Think Your Kiddo Is Ready to Learn How to Ride a Bike? These 21 Products Will Help

We got my son on a Strider bike at about age 2 and a half, and he never looked back. This is a great way for kids to learn what it feels like to balance on a two-wheeler. The bikes are made without pedals, so kids learn to push off with their feet and then coast. Some kids can skip the training-wheels stage of bike riding by going straight from a balance bike to a regular two-wheeler. While we’re not there yet, the way my son cruises around on this balance bike gives me hope for his future on a pedal bike.

“Balance bikes support how kids naturally learn by helping them build balance and body awareness, which is the hardest part,” says Mell. “Kids learn how to shift their weight, control their body, and react to movement. Once that’s in place, adding pedals is often much easier.”

Are you a nature-loving family? If your kid is ready to move from the pavement to bike trails, this is the bike you need. With 20-inch wheels, it’s meant for the kid with experience riding. It can handle tires up to a width of 2.2 inches, which you’ll need for rockier terrain. 

“Of the three bikes I tried with my son, this was the one that felt like the best fitness bike for kids: It’s durable yet lightweight (it weighs 17 pounds), has eight speeds, and has thicker tires that hold up well on multiple terrains,” says editorial director Simone Scully. “I would feel confident having my son ride this on a longer bike ride in nature or on a nature trail than I would with some of the others.”

This is the next bike we’ll get our kiddo on (he’s now almost 4 and a half, but not quite ready to pedal a two-wheeler, though not for lack of trying). He loves how flashy this looks — we got it in red, his favorite color — it’s the stuff childhood biking dreams are made of. It has a kickstand, which is one of his favorite parts, and hand brakes as well as backpedal brakes (also known as coaster brakes). A lot of the big names in biking recommend that kids learn how to use hand brakes early, so that they don’t have to unlearn using coaster brakes.

“In choosing a bicycle, parents should choose one which fits appropriately — not necessarily one they will grow into,” says Dr. Glazier. “They need to be able to put their feet flat on the ground for safety and a feeling of control.” This bike is meant for kids ages 3 and up, so it’s great for the little ones who are ready to graduate to a pedal bike early. The bike sports 14-inch wheels, which are small enough that you’ll feel okay watching your preschooler ride with confidence.

This is a great bike for if you plan to introduce training wheels, as well as for the kid who is already beyond them. It’s a 16-inch bike meant for kids ages 3 to 7, so it’s perfect for a beginner or as a next step for a little one who’s mastered a 14-inch or balance bike. It’s made of lightweight aluminum and fitted with hand brakes so they can learn all the bike skills at once.

“The kids’ bike is nicely sized and comes in fun colors too,” says Scully, who tried this bike out with her son. “They’re very pretty bikes, and I like that you can easily get the whole family matching bikes.”

I was thrilled to find a helmet that fit my 2-year-old, and we managed to find a matching one for his older brother as well. The woom READY Kids’ Helmet comes in extra-small, small, and medium, so even the littlest riders can get on the road safely. My favorite part is the pinch-free buckle, which fastens tightly with magnets, so the days of getting their little chins caught in the helmet buckle are over. 

Choose from colors like mint, lilac, charcoal metallic, woom red, and pale gray (we went with woom red to match my kids’ bikes). It’s easily adjustable with a knob in the back, and the removable padding inside the helmet provides comfort and size adjustability as well. 

These helmets provide superior protection, plus they look super sleek. The adjustable fit ensures that the helmet will last your child for years to come, and 18 vents make it breathable for even the sweatiest rides.

The older your child gets, the more staunch their opinions become about what they will or won’t wear. So it’s important to get them a helmet they love. The Schwinn Dash Kids’ Helmet comes in a bright pink that your kiddo won’t be able to resist (I’ve also seen it in blue for ages 8 to 14). A dial in the back helps to create a comfortable fit as your child grows, and a range of padding keeps the head cushioned, while 20 vents keep things cool during rides. This helmet is made for ages 5 to 8, and it meets CPSC safety standards for bicycle use.

If it’s your child’s first time hopping on a two-wheeler, they might be understandably nervous. The ground seems far when you’ve never sat on a bike before. Padding them up with knee and elbow protection might be just the thing to make them feel safe enough to get their feet off the ground and onto the pedals. 

The ventilated fabric helps keep riders cool, while the EVA foam padding and polycarbonate shells absorb shock and lessen the risk of scrapes and scratches. This set comes with wrist guards as well, so they work well for roller-skating, skateboarding, and other sports too.

