Woom kids bikes – a comprehensive guide

woom bikes is a quality bike brand based in Austria and the brainchild of two dads already working in the bike industry. They were dismayed at the lack of quality bikes available for their own children, and the rest, as they say, is history.

woom bikes are becoming more popular and they are an excellent choice for a first pedal bike as well as for older kids, including tweens and teens.

We’ve reviewed a few woom bikes so far and you can read our (raving) reviews here:

• Woom ORIGINAL 3
• Woom ORIGINAL 3 Automagic
• Woom NOW 5

To help you decide if a woom bike is the right buy for your child, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to woom bikes including information on the different models, sizing and accessories so you can make an informed decision.

woom bikes range overview

woom makes a few different types of kids bikes and their range includes bikes for children between 18 months and 14 years old.

The woom range includes balance bikes, first pedal bikes, geared bikes, mountain bikes, urban bikes and even electric mountain bikes.

woom ORIGINAL balance bikes

The woom ORIGINAL series are woom’s classic, all-round kids bikes. It was the first series woom brought out and they have therefore been around the longest, with very well-tested design and components.

woom ORIGINAL 1 is a 12 inch balance bike with rear brake for the smallest riders, from 18 months old. The woom ORIGINAL 1 Plus is a 14 inch balance bike with a front a rear break, and a footrest for children from 3 years old and over.

woom ORIGINAL starter bikes

Next up are the woom ORIGINAL 2 and ORIGINAL 3, which are first pedal bikes with 14 and 16 inch wheels and front and rear brakes, cleverly fitted with a green lever for the rear brake.

These smaller woom ORIGINAL bikes have got a knee-friendly stem with a rounded design and recessed clamp bolts to avoid scrapes and bumps.

The woom ORIGINAL 1, 2 and 3 all have a steering limiter fitted which prevents the handlebars from overturning.

The latest addition to this range is the woom ORIGINAL 3 Automagic which is a 16 inch starter bike with automatic two-speed hub gears.

woom ORIGINAL geared bikes

The woom ORIGINAL 4, 5 and 6 are the 20, 24 and 26 inch classic kids bikes with aluminium frames which are light yet strong and perfectly shaped to suit your child’s age.

The woom ORIGINAL 4 has seven gears and the woom ORIGINAL 5 and ORIGINAL 6 both have eight gears.

The stems on these bikes are adjustable which means the bike can grow with your child, by adjusting the length of the bike as well as the height.

woom NOW city bike

The woom NOW is a stylish urban bike for older children with a clever smaller front wheel and a front rack.

The smaller front wheel allows you to keep the weight of the front rack and whatever you carry in it as low as possible. This bike has got an upright riding position and integrated front and rear lights powered by a hub dynamo.

The woom NOW comes with a range of features that make it particularly good for everyday use in towns and cities such as mudguards, a kickstand, and integrated lights and a bell.

Other high spec components include hydraulic disc brakes and top of the range wide tyres.

The woom NOW bike is available in three sizes; with 20 inch, 24 inch and 26 inch rear wheel, for children and teenagers aged between 6 and 14 years old.

Read our review of the woom NOW 5.

woom OFF and woom OFF AIR

The woom OFF and OFF AIR are mountain bikes designed for kids going off-roading. The superlight frame and long wheelbase make for a very stable ride and smooth, responsive handling for children and teens.

This MTB has an age-appropriate saddle and grippy, tubeless-ready MTB tyres. The woom OFF is a kids mountain bike with no suspension and the woom OFF AIR has a fully adjustable suspension fork which can be adjusted to suit the child’s weight.

The woom OFF and OFF AIR mountain bikes are available in 20 inch, 24 inch and 26 inch wheels, for children and teens aged between 6 and 14 years old.

woom UP electric mountain bike

The woom UP is a mountain bike for kids with e-assist. Available in two sizes, 24 inch and 26 inch, it suits riders between 7 and 14 years old.

Riding an e-bike is not legal on the road in the UK for children under 14 years old, so you can only ride this bike on privately owned land or bridleways.

Further reading: Are kids e-bikes legal in the UK?

Are woom bikes any good?

woom kids bikes are known for their excellent design and quality.

The design is simple, yet beautiful with clever features for smaller hands. The bikes are very lightweight which is one of the most important features in a kids bike.

These bikes will last and also hold their value if you want to sell them on after your children have grown out of them.

woom bikes have been clever about offering a range of bold and bright colours for the smaller bikes and when you go into the larger sizes, the colours become a bit more muted to suit tweens and teens.

It’s the little touches that differentiate woom bikes from other kids bikes. All the parts are high-spec, and are just what you would find on a full-sized bike.

For the smaller kids bikes, up until the woom ORIGINAL 3, the left hand brake lever is green, which is a great way to help a child learn the difference between the front and rear brakes.

One of our reviewers noted that the paintwork is very good, so again, it’s the little touches that make these bikes stand out from the crowd.

