Kids Bikes: How to Choose the Perfect One for Your Child

Choosing a Bike

February 12, 2019

Kids Bikes and Why We Did Not Sell Them Before

Kids bikes were not in the catalog at sixthreezero for the longest time. While we did offer kids' bikes back in 2008, we decided to pull back from this market. And there are a couple of logical reasons why we did it. However, now in 2019, we are relaunching our line of kids' bikes.

The original reason we used to offer kids' bikes, is because we want riders to start young. Aside from trying to sell bikes, we want to encourage people to keep the idea of biking alive. Today, bike riding is something that doesn't hold as much esteem in our society as it once did. Although it's coming back now by way of commuting, electric bikes and things of that nature.

We want to re-inspire young riders to pursue biking. Looking back, the first bike you ever get is an incredible gift. I would say most people can remember the first time they rode a bike. Or the first bike they ever got for Christmas or a birthday for that matter.

Kids Bikes Lead to Lifetime Riders

For me, I want to be a part of that story. And I'd love for our brand to be a part of more people's journeys. The goal is to carry them with us as a brand as they move from their kids' bike up to their adult bike. Our main goal is for riders to stay with us throughout their whole life. This is a trait that made Schwinn very special as a brand. People had been riding Schwinn's back in the '50s, since the day they were five. As a result, now they still want to ride a Schwinn.

It's my personal goal to build a company with that same legacy. And it all starts with kids' bikes. We moved away from them in the past because we needed to find our focus. And unfortunately, in the kid sector of bikes, most people don't want to spend a lot of money. And that's a very fair thing to do because your children will outgrow their bikes at some point.

It's Like a Pair of Shoes

A kids' bike can only last for so many years. Similar to a pair of shoes that you buy your 3-year-old, in six weeks they'll be wearing a different size. Nobody wants to spend a ton of money on something that your child will outgrow. For sixthreezero, we're not in the business of being the lowest-priced bike. And unfortunately, this made it very difficult for us to get riders onto our kids' bikes. Simply because our prices weren't as low as many of the competitors. In fact, most people turn to Walmart, Target, and Amazon to buy very inexpensive kids' bikes. This is true at least until your son or daughter reaches ages 11-13. This is the point where they can ride an adult bike for the next five or six or seven years.

Introducing A Kids Bike with Zero Assembly

At sixthreezero, we felt that the price points wouldn't have allowed us to be competitive. As a result, we couldn't have made the product we wanted to make. So, we stepped away from it and we're now coming back to it in 2019 because we found an opportunity. A chance where we were able to create a product that will give the most value back to the consumer.

Essentially, we have created a bike that requires no tools for assembly. We thought this was a unique experience. And something that a lot of parents would appreciate. We know many mothers and fathers stay up on Christmas Eve or the night before a birthday. In a desperate struggle trying to assemble their young child's bike.

Quick Assembly Really Helps

We all know the pains of using tools and trying to build that toy at midnight, so Santa can leave it under the tree. And so, our new bike will feature "quick assembly". In other words, it will not require any tools at all. You can simply snap in every component and your bike will be fully assembled. And so, while it still won't be the least expensive bike on the market. It will provide a unique value proposition to a lot of moms and dads out there.

Our kids' bikes differ from the other bikes we offer because they are simpler. Hence why we have a smaller selection. But also, the major differences is we're coming out with the no-tool assembly feature. We're making the approach to assembling a kids' bike as simple as possible. The click-and-pop approach will allow you to click everything in, and start riding as soon as possible.

Kids Bikes vs. Adult Bikes

Our adult bikes need more assembly with tools and fine-tuning. We found that on the kids' bikes it's not as necessary, especially for the younger riders. They're not trying to ride at speeds of a hundred miles an hour. They're trying to ride around the block with mom and dad or their friends. So, we've tried to eliminate the maintenance so that the bike can last longer. The best part is that it will be easy for mom and dad to keep it in the garage. And they don't have to worry about it.

While our adult bike is still simple, it's comparatively more in-depth. The biggest difference is we're adding more adjustment points. Therefore, there's a lot more maintenance required on adult bikes. This will allow for the degree of performance that adults generally want. Our brand can help people searching for kids' bikes because kids' bikes aren't our strong suit. We only offer kids' bikes to help encourage young riders to ride. Our perspective on how to fit kids' bikes is not a perspective of trying to sell kids' bikes. This is because we don't survive based on the number of children's bikes we sell. Unlike some companies.

How to Find the Perfect Bike for Your Child

When pairing the perfect bike for a child. I would take a step back and seek to understand. What are you looking for for your children? And the reality is, do you need to spend $400 on a kids' bike? No. Do you need to spend $200? Maybe not. It depends on three factors:

How long will your son or daughter have that bike for?
How fast are they going to be going?
Will they ride often?

Also, how many times will that bike even get used before your son or daughter stops riding that particular bike?

As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider. Price is generally a reflection of quality. The more you pay generally, the higher quality product you will get. Extremely high quality is not necessary for a children's bike. What is essential for a children's bike is safety.

You do want to ensure that the necessary safety requirements exist within a child's bike. Especially based on what type of riding they'll do. You most likely don't want to buy the lowest quality. If you feel that the brakes won't work as they should, don't buy that bike. Because of course, your child's safety is your number one concern as a parent.

When to "Cheap Out"

When considering a kids' bike, make sure you understand how your child will be riding it. Don't think about spending as little money as possible. Especially if your son or daughter will be doing a lot of riding. If you think that they'll be flying all over the neighborhood while hitting speeds of 15 miles an hour, I would say don't spare any expense. Buy a more expensive bike. Make sure it has:

Proper safety features
A good brake system
Always ensure that they're wearing a helmet

Perhaps you think your son or daughter may use it one or two times and ride two miles an hour down to the neighborhood park. They park it there, and sand is bound to get all over it. Without compromising safety, I would say, you can look at the lower end of the spectrum of the price.

You might be able to consider the Walmart and the Target type bikes for your rider's usage. But don't go out and buy a cheap bike because you think they will outgrow it. That's a bad idea. Make sure you pay attention to always keeping your child safe. So, from my perspective again. I'm saying this not because we're in this to sell a lot of kids' bikes. I'm in it to ensure that we get as many people on bikes as possible. And that they stay safe while doing it.

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