The right size, right first time

Do not buy a children's bike to grow into

Many parents want their child to be able to ride the same bike for a long time, so they buy a size too big. That is something we advise against.

On a children's bike it is crucial that the child can touch the ground with the toes of both feet. The bike is the right size when the child can put one foot on the lower pedal while the other foot can still reach the ground. As soon as a child cannot reach the ground, things get dangerous: falling comes more easily and braking, getting on and getting off all become harder.

But what if your son or daughter grows fast and the bike gets a little too small? Simply adjust the handlebars and saddle. Every children's bike at Stapel op Fietsen has an adjustable handlebar and saddle.

Mind the colour

Naturally you pick the bike your son or daughter likes best. Even so, it is worth thinking about the colour. Light, bright colours (white, pink, green, orange) stand out better than dark ones such as black and grey. Especially if your child often rides in the dark or at dusk, a light colour is safer.

And a helmet

Another safety point is wearing a cycling helmet. In the Netherlands helmets are not compulsory and you do not see many of them on the street. In other countries (Germany, for instance) they are completely normal. Either way, wearing a helmet is safer — and happily, the ones at Stapel op Fietsen look good too.

Volare runs smaller than Bike Fun Kids

Volare children's bikes have a different geometry from Bike Fun Kids bikes. A child fits a 20 inch Volare from clothing size 122, a 24 inch from size 134 and a 26 inch from size 140. So these bikes run a little smaller.

Frame size for adult bikes

Frame height means the length of the seat tube, measured from the centre of the bottom bracket to the point where the centre line of the seat tube meets the centre line of the top tube. The table below gives you an indication of your frame size.