Bike for niece?

[knockahoma]

Does the inchs in a bike (26, 29, 24)refer to the tire size? Are all bikes measured this way? We are looking into buying a bike for my niece. She is about to turn two and seems rather tall for her age. What size is best for her? I dont think we can get her to sit on all of them til we find the best size for her. And i know to big is better than to small so she can grow into it. I'm just looking for some general advice and have gotten great information from these boards before. Thanks.

knock

[kennbenny667]

Yes, those are tire sizes.

In my opinion, buying a bike for a kid to "grow into" increases the chances of him/her being hurt when they fall, which they will. Often.

Get the kid a tricycle, and a bike when they turn four or five.

[neusaab]

Kids bike sizes usually refer to wheel size:

12" smallest, usually for 3 years old and up
16" next, usually 4 and up
20" next, then 24", then full sized (26") usually after the adolescent growth spurt.

I agree with the above the "a little big" is no good at all. Kids will get frustrated if they can't handle a bike because it's too big, and it could increase risk of injury. Plus, if a kid is frustrated, he might quit trying.

Most two year-olds aren't ready for a two-wheeler. Of course there are exceptions. Your LBS should help you sort that out. I highly recommend the LBS over a cheap chain store bike, as you'll get a better bike, better built, with the advice and service to back it up.

[rockyrider]

A lot of savvy bike shops have a kid's bike trade in program so they keep a customer all through the kid's growth period. They know that they can resell used kids bikes for at least 50-60% of new value to parents who just can't afford the scratch to keep up with the growth rate of kids at new bike prices.