What Size Bike For An 11 Year Old

Then your kid needs a new bike. But y'all're wondering… what size wheel does my child demand? Bike size is the fashion that bicycle manufacturers classify their kids bike sizes, but information technology'due south Non the merely gene! Information technology'due south not even the virtually important gene!

Bikes with the same cycle size can vary drastically in overall size.Every bit a consequence, your child may fit on a 16-inch bicycle with one brand, but a 20-inch cycle with some other. There are even bike brands that offer small-scale and large bikes within the same wheel size.

The age of a child is also typically not a good indicator of size. 1 5-year-old may fit on a sixteen-inch bike while a iv-year-erstwhile may fit on a 20-inch wheel! So what'due south the best way to decide a kids bike size? With our simple tricks, finding the perfect size wheel for your kid is quick and easy.

kids bike sizes image showing all sizes of kids bikes next to each other, starting at 12 and going to 24

Kids Bicycle Sizes Chart

When selecting a kids bike, a kid's inseam and their acme should both be taken into consideration in order to get the best fitting bicycle. Click on wheels size to see our tiptop picks for each size bike.

Wheel Size	Historic period	Inseam	Top
12″	2 – 3 years	15″ – eighteen″	36 – 39″
xiv″	two – 4 years	15″ – twenty″	37 – 44″
xvi″	iv – vi years	16″ – 22″	41 – 48″
20″	5 – 8 years	nineteen″ – 25″	45 – 54″
24″	8 – 11 years	23″ – 28″	49″ – 59″
26″	10 + years	25″ +	56″ +

Visual learner? Hither is a video walkthrough of our complete kids bike sizes guide. From measuring your kid's inseam to how to properly set the seat height on the bike, this six-minute video will quickly respond all your questions.

Kids Cycle Sizes: Four Steps to Finding the Correct Size

Using yourchild'southward inseam in relation to the bike'southward seat summit is the best and about accurate way to ensure a perfect bike fit. The frame and the bicycle size work together to make up one's mind the seat meridian of a bike.

5 year old standing next to her bike. Arrows indicating inseam measurement and bike seat height measurement to help find correct kid bike size

And then by selecting a bike based on seat height, versus age, wheel, or frame size, you tin ensure a great wheel fit for your child even if they've never had a adventure to try out the cycle before yous buy it! This not only makes riding much easier, but all the experts agree a good bike fit is necessary for safety too!

Hither are the four simple steps y'all'll need to follow to finding a kids bike that'south the perfect size.

Graphics showing the four steps to finding a bike that's a perfect fit for your kid

(ane) Measure out Your Child'south Inseam

While near bike manufacturers base their sizing on your child's age or pinnacle, we always recommend using inseam instead. It'due south much more accurate!

Graphics showing the steps for measuring a child's inseam for the right bike size

(ii) Narrow Down Cycle Size Based on Inseam

Using your child's inseam, discover the one or 2 bike bicycle size categories they fall into. In full general, as long as your child'southward inseam is appropriate for the bike, it'southward improve to buy a larger wheel size. Larger wheels take more than stability and let more room for growth.

For case, our five-year-sometime shown above has an inseam 19.5″ inches. Based on the bike size chart below, she could fit on THREE different size bikes! The larger wheels of the 16″ and twenty″ however, will be much better for her as she grows. The next step will help determine which of these two sizes is best.

Kids Bike Sizes Chart showing sizing by wheel size, age, inseam, and height — Kids Bicycle Size Chart – Inseam Measurement is Key!

(3) Find the Perfect Seat Height (Using Child's Inseam and Riding Power)

Now that yous know what size(s) bicycle is likely best for your child, it'due south time to take your child'southward riding ability into consideration. Why? The proper fit of a bicycle is based on the seat height of the bike as compared to the child'southward inseam. The seat height of a bike, withal, should be set differently based on if your child is a beginner, is experienced, or is using grooming wheels.

The seat height is the distance from the footing to the summit of the seat and will help you narrow downwards your options fifty-fifty farther and guarantee a great fit from mean solar day one!

First Riders (1st Bike After a Balance Cycle or Grooming Wheels)

5 year old rider with feet flat on ground showing the perfect kids bike size for beginning riders

A start rider (including balance bicycle graduates) should be able to sit on the bicycle's seat and have their anxiety apartment on the ground. At this stage, it's essential for a child to be able to easily stop their bike using their feet. As a effect, their bike's seat superlative should be set equal to their kid'due south inseam.

In the image higher up, our v-yr-old tester is on a 16 inch bike with the seat superlative set to nineteen.5″ to match her inseam. If she were a beginning rider, this bicycle would be a perfect size bicycle for her.

SIZING TIP: The seat of a kid's first pedal bike should be set at the aforementioned tiptop as the child's inseam.

Experienced Riders – 2nd Pedal Bike (and Beyond!)

