10 best kids’ bikes for two-wheeled adventures, tried and tested

With a hybrid design that’s half mountain bike and half road bike, this lightweight model suits both pavements and parks. The tyres are slightly bigger than your average road bike, giving a comfortable ride on trails as well as on the school run. Brake levers are easy for small hands to pull, as are the gears, which offer eight different speeds. Should your child fall off or need to pause and turn around, the fact this bike weighs just 9.3kg means kids can lift it themselves, helping them to be more independent.

We felt reassured to learn that all Btwin bikes have been through extensive safety testing, which involves attaching them to machines that can recreate conditions of stress over long periods of time. For example, to test the quality of a bike’s forks, they put it through the same compression movement 150,000 times. All Btwin bikes pass En-71 safety standards, designed or intended for children of less than 14 years to use.

Looking at the price of this bike, you might be wondering what the catch is. Having tested it thoroughly, we still don’t know why it’s priced so much lower than other kids' bikes when the quality is so high.

Although it does take a while to assemble once it arrives, it looks stunning once it’s put together, with an attention-grabbing black and yellow design. There is also the option of paying an extra £25 for it to be assembled by the experts at your local Evans cycles store.

The mountain bike style means it’s great on hills, and our mini testers found it easy to adjust the gears (to give them a hand when going uphill) and squeeze the brakes to control the speed. A 24in wheel is advised for children between 130cm and 150cm tall, which is a decent size range, and we think this means the bike will last a child for a few years, making it even better value for money.

This bike is beautiful to look at, with a retro design encompassing gorgeous gloss paint, vegan leather detail on the saddle and handlebars, and stain-brushed cranks with a colour-matched chain guard. Our testers got a lot of compliments when their classmates spotted them securing this in the school bike shed. It’s just as practical as it is pretty, too, with a standout feature being the powerful pro-max alloy V-brakes that are ultra-responsive, enabling a child to stop safely and speedily, if danger is crossing their path. The pedals are another safety feature, as they’re BMX pedals, which offer more grip than mountain bike versions, helping little ones stay in control when zooming around. Our testers said it was a super comfortable ride, with the vegan leather seat offering more padding than your average synthetic options. With seven different speeds, this bike will help kids tackle everything from city streets to weekend rides in the great outdoors.

Light and durable aren’t two words that often go together but they sum up the Saracen mantra well. The lightweight alloy frame is a little over 6kg, making it easy for kids to handle this bike, but it’s been rigorously tested to ensure it is ready to take punishment from little daredevils.

Featuring 16in wheels, this bike is just the right size for kids who are building confidence and skills. The wheels are sturdy and nimble, making it easy to zoom around the park or cruise the neighbourhood. As there are no gears, children who are getting used to their first bike can focus on balancing and pedalling without worrying about shifting. We were also impressed by the light action brake system, which makes the brake levers more sensitive and responsive, so only a gentle squeeze is needed to stop the bike. This is super helpful for smaller or less experienced hands, as it reduces hand fatigue and provides more control.

If you look at any online marketplace, such as Gumtree, eBay or Vinted, you’ll see Frog bikes listed for only a little less than what they cost to buy new. This is partly because they’re pretty much indestructible. One of our testers used to have a Frog balance bike, which was passed on to siblings when he grew out of it, and it still looked great after eight years of almost daily usage. Frog offers an impressive 10-year warranty on frames and forks, as the brand is that confident in the build of its bikes.

This 14in model is a lovely smooth-to-ride, easy-to-control first bicycle for when a child has grown out of a balance bike. Ergonomically designed around a child’s body, with shorter cranks, narrow handlebars, and a low centre of gravity, the bike is comfortable and easy to ride. Designed for children aged three to four, safety is paramount, with hydraulic brakes from Tektro, which has a great reputation among cyclists in the know. The custom-made short-reach brake levers are easier for small hands to grip and use, improving safety and control, too.

