Best 14” kids’ bikes for 3-4 year-olds

Choosing your child’s first bike can be both exciting and daunting. It’s a joy to share your love of cycling with them, and see their faces light up when they get moving, but if you find choosing from the best kids' bikes on the market overwhelming, you’re not alone. That’s why we’re here to help you find one of the best 14” kids' bikes for 3-4 year-olds that will set them up for lots of fun rides in the future.

Whether your little one is ready to learn to cycle for the first time, or they’re already scooting with confidence on one of the best balance bikes, choosing from the many 14” options available can be daunting.

To help make the process easier, we’ve rounded up the best 14” starter bikes for 3-4 year-olds, based on our 12 years’ experience of getting hands-on with kids’ bikes.

Here at Cycle Sprog we only recommend bikes that we would be confident to let our own children ride, so you can rest assured that all the bikes we’ve listed below are well-made, built to last, and genuinely enjoyable to ride.

For parents in a hurry, we’ve started off with our top three picks that cover a variety of budgets, to really narrow down the options. However if you have time to do a bit of research, use the links below to jump to the most relevant sections. 

Beneath the quick picks we have some important tips to help you figure out if 14” is the right size for your child, and the key things to consider before purchasing. After that you’ll find our list of recommendations, followed by some more in-depth buying advice at the bottom.

Once you’ve chosen your child’s bike, be sure to kit them out with one of the best kids’ bike helmets, and if you want some help with getting them started, take a look at our guide to how to teach your child to ride a bike.

Photo of the Black Mountain PINTO being used in balance bike mode, as part of this detailed review. Shows body and legs of a small child riding an orange PINTO along a strip of tarmac, with a grass bank and stone wall in the background. The child is wearing red trousers and blue shoes and a grey jacket.

Contents

To save on valuable time, use the links below to jump to the most relevant section

Cycle Sprog is a reader-supported website. When you buy through links on this page we may earn an affiliate commission.

Quick picks: for parents in a hurry

If you haven’t got time to scroll through a whole guide, then these are our top four recommendations for 14” starter bikes, covering a range of budgets.

  • Best budget option: B’Twin 14 (from £99.00) - a decent bike that won’t break the bank.
  • Best value for money: Forme Cubley 14 (from £150.00) - new on ebay for almost half last year’s RRP.
  • Best for learning to ride: Kidvelo Rookie 14 (£235.00) - converts from balance bike to pedals.
  • Best overall quality: woom Original 2 (£379.00) - incredibly well-made and very lightweight.

Top tips: helping you to choose

Before you get to the list of bikes, here is the absolute basic knowledge you need to choose the best option for your child. For more in-depth buying advice, head down to our Q&A section at the bottom of this page.

  • Measure your child’s height and inseam to check if 14” is the right size. Follow our guide to how to easily measure your child for a new bike.
  • Weight is REALLY important. Your child needs to be able to lift and manoeuvre the bike, while you’ll sometimes need to carry it.
  • Buy a 14” bike if they're ready to pedal. For a first bike, consider one of the best balance bikes, or get one that converts to a pedal bike.
  • Buy a proper bike, not a ‘toy’ bike - not all kids’ bikes are created equal. Read more in why you shouldn’t buy a REALLY cheap new kids’ bike.
  • Buying new isn’t the only option. Many bikes are available second hand for a fraction of the RRP, while the Bike Club lease bikes for a low monthly cost.

Best 14” kids' bikes for 3-4 year-olds

Here’s our full roundup of the best 14” starter bikes. You’ll find a range of budgets catered for, as well as a key consideration to help you decide which bike is the right fit for your child.

Kidvelo Rookie 14

Best for learning to ride

Best 14” kids' bikes for 3-4 year-olds: The Kidvelo Rookie 14 bike in front of a blank background

  • Price: £235.00
  • Weight: 4.7kg
  • Inside leg: 40–59cm
  • Colours: Blue, green, red

Buy if: You want one bike to take them through the learning journey

The Kidvelo Rookie 14 is a great choice if your child is just starting out and would benefit from some time scooting on a balance bike before they start pedalling.

