20" or 24"

secretsam

So, given that the kids (twins) are now 7.5 years and 120cm, we took them to LBS to check out bikes. 20" was comfortable, but they also tried a 24" at the suggestion of the assistant, and whilst big, you can see them growing into them...and it saves buying 4 bikes (2x20" then 2X24") - but am not sure, LBS has tried the old "yeah, that fits" with my missus before and nearly convinced her to get a bike that's far too big...thoughts?

owenlars

Get a second opinion?

othello

My 6 year old daughter rides 24" wheel bikes (road bike and mountain bike) but then she is very tall for her age. She also has good bike control from attending a cycling club every week. For her it wasn't the height of the bike which made the difference, as the saddle height is almost the same as her 20" wheel with the saddle right up. But the length of the bike. That has taken her a little getting used to.

Really depends on the height and skill level of the rider.

baudman

othello wrote:

Really depends on the height and skill level of the rider.

+1

But, it's also more than just wheel size. Some 20" ride 'tall' and some 24" ride 'low' - it just depends upon the geo.

johnboy183

Can always try the ubiquitous Islabike route. My 6 yr old is almost too big for his Beinn 20 small, he has about 1 cm of seat post adjustment left. So we bought him the Beinn 24 which is ever so slightly too big. However he has no problems stopping and starting, mounting n dismounting. Hopefully last him 2 years. He is approx 122 cm tall if this helps

Steve7577

I got my 6 year old ( 120 cm tall) a 20 inch Trek for Xmas and I think with the seat at its lowest it is only just right for him, with plent room for him to grow with it. The pedal position can be adjusted for when he is bigger as well.

Shaun67

We had the same problem at the time our children changed bikes, they were 5 & 7, it was the bac kend of last summer. I purchased a 20" & 24" and just cut around an inch from the seat post so it could be dropped right down to the frame, I'm pleased I got the larger bikes as after only 2 months I need to higher the seat quite a bit.

Mike Healey

It's not always about the saddle height/getting their feet on the floor stuff.

A frequently overlooked factor is how far forward they have to reach to hold the bars. This can cause back problems and if their arms are at full stretch it makes control more difficult than it should be, not to mention the fact that, off road, they won't have sufficient flex to be able to absorb bumps and dips.

Shaun67

Ture...that's a good point that also needs taking into consideration, but I have found the childrens
bikes tend to have quite short top tubes.

Mike Healey

Shaun67 wrote:

Ture...that's a good point that also needs taking into consideration, but I have found the childrens
bikes tend to have quite short top tubes.

That's true, but the larger bike will still have a top tube which may be a stretch for an indivual child. There's also the possibility that the bars may be too high, so alot depends on how close the kid is to graduating to the next size up and what their body/leg length proportions are. T a large extent it is a case of suck it and see and there's nothing beats seeing you child actually riding the bikes concerned.