This three-in-one balance bike is designed to grow with a child and transform into a pedal bike when your child has enough confidence to take their feet off the ground. Once they have learned to balance, the footrests can be removed and the pedals and chain mechanism can be added. Then, when they have mastered pedalling and start to outgrow the second stage, the bike can extend further – thanks to the adjustable frame, handlebars and saddle. It’s a bicycle that could be used from the age of two or three right up to the age of seven, so, you could get double the use out of this than you would other bikes.

The bike’s lightweight and sturdy magnesium frame makes it easy for young riders to control, steer, and balance, especially when they are just learning. We find our mini testers feel more confident on a lighter bike, as it’s less intimidating and easier to manoeuvre. Our young testers also appreciated the adjustable frame, as we were able to move the seat height to ensure the bike fits perfectly.

Specialized has bikes for all types of riders, from commuter ebikes to aerodynamic road bikes, comfortable endurance bikes and rugged mountain bikes, and the brand offers some great options for children, too.

This one is part of Specialized’s Jett series, which focuses on creating lightweight, adaptable bikes that offer a smooth and fast ride experience for children, whether they need a 16in wheel or they’re tall enough for a 24in version. This is one of the lightest bikes we tested, too, thanks to an all-new A1 aluminium frame, alloy fork, Pathfinder tyres, and eight-speed drivetrain, which means kids can go fast with less pedal power needed.

The bike's geometry is designed specifically for children’s proportions, including a lower standover height, for easier mounting and dismounting; short-reach, tool-less adjustable brake levers; and a 130mm bridge saddle, to help children’s posture while cycling. Saddles are typically designed to be at least 10mm wider than the width of the rider's sit bones, so they rest on a compliant part of the saddle.

For little adrenalin junkies who want to test their bikes to the limit, the Apollo zest is a durable first mountain bike. It has a sturdy steel frame, which makes it heavier than other bikes we’ve tested, but this is essential for durability on tough terrain. The strength of the frame enables it to withstand the rough and tumble of off-road riding, and the bike has excellent front suspension, for improved comfort over bumpy trails. Six-speed gears make it easier to tackle hills, and our mini testers told us changing gear was incredibly fast, thanks to revoshift shifters that enable riders to shift gears by twisting their thumb and index finger while keeping a firm grip on the handlebars. Plus, this bike looks great, with its fuchsia saddle that got a lot of compliments when this bike was ridden to school.

This is a solid BMX bike for kids aged around six to eight years old. It’s simple to assemble and features gyro brakes, for easy handlebar spins; loose-ball bottom brackets; and comfy grips. Made with a light steel frame, it’s easy to control, yet feels strong enough to take a few tumbles (because mastering tricks takes time, in our experience).

The front and rear alloy brakes make stopping a sharp and fast process, giving kids confidence whether they’re zipping through the park or on their way to school. Finally, you just have to look at it to see it has a cool (or “sick”, as the kids would say) design. The sleek frame, paired with knobby tyres that grip the dirt like a pro, will make your child feel like an action hero, whatever their current level of ability.

Weighing just 5.4kg, this was one of the lightest bikes we tested. It’s designed to help build confidence in children from the age of four. Our youngest tester really liked the handlebars, which have a 19mm diameter grip, to make them comfortable for very small hands. The BMX-style handlebars not only make the bike look cool, they also add some growing room. Ideally, a child should hold the handlebars in line with their armpit creases, so, if the handlebars are longer, they can move their arms out as they get bigger. Brakes have also been specially designed for the smallest of cyclists, with reach adjustability and high-quality Jagwire Bowden cables with low friction, for a smooth, safe stop.

While it’s on the expensive side, compared with other bikes we tested, it is a bike your kids will be able to use every day for school as well as around the parks at the weekend. The lightweight tyres offer excellent shock absorption, and our testers said it kept them comfortable on bumpy cycle paths. Further brownie points come from car-type valves on the tyres, which allow for pumping up at petrol stations.