What Size Bike For 7 Year Old Boy Or Girl (Detailed Guide)


Bike sizing for a 7-year-old or for a kid of any age for that matter can be a whole lot confusing. A wide range of bike sizes for every age group and the fact that the kids are growing fast can add to this perplexity.

At the same time, getting the right size bicycle for your kid is an important aspect too when it comes to making sure that your child enjoys the whole biking experience.

This would lead to the kid continuing to venture outdoors with the bike rather than staying indoors and resorting to unhealthy habits like watching TV, gaming, etc.

giant - XTC jr 20 inch wheeel bike

What Size Bike Does A 7-Year-Old Boy And Girl Need?

A 20-inch bike is well suited for a 7-year-old kid who is between 43 and 55 inches tall.

However, the height of the child is a better gauge to size bikes for kids than age.

As kids of the same age can differ very much in terms of height, you should also take that into account to assess the right fit and size.

If your kid is shorter than an average 7-year-old, a 16 or 18-inch bike might be a good option to consider.

The inseam height of the child should be at least 5-6 inches taller than the top tube height of the bike. (Top tube is the tube that connects the fork to the saddle).

This inseam height is not the inseam height of the pants.

Have the child stand against a wall without shoes with a hardback book placed between the thighs.

Measure the distance from the crotch to the floor. This is inseam height.

This height should be a couple of inches taller than the top tube height when the kid is standing over the bike – also known as the stand-over height.

This is to ensure that the kid feels confident and comfortable with the bike.

Factors To Consider When Sizing Bikes For 7-Year-Olds:

When it comes to kids’ bikes, the two other factors to consider along with height for sizing are the weight of the bike as well as the fit.

These two aspects will ensure that the kid’s experience with biking will be a fun and enjoyable one.

Weight: This is a factor most commonly overlooked by parents.

Good quality bikes are more expensive than the big-box brands and so parents would consider price as the deciding factor when purchasing bikes which can lead to bikes that are very heavy for kids.

Kids’ bodies are not fully developed, unlike adults, for they to lug around weights that can be quite heavy in proportion to their body weight.

This can lead to a poor biking experience for the kid.

Fit and Geometry: The fit of the bike is also another aspect that can decide whether the child will continue to bike or not.

There are a couple of sub-aspects to Fit that you should be watchful for.

Top Tube Length: The distance between the saddle and the handlebars should be optimum such that the child should not be leaning too much onto the handlebars nor should be set way back on the saddle.

This would instill confidence in the child on handling the bike without having to exert too much.

There should be adequate space between the knees and the handlebars, especially during the top of the stroke, or else the child will have to exert too much to move the bike.

Q Factor: The Q factor is the distance between the two pedals.

A lower Q factor reduces the splay of the legs while pedaling; again, reducing the effort required to move the bike.

raleigh-4086-lily-girls-20-inch-bike-inchbike

Can A 7-Year-Old Ride A 20-Inch Bike?

A 20-inch bike is an ideal size for a 7-year-old child who is between 43 and 55 inches tall.

The height of the child is a better gauge than age for bike sizing.

The height determines whether the kid will be confident and comfortable with the bike.

If your child is shorter than an average 7 year old you can also try out an 18-inch or 16-inch bike that would be a better fit.

A 20-inch bike is also a recommended bike size for 6-year-olds.

Is A 20 Inch Bike Too Big For A 7-Year-Old?

No. A 20-inch is considered to be a good fit for a 7-year-old, also taking into account their growth spurts.

However, instead of age, try to match the fit of the bike to the child by using height as the factor.

If your kid is between 43 and 55 inches tall, then a 20-inch bike would be a good fit.

If the child is shorter than this height, then check out a 16 or 18-inch bike that is a recommended bike size for 5-year-olds.

Is A 24 Inch Bike Too Big For A 7-Year-Old?

Yes, a 24-inch bike can be a bit too big for a 7-year-old kid which is a recommended size for 8-year-olds and above.

A 20-inch bike would be a better fit.

However, if your kid is very tall than an average 7-year-old, then you can test out a 24-inch bike and see how the kid feels.

The comfort and confidence with the bike trump any other factor in determining what size bike fits a 7-year-old.

What Size Bike For 7 Year Old In The UK And Australia?

Kids’ bikes are sized universally based on the size of the wheels.

So a bike whose diameter of the wheels measures 20 inches would be termed a 20-inch bike.

This sizing would be the same irrespective of where you are from.

So, in this case, a 7-year-old from UK or Australia would fit a 20-inch bike just as any other 7-year-old from any other part of the world.


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