Leasing a woom bike

Another option for getting your hands on a woom kids bike without the upfront costs is by subscribing to the Bike Club.

They take the hassle out of having to buy, own and sell on a bike each time your child grown - very clever!

Further reading: How does the Bike Club work?

Hire

Are woom Bikes good as a first pedal bike?

The woom 2 and 3 are excellent first pedal bikes because they are very lightweight and have easy to use brakes for small hands.

The woom 2 is one of the smallest and lightest 14” bikes out there and weighs 5kg, which is 200 grams lighter than the popular Islabikes Cnoc 14. It is considerably lighter than most other 14 inch bikes, with a Frog 40 weighing 6.46kg for example.

One thing that’s great about the woom 2 is the different coloured brake levers, so you can tell your child to use the green brake and there’s no chance of them getting their left and right mixed up. Clever!

Read our in-depth review of the Woom 2.

If your child is 4 or 5 years old the woom 3 may be a better option and just like with the woom 2, this is one of the lightest 16 inch bikes available at 5.5 kg.

woom ORIGINAL bike sizes

Woom OFF and Woom OFF AIR mountain bike sizes

Woom NOW bikes sizes

Woom UP electric mountain bikes sizes

Are there woom e-bikes for kids?

Yes, electric bikes for children exist! The woom UP 5 is an electric 24 inch mountain bike for kids aged 7 years and over. For older children, aged 10 and over, there’s the 26 inch woom UP 6 electric mountain bike.

Since e-bikes are only allowed on the public highway in the UK for children over 14 years old, these can only be ridden on bridleways and privately owned trails if the land owner permits it.

Further reading: Are kids e-bikes legal in the UK?

Can I buy a woom bike secondhand?

woom Bikes are great quality kids bikes which may come with a price tag that may not suit your budget. Here at Cycle Sprog, we always encourage people to buy second hand if they are looking for a quality kids bike on a tight budget.

Buying secondhand is an excellent way to get your hands on a quality bike without having to fork out for the full new price.

While woom Bikes are everywhere in Europe, they are not coming up on secondhand forums as much yet in the UK, but if you keep an eye out for them you may find one.

Further reading: Buying a second hand kids bike

What accessories are available for woom bikes?

woom offers a range of accessories including helmets, gloves, child-friendly combination bike locks, bottle cages and water bottles.

We love that they offer a kickstand, pannier rack and mudguards as well, because these are all things that will come in very handy if you’re planning on using the bikes for cycling to school.

The mudguards are available in 14 inch to 26 inch wheels, so for all pedal bikes in the woom ORIGINAL range.

The kickstand is available in three sizes;

• size S to fit woom ORIGINAL 1 Plus, 2 and 3
• size M to fit woom ORIGINAL 4 and woom OFF/OFF AIR 4
• size L to fit woom ORIGINAL 5 and 6, woom OFF/OFF AIR 5 and 6 and woom UP 5 and 6

For the mountain bike ranges; the OFF, OFF AIR and UP bikes there are specific mudguards available.

What are automagic gears?

woom bikes are the first brand to offer automatic shifting on a kids bike, as far as we can tell! Currently only available on the woom ORIGINAL 3, the Automagic is a 16 inch kids bike with an automatic 2-speed hub gear.

Getting used to gears is sometimes difficult for small children, so this clever detail means your 4 or 5 year old can be on a geared bike without having to manipulate the gears themselves. Pretty clever!

Read our first impressions review of the woom ORIGINAL 3 Automagic here. 

Are woom bikes for boys or girls?

woom bikes are unisex and with a range of bold colours, will suit every taste. The design of the bike includes a top bar with a bend in it making the stepover nice and low and standing over it very easy.

Do woom do a city bike?

Yes, the woom NOW is an urban bike for 6 to 14 year olds available in 20, 24 and 26 inch wheel sizes.

It has a smaller front wheel and a front rack that can be used to carry school bags and is fully kitted out for everyday riding with mudguards, a kickstand, integrated lights and bell. Some even call this a cargo bike for kids because of the front rack!

The front rack can carry up to 10kg which is a decent amount for a tween or teen.

With hydraulic disc brakes and wide tyres, it is not surprising that the woom NOW is heavier than the woom ORIGINAL, with the woom NOW 4 weighing 11kg compared to the woom ORIGINAL 4 weighing only 7.7kg.

The woom NOW is a great bike for kids who ride in towns and cities and carry stuff like a school rucksack or sports kit.

Read our review of the woom NOW 5 by 8-year-old Lyle and his older brother Evan.

Other posts you might be interested in:

• woom Original 3 Automagic kids bike first impressions review
• Woom NOW 5 kids bike review
• Woom 3 bike review; a quality 16" wheel bike for ages 4 to 6 years
• The best kids bikes; our pick of the very best
• Getting ready to teach your child to ride a bike
• Find the perfect bike for your child
• woom Original 3 Automagic Review