Since the Rookie 14 starts out as a balance bike and comes with a simple-to-fit pedal conversion kit, you essentially get two bikes for the price of one, and it’ll last you a lot longer as a result.

If you decide to try your child with pedals and they’re not quite ready, you can quickly revert to the balance bike mode for a while longer.

The Rookie 14 has been designed with the learning to ride phase in mind, with an upright riding position, lightweight frame and child-sized components.

We’ve not reviewed this specific model, but we were very impressed with its smaller sibling. Check out our Kidvelo Rookie 14 review (in balance bike mode) for more information, and keep your eyes peeled for our pedal mode review, which is on the way.

B’Twin 14

Best budget option

Best 14” kids' bikes for 3-4 year-olds: The Btwin 14 bike in front of a blank background

  • Price: from £99.00
  • Weight: 8.7kg
  • Height: 90–105cm
  • Colours: Black, white, orange, blue, pink

Buy if: You want something simple and affordable

If budget is your key priority, the B'Twin 14 is the cheapest option we recommend that’s easy for your child to ride.

The frame is steel, which usually means a very heavy bike. However, the style of this one, with the lack of cross bar helps keep the weight down to 8.7kg.

This is still a lot heavier than the more expensive aluminium bikes, but it’s a lot less than the 10+ kg bikes you get elsewhere, and it has “proper” air-filled tyres (beware cheap bikes with foam or plastic ones).

The very low frame itself will be easy for children to get on and off, especially important for children with mobility needs. The braking system is designed specifically for smaller hands.

The bike comes with front and rear lights too, plus the 500 model has mudguards fitted, which the 100 model doesn’t.

The stabilisers unscrew easily, although if your child isn’t ready to pedal, consider the best balance bikes instead.

Carrera Cosmos 14

Best for click and collect

Best 14” kids' bikes for 3-4 year-olds: The Carrera Cosmos 14 bike in front of a blank background

  • Price: £180.00
  • Weight: 6kg
  • Height: 105–117cm
  • Colours: Black, white, blue, silver

Buy if: You’d rather collect a fully built bike in store

The Carrera Cosmos 14 is the Halfords in-house pedal bike that’s built around an aluminium frame. It features Kenda tyres, child-sized alloy V-brakes and a chain guard to protect clothes and fingers.

While there are definitely better 14” wheel options out there, if you’d rather not have a bike delivered that you need to assemble yourself at home, then these are very widely available via click and collect at any Halfords store.

At 6kg, it’s surprisingly lightweight for a bike at this price range, making it one of the best cheaper options available in terms of quality.

Halfords also sells second hand bikes via its website, so if you didn’t want to fork out for a brand new model, you can rest assured that these used options will have been checked over by the in-house team and will be in good condition.

woom Original 2

Best lightweight option

Best 14” kids' bikes for 3-4 year-olds: The woom Original 2 bike in front of a blank background

  • Price: £379.00
  • Weight: 5kg
  • Inside leg: 39–50cm
  • Colours: Blue, green, purple, red, yellow

Buy if: You’re likely to be carrying it a lot

woom is fast becoming one of the most popular kids’ bike brands on the market, and it’s easy to see why. We were particularly impressed by the woom Original 2, particularly with how well it performed on the daily school run in all weathers. Our reviewer loved how easy it was to ride.

At 5kg, it’s lovely and lightweight, meaning it’s easy for small children to manoeuvre, plus it’s less burdensome for you if you’re continually carrying it up and down stairs or packing it into the boot of your car.

One feature of all their bikes that we really like is the different coloured brake levers. You can teach your child to use the green brake, and there’s no chance of them getting their left and rights mixed up. Clever!

For a more in-depth look at this bike, check out our woom Original 2 review.

Forme Cubley 14

Best value for money

Best 14” kids' bikes for 3-4 year-olds: The Forme Cubley 14 bike in front of a blank background

  • Price: from £150.00
  • Weight: 6.12kg
  • Inside leg: 43–48cm
  • Colours: Pink, blue, red, purple, orange, green

Buy if: You want more bike for your buck

The Forme Cubley 14 has all the features that you want when your child is learning to ride, so they gain confidence quickly.

