It’s that time of the year, and Christmas presents are looming. Titan have put together this handy guide for choosing the correct size bicycle for your child so that santa can deliver the joy of cycling to your little one.
At Titan Racing, we have built a strong reputation for delivering a quality Junior Range and created an easy to use kids bike size guide to help you choose the right bike for your kids.
As parents ourselves we understand the temptation to buy a bicycle that is a size or two too big, in the hope that your kid will grow into it and in doing so save some money. The big drawback of this is that chances are your kid will be too small, and not yet strong enough to properly handle the bigger bicycle, which will seriously affect their confidence and enjoyment.
About the Titan Racing Junior Range
The Titan Racing Junior Range is built on lightweight hydroformed aluminium frames designed specifically to meet the needs of kids. A mix of lightweight kids’ specific components is used to best spec our bikes in terms of quality and price. All our bikes feature a low standover height to ensure kids always feel comfortable, at ease and in control of their bicycles. Our bikes feature a unique 5 Year Multi-User Warranty.
A few things to consider:
1. Bicycle weight
Bicycle weight is one of two areas directly impacted by bicycle size. Bicycles can be difficult for kids to manoeuvre, and the heavier the bike the more difficult this becomes. Most kid’s bikes are made either from aluminium or steel, but at Titan Racing all our junior bikes are made of high quality alloy as it is the lighter option of the two.
2. Standover height
Even when kids have learnt to ride they still need time to adjust to a new bike. A low standover height aids not only in the learning phase but also helps with balance when mounting and dismounting as it will allow your child to put their feet, or at least one foot, down without having to tilt the bike too far over.
3. Quality
Using high-quality brake levers and shifters makes shifting and pulling the brakes easier for small hands and thumbs. These components are robust and investing in a good quality kids bike can save you money in the long run. We also pay attention to touchpoints like grips and saddles to ensure they are not only long-lasting but also comfortable for young ones.
4. Gears
When you’re just starting out changing gears can seem like a daunting task when all you’re trying to do is stay upright! That’s why our 16” Junior range comes equipped with single speed only. A single speed bicycle means all a kid has to do is pedal. Moving up through the wheel sizes we’ve changed all the models with drivetrains that are 1x, meaning there no front gears to change. One set of gears means it is less tricky to find the right combination. It is also lighter thanks to one less shifter, one less derailleur, one less shifting cable, and it is easier to maintain. A win all around!
5. Accidents do happen
Inevitably your little one will fall off their bike, this makes wearing a suitable helmet important. It is also essential that your child wears the helmet in the correct way, and that is fastened correctly. Not too tight as to make it uncomfortable, not too loose to allow it to move around.
6. Be seen
If your kids are going to ride in public areas, they need to be visible. Ensure your child has front and rear lights that are switched on during the day and night so they are noticeable to other road users.
Brighter clothes also help with visibility.
Choosing the right size
Unlike adult bikes, where frame size is determined by the seat tube length, kids’ bikes are instead sized on their wheel diameter. The below guide should let you know what size wheels you are looking for.
Suitable for 2-4 years of age: 12-inch wheels
A balance bike or push bike provides a great platform to learn on as they can be ridden from a young age and teach children balance and coordination. These bikes do not have pedals and are propelled and stopped by your child’s feet, rather than a drivetrain and brakes. Things to look for are overall weight, tubed tyres and an adjustable saddle that allows room for growth.
Suitable for 4-6 years of age: 16-inch wheels
This category sees your child moving to a bike with pedals, brakes and a single-speed drivetrain. As your child is young, the lighter the bike the easier it is to pedal and handle. Consider an aluminium frame as it is lighter than steel.
Suitable for 5-8 years of age: 20-inch wheels
The first step towards a real mountain bike with geared drivetrains, working suspension forks and powerful brakes. These features allow your kids to ride all terrains with ease and really enjoy their riding.
Suitable for 7-11 years of age: 24-inch wheels
This size offers all the benefits of full-size bikes in terms of design and spec with the only difference being that the bike is optimized for smaller wheels. Quality suspension forks and a wider range of gears increase the capability of these bikes.
Suitable for 10+ years of age: 26-inch wheels
26” Bikes cater for the older segment of the Junior market. Whilst we’ve progressed to 29ers, the 26” wheel size is still the wheel size of choice for many young riders. Manufacturers have now combined small frames with 26” wheels to create the perfect bike for growing kids. At this level, you should be looking at suspension, brakes, drivetrain, tyre options and build quality. Generally, the more you spend the better the bike you will get.
Thankfully, the Titan Racing team pays as much attention to spec levels in our Junior range as we do our pro bikes to ensure the best bang for your buck.
Performance Models
Our 20”and 24”range each comes with an “SE” model. These bicycles are aimed at youngsters who are already shredding at their local trails. They feature beefier tyres, better suspension forks, internal cable routing and an attitude to match!
Our Junior Range topping comes with two 27.5”models, the Hades 27.5”Team and Hades 27.5” Pro. These two models feature lightweight hydroformed alloy frames, hydraulic disc brakes, air forks with 100mm travel, internal cable routing and updated geometry that allows junior riders to get the most out of this bike with its low stand-over height.
Who said racing is only for adults?
View the Titan Junior Range here.
Love what you guys are doing in this space, have got one of yours in our arsenal.
Please can we stop over engineering kids bikes?
Adult bike frames break every now and then,
kids bikes 20" and under never do, They get abused and are still bullet proof. They can surely be even lighter. I would be totally up for a range of lighter less durable kids bike frames and wheels, with the odd failure.