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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Bike for christmas

21 replies

Higgledyhouse · 19/12/2011 09:56

Am I being unreasonable to buy my tallish 5 year old a 20" wheeled bike for Christmas? What wheel size bikes are you buying for your 5 yr olds? They reckon the 16" are for 5-7yr olds but the look so small to me!

OP posts:

StNicksNackered · 19/12/2011 10:01

I agree they look small and have bought DS age 5 a 20" bike.

Although yabu for posting this here!

Original poster

Higgledyhouse · 19/12/2011 10:03

I know but it gets loads of traffic!!! Sorry, but please keep replying!!

OP posts:

goingtoofast · 19/12/2011 10:06

My DD's both started using at 20in at 7. The 10 year old still uses her and doesn't want a bigger one yet! My girls are both average height.

Hulababy · 19/12/2011 10:07

If you take him with you to a bike shop - or even somewhere like Decathlon - they can measure him and advice properly based on his height rather than age. If it is to be a suprise - measure him beforehand so you know his height.

Sleepwhenidie · 19/12/2011 10:15

Sounds too big to me, even for a tall 5yr old, my tallish 7.5yo nephew just about managed his 20" bike when he got it for his 7th birthday, but you need to measure your ds to have a proper answer.

Piffpaffpoff · 19/12/2011 10:18

DS got a 20 inch last Christmas when he was 4.5 but he is very tall. He struggled with it for a month or two but it was the right thing to do, it 'fits' him perfectly now and he would look ridiculous on anything smaller. But I'd second the advice about going to the bike shop, because the frame has a bearing on the 'fit' so one 20inch wheeled bike might suit him better than another.

TroublesomeEx · 19/12/2011 11:13

It really depends doesn't it.

DD is 5.5 and we've bought her a 14" one for this Christmas.

But she's tiny.

20" sounds really big to me!!!

habbibu · 19/12/2011 11:18

DD is 5 and very tall (about 120 cm). She's been riding this Islabike 20 large since Oct, with no problem - she is a confident cyclist, though. The Islabikes website has a useful size chart.

Fuzzywuzzywozabear · 19/12/2011 11:20

DS3 is getting a 20" for xmas - he is 9 in Jan but not very tall for his age - I took him to the bike shop so that they could help me get the right one

whimsy · 19/12/2011 11:23

We've got ds2 aged 6 an 18" for Christmas. He has just learnt to ride without stabilisers and he isn't particularly tall. Hope it's the right sort of size now

Wallace · 19/12/2011 11:26

Islabikes are different though - smaller frame sizes.

Tried ds2 on a 20ich one just before his birthday and it was to big.

Do go to a bike shop.

CardyMow · 19/12/2011 11:54

My very tall (4ft 9) 9yo has a 20" bike - and his feet only just touch the floor. My tall-ish 8yo has an 18". He is 4ft5. It fits him well, and I can still change the height of the handlebars and seat a bit. Does that help, size wise?

Normally 16" is for age 5-7, 18" for 7-9, 20" for 9+ unless it is a BMX, in which case 20" is normal for all ages, teens included.

CardyMow · 19/12/2011 11:58

I should add - 9yo's 20" is a BMX, and the frames are bigger IYSWIM.

8yo DS2's bike is a normal 18", and he is 4ft5. Any clearer? He does have short legs for his height though, so maybe a more 'even' 8yo would need a 20"?

4ft5 is 1.3m. But his legs are short.

whatstheetiquette · 19/12/2011 12:03

20" is a very big bike for a 5yo.

My 5yo is 130cm tall and he is getting a 20" for Christmas.

goinggetstough · 19/12/2011 12:10

I think inside leg measurement is more important than height when you are buying bikes. So check your DC's inside leg measurement first!

habbibu · 19/12/2011 12:21

Suppose so, but they can't be that different, to hold the larger wheels, surely? dd's is the large frame, and seems much the same size as her friend's Specialized hotrock, also 20 inch, and also 5yo (but tall).

habbibu · 19/12/2011 12:22

Sorry - that was to Wallace, but yes, height and inside leg both key.

Piffpaffpoff · 19/12/2011 16:59

habbibu DS is on the Islabike too, having been on the Cnoc 14 and pedalling since he was 3. I did wonder if confidence and experience made him more able to cope with the Beinn 20 at an early age. And I don't mean that to sound boastful (although he is my pfb ha ha!) just an observation that experience and ability maybe have a lot to do with it too?

flossyfloo · 19/12/2011 17:43

Definitely agree that experience and ability have a lot to do with it as well as inside leg measurement. My 5 yo (will be 6 on boxing day) is having a bike for her birthday. She is on a 16" Raleigh at the moment and when we were looking for the right bike for her, we looked everywhere and did a lot of research. We were going to go with an 18" but everywhere advised us to just go straight for a 20". We tried her on lots and some she could ride but most she was just too small (and she has really long legs). Eventually, we ended up at the Islabike shop where she tried out the Beinn 20 large. She could just about touch the floor but managed to ride it really well. They advised us at the shop that we were best to get her this one as she was a good enough rider to cope with it and that she was most probably only about 6 months of fitting it properly anyway (this was 3 months before her birthday).

So in a very long winded answer to the OP's question, I think a 20" may be too big for a 5 year old but it definitely goes on more than age so would recommend going to a specialist bike shop (and not somewhere like Toys R Us!) to try some bikes out.

Wallace · 19/12/2011 20:02

The small 20 is smaller, but never seen a large.

Just remembered ds2 has been able to ride a 16inch (no stabilisers) since he was 2. Didn't fir him then though!

UniS · 19/12/2011 20:05

depends on the frame size. DS had a 20 inch bike for his 5th birthday ( islabike beinn 20 small) . Its been the perfect machine for him, a 16 inch was WAY tooo small and slow, but he is racing and rides to school ( on road with me) every day.

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