Weighing 6.12kg, it’s light enough for both you and your child to pick up and manoeuvre as needed.

The geometry of this bike has been designed with the youngest of riders in mind, and it comes with a size-specific crankset and pedals for little legs, narrow bars, and a short reach stem. 

What makes this bike particularly good value for money is that at the time of writing (Spring 2024), there are loads of brand new models available on ebay in a variety of colourways, for almost half of what they used to sell at last year.

For more info on the quality of Forme bikes, take a look at our Forme Cubley 18 review.

Frog 40

Best lease option

Best 14” kids' bikes for 3-4 year-olds: The Frog 40 bike in front of a blank background

  • Price: £380.00
  • Weight: 6.46kg
  • Inside leg: 36-46cm
  • Colours: Blue, green, orange, pink, red, spotty

Buy if: You don’t want the hassle of buying and selling

The thing about children is that they grow, and the thing about growing bodies is that they need bigger and bigger bikes. And the thing about that, is that you’re in a constant loop of selling old bikes to buy new ones.

If you just can’t be bothered to deal with all that, then leasing a bike is another option, and beloved kids’ bike brand Frog is available to hire through the Bike Club. Just pay a monthly subscription and trade it in for the next size up when needed.

The Frog 40 is lightweight and easy for a child to ride. It has all the child-sized components that give parents peace of mind that their child is riding safely.

Have a read of our Frog 43 review, which was a slightly older version of this bike, which got a thumbs up from our reviewer.

Islabikes Cnoc 14

Best second hand option

Best 14” kids' bikes for 3-4 year-olds: The Islabikes Cnoc 14 bike in front of a blank background

  • Price: Varies
  • Weight: 5.6kg
  • Inside leg: 42–52cm
  • Colours: Teal, pink, orange

Buy if: You’d rather not buy brand new

Not everyone likes to buy brand new, and buying second hand is both better for the environment and often much more cost effective.

Since Islabikes have sadly stopped selling new bikes their Cnoc 14 is only available on the second hand market. 

That means you can get a very good price on them these days.

The attention to detail on an Islabike is second to none: you get over a decade of obsession all packaged up into one bike.

There are three sizes of Islabikes Cnoc 14, so check carefully to make sure you’re getting the correct version. The Cnoc 14 Small is for children with an inseam measurement of 34–42cm and the Cnoc 14 Large is for 42–52cm. Older versions of the bike came in one size only, so try to get as much info before buying as you can.

Black Mountain Pinto

Best for tinkering parents

Best 14” kids' bikes for 3-4 year-olds: The Black Mountain Pinto bike in front of a blank background

  • Price: £449.00
  • Weight: 5.73kg
  • Height: 90-109cm
  • Colours: Green, orange, purple, blue

Buy if: You enjoy tinkering and engineering

The Black Mountain Pinto is certainly a clever first bike! It’s got a unique “growing frame” that means the bike grows with your child, allowing maximum use.

The Pinto is fitted with 14″ wheels, but the sizing means it’s designed to replace the need for a 12″ and a 14″ wheel bike.

Age-wise it’s designed to fit a tall two-and-a-half year-old, or an average 3 year-old.

The Pinto can also start out in balance bike mode if your child hasn’t quite mastered that stage of learning to ride yet, so you really can get the most out of this one bike.

What sets it apart from the Kidvelo Rookie is how engineered it all is. This one requires quite a bit of fettling to set it up, and is perfect for parents who love to tinker

You can read more in our Black Mountain Pinto review.

How to choose from the best 14” kids' bikes

If you need a bit of extra buying guidance before having the confidence to make a purchase, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some of the key things to consider before you make your choice.

Can they pedal yet?

If this is your child's first go on a bike of any type, then consider getting them one of the best balance bikes, rather than a pedal bike to start with, as they tend to be cheaper and will give them the skills they need to move on up to a pedal bike when they're ready.

Take our quiz: Is your child ready to learn to ride a pedal bike?

Can you (and your child) lift the bike?

