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18" wheel kids bikes are becoming more and more popular, as they plug the gap between a small starter bike and a larger geared bike.
Some children aren't quite the right size, ability or age to move up to a bigger geared bike, and a 18" wheel bike can be a great solution (plus they usually cost a bit less than a geared bike too!)
Thankfully now there's a number of good quality 18" wheel bikes that are available to buy or lease long term.
In this article we'll take a look at the best 18" wheel kids bikes - they're all great bikes that should bring years of fun for your child.
We include options on where to buy new and also how to lease long term or buy second hand (where available) so there's hopefully something suitable for every budget.
Before you start take a moment to GRAB YOUR FREE KIDS BIKE BUYING CHECKLIST which will help you record all the information you need to find the perfect bike for your child.
What age child is an 18" wheel bike for?
Obviously all children are different, but on average an 18" wheel bike is suitable for children aged between about 5 and 6 years of age. In general 18" wheel bikes tend to be suitable for children with a minimum inside leg of approx 50cm and a minimum height of about 110cm.
Every 18" bike has different geometry (sizing) so we've provided the measurements provided by the manufacturer, to allow you to choose the one that fits your child. Please measure your child carefully and if possible test ride the bike if you're worried it won't fit.
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Simply enter your bike details on the Bike Club's website. If you're happy with the quote they'll come and collect it. They’ll even bring a box to put it in!
Some children can cope with gears on an 18″ wheel bike, others will not need them. As this is a cross-over size, some brands have gears, and others don't.
Gears add weight, complexity and price, and on many brands don't make an appearance until 20" wheels.
Some Cycle Sprogs are ready for them earlier, and they can also be useful if you live in a very hilly area (even if you need to change them yourself at the bottom of the hill!)
18" wheel not the right size?
Check out these other articles to find a smaller or bigger bike:
One of the newest 18″ wheel kids bikes on the market, the Forme Cubley 18 is a great bike for all round riding, if your child isn’t quite ready to move up to a geared bike.
It’s a good value, lightweight bike with well designed child sized components and performs well on most surfaces a rider of this age is likely to want to go.
The Forme Cubley 18 can be leased from the Bike Club - you pay a monthly subscription and when your Cycle Sprog grows out of the bike just send it back and upgrade to a bigger bike.
Price: from £199 Height: 115 to 130 cm Inside Leg: 49 to 58 cm Bike weight: 10.3 kg Frame: Some steel, some aluminium Brakes: Rear coaster brake on some models. Front v brake Gears: No Features: Luggage rack, low step through frame, chain guard, kick stand (plus basket on some models)
Colours: Green and Pink Warranty:
5-year on frames, forks and handlebars if registered online with Puky within 4 weeks of purchase
Puky have a great range of 18" wheel bikes, with six different models to choose from. There majority are a very traditional step through style "city bike" frame with an upright riding position, from a long established German brand.
These bikes are designed with a more sedate urban style cycling in mind than some of the smaller mountain bikes that seem to be the trend at the moment with many brands.
The majority of their bikes are steel framed, which is reflected in their heavier weight, but this is a well designed steel frame bike, compared to some of the really cheap offerings you can get at catalogue retailers.
Puky apply an impact-resistant and durable powder coating to the bike which encases the metal components like a plastic coating and is UV and weather resistant. It's apparently also free of toxins and pollutants.
You must also be aware that on some of the models the rear brake is a coaster brake, which are popular on the continent, but not so much here in the UK. This means your child needs to back pedal to activate the rear brake. Some kids love this, others struggle to transition from using two lever brakes.
Puky have several have different designs available, with varying amounts of accessories (such as baskets) and components fitted.
We know someone who has used a Puky bike for riding to school all year round and they've been very pleased with it, especially as their Sprog wanted a more upright riding position.
Tektro Mini V-Brakes with junior specific levers including reach adjust
Tyres
18 x 1.5” Cadence Lightweight Multi-Terrain Tyres
The Squish 18 is a good choice if your child isn’t quite ready to move up to a geared bike. It has a long wheelbase to give confidence and easy-to-use ‘child-sized’ brakes that are perfect for smaller hands.
The Squish 18 is fitted with lightweight components, and our 6 year old tester was impressed when she reviewed this bike for us.
Small block tyres are fitted to give good grip on a variety of surfaces, so the Squish 18 can be used for fun in the mud too.
The Forme Cubley 18 can be leased from the Bike Club - you pay a monthly subscription and when your Cycle Sprog grows out of the bike just send it back and upgrade to a bigger bike.
The Cube Cubie 180 is inspired by Cube’s larger junior mountain bikes and is a good choice for a child who is desperate to go mountain biking, but not quite ready to move up to a 20″ wheel geared MTB.
It’s fitted with proper off road tyres and has small brake levers to help make stopping easy, and at just 7kg it’s light enough for them to ride and you to lift / carry at the end of the ride.
Price: £339.99 Minimum height: 105cm Bike weight: 6.3 kg Frame: Aluminium Gears: No Brakes: V-Brakes Colours: Silver-orange, silver-blue and silver-berry Warranty:
5-year on frames, forks and handlebars if registered online with Puky within 4 weeks of purchase
The new Puky LS Pro 18 is a really lightweight 18" wheel bike that comes from a brand that is renowned on the continent for building really reliable kids bikes and balance bikes.
They've got the weight so low by having not only an aluminium frame but fork, crank and seat post too. The Puky LS Pro also features the new HEBIE Chainlooper - which is designed to protect little fingers.
The bike has a special coating applied to the paint to make sure it doesn't chip, so you can expect this bike to still look great when you come to sell it on when your own child has outgrown it.
Price: £225 Height range: 110 - 120 cm Minimum inside leg: 49cm Bike weight: 7.2kg Frame and forks: Alloy Gears: No Brakes: Tektro alloy with Tektro full alloy short reach levers Colour: Yellow/red Warranty: 1 year
Wild Bikes are an in-house brand sold by some of the companies in the JD Sports business, such as Go Outdoors, Black and Millets.
Everyone we know who has bought a Wild Bike is really impressed with it because you're getting a good quality, well designed and lightweight bike at a slightly lower price than some of the established names.
The Wild 18 has an upright riding position for a low centre of gravity, and narrower cranks which bring their legs closer together in line with their smaller hips, which combined with the low weight of the bike gives an enjoyable and easy riding experience.
Price: £270 Suggested Age Range: 5 - 7 years Height range:112 - 125cm Bike weight: 9.9kg Frame: Aluminium Tyres:18 x 1.50, black tanwall with puncture protection Gears: Yes - 6 gears (Shimano Tourney TZ20 14-28 x 32T) Brakes: Aluminium V-brake with adjustable 3-finger brake levers Colours: Green, Blue Warranty: 1 year
If you're looking for an 18" wheel bike with gears then one option is theRaleigh Pop 18.
It's worth pointing out that the Pop is about 2 kg heavier than most of the other bikes featured on this page, so you need to consider whether your child is a strong and confident cyclist able to cope with this additional weight.
The components on the Pop 18 are mainly steel, so it may rust more easily than some of the more expensive bikes so do make sure you keep it well maintained, especially after riding in the rain.
If one of your resolutions for 2022 is to get out and do more cycling with your Sprog, then don't delay - these articles will help you make the most of cycling during the winter months
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