A parent of a brand new cyclist should always be prepared for a scraped elbow or knee — and that doesn't just apply to the rider. When I was first learning to ride a bike, I left my mom in the dust as I rode off, and she tripped and fell behind me after letting go of my bike seat, scraping her chin on the pavement. Luckily, my cousin’s husband was in the neighborhood with a handy first aid kit to help her clean up (I was only about 6, so there wasn’t much I could do).

This compact kit made it onto our list of best first aid kits because of its portability, useful mix of supplies, and waterproof packaging. This kit is great for cyclists, hikers, and campers, so you’ll get use out of it on many different adventures.

Sure, it has “baby” in the name, but this is one of our favorite sunscreens for both kids and babies alike. With 50 SPF, it offers superior protection, and it’s a mineral sunscreen, so you’ll feel good that your child’s skin isn’t absorbing potentially harmful chemicals. It’s hypoallergenic and water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, so it’ll protect your little one’s skin even if they’re sweating through an uphill ride.

The one note I have after testing this is that it does have a bit of a citrusy scent, so if your child is extra sensitive, it may not be for them. However, I found the scent quite pleasant, and the sunscreen easy to rub in, so I keep it on hand for my boys, especially as the weather warms up.

Is your child ready to ride through the neighborhood on their own? The thought of it might make you weak in the knees, but with a smart watch like this, you’ll know where they are at all times. Your kiddo can call and text you (as well as other preapproved numbers), and press the SOS button in the event of an emergency (we hope it’s nothing more than a flat tire).

“I primarily wanted to give my 9-year-old a smartwatch so I can track her,” says writer Ysolt Usigan. “She goes to soccer practice and sometimes walks home with friends, so I need a way to know she made it to her destination, and stays in her destination after school or during nonschool activities. This watch does that. It has GPS tracking, safety zones (so I can ‘geofence’), and it records my kid’s location history.” Usigan likes that this smartwatch has a school mode to limit interruptions during class, and that it comes with two different colored face plates, so that your child can personalize their device.

Another option for tracking your independent one on their rides is the Cosmo JrTrack 5. Writer Jessica Migala says that her 7-year-old took to it right away and didn’t even need to be taught how to use it. Parents can preprogram numbers that they’re okay with their child calling and texting, and the watch can even call 911 in case of an emergency. “[I] also like how it comes with this rubberized band and an alternate cloth band,” says Migala. However, she notes that the tracking feature can be slow, compared with other smartwatches.

This watch has a distraction-free focus mode, flexible parental controls, and optional apps and music that can be added to the device.

Stuffies, snacks, rocks, acorns, what-have-you — kids are bound to have a lot to carry, wherever you’re headed. A basket like the PoCampo Whoosh Bike Basket ensures that your child’s hands are free while they ride. It’s made of reflective, waterproof fabric, straps right to the handlebars, and is available in three adorable patterns: Aquatic, Blast Blue, and Blue Gecko. What makes it a bit better than your typical bike basket is that it zips closed, keeping toys, snacks, and more safer than ever.

While many medical experts and those in the biking world may encourage using a balance bike, some kids learn better with training wheels. “I think this is based on your child,” says Adam Hurst, MD, a pediatrician and assistant professor at New York Institute of Technology’s medical school in Jonesboro, Arkansas. “In my house, despite the opportunity, none of my children were interested in a balance bike; however, they loved a bike with training wheels. I think just using whichever gets your child the most excited to learn this skill [is best].”

Training wheels help keep the bike upright, and as your child gains more confidence, you can adjust the training wheels higher on the bracket to require more balance, gently easing your child into two-wheeler life. These come in fun, bright colors (pink, green, black, blue, and red), and they light up when they hit the ground.

You never know when hunger will strike, so it’s smart to always pack a snack. Made Good Organic Granola Bites are one of my boys’ favorite snacks. They like the Chocolate Chip flavor the best, but the Strawberry flavor is also great, along with Chocolate Banana. These are individually packaged, which makes them super convenient and easy to store in a bike basket or a backpack. I also love that they’re gluten-free, vegan, and USDA Organic. They make for a sweet yet healthy-ish treat that will keep your young ones fueled on the road.

Another tote-worthy snack your kids will love is Once Again Graham Sandwiches. These organic, gluten-free snacks are individually packaged and easy to pack. There’s a Chocolate Peanut Butter option for those with a sweet tooth, or, if you have a peanut allergy in the family, opt for the nut-free Sunflower Butter ones instead.

“When it comes to gluten-free snacks, it can be tough finding a snack that doesn’t taste like it’s gluten-free, but this product goes a long way,” says Scully. “It is a little on the dry side, but overall, these snacks are sweet (without being overly so), tasty, and kid-friendly.”