If you’re struggling to lift a bike, imagine how heavy it would be for a 3-4 year-old. The smaller the child, the more important it is to have a lightweight bike, because it affects every aspect of your child’s enjoyment of the bike. From manoeuvring while riding, to picking it up when it’s lying on the ground, to wheeling it up and over kerbs.

And, as an added bonus, the lighter the bike, the less cumbersome it will be for you, when you inevitably wind up carrying it.

Is it a proper bike or a ‘toy’ bike?

This is the most important bit of advice you're doing to get: beware bike-shaped toys that fall apart after not much use.

A proper lightweight kids bike, made by a proper bike manufacturer, that is the correct size for your child, will get loads of use.

A "toy" bike covered in cartoon characters is going to be much heavier and more difficult to ride, and some are so badly made they don't last more than a few rides.

If you want to know more about this, check out this video, which explains the difference:

 

Is 14” the correct size for your child?

You wouldn't buy your child a pair of shoes that are so big they can't walk in them, would you?

So please don't do the same with a bike.

Buy a bike that your child is at the lower end of the sizing and it will have plenty of room for growth, and they will be able to ride it and enjoy it now.

Buy one that's far too big and they won't feel confident or safe, and the bike won't get used.

Worse, it can put your child off using it when they do finally grow into it.

For more on this, read our article, is my kids bike the right size for them? or use our kids bike search to discover the perfect bike for your child using their measurements (and here’s how to easily measure your child for a new bike).

New, used or subscribe?

A brand new ‘proper’ kids’ bike will cost more than a ‘toy’ bike, but a well maintained second hand bike may cost less, and will certainly last a lot longer and bring a lot more joy to your child.

Most of the bikes we list can be good second hand options if a new bike is out of your price range.

An alternative is a long term rental via the Bike Club. You pay a monthly subscription in return for one of their quality kids’ bikes, and swap it for the next size up when they outgrow it.

You'll see we list all three options where they're available for each bike, so hopefully there will be something for you whatever your budget.

 

Comments

Sammy

Hi, I’m slightly confused by the description of the Vitus 14 – it says its suitable for taller children, yet it has one of the smallest minimum inside leg requirements. Is there some other aspect of its geometry which makes it better for taller children?

Nick Mark

hi,
Thanks for this great article. Couldn’t get the right one for my boy without your help. I selected Skog black mountain for him as he is a little rusty. he loved it. and I’m satisfied. thanks to you that It could possible without any hassle.

Penny Millar

Hi Nick
Thank you for your message, we’re thrilled that you found the perfect bike for your boy and that Cycle Sprog were able to help with this. We’re big fans of the Black Mountain range and are sure he’ll have many a happy cycling adventure on his SKOG! Happy cycling, kind regards, Penny

Beth

Hi Karen. Thanks for all the info on your website. We bought our son a super 10″ Chilla Fish BMXie for his 2nd birthday which he loves, we then – dare I say – bought a toy bike for his 3rd birthday which he has used a few times and got the hang of without stabilisers but it stays in the shed most days as it is too heavy for me to carry and my son (4&1/2) still prefers the Chilla Fish. Unfortunately he is almost too big for it now so really need to invest in something else. I’d get a larger, pedal version of that if they had one but they don’t so I keep coming back to the Strider 14″ with pedal option as it ticks my size, weight and budget boxes. I feel like I need some reassurance though as I’m concerned they no longer have a UK retailer and the model seems quite old, (your comments above refer to it in 2018). What do you think?! Thank you.

Penny Millar

Hi Beth
Thanks for your comment and it’s great to hear that your son loves his cycling. The Strider range is great, but as you mention they don’t currently have a UK retailer. There are some great alternatives if that’s a concern, and it’s worth posing your question on the Family Cycling UK page on Facebook, you’ll find lots of parents on there with first hand experience of biking with children of your son’s age and size. It might also be worth you having a look at The Bike Club, hiring a bike for him to use could be a great way for him to progress on to a larger model without the worry of a large upfront cost. I’ve linked to a post where you can read all about how it works. We hope this helps! Penny

Claire Hardy

Hi,
Thank you for these recommendations. I wondered if you could advise. My LO is 3 and hasn’t managed to master the balance bike yet. She is tall so needs a 14″ wheel. Would it be wise to buy a lightweight pedal bike and remove the pedals, if so which bike would you recommend for that?
Thank you
Claire

