daughter had a Scott Contessa when she was younger.  Both were brilliant from a standover height point of view and worked very well.  If you are hoping to get something that will last many years though the downside is that if they fit well at that age then they will get cramped as they grow and you will end up still needing new bikes.  If it’s just to save carrying an extra inner tube then it’s really not worth it

At 7 I would go for weight saving (at a sensible price) and getting something that they actually want to ride.  Nothing is more important – certainly not the wheel size 🙂

What leffeboy said. A pals 11 year old boy recently got a xs Giant 27.5er, he barely fits it.

I’ve seen too many kids put off riding because their parents made them ride a bike that was too big to save some £.

Thanks all, useful comments.  24 inch it is.