Best first pedal bikes for kids, tried and tested

The two most important things to bear in mind are that you need to pick the right bike for your child's height, and you need to choose a bike they can lift up by themselves.

To help, we've taken a good long look at a ton of first bikes, tested them, listened to our testers' feedback (from children who've ridden the bikes and the parents who've been with them) and whittled them down to the very best for you to choose from.

So let's put the pedal to metal and get going!

Best pedal bikes at a glance

• Best for easy assembly: Forme Cubley 14, from £11.99
• Best durable bike: Frog 40, £380
• Best for braking: CUBE Cubie 180 RT, from £14.99
• Best for comfort: Squish 14", £319.99
• Best for town cycling: Bobbin Gingersnap 12", £227 £163.80
• Best retro style: Beehive Vintage Children's Bicycle, £174.99
• Best for taller children: Strider 14x Sport Balance/Pedal Bike, £199
• Best for accessories: Raleigh Pop 12" Wheel Lightweight Kids Bike, £179
• Best all-terrain bike: Ridgeback MX14, £199.99 £169
• Best 2-in-1 bike: Kidvelo Rookie 14" Convertible Balance to Pedal Bike, £235
• Best high-end bike: Woom 3, £379

Best first bikes for kids to buy in 2025

1. Forme Cubley 14, from £11.99 per month

Available from: Bike Club

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Weight: 6.13kg | Wheel size: 14in | Frame: Aluminium | Stabilisers: No | Brakes: V-brakes

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Comfortable saddle
• Easy to set up
• Lots of colour options

Cons:

• Pricey

Designed to be as lightweight as possible, this smart looking bike can be used as a balance bike to make it easy for children to transition to a pedal bike as they grow and learn to ride. It’s also light enough to not be annoying to carry to the park. It has a nice springy saddle that our testers found very comfortable and includes a bell and mudguard. The handlebars are easy to turn so children can manoeuvre. It was also easy to set up.

While it is expensive, it is also available via Bike Club, which allows for easy exchange once your child is ready for the next size and is designed to be a more sustainable option.

I love my new big girl bike!

2. Frog 40, £380

Available from: Bike Club

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Weight: 6.46kg | Wheel size: 14in | Frame: Aluminium | Stabilisers: No | Brakes: V-brakes

Pros:

• Durable
• Sturdy and lightweight
• Robust tyres

Cons:

• Pricey

As you would expect from Frog (and from the price tag!), this bike is exceptionally well made, very lightweight and yet very sturdy. It comes with all the accessories you could need – reflectors, mudguard, front and back reflectors, chain guard and bell. You can use it as a balance bike then, when your child gets more confident, you can add the pedals. It has a lovely bright framework with a choice of colours, including multicoloured spots, and it comes with scratch plasters, so you can protect the paintwork.

This bike is really cool! I love the blue colour and love going fast down big hills. It is so much fun!

3. CUBE Cubie 180 RT Bike, from £14.99

Available from: Tweeks Cycles and Bike Club

Age suitability: 4+ | Best for age: 4+ | Weight: 7kg | Wheel size: 18in | Frame: Aluminium

Pros:

• Smooth ride
• Durable
• Good for mountain biking

Cons:

• Pricey

This classy-looking, lightweight bike has a quick-release lever saddle-height adjuster, and some unusual top-range features including a completely enclosed ‘chainlooper’ chain guard that’s fixed directly on the chain. Its 18-inch wheels make it great for off-road and mountain biking, plus it comes in two sleek colourways: Violet and blue.

4. Squish 14" bike, £319.99

Available from: TGC, Very and Team Cycles

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Weight: 5.83kg | Wheel size: 14in | Frame: Alloy | Stabilisers: No| Brakes: V-brakes

Pros:

• Durable
• Comfortable seat
• Lightweight frame

Cons:

• Pricey

This snazzy first bike ticks a lot of boxes, from the children-specific geometry that means the handlebars and brake levers are in easy reach of the rider to the super lightweight alloy frame (one of the lightest on the market). The bike has a fully enclosed chain guard to prevent fingers and clothes getting caught in the greasy metal, a quick-release seat post so the padded saddle can be height adjusted without tools, and treated wheel rims that help increase braking power. It’s fun and easy to ride and has decent components, making it worth the price.

He looked so happy and the bike looked like it was built for him as every aspect of the bike made it easier to ride: the brake levers seemed closer to the seat so were easier to reach and this meant he used them more; the seat felt comfortable and the lightweight frame made pedalling enjoyable.

