Why kids’ bikes are different – and how to keep them safe

At the Mobile Bike Surgery we’re well-used to all kinds of bikes, but kids’ bikes (like Twinkles here) are different.

Obviously, they’re smaller. But it’s the demands placed on them, and the special skills needed to diagnose and repair them, which sets them apart.

That’s why when you’re thinking about getting your child’s bike back on the road in Glasgow and west central Scotland, you really need to find a mechanic you can trust. After all, keeping your family safe is a full-time job, and in your house, you’re its greatest advocate.

Whether you’re buying a child’s first bike (and deciding to go with a balance bike, or push through and attempt pedals), or looking for someone to service a well-used teenager’s machine, there’s plenty to think about.

Let’s start at the beginning:

Sizing a bike, and how to do it right

Two factors affect how a bike fits a child, but one universal truth exists: children grow out of bikes more quickly than a seasoned cyclist burns brake pads.

Factor one is wheel size. Halfords have a great sizing page (although 26” wheels are no longer as big as you’d expect a teenager’s bike to go, with 27.5” ruling the roost for 13-16 year olds now), so start there, with first bikes boasting 9-10” wheels and four to seven-year-olds passing through sizes most quickly.

Factor two is frame size. On smaller bikes that’s dictated by wheel size, but as kids grow it’s important to think about their inside leg measurement and how that relates to the size of the bike they’ll need. Evans have good guides to sizing hybrids and mountain bikes, while Bike Radar have looked at road bike sizing in some detail in this blog.

Buy used, save 00s of ££

Kids grow out of bikes at a blistering pace, so buying new is often an expensive choice.

Every week I tell customers that buying a quality used bike is better for your wallet and the environment than splashing 3x the cash on a new bike of lower quality. Nowhere is that more true than with kids’ bikes.

The used market in these smaller steeds is booming, with quality brands like Frog, Islabikes and Hoy all based in the UK and all holding their value, meaning that upgrades for a growing boy or girl won’t feel so painful.

Maintenance, and why it really matters

Kids are hard on bikes.

Time and again I’ve been called to repair a child’s bike at a customer’s home to find it’s been left out in the rain for months. Result? Seized parts which need to be replaced, meaning expense which could’ve been easily avoided.

In general, it’s worth getting a child’s bike serviced every year. That’ll mean small problems are caught early, and money saved in the long run.

And the most important rule I can teach you about kids’ bikes? Impress upon your little ones the importance of keeping them under cover, not just thrown on the driveway and left to be destroyed by the Scottish weather. You’ll save yourself a small fortune on replacing those seized chains and brakes (and suspension forks filled with water) which you can spend on making memories rather than bike repairs.

Professional repairs and the Big S

The Big S? For a professional mechanic, there’s one thing that’s more important than anything else on kids’ bikes: keeping the rider SAFE.

That means the bike should’ve been properly assembled (so many have their forks on backwards, risking serious injury for the rider) and be maintained to a good standard throughout its life.

So often I see kids’ bikes which, were they full-size, no adult would step aboard. Frayed cables, dangerously-worn brake pads and missing bar end plugs are all (a) super-common, (b) capable of causing serious injury and (c) easily avoided by regular, affordable and professional maintenance carried out annually on your doorstep by the Mobile Bike Surgery.

At the Mobile Bike Surgery we really get kids’ bikes (we have a pair of our own in the garage, after all) and day after day we put in the extra effort needed to keep Glasgow and west central Scotland’s children safe on the roads and trails.

•  Got a bike that needs some love, or just want to talk more about kids' bikes? Get in touch.