Welcome to our Kids’ Bikes Size Guide.
If you’re a cycling parent, then there’s a strong chance you’ll want your kid on the right bike straight away. Kids’ bikes sizes are a difficult thing to get right, but it’s a crucial piece of the puzzle if you want to give your child the best possible start in cycling.
There are many bike size charts on the internet, but with a recent (and the UK’s first) drop of Prevelo bikes, we thought we’d put together a children’s bike size guide specific to Prevelo bikes. There are two main factors when considering the size of your child’s next bike:
Inseam
Kids’ bikes are typically measured by their wheel sizes, i.e 14 inch, 16 inch, 20 inch and so on… However, the key measurement you actually need is their inseam. The rule of thumb here is that the child must be able to touch the floor with their feet whilst being sat on the saddle.
Naturally, every kids’ bikes manufacturer has different geometries, so a 16 inch bike from one brand may fit completely differently to a 16 inch bike from another brand.
The great thing about Prevelo bikes is that their award-winning geometry allows for your child to feel super comfortable on the bike thanks to exceptionally low minimum seat heights and low bottom brackets. Sitting in the bike like this not only inspires confidence, but it also lowers the centre of gravity making the bikes safer and more agile – i.e. more fun to ride!
Prevelo’s signature geometry and child centric design was so popular it earned them two Gold A’Design Awards from the International Design Academy…
Rider Experience
The other key factor when sizing a kids’ bike is rider experience. When the rider is new to cycling, it’s best to ensure their feet can lay flat on the ground whilst sat on the saddle.
As the rider gains experience and confidence, the correct seat height goes up slightly as the rider only needs to be able to reach the floor with their toes.
Kids’ Bikes Size Guide
But enough talking about how great Prevelo bikes are. Without further ado, here is our Kids’ Bikes Size Guide, and our recommended bike sizes based on your child’s age and/or inseam for Prevelo bikes:
Model | Wheel Size | Recommended Age | Min. Inseam | Max. Inseam |
Alpha Zero | 12″ | 1.5+ | 12.5″ – 31.7cm | 16.5″ – 41.9cm |
Alpha One | 14″ | 3-5 | 13.5″ – 34.3cm | 16.5″ – 41.9cm |
Alpha Two | 16″ | 4-6 | 15.5″ – 39.4cm | 22″ – 55.9cm |
Alpha Three | 20″ | 5-9 | 19″ – 48.3cm | 23″ – 58.4cm |
Alpha Four | 24″ | 7-11 | 23.5″ – 59.7cm | 28″ – 71.1cm |
Zulu One | 14″ | 3-5 | 14″ – 35.6cm | 17″ – 43.2cm |
Zulu Two | 16″ | 4-6 | 16″ – 40.6cm | 22″ – 55.9cm |
Zulu Three | 20″ | 5-9 | 21″ – 53.3cm | 26″ – 66cm |
Zulu Four | 24″ | 7-11 | 24″ – 60.9cm | 29″ – 73.7cm |