Bike Sizing - 12" or 16"?

[Mommy_Mea]

DS1 got a 12" balance bike for his birthday last year and loves it, and starting asking about a pedal bike. We want to get him one for Christmas.

He is 3.5 yo and about 37". We tried a 16" bike at LL Bean, and his legs could barely reach the pedals. While he was able to pedal with the training wheels on, it was a stretch.

We tried a 12" bike at another store (again with training wheels), and it looked a little small, but was definitely easier for him to manage.

My goal is to skip the training wheels since he is so good at the balance bike, but I am worried a bike that is a little too big (the 16") might just frustrate him. Should I go for the 12", even though he might outgrow it quickly?

While we live in the NE, I do plan on getting him outside a lot on the bike during the winter, or just practicing in our basement. We would likely get him the 16" for his birthday. The 12" would get handed down to his brother eventually, so its short lifespan with DS1 wouldn't be a complete waste.

What has your experience been with bike sizing? Thanks!!

[urquie]

Definitely get the 12". We just went through the exact same process. DD needed to be able to have her feet on the ground, with the pedaled bike, so really needed the smaller bike. We just moved up to the 16", because the 12" got way too small, for her, but she is still nervous on it, because her feet barely touch.

[Mommy_Mea]

Definitely get the 12". We just went through the exact same process. DD needed to be able to have her feet on the ground, with the pedaled bike, so really needed the smaller bike. We just moved up to the 16", because the 12" got way too small, for her, but she is still nervous on it, because her feet barely touch.

I like that answer :) I am eyeing a 12" Specialized Hotrock (based on BBB recommendations) on Craigslist, and I will be happy to just buy that and be done with DS1's big gift!

[urquie]

I like that answer :) I am eyeing a 12" Specialized Hotrock (based on BBB recommendations) on Craigslist, and I will be happy to just buy that and be done with DS1's big gift!

Go for it, specialized is great! That's what we have, for the 16" bike, but swapped seats with the 12" bike, to make it shorter. :-)

[stefani]

I like that answer :) I am eyeing a 12" Specialized Hotrock (based on BBB recommendations) on Craigslist, and I will be happy to just buy that and be done with DS1's big gift!

I highly recommend the 12" and go the Craigslist route. DS did the balance bike and then 12" bike and it took him less than 5 minutes to figure the pedaling and balancing. It was most exciting! We upgraded his bike to 16" about 6 months later.

Good luck!

[roseyloxs]

We got a 12" pedal bike for DS's 3rd birthday. DS is still riding it at 5.5 although he really needs to upgrade. We are currently looking at 16" bikes but DS still says he thinks they are too big since its hard for him to touch the ground while on the seat.

Its a bit more rare but there are 14" bikes.

[Multimama]

One thing to know about children's bikes is that they are sized by the wheels and not by the frame. Adult bikes are sized by the frame. So in the world of children's bikes your DS may well have a good fit on one 16 inch bike, but not on another one. I would try out both the 12 inch and 16 inch Hotrocks if you can and see if the 16 inch is a good fit. I wouldn't assume that it won't be because the LL Bean one wasn't, kwim? The sizing is just so different from bike to bike and Specialized children's bikes are known for having a low stand-over height relative to other brands.

[WatchingThemGrow]

DD got a 16" hotrock for her 4th bday, BUT we had the seatpost cut down 1/2" to make it more comfy for her to put her feet down. Of course, little brother demanded pedals at 39m, so we ended up buying a 12" hotrock from CL anyway for him anyway.