Help! What size bike for a seven year old?

[MummyDoIt]

DS1 who turns 7 this month has finally mastered riding a bike without stabilisers so I want to get him a new, bigger bike for Christmas. He's got the smallest size at the moment but I'm not sure whether to go for 16" or 20" wheels next. 16" would only give him a couple of years use but would the jump from titchy to 20" be too great? If you've got a child the same age, what size do yours have?

It depends on the size of the 7 year old!

About average for a seven year old.

It depends on the brand and the frame measurements too, if you go for a cheaper brand ie Toys r Us or Halfords I'd say go smaller, if you go for a 'better' brand ie Gary Fisher then I'd go for 20" because things like pedals can be adjusted, and the frame size is better..

Guide to bike sizes here

go to your local cycle shop for good advice

We bought our twin boys the 20" Specialized when they were 6.5. They are somewhat taller than average but the bikes were a good fit straight away and they should last them another year or two (they are now 7). I think you will find a 16" won't last long.

7y DD's bike is 20 inch. That was the recommended size for us to buy her, based on her height last year.

Thank you all! That guide is really useful and LeninGrad has a good point about stability. He's a bit wobbly still as he's only just mastered two wheels so I think we might be better off with the smaller size. He has a younger brother who could inherit it so I guess it doesn't matter if he only uses it for a couple of years then needs a bigger one again. I'll do leg measuring to be sure but I think 16" could be the way to go. Thank you ladies!

16" wheels are a bit small for my dd who is just 6 and only a bit tall for her age. My tall 7 year old girl has been riding on 20" wheels since before her birthday.

Mummydoit - I spent ages with a bike shop owner yesterday trying out bikes with my very dyspraxic very tall 7 yearold dd (her inside leg is 22" if that helps). She is getting a 24" wheel. It was explained - and demonstrated - to me very clearly something I had not appreciated, which is that the bigger wheel gives them more stability and makes riding the bike much easier for them. This is despite the fact that dd has never ridden a bike before, even with stabilisers as until now she didn't have the balance to stay astride it. The bigger wheel and more upright riding position on the 20" wheel will be much easier for your ds to manage isf he is a bit wobbly, and to be honest, he may well out grow that size in a couple of years anyway. I would think the 16" would be a waste of money. Take his inside leg measurement and then go to a specialist bike shop if you can find one near you.

ds2 has a bike with 18 inch wheels. might this size be any good?

I'd agree with salvolatile. My dd2 is comparatively small for her age (116cm) but has been riding a 20" for 6 months now. We had the luxury of having a 16" and 20" at home at the same time, passed down from dd1, so it was easy to choose the perfect moment for the changeover. She was clearly more stable on the 20" from the moment she could put her toes on the ground. The 16" had been frustrating her for a while because the wheels and pedals were just too small for her to actually get anywhere.

I have to say my dd who is 7 is ready for the next size up really so I guess a 24"?

Okay, I think a visit to our local bike shop is in order! He clearly needs to try out the different sizes. Thanks for the input - I'd hate to get the wrong size as they're not cheap!