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We spent over 24 hours evaluating 11 pedal bikes on pavement, on grass, and at an indoor BMX track in late 2023 and early 2024 (when snow and ice forced our young testers to move inside), and we’re confident that the Guardian Ethos 16 Inch Bike is the best first bike for most kids.
Everybody learns at their own pace, but most kids are ready to start pedaling on their own between the ages of 4 and 6, so we focused on bikes with 16-inch wheels. Whether your kid will be tearing up the local pump track or cruising city sidewalks, a great first “big kid” bike will keep them safe, build their confidence, and bring lots of joy to the learning process.
One of the most exciting milestones for a child is the moment they learn to ride a bike. It’s a skill they’ll have for life, after all, and you can set them up for success by providing them with a comfortable, easy-to-ride first pedal bike.
Compared with other less-expensive bikes, this model is simple to put together, sturdy, and unfussy—but its steel frame makes it much heavier than our other picks.
This high-end bike is super light, super zippy, and chock-full of kid-friendly features. But it doesn’t accommodate training wheels (which is by design).
This solidly built aluminum-frame bike works well for riders of varying sizes and skill levels—on pavement, dirt, and pump tracks—but is slightly less maneuverable than our top pick.
The bike should have smooth welding and no exposed nuts or bolts, and it should be built to last.
Ideally, a bike is no more than 30% to 40% of the kid’s body weight, for ease of maneuvering.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Kids Pedal Bikes.
Kids should be able to safely control their speed without the risk of flipping over their handlebars.
The 18-pound Guardian Ethos 16 Inch Bike has a lightweight steel frame, lots of size adjustability in the seatpost and handlebars, and an innovative braking system that activates both the front and rear brakes with the rider’s press of a single hand lever, distributing the braking power evenly so that it’s impossible to lock up the front brakes and flip over the handlebars. This feature allows kids to gain more speed and ride more adventurously, knowing that they can easily stop if they need to. Plus, the bike’s kid-friendly geometry puts the rider in an upright position leaning slightly forward, keeping them comfortable while allowing for plenty of power going up hills.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe REI Co-op Cycles REV 16 Kids’ Bike weighs 18 pounds, just like our top pick, and has geometry that worked well for our testers, but it isn’t as compact and maneuverable as our other picks. And while the coaster brake is simple to use and low-fuss, we prefer hand brakes for their control and superior braking power. This bike comes with easily removable training wheels (though they’ve been the focus of some buyer complaints recently), and because its seatpost and handlebars are highly adjustable, it can continue to fit kids as they grow, just as our top pick can.
The Woom 3 16-inch pedal bike is a beautiful bike, beloved by kids and parents alike. Its aluminum frame has ideal geometry for kids, with a lower stand-over height than on any of our other picks and standard BMX-style raised handlebars. At 13 pounds, it’s by far the lightest of our picks and highly maneuverable. Our testers zipped around on it, easily gaining speed while also feeling confident with the dual hand brakes, which feature color-coded levers that help teach riders to brake with both hands but to favor the rear brake.
The Joystar Totem Kids Bike is the best of the sub-$200 bikes we tested. Its coaster brake keeps things simple and easy to maintain, and its sturdy steel frame should last through several kids. While its geometry was comfortable enough for our younger testers, it also allowed our experienced 7-year-old tester to accelerate quickly and charge up hills. But at 20.5 pounds—the heaviest of our picks—this model is likely to be more difficult for smaller children to maneuver.
For more information, please visit Electric Folding Bike Factory.