BTWIN 16” Discover 900 Review: A budget-friendly 16 inch Decathlon bike

On the hunt for the best bike for a four-year-old? Or wondering if the BWIN 16 Discover 900 is right for your child? This review is here to help you decide. 

If you're looking for a bike for 4-5 years, we recommend a 16 inch bike. Among the best 16" bikes for 4-5 year old's we recommend is the BTWIN 16 Discover 900, because of its accessible price tag, lightweight design and good components for the cost. 

Our reviewers, Robyn and Hary, spent 3 months putting it to the test, to find out if it's one of the best budget kids' bikes in this category. Read on to find out what they think.

Disclosure:  Cycle Sprog were sent the BTWIN 16 Discover 900 to review. We were not paid to write this review, and all opinions are our own. We do use affiliate links, so may get a small commission if you choose to buy through the links on this page. This funds the website, and we thank you for your support.

BTWIN Bikes - brand overview

BTWIN is Decathlon’s in-house bike brand, known for producing a wide range of children’s and adult bikes at accessible price points. 

Their kids' bike range includes three levels: 

• 100 series: entry-level and affordable
• 500 series: offering a balance of quality and affordability
• 900 series: featuring the highest specifications and lightest designs, all still with a budget-friendly Decathlon price tag. 

Decathlon is known for innovative features tailored to young riders, such as their Stop Easy braking system and lightweight aluminium frames, making BTWIN bikes a solid choice for parents looking for well-designed and budget-friendly options.

Our reviewers are: 

Robyn, an active 5-year-old who is confident on a 16 inch pedal bike and has been riding for a couple of years. She enjoys cycling and exploring, often stopping to look at something that’s caught her eye, usually an interesting flower or something beautiful on the ground.

Harry also tested the bike briefly during the review period because we couldn't keep him away from his big sister's shiny new bike!. He is 3 years and 8 months old and currently rides a 14” pedal bike.

Robyn: Height 116 cm, Inside leg 49cm
Harry: Height 105.5 cm, Inside leg 42cm

BTWIN 16" Discover 900 specifications

Lightweight design

The BTWIN 16” Discover 900's frame is made from aluminium, making it one of the lightest bikes under £200 in our kids’ bike database. We weighed it at 6.85 kg with pedals on, which compares to 8.5kg for the cheaper B'Twin 100 in the same wheel size,

A lighter bike is much easier for a child to handle, making their first riding experiences more enjoyable and confidence-boosting. Usually, lightweight bikes come with a much higher price tag, so this bike is a great value choice.

Child-friendly braking system

The BTWIN 16” Discover 900 features Decathlon’s patented Stop Easy braking system, designed to suit small hands. The brake levers are positioned parallel to the handlebars, making them easier to grip, and Decathlon claims provide 30% more braking power than their conventional levers. This means children should be able to brake more safely and effectively than on BTWIN's other, lower specification 16 inch wheel bikes.

Decathlