Our test kids generated slightly greater speed with the REV 12’s fat, inflatable tires, which are semi-knobby and offer good off-road traction. The bike’s 24-inch wheelbase, common to most of our picks, gives the bike a good mix of stability and agility. The tire valve stems also feature child-resistant valve caps—which you push down to turn like a child-safe lid on a bottle of pills—to keep your toddling tyke from mistaking them for raisins. The kids also liked the customizing sticker pack that came with the bike—letters, numbers, and illustrations of dinosaurs, birds, bunnies, and robots.
Is there anything I’m going to run into while taking this apart, cleaning it up and getting it ready? The chain is rusted, so I’ll probably buy a new one also, but are there any tips or tricks to restoring a bike? She doesn’t necessarily like the color so I’m planning on taking everything off, sanding it down and repainting. I’m handy with a wrench around my truck, but I just want to make sure there isn’t anything ridiculous I’ll have to do and/or replace to get it ready for her. The Dynamite series empowers them to take it off-road with friends on these colorful bikes. Most electric folding-bike options come with a 250-watt motor and enough torque for safe but fast acceleration.
If your beginner kid is old enough or large enough to graduate from a 12-inch balance bike to something bigger that will balance now and pedal later, the Strider 14x Sport should merit your serious consideration. Along with the also impressive but more expensive LittleBig 3-in-1, the Strider 14x Sport comprises half of a tiny market in 14-inch bikes that easily convert from a balance bike to a no-compromises first pedal bike. We were highly impressed with the 14x Sport’s under-$200 price, comfortable geometry, wide adjustability, the sheer genius of its add-on pedal/sprocket setup, and its excellent printed and online instructions and technical support. More than a good balance bike, it’s an ideal bike for learning the pedal basics. Geometry-wise, the Banana is very similar to our runner-up pick, the Co-op Cycles REV 12. The curved frame is well-engineered with a very low step-in height of 8.5 inches.
Firmstrong’s Bella Fashionista Single Speed Bike is our choice for a sturdy, well-designed, single-speed beach cruiser bike. We love the wide range of bright hues, especially because Firmstrong adds an extra pop of color to the rims. The extended frame is made from durable steel, to better suit taller riders. SixThreeZero’s EvryJourney Step-Through Bike is our other top pick because it’s designed to go just about anywhere. It features wider tires, which makes it great for riding on different types of terrain, including rougher trails.
Specialized’s Hotwalk is a solid bike, but for $175 it offered no hand brake, and the boys’ version had an unnecessarily high top tube. Still, the REV 12’s fit and finish are top-notch, it’s fun to ride, and the support and availability you’ll get from REI, both in their brick-and-mortar stores and huffy beach cruiser online, makes this bike a solid backup choice. As a qualified personal trainer and health and fitness writer, Ravi Davda understands how important quality product recommendations can be. He recommends products that are reliable, comfortable, and genuinely well-reviewed by those who’ve tried them.