5 year old sitting on her bike with her feet touching the ground on her tip toes showing the correct kid bike size for experienced riders

An experienced rider, who knows how to comfortably start and stop a wheel too every bit use either a hand brake or a foot brake, should be able to sit on the bike'due south saddle and have their tip toes touch the footing. This means that the seat should be set 2 to iv inches ABOVE the child's inseam. Raising the seat allows for proper leg extension while pedaling, which maximizes the efficiency of each pedal stroke.

If our 5-year-old tester was an experienced rider, this xx inch bike with the seat height set to 22.5″ (3 inches in a higher place her inseam) would be a perfect fit.

SIZING TIP: The seat of a confident pedaler can be prepare 2 – 4" above their inseam.

Beginner Bike with Training Wheels

5 year old rider sitting on her bike with her feet touching the ground on her tip toes showing the perfect kids bike size for beginning riders

For those who plan on using grooming wheels, feet flat or tiptoes both piece of work, depending on the confidence of your child. Because the child doesn't have to balance the wheel or worry virtually falling over as much, just fix the seat co-ordinate to what is about comfortable for them.

This typically ways that the seat should be set 0 to iii inches in a higher place the child'due south inseam. For timid kids, setting the seat lower and so they touching with their feet flat is often preferred.

With more than aggressive riders, setting the seat higher allows for greater pedal efficiency and so they tin can rider faster, but he cautious not to set the seat too high, as many kids on training wheels all the same instinctively stop the wheel with their feet.

SIZING TIP: The seat of a cycle with preparation wheels should be gear up 0 – iii" above the child's inseam.

Balance Bike

If you happen to exist looking for a remainder wheel, exist sure to check out our balance wheel sizing guide. For a quick reference though, the seat of a balance bike should be set 0.five″ to 1.5″ below a kid'south inseam.

While seated on a residuum wheel with their feet apartment on the ground, a kid's knees should exist slightly aptitude (in an athletic stance). The slight human knee bend allows them to efficiently run on the bike.

SIZING TIP: The seat of a balance bicycle should be set up 0.5 – 1.5" below the kid's inseam.

(four) Purchase for Electric current Fit and Growth

At present that you know the desired seat height for your child's bike, you can brainstorm shopping for your bike! Ideally, you'll notice a bike that has a minimum seat height that's as close to (merely without going over) the seat peak you adamant in pace three.

This allows the bicycle to fit perfectly at present, but likewise offers the most room for growth and then you don't have to purchase another bike too soon!

Hither's an example using the bikes nosotros but saw and our 5-twelvemonth-old tester. Each of the following bikes are a groovy fit for a kid her size, simply which 1 is best depends on the child's experience and riding ability.

Pello Revo 16″ (bike shown in the Beginning Riders department) has a minimum seat acme of 19.5"
woom 4 twenty″ (cycle shown in the Experienced Riders section) has a minimum seat height of 22".
Schwinn 16" (bike shown in the training wheels section) with a minimum seat height of 21".

If our five-yr-old tester is a beginning rider, the Pello Revo is a perfect fit because its minimum seat pinnacle matches her inseam and allows her to sit with her feet flat on the ground.

If she is experienced, the woom 4 is a much better choice. With its minimum seat height fix 2.5" inches higher up her inseam, she tin can sit on the saddle and reach the footing with her tip toes. And it offers plenty of room for her to abound!

Lastly, if she is using grooming wheels, the Schwinn sixteen is a peachy selection for her if she is an boilerplate or confident passenger. With a minimum seat peak set 1.5″ above her inseam, she can comfortably reach the footing with low tip toes.

When selecting your child's bike be sure to narrow down several options so that other factors such as price, weight, restriction blazon and even color preference tin also be taken into consideration.

So where do I find the all-time bikes and their seat heights?

Part of the reason that kids bike sizes are confusing is that at that place are no wheel sizing "standards". While the CPSC has rules regarding virtually everything else about a bicycle, there are no rules about kids bikes sizes.

To make matters more than confusing, about bike companies don't publish the seat heights of their bikes! Not to worry, we've got yous covered! We've measured the seat heights of over 50 different bikes for yous!

You tin find seat heights on our comparison charts for each size bikes:

12 and fourteen inch Bikes Comparison Chart
16 inch bikes Comparison Chart
twenty inch Bikes Comparison Chart
24 inch Bikes Comparison Chart
26 and 27.5 inch Bikes Comparison Nautical chart

Other Kids Biking Resources

Guardian Bikes RideSizer: Enter in your child historic period and elevation and Guardian's proprietary tool will tell y'all which size bike is best for them.

woom Bikes Size Finder: Take out all of the guess piece of work of ownership the right size woom wheel with their bike finder tool.

For additional information on child bicycle sizes and what other features you should await for when shopping for a cycle, check out our commodity All-time Kids Bikes: The Authoritative Buying Guide.

For young kids that have never ridden a bike, a remainder bike is likely a better option for them. Check out Why a Rest Bike Should be the First Bicycle for Your Toddler.