Please help me buy a bikes!

[Notso]

I am going round in circles. DS2 is 3.10, 114cm and has an inside leg of 43ish cm.

DS3 is 2.6, 93cm and has inside leg of 30ish.

What am I looking for? Bikes for their ages seem tiny. Bike for DS2's height seems massive.

TIA

We always buy ridgeback bikes - good bikes, get a good resale price but not as expensive as Isla bikes.

Have been looking at ridgeback bikes, but what size do I need?

Take dc to a proper bike shop (not halfords!) and try them out before you buy, ridgebacks are brilliant bikes but too expensive to get it wrong. I've thought a couple of times I knew the right size to buy only to find out in the shop one or two sizes bigger were actually better for tall ds.

Play it low key and pretend to dc you were just passsing the shop and are just looking and you can go back later and order if you want.

Another vote for Ridgeback and a proper bike shop.

The islabikes website has a table on with inside leg, height measurements etc. The age guidelines are just guidelines on the website (I checked with them that this was the case) as I have very very tall children and had to buy my 7yo the bike with age guideline 11+ . But it is light and he can ride it really well.

Thanks for your replies. No proper bike shop I can get to easily, that's why I have been looking online.
Are Halfords really so bad for measuring? Otherwise there's Toys R Us or is a second hand shop that sells bikes.

I saw that on the Islabikes website but I'm not buying an Islabike so I don't know if it's relevant.
The ridge backs I have seen have been second hand. I don't want to spend a massive amount for his first bike.

Islabikes size differently to others so don't go by that.

You really do need to go by your children's sizes. The sizes of small children's bikes are the wheel sizes (I think) and the frame sizes are not identical for a given wheel size, so your DS might suit some 14" bikes, for example, but not others. I would at least get them to toysrus to try out a few different models of the different sizes as a sort of starting point. Then when you have a rough idea, google the range of inside leg measurements (or floor to seat measurement) for the models you are considering.

We buy ridgebacks or specialised 2nd hand on ebay, but we do a fair bit of cycling and cheaper bikes will do (IMO, and controversial!). I don't know if those brands go down that small.

We have bought four children's Ridgeback bikes from here

www.ukbikesdepot.com

Alway had great service - you could always speak to them for advice on sizing.

Their size chart is here, children at the bottom

www.ukbikesdepot.com/info/bikechart.php

We have sold three of them for at least £50 on eBay when outgrown.

Islabikes do have different sizing. We went to their shop once and had my daughter measured for a bike, I remember it was quite different ... then we stuck with Ridgeback.

Based on their heights I'd say you are looking at roughly an 18 inch wheel bike for DS2 and a 12 or 14 for DS3. However, it really depends on whether they are pedalling and cycling properly yet. If they aren't I'd go a size smaller (16 and definitely 12) for them to gain confidence though I don't think DS2 would get a lot of use.

Both my boys were very tall (in the top blue band of the red book charts) but your DS2 is taller (unless you've measured him wrong or given his age incorrectly, he seems to be off the scale) and both were riding a 20 inch with a low step over frame at 5ish. Bikes also vary on how low the seat will go down but you can usually get someone to shave a bit of the bottom of the seat post if it's an issue.

Thanks again everyone. DS2 is indeed off the scale, DH was 6 foot at 12 and DS2 seems to be following in his massive footsteps.

DS2 can pedal his trike well and has ridden DN's bike with stabilisers with no problems, that is 10 inch though and like a clown bike for DS!
The bike I have been looking at for him is 14 inch, the seat goes from 45-55 cm's. It will hopefully be quite cheap. I am thinking if he just learns to ride on it, it can be passed on to DS3 and get him a bigger one in the Summer.

Am getting DS3 a balance bike.