Forget shuttling the kids to school every morning or putting them on the bus, save the planet and help your kids get some exercise by riding to school. When it comes to choosing the ideal kids bike for riding to school there are a lot of factors that come into play. Often kids will just want the bike that their friends have or one that looks cool with a design in their favourite colours.

However, it is important to consider the practicalities of kids riding to school with their backpack and in their school uniform. The bike will be sitting in a bike rack outside in the elements all day, every day of the school year, ridden to and from school for up to 200 days a year. This is key when considering your budget, you could go for a cheap kids bike such as the Kmart kids bike, but often they won’t stand up to the workload kids can put on their bike. Once you have sorted out your budget, you want to get the best kids bike for the ride to school, but there are a few key factors to consider


Sizing

Buying a bike for the new school year can be like buying new shoes for the school year, buy the wrong size and it will be uncomfortable, won’t get used and your kids will complain. It might be tempting to buy a bike that they might grow into, but if they’re riding to school every day it is really important they are on the right bike and in the right position that isn’t putting unnecessary stress on their growing bodies. Our Kids Bike Sizing Guide goes into the specifics of each size, from the 12-inch balance bikes for 2-year-olds to 26” kids mountain bikes for ages 10+ and the full-size bikes for those high school kids.


Bike Type

When it comes to choosing the bike type for riding to school it is important to balance the practicalities of riding to school with what they want to do with the bike on the weekends.

Choosing the right bike size

Kids BMX Bike

Kids love BMX bikes, they’re fun, exciting and full of awesome potential. If your kids want to go to the skate park after school or on the weekend then this is a great choice. However, if they have to ride a long way to school it will be pretty tiring on the BMX with its lack of gears, typically heavy Hi-Ten steel frames, smaller tyres and geometry designed for BMX and not long rides. Choosing the best Kids BMX bike really comes down to your individual needs and it is important to remember this, sometimes a BMX bike won’t be the best option for riding to school.


Kids Mountain Bike

The best kids mountain bikes are built with a lightweight alloy frame for easy handling, reliable v-brakes or disc brakes for control and suspension forks to handle the bumps. Kids Mountain bikes usually come with 24” or 26” wheels and are built to be durable. While a mountain bike may not be the fastest, they are a good compromise as they have the rugged durability to handle whatever kids can throw at them and offer a comfortable ride.

Kids riding Merida mountain bikes

Kids Specific Bikes

While the other bikes are basically adult bikes shrunk to size for kids, your typical kids specific bike ranges from the 12” kids bike with training wheels for the child learning how to ride a bike. Right up to kids bikes with 16”, 20” and 24” wheels that are typically built in a mountain bike like style, without the suspension fork or mountain bike specific tyres. They often give kids an introduction to riding bikes with gears and still offer great value for money.

Kids riding 12 inch GT bike and GT balance bikes

For the older kids: Road Bikes & Flat Bar Road bikes

If you have got a teenager that is looking to get home from school as fast as possible or travel long distances to school with ease, then a road bike is a great choice. Choose between drop bars for a more performance-based bike or a flat-bar road bike that offers a more comfortable geometry and easier handling. Riding to school is commuting for kids, so it makes sense that older kids might want a road bike that is fast, light, efficient with their speedy road-specific wheel, design and light frame.

And if none of those suit, how about a scooter? They are a great way to get from A to B, fold up for easy storage and can offer plenty of fun and challenges as they learn new tricks. Or maybe an electric scooter to really travel quickly and have a blast too.

Shop Kids Bike Essentials

Getting started with cycling at any age requires a few things to begin. Things such as helmets and lights are essential for safety, see below some essential items required:

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