Which bike for DD (3.5) and 39.5" tall?

[div_0305]

I should know by now having had these for DS, but we bought a bike at Walmart for him at that age and it didn't last long enough for him to even outgrow it. So I'm looking at used Trek bikes, but am not sure if I should get a 12" or 16". The online size charts show either is fine, but the 16" she could grow with more. At the used price it doesn't matter much if the 12" doesn't last more than this season. WWYD?

[Snow mom]

Are you planning to do training wheels? We skipped training wheels and DD has a 12" bike. We had gotten her a 16" but even with the seat all the way down (we even removed the back reflector for the extra half inch of lowering) she could only reach the ground on tippy toes. I found a like new trek mystic 12" and got rid of the 16" before we moved. She still has plenty of growing room on the 12" bike. She's 4.5 and if I had to guess I'd say 42". I'd recommend starting with the 12" if you can find one. Both are super heavy IMHO but obviously the 12" is going to be lighter.

[georgiegirl]

I agree that it depends on your purposes. My DS is almost 4 and he's probably 38" (he's short.). I just got him a 12" bike to ride. We had a balance bike, so he was able to learn now to ride without training wheels a few weeks ago. With the seat all of the way down, he can only reach with his tip toes. It's fine for his purposes, but there's no way he would be able to ride a 16" bike. My neighbors girl is several inches taller than DS, and she still prefers the 12". I think I got DD a 16" when she was a little over 4 years old. She learned now to ride without training wheels a year later. (We never had a balance bike for her.)

[div_0305]

I might use training wheels--she can balance on the scooter really well, so she might be ok w/o them. Sounds like we'd be good with the 12". Thanks!

[hehateme]

I nearly posted a similar question to this forum a few days ago. DS1 is 42 inches tall and he will turn 4 this summer.
I took him to a bike shop and he rode a 12 inch. In his case the 12 inch bike seemed a bit small for him.
I asked the sales person and they also said that 12 inch bike is way too short for him so I am about to buy 16 inch Trek bike with training wheels.

[Simon]

I vote for buying the 12 inch. Ds1 is about 47 inches but has quite long legs and has been riding a 16 inch Trek this summer. He might be ready to move to a 20 inch soon, but for learning he would have been too high up/nervous on a 20 in. He started with training wheels but wasn't getting anywhere so we took them off and learning to ride went much faster.

[Mommy_Mea]

I posted something similar before Christmas for a DS 1. He was just under 40 inches tall and I the advice was to go for the12 inch. I thought I bought a 12 inch on Craigslist, but once he got on it at Christmas it was obvious it was a bit bigger. He struggled with it most of the winter but managed to ride it this spring. but it is still really tall for him and I think he would have gotten the hang of the pedal bike faster if it was actually a 12 inch.

if it makes a difference, we were transitioning from a balance bike to a pedal bike, so no training wheels...

[HonoluluMom]

I'm going to be buying DD her first bicycle and after looking at size charts, thought she'd be ok on a 16 inch. Went to a bike shop and she sat on a 16 inch and her feet could barely reach the ground. Will be buying a 12 inch.

[BabbyO]

WE got DS a 16" trek (with training wheels). He's about 40" and when he got it he was a few months shy of 4 yo. He LOVES it, and it will grow with him. He initially felt more comfortable on the 12", but even the guy at the bike store said he'd outgrow it probably before the end of this summer. We know that Peanut will be able to use it once Stachio outgrows it, and then our nephew will get it.