Age vs inside leg

When parents ask: “What age is this bike for?” they’re asking the wrong question. Here’s why…

One of the most important benefits of Bike Club is that we can supply our members with the right bike for their child, at exactly the right time. Over the course of a typical childhood, children can require up to eight different sizes of bike before the age of 12. With Bike Club, we make it easy.

The reason why it is so important for children to have the right size bike at the right time is because the alternative can significantly limit a child’s enjoyment of cycling.

It’s a bit like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. A bike that is too big will be heavy to pedal, unwieldy to steer, and children are more likely to develop injuries as their bodies stretch to fit.

A bike that is too small will leave children unable to use all their developing strength and – again – their bodies might suffer as they fail to assume a correct riding position.

 

But a bike that is just right means that happy days are here. It will be easier to learn to cycle on. It will offer better balance. It will be more comfortable. It all equals more fun and enjoyment.

How can you choose the right size bike for your little rider?

Well, going by age is the obvious first step. But age can really do no more than offer a very vague guide to the size of bike needed. Think about all the other children in your child’s year group – they’re all within 12 months of each other in age, but they probably span a huge range in sizes.

At these ages, even your child’s sex will tell you nothing, as girls and boys are much the same until puberty. In fact, girls are actually bigger than boys on average at some points in childhood.

However, there is a failsafe way you can order a bike and be confident that it’ll fit.

 

That’s by using your child’s inner leg length, which will give you an absolute idea of what size bike they require. Here at Bike Club, we have listed the recommended inner leg length for all the bikes we supply. Once you know this measurement, you’re well on the way to getting the right Bike Club bike.

How do you measure inside leg length?

Measuring inside leg length pretty easy too. Simply get your child to take off their shoes and stand straight against a wall. Slide a thin book or flat object up between their legs as far as is comfortable. Mark where the top of the book touches the wall behind them. Then measure that distance from the floor to that mark.

 

After that, it really couldn’t be easier. Put your child’s inner leg measurement into our bike finder page, and enjoy picking whichever model takes your little rider’s fancy – confident in the knowledge it will fit them just right.