Penny Millar

Hi Claire
Thanks for your comment. This isn’t something we have tried, so we probably aren’t best to comment, however, if you head to the Family Cycling UK page on Facebook and ask the question there, we’re sure you will find parents with first hand experience of trying this will be able to give some advice. Hope this helps and good luck. Penny

Sharon Lewis-Jones

My son currently has halfords balance bike/trike that has been a disaster. He just can’t ride it. He won’t sit to balance he just walks with it between his legs (regardless of seat hight) so we tried the trike mode and the pedals are impossible for him to turn due to the short crank size.
We are looking to try a real bike and are on a fairly tight budget. The advice here will definitely help me make the choice. I would love to have home choose but he would probably pick something with paw patrol on it ?.
I can always get stickers afterwards.
Thanks.

Karen

Hi Sharon, Thanks for taking the time to get in touch, and I’m so glad you’re looking for a decent second hand bike – it will be a much better use of your cash. If he demands Paw Patrol then stickers are a great idea, but I’m betting he totally forgets about that once he’s riding!! Hope he enjoys what ever you end up with. Karen

Victoria

I have spent the last week reading and researching all the bikes in this article, it has been amazing in helping me look for a bike for my 3 year old. The only problem is that he is very small and won’t fit the majority of the bikes listed here. He’s 95cm with a 36cm inside leg and I wondered if you knew of any other starter bikes that I could have a look at? He’s brilliant on his balance bike so I’m sure he’s ready to have a go on a pedal bike but his height (and the fact most bikes seem to be out of stock right now!) mean that we’re really restricted. Have looked at secondhand isla bikes but they all seem to be in pink and he refuses to have a pink bike…

Thanks for providing such amazing information and making looking for a bike so much easier.

Penny Millar

Hi Victoria
Have you had a look at the Black Mountain Pinto? It has a recommended height range of 90-109cm, but the brilliant thing about their Epok range is that they are ‘growing bikes’, starting off as balance bikes that you add pedals to when they are ready. You can also increase the frame size as your son gets taller, which cuts down on the need to replace the bike sooner (making it more cost effective!). The Squish 14 and Wild 14 would also suit from a size perspective. Unfortunately, lots of the bikes in his height range are sold out at the moment, but suppliers are replenishing stock often, so it’s worth revisiting the pages regularly and seeing if you and pre-order. Good luck, it sounds like you have a budding little cyclist there! Penny

Victoria

Thanks, I hadn’t really looked at black Mountain pinto in that much detail due to the price, but looking again it does look like a good option for him, his wee brother is very small as well so it’s worth getting a bike that suits smaller children so he can use it when he’s older as well. Will look at the others you recommend as well, hopefully find something for him before the summer is over. As my boys are half Dutch I’m hoping cycling is in their blood!

Thanks so much for your help.

Fran

Great article, thanks! What’s your verdict on Bobbin bikes?

Penny Millar

Hi Fran
Thank you, we’re glad you’ve found the article helpful! We’ve actually reviewed the Bobbin Bike and it features in a number of our posts. I’ve linked some here so you can have a read. One thing to note, the Bobbin Bikes are heavier than most of the other kids bikes, so something worth considering when deciding if they are right for your little cyclist. We hope this helps! Penny

Chris

Good article, thanks. I read this before I bought for my 3yr old son, but didn’t choose one of the bikes reviewed here.

What we went with, and what I think has been overlooked here, is the Raleigh Performance 14″. It comes in at a relative 6.2kg and has a spec to rival the above. The bike has cool BMX stylings and should be able to pick up for under £200, which I think is top value. My 3 yr old (approx 95cm tall) is flying on his and I’m very happy with the choice.

Cheers.

Penny Millar

Hi Chris
Thanks for your comment. We pleased that both you and your son are happy with the Raleigh Performance 14″, it sounds like you have made an excellent choice for him! Whilst we didn’t include it in this post, we have looked at the Raleigh Performance 16″ in the post ‘The best 16″ wheel bikes for 4 and 5 year olds’, perhaps one worth considering when he’s ready to move up a size? Sound like you have quite the budding biker there! Penny

Carly Penfold

Great article and very helpful, thanks.

