Maybe it's not such a good idea to send a bike-enthusiastic dad on the hunt for a children's bike. It could be that he goes to his favourite bike shop and buys a bike of his favourite brand, only smaller. A bonsai dad bike. Colourful, with as much suspension as possible - cool, and not even expensive. But it's not that simple if you want your offspring to have fun. The small bikes of the big brands often seem unkind in detail: pedal cranks that are too long and too wide mess up the ergonomics. Cheap two-kilo suspension forks do not respond to 25-kilo riders. And the inexpensive shifting components overstrain the rider's hands. To be fair, the 20-inch kids' bikes usually cost less than dad's brakes.
Our advice: invest your imagination and money in a children's bike
Especially in the 20-inch class, the usual weights of ten to 13 kilos are a real spoilsport. They make every root as insurmountable as an oil pipeline, every hill an eight-thousander. Of course, children don't care about the material and after two or three years they have to move up a size. Nevertheless, we recommend investing more imagination or money. Dedicated bikers collect kilos of discarded top parts over the years, which, with brains, skill and greasy fingers, work true technical wonders.
If tuning such a standard children's bike is out of the question, it is worth looking to a specialist (See below for an overview). At the moment, it is mainly small manufacturers focussing on this segment that are shining with practical children's bikes. Most of these companies have one thing in common: they were founded by fathers who were dissatisfied with the existing range of products for their children.
Pimp my children's bike: we've spiced it up
Princess pink or black like Darth Vader? Children's tastes are difficult to judge. But technology is a matter for parents. We have tried out a few of the ideas that turn a decent standard children's bike into a superbike. In most cases, a look in your own parts box or the second-hand market replaces buying a new bike. Otherwise things quickly get out of hand: Our original children's bike, a Ghost Powerkid, costs hardly more complete than the fanciest tuning children's crank. After the BIKE tuning, it weighs 8.6 instead of 10.2 kilos. - and looks cool.
Tuning the cockpit
A riser bar on a children's bike is nonsense - the handlebars are relatively high anyway. A used, cut-to-length cross-country handlebar and a stylish, short stem (here from KCNC) spice up the bike technically and visually enormously. Thin handlebar grips fit children's hands, adjustable brake levers are a must. Rotary shifters are often too stiff for small children. High-quality trigger shifters with good cables and a smooth-running rear derailleur have the necessary low operating forces. And colourful cables (here from Shimano) are always a good idea.
Expense ****
Technology *****
Optics ****
(max. 6 stars)
Tuning the fork
Our example bike is also available with a rigid fork - that's a good thing! We replaced the standard suspension fork with a replacement fork from Kubikes, saving 1.2 kilos. On 20-inch bikes, a child is almost too light for an inexpensive suspension fork. The breakaway torque is too high. Only on 24-inch bikes do they sometimes make sense. Absolute tinkerers also discuss shortening and tuning old race forks to children's weights - the rigid fork is safer.
Expenditure ***
Technology ******
Optics **
Tuning the pedals
Optics or function? Plastic bear paw pedals in all colours are available cheaply and are gentle on children's skin due to the lack of steel pins. However, most of them are unnecessarily large. Narrow trekking bike pedals like this XLC model don't look as cool, but they are lighter and in this case also technically of higher quality. But they are not colourful.
Expenditure **
Technology ***
Optics ***
Short cranks
We would have saved several hundred grams with a lightweight tuning crank, but would have invested over 260 euros with a chainring. Proportionally fitting, lightweight cranks are hard to come by. A rule of thumb is: "height divided by ten". Dedicated hobbyists shorten old solid cranks (i.e. not Hollowtech models) themselves and cut new pedal threads. Not for beginners! Dedicated hobbyists exchange instructions and tips on the Internet (e.g. mtb-news.de; sub-forum children's bikes)
Expense ******
Technology *****
Optics ***
Saddle and seat post
A tuning feast for second-hand buyers and collectors: a colourful aluminium seat post from the 90s, dad's too narrow carbon saddle or a cool BMX seat part (here from Sixpack) bring the look forward. Because children can't reliably operate quick-release skewers, we also fitted a lightweight, attractive screw clamp. However, this didn't make our standard bike much lighter.
