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What size bike for a 4 year old- avg. height?

lauren&mattlauren&matt member
in Pre-School and Daycare

I know I read (maybe on here) or was told that the smaller the bike, the easier to ride. We're planning on giving dd a bike (from Santa) for Christmas this year and we're hoping to skip training wheels. She's pretty athletic + she does very well on her balance bike. So I'm wrestling between going small to getting something she can grow in to. We do have a second daughter so it's nice to know that first bike will be passed down :)

Any recs? She specifically picked one out that had a "baby carriage", the 12" Huffy from Amazon, but I worry it will be too small.  

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Re: What size bike for a 4 year old- avg. height?

  • LoveEeyoreLoveEeyore member

    I would be inclined to go 14".  If she has a growth spurt between now and spring, it will not get much use.  My DD is 5 at end of the month and I took her in to get measured.  I thought surely she'd be 14 but the 14" was almost too small.  She is average height. 

    We are skipping training wheels as well and I really hope to not be buying another bike until the twins are ready.  DS still won't pedal on a trike, so I am expecting that to be awhile!!

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  • AmandaP678AmandaP678 member
    We did 12 but Tim is smaller for his age and 3 lol
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  • AmandaP678AmandaP678 member
    You could always take her to get sized, and just make sure the seat is adjustable
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  • kshoeskshoes member
    My DD is small and at 4 and a half the 12" was too small.  I would go for at least a 14"
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  • Jen&LenJen&Len
    I would go with the next size up. DS is short for his age (20%ile) and he has a 12" balance bike and we have to raise the seat up a good amount.
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  • Angela814Angela814 member

    DD1 is off the charts for height and got a 16" bike for her 3rd birthday. She was around 41-42" at that time.

    We upgraded her to an 18" bike this summer at 6 years and 49". She still rides with training wheels and doesn't like to go too fast. She could almost have ridden the 20", but I don't think she'll be able to learn without training wheels on the bigger bike.

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  • jnksmomjnksmom member
    We bought DD a bike for her 4th birthday. I bought a 16" so she could grow into it. She is 40" and I really think the 14" would have been better. She is struggling a little to ride the bigger bike. She is using training wheels as well.
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  • ss+elss+el member

    I got DS a 12" bike in the spring after having him attempt to ride some at the store. Three months later, he was having no trouble riding his cousin's 16" bike (w/training wheels of course). I believe he is currently 41" tall. 

    I'll probably be switching him to a 16" in the spring.

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  • regenabregenab member

    12" would be too small if she is average height. My girls are currently riding 12" bikes that were given to them as hand me downs, they can still ride them, but they are getting too small. My girls are average height as well. Last week I was at my BFF's house and her daughter's 16" bike was sitting in the garage. I had my bigger twin sit on it to see how she fit the bike and she is just able to use the bike. So for Christmas I am getting the girls new 16" bikes. But they will have training wheels and I expect them to grow into them. If you think you want your daughter to go to straight riding then I would go for a 14" bike. I don't have any other kids besides my twins so the bikes will not be used by other kids so that is why I want to buy this size for them to ride now and learn to ride without training wheels and then in a couple of years upgrade to a nice 20" mountain bike for them to ride on our biking trails.

    If you have a second child I don't see how you can go wrong with getting a 14", but a 12" would just be too small for her. You will end up getting her another bike within a year.

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  • AgrippaRidesAgainAgrippaRidesAgain member
    DS was 39" at 4 and has done quite well with the move from a balance bike to a 16" bike. We have already had to raise his seat twice. There is no way that anything smaller would have lasted long at all.
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