16in Bike

[Kena Sugrue]

Whenbraking with just the front hand brake while at high speeds, bikes can tilt forward, bucking the child off the bike and over the handlebars. SureStop on Guardian bikes prevents this by having only one brake lever engage the front and rear brakes.

What We Look for in a Neighborhood Bike

Most kids on 16 inch bikes stick to riding around the neighborhood. Stable and lightweight, high-quality neighborhood bikes should also be be easy to ride, easy to balance, and perform consistently. Dual hand brakes and NO coaster brake are also a requirement to make our list.

Of all the bikes on this list, the woom 3 is the easiest bike to learn to ride on for true beginners. If you think your child will develop into a confident speed demon, the woom 3 AUTOMAGIC is offered with a 2-speed rear hub that automatically shifts a child into a higher gear when needed.

Engineered for kids with a lightweight frame and higher gearing, the Prevelo Alpha Two is a great option for kids who want to enjoy a long ride with the family. With a 3.8 gain ratio, the rider gains considerable distance with each pedal stroke, making long rides easier for young riders.

Built with high-end components that provide durability and performance, the Priority 16 packs a lot of punch in its price tag. Priority Bicycles got their start with Kickstarter and has grown into a well-respected, innovative bike brand.

One drawback of the Biky 16 is its single handbrake on the rear wheel. While our testers had no trouble safely stopping the bike, adventurous speed demons might prefer a bike equipped with dual-hand brakes for increased stopping power.

This allows riders to easily shift their weight to maintain balance on uneven surfaces, ramps, curbs, etc. Wider and knobbier tires, as well as dual-hand brakes and no coaster brake, also help little adventurers to maneuver safely through more technical terrain.

Whether your little one is timid to get started on a bike or is ready to charge full on into the world via two wheels, the Pello Revo is ready for action. With a lightweight build, quality brakes that stop on a dime, and handlebars that adjust to fine tune the fit, the Revo provides a comfortable, exciting, and nimble ride.

With a lightweight steel frame and impressive stability, the Hedgehog is the perfect ride for hitting the skatepark or cruising through the neighborhood. Responsive handbrakes and very low gearing make it ideal for more ambitious and/or uphill terrain.

Other bikes require a rider to lean forward to grip the handlebars, putting kids in a more aggressive position. These types of bikes are generally better for more experienced, adventurous riders who will be doing more aggressive riding.

For kids ages 4, 5, and 6, gears are just too much to handle and bikes with gears and shifters are not available on 16 inch bikes. However, the gearing of a bike is still worth taking into consideration. In the biking world, the gain ratio relates to the gearing of a single-speed bike and is often used to determine how hard it is to pedal a bike.

While any bike (well, any safe bike) is better than no bike, if you want your child to start their biking journey off with a smile versus tears and frustration, we highly recommend splurging on a nicer bike when possible. Higher-end bikes also typically have great resale values, with many re-selling for close to 70% of their MSRP.

The Guardian 16 Inch Bike has a lightweight steel frame, making it easy to control and balance. Featuring our single-lever SureStop Brake System and kid-specific geometry the Guardian ETHOS is a safer and easier bike for your kid to learn to ride. The bike is designed for on and off road use.

Standard features on all bikes are...5.2Ah battery, MC foot pegs, MC grips, Sealed handle bar stem bearings, CNC Black handle bar stems, Quick adjust seat levers, Kick Stand, disc brakes, 7 choices of colors. White, black, or orange frames...

*Bike frames may come in two variations, a straight frame or bent frame, which may slightly differ from the bike pictured. Graphics kits include frame stickers. Additional colored accessories for the stem, riser, and foot pegs will be available soon, these components come in standard black.

All bikes are fully up-gradable. You can add many BMX, Mountain bike, or Motorcycle parts such as Hydraulic brakes, aluminum brake levers, 160mm Aluminum brake disc, CNC stems, Motorcycle foot pegs, anodized aluminum bling parts, Carbon Fiber handle bars, Motorcycle grips (some pics are shown with a few of these features).

As the the only bike in the industry to offer a safety feature like KSM our bikes were built analyzing every aspect of child auto-reactives. Adding features like BCO & TDR creates parent and kid confidence.

Everyone remembers their first bike; the combination of freedom and fun. That bike needs to be fun, comfortable and safe, which is why Laser 16 features a lightweight aluminum frame, removable training wheels, and BMX-style handlebars and saddle.

My child is currently on a 14inch wheel, its getting a bit too small so thinking of starting to size up. while saddle height is Ok, it seems like its getting a bit twitchy so a larger wheelsize/long wheelbase seems sensible. I think that 20in wheel is too big a step (plus dont want to introduce gears yet!) so thinking of just going to 16in singlespeed.

@jam-bo that was kind of my worry, the speed at which they grow! Hoping to get secondhand so if I can buy and sell our 14in at similar prices it might not be that bad jsut too have it for a summer. She only became confident cycling unaided during easter hols so I dont want to rock the boat with changing too much!

Daughter had an Early Rider 14 and is now on a 16. We have a Orbea 20 already waiting (I did what you are thinking about) and although she can ride it and put toes on the ground, she now finds the 16 more fun and easy to handle and is her chosen bike for any rides that we do. She is 4 1/2 and only on the 25th percentile though so maybe a taller kid could manage the extra heft.

The best compromise I have found still leaves my boy struggling to reach the ground if the seat is the right height & his knees are up round his ears at the top of the stroke. If I fit shorter cranks it helps his leg rotation but worsens the ability to reach the ground at proper seat height.

Along with 20+ other leading bike companies, Cannondale is proud to be a part of the e-bike battery recycling program organized by PeopleForBikes and administrated by the not-for-profit Call2Recycle. Your payment of $15 goes to an industrywide fund that ensures batteries from Cannondale e-bikes are recycled at end of life and do not end up in landfills. Learn more at Call2Recycle.

The best bike for your child is a bike that guarantees functionality and safety while leaving room for your kid to grow with it, just as our classic bike with an adjustable saddle and handlebar. The Banwood Classic best 16-inch bike is is created in a timeless Scandinavian design with durable and tactile materials to be loved and passed down to the next generation.

3a8082e126