Expenditure ***
Technology ***
Optics ******
Wheels: Lightweight tubes & tyres
Lightweight tubes are cheap and improve acceleration and handling, while wide BMX tyres provide grip and comfort. For weight and safety reasons, we have replaced the quick-release skewers with screw-in axles from XLC (65 instead of 113 grams, unfortunately only in black). New wheels are often required for gears with nine or ten-speed sprockets: many children's rear hubs do not have a cassette freehub. Experienced mechanics can re-spoke the wheels themselves.
Expense ******
Technology ****
Optics ***
Derailleur: Single chainrings are sufficient
Single chainrings are easily sufficient and allow up to eleven real gears in the luxury league. The conversion is relatively inexpensive with a 9-speed (up to 34 teeth) or 10-speed sprocket (up to 36 teeth). If the outer gears (largest/smallest sprocket) do not run smoothly due to chain skew, simply block them with the rear derailleur set screw. The gear ratio should still be sufficient. To prevent the chain from jumping off, fit a lightweight chain guide (e.g. Bionicon C-Guide). Alternatively: damped rear derailleurs such as the Shadow Plus models from Shimano or the Type II models from Sram. For small wheels, always choose the shortest derailleur cage.
Expense *****
Technology ****
Optics **
Bigger, faster, further: from balance bikes to 24-inch bikes
With every year and every centimetre, the children's skills on the bikes also grow. After about three children's bikes, a "small big one" is suitable. We show which bikes children need from their first attempts at riding to a proper MTB.
Children's bikes: Small bikers, small brands
It's no secret that the well-known, big bike brands also offer children's bikes. However, the children's bike specialists that are now available on the market are not immediately obvious. We present a selection of children's bike brands - without claiming to be exhaustive.
These bike manufacturers specialise in children's bikes
- Kania: kaniabikes.eu
The sporty children's bike specialists offer a wide range: from 16-inch bikes to child-specific 27.5-inch bikes. Weight-optimised with affordable prices. - MTB Cycletech: mtbcycletech.com
- Sporty children's bikes in many colours, from 20 to 24 inches, from approx. 550 euros, some with suspension fork. Not cheap. But with sense.
- Supurb: Sporty children's bikes optimised in terms of weight and function, from balance bikes to 24-inch bikes with suspension forks. Supurb serves medium price ranges, from 20 inches with disc brakes.
- Light as a feather: featherlight-bike.com
Specialist for consistently lightweight children's bikes from 20 to 26 inches with many special parts such as pedal cranks, also from our own production. Tuning wheels, customised children's bikes with titanium frames and carbon forks. Even the most unusual wishes are fulfilled here. - Woom Bikes: woombikes.com
The children's bike specialist from Austria, weight and price-orientated from balance bikes to 26-inch bikes. Speciality: an "up-cycle" option. This involves exchanging the used bike for a larger model at a favourable price after two years. - Frogbikes: frogbikes.com
The English brand builds children's bikes without gimmicks, at medium prices and with medium weights. There are no special mountain bikes in the programme. - Kubikes: kubikes.com
- Relatively light children's bikes, from balance bikes up to 20 inches, at moderate prices. Some details can be customised in the online shop. Four basic colours.
- VPace: vpace.de
VPace builds sporty children's hardtails based on the 29er principle. Relatively large wheels from 24 to 27.5 inches are housed in compact frames. - Pyro Bikes: pyrobikes.com
Lightweight, sporty and high-quality children's bikes from 16 inches to 27.5 inches.
Lightweight wheels for children's bikes in small inch sizes
Gingko: gingko-veloteile.de
Ginko actually specialises in recumbent bikes. That's why the shop also has high-quality rims in unusual sizes and with rare numbers of holes in its programme. Perfect for building lightweight children's bikes or spoking children's wheelsets.
Whizzwheels: whizzwheels.com
The wheel experts can use any spoke length. This means that wheels with just a few spokes or special hubs for small children's bikes can also be produced.
Tuning parts for children's bikes are available from these shops
We have installed good, affordable new parts on our tuned children's bike. From KCNC - whose distribution Pitwalk makes - stem, spacers, seat clamp and handlebar grips. The seat post and saddle come from the BMX specialists at Six pack. Clamping axles and pedals supplied XLC, the parts are available from Wiener Bike Partsthe thick BMX tyres are from Maxxis.