5. Bobbin Gingersnap 12", £227

Available from: Bobbin Bikes, Amazon

Age suitability: 2+ | Best for age: 4 | Size: 30cm wheel | Batteries: None

Pros:

• Stylish
• More affordable
• Colour options
• Retro style

Cons:

• May not be everyone's taste

Ride in style with the Bobbin Bikes Gingersnap 12” Wheel, a vintage-chic bike that is a miniature version of Bobbin’s signature adult bike. This is a quality and sturdy design, with easy-to-reach brake levers and soft-touch grips along with a Vegan leather embossed Bobbin saddle for a comfortable cycle. Designed to make learning to ride as fun as possible, colour-matched stabilisers are included. The metal frame of the Gingersnap 12” is painted in pastel gloss paint, and has solid cream tyres, a shiny silver bell and a front-mounted handmade wicker basket. There are also a colour-matched chain case and mudguards.

I love it, Mummy. These reflectors are so cool, they are going to keep me safe in the dark. I can put my teddies in the basket, they can come with me on our cycling adventure.

6. Beehive Vintage Children's Bicycle, £174.99

Available from: Amazon and Beehive Toys

Age suitability: 4+ | Best for age: 5+ | Weight: 9kg | Wheel size: 16in | Frame: Aluminium | Stabilisers: Yes | Brakes: Caliper and drum

Pros:

• Affordable
• Lower gears
• Lightweight frame

Cons:

• Limited colours

This retro-styled aluminium-frame bike comes with adjustable seat and handlebars, bell, reflectors, front and rear brakes and stabilisers. Also available in pink. It looks great, has a great twist-and-turn bell and it'll fit your child for a good few years: the seat easily adjusts from 52cm to 60cm and the handlebars from 65cm to 73cm (from the floor).

7. Strider 14x Sport Balance/Pedal Bike, £199

Available from: Very and Decathlon

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Weight: 5.7kg (6.9kg with pedals) | Wheel size: 14in | Frame: Steel | Stabilisers: No | Brakes: Caliper and drum

Pros:

• All-terrain tread
• Colour options
• Larger version

Cons:

• May be too big for younger children

This balance bike turns into a pedal bike with a special accessory kit (sold separately for an extra £64.99) that includes pedals, cranks, chain and a chainguard. The bike has rubber tyres with all-terrain tread, removable footrest, adjustable handlebars and padded seat, front and rear brakes. It also comes in a choice of blue, green, pink and orange.

It's a larger version of the hugely popular Strider 12X Sport balance bike and the same simple design and upright riding position make it intuitive for children to balance and steer with their feet off the ground, while the increased wheel and frame size make it ideal for older or taller children.

8. Raleigh Pop – 12" Wheel Kids Bike Crossbar, £179

Available from: Decathlon

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 4 | Size: 30cm wheel | Batteries: None

Pros:

• Traditional style
• Wicker basket and toy dog included
• Low step frame

Cons:

• White tyres get dirty quickly
• Heavy bike

A colourful retro design from a quality cycling brand, the Raleigh Pop - 12 inch Wheel Kids Bike Crossbar is great for getting kids going when learning to ride a bike. To start your child pedalling on their own, the Raleigh Pop includes stabilisers to offer extra support. The stabilisers are easy to remove when a child is ready for two wheels, making this a bike that can grow with them and one that they can use for several years.

It goes super fast with black wheels. I liked the stars on the handles because I can pedal like a superstar. I liked it because it was so fast like a speedy rocket.

9. Ridgeback MX14, £199.99

Available from: Tweeks Cycles

Age suitability: 3 to 5 | Best for age: 4+ | Weight: 8.27kg | Wheel size: 14in | Frame: Aluminium-alloy | Stabilisers: Yes | Brakes: V-brakes

Pros:

• Off-road tyres
• Colour options
• Reach-adjustable brakes

Cons:

• Quite pricey

This kid-size mountain bike has high-tensile steel forks, off-road tyres and reach-adjustable brakes. It features a coordinating chain guard and is designed to fit children from 100 to 110cm tall. Comes in black, yellow and red. We like how easily adjustable the brakes are for small hands – they can be pulled with just two fingers. It's not super-light but certainly isn’t the heaviest starter bike featured here and the rugged frame will hold up on paths and pavements. A decent, reliable, good-looking buy.

10. Kidvelo Rookie 14" Convertible Balance to Pedal Bike, £235

Available at: Kidvelo

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Size: 35cm wheels + | Batteries: None

Pros:

• Goes from balance bike to pedal bike
• Lightweigh
• Removable footrest

Cons:

• Quite pricey

Looking for a balance bike and a pedal bike, all in one design? Kidvelo Rookie 14 Convertible Balance to Pedal Bike offers 2-In-1 value and functionality for ages 3-6. It starts as a very lightweight balance bike, suitable for 3-6 year-olds, on which they can learn the balance required to ride on two wheels without needing stabilisers. Balance bike mode has a removable footrest that helps children to learn the correct position for pedalling and allows them to lift their feet for coasting to improve balance. Parents then fit the pedal-kit that’s included with the bike to convert it to a proper first pedal bike.

Can I ride this bike forever? It’s my favourite thing!

11. Woom 3, £459

Available from: Bike Club and Woom

Age suitability: 4+ | Best for age: 4+ | Weight: 6.1kg | Wheel size: 16in | Frame: Aluminium | Stabilisers: No

Pros:

• High quality
• Lightweight
• Two gears

Cons:

• Pricey

This bike would make a great first pedal bike for a child aged 4-6 years. It's super light with an ultralight aluminium frame, plus it has two gears which change up automatically, meaning your child can just focus on their pedalling.

Key questions to ask when you’re choosing a pedal bike for your child

Here are the key points you need to consider, according to experts at the national cycling charity Cycling UK. You can find the answer to many of these questions when you're looking online but you may prefer to visit a store for an in-person check. Then, if you've spotted a good price online and/or you'd prefer the bike to be delivered, rather than having to load it into a car, you can always go home and order it afterwards.

• Is it the right size for your child now? Don’t buy a bigger-sized bike for your child to grow into; it's a sure-fire way to put your child off cycling. All the bikes we've recommended in this article have size charts on their brand websites that either take into account your child's inside leg measurement or their height: buy at the lower end of bike's recommended range – that way, you can raise the handlebars and the seat as your child gets taller. Ideally, also look for short cranks (they’re the arms that attach to the pedals): about 90mm to 100mm is great.
• Can your child lift the bike up? Some steel-framed heavy bikes are harder for kids to ride, especially uphill. And, at some point, the bike will end up on the ground, possibly because your child has fallen off but probably because they've put it there. Either way, they’ll need to be able to stand the bike up themselves.
• Are the gears and brakes easy to use? If you’re buying in store, test them using your little finger, or look out for models that have a rear brake that works by back-pedalling, as this comes more naturally to a beginner cyclist.
• Is the ride nice and smooth? The wheels, bottom bracket and headset at the front of the bike should ideally use ball bearings (check the bike's specifications either online or in the shop) as these make for much easier and smoother riding.
• Can your child try it before you buy it? If so, know that your child should be able to stand astride the frame with their feet flat on the floor, reach the pedals when seated, and hold the handlebar easily without stretching too much.
• Ignore the girls' bikes/boys' bikes thing. There really isn't that much difference between them – apart from the colours, which, of course, your child may have a very firm opinion on.
• Not sure about tyre width? Generally, slimmer tyres are better on smoother paths and thicker ones are great for off-road. If you're looking for a good all-rounder, bikes with wider tyres are the ones to go for.

What about balance bikes that you add pedals to, are they worth it?

Balance bikes (essentially bikes without pedals that your child can coast around on) are a great way to get children used to balancing, steering and gliding without having to worry about pedalling. And they do make the transition to pedals much easier. Companies such as LittleBig and Strider make balance bikes that you can add pedals to when your child's ready for the transition (included in our list of best bikes below); the only potential downside is that these bikes tend to suit taller and therefore older children, so you may need a different, smaller-size balance bike when your child is very young.

It's also possible to use a pedal bike as a balance bike, to begin with. Simply take the pedals off, and drop the saddle right down. Once your child has developed the confidence to glide along with their feet off the ground for more than 5 seconds, you can put the pedals back on, readjust the saddle height, and introduce peddling as the next step in the process.

Is it worth buying an expensive bike if my child will outgrow it quickly?

If you want to spend less, some single-speed pedal bikes are great for children to learn on, but very cheap bikes won't have the features that make a bike easy to ride.

It's also worth knowing that good-quality bikes have a great resale value. Check on eBay before you buy to see what you will be able to sell your choice for when your child outgrows it in a few years' time.

Alternatively, you could consider renting a quality kids' bicycle for a monthly fee that you can then swap to a bigger bike when your child has outgrown it. Bike Club, which operates across the UK, has a large range of first pedal bikes, including Frog, Squish, Woom and Forme bikes, that can be rented for as little as 6 months and then exchanged. There are also smaller, local bike hire schemes that offer children's bicycles for hire.

And don’t forget about bike safety, which includes making sure your child always wears a helmet on their bike. We’ve found the best bike helmets for kids here. Happy cycling!

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