I would also suggest looking at the Early Rider Belter 14 which has just been released.

We got the Belter 16 for our 4 year old and can highly recommend it. Very lightweight and a belt drive, so no chain.

SO pleased they have a smaller frame out now we can get for our soon to be 3 year old.

Aaron

Little one could not ride it so I gave up on the Ridgeback, which honestly I think anyone looking at this article should also do. The Halfords bike is MUCH better and similarly priced.

I got a woom2 for my little one, it’s amazingly light (quoted weight of 5.2kg is with pedals!)

For the bike buffs, has great design touches like sealed cartridge wheel bearings. Q factor is 140mm, perfect for tiny people.

Buy cheap, buy twice! That includes the Ridgeback. Won’t make that mistake again.

Gen

Thank you for the sound advice in this article. A huge help in deciding which first peddle bike to get for my little 4 year old. Very much appreciated!

Karen

Thanks Gen for letting us know that – glad to have been of help! Hope your 4 year enjoys their bike. Karen

Aaron

Hi,

I was *this* close to buying a Bumper Sparkle 14 until I saw this article, which snapped me out of a potentially very heavy tassle and basket trap.

Santa is bringing my 1m tall 3 year old a Ridgeback Honey to replace her giant pre, and I’m excited for her!

We went for that as it should be light enough, we like pink and so does she even if that’s old-fashioned now, and it was from a retailer happy to ship to us abroad.

Thanks to you and your site 🙂

Karen

Hi Aaron – glad to be of assistance! Hope your daughter has a fabulous time riding the Ridgeback – she’s a lucky girl. Karen

Aaron

It arrived today and I must say I’m disappointed. The quill headset is tight and has a detent at straight ahead, bottom bracket similar issue. Worst though, it the rims. They are poorly joined so that the rim brake will catch on every revolution of each wheel.

Mine weighs 7.6kg with pedals without stabilisers (which are supplied although not mentioned on the retailer or maker websites).

Better buy something a little more expensive if you’re looking at the Ridgeback.

Karen

Aaron – that is very disappointing to hear. It certainly sounds as if you should contact the retailer as it should have had a pre-dispatch check and you should expect the wheels to turn freely. Weight wise the Ridgeback, as stated, is one of the heavier aluminium framed bikes, and I’ve updated the post to say 7.6kg with pedals (some manufacturers will give a weight without pedals, which is annoying). As you say, the more expensive bikes will, undoubtedly, be better quality. Thanks so much for taking the time to feedback,and I hope you resolve the issue. Karen

Kazzi

No mention of the strider 14x?

Karen

Hi – I hadn’t realised they were now finally in stock in the UK! That’s great news – I’ll have to update the website when I get a moment. Karen

Dean

Hi Karen! Any news on the Strider 14x? We were close to pulling the trigger on the strider until we found this great article! Would love to see how the Strider 14x holds up against these options!

Karen

Hi Dean – We’re hoping to get a Strider 14x to test soon. However, the process does take quite a long time as we need the bike to be put through its paces, so at the moment I can’t really comment on them. Strider do have a very good reputation for their balance bikes, so it will be interesting to see if the transition to pedals works as well. Karen

Rowan

Hi Karen,
Have you had a chance to test the Strider yet? We have loved our balance bike and would be tempted by a similar pedal bike. Any word on comparisons would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,

Karen

Hi Rowan, We’ve not had a chance to test the 14x yet – we had a reviewer lined up, but they got too big before we could arrange it unfortunately. Hopefully we’ll get something sorted later in the year. Karen

Laura

Dear Cycle sprog

Thank you so much for the advice and information without this we would have made a major mistake in our first bike purchase for our son. We are proud new owners of a Cnoc 14 for our son. This advice saved us a lot of money and led us to a much better bike!

Thank you!

Karen

Hi Laura – so glad to have been of help. I do hope your son enjoys his Cnoc 14 – a great lightweight bike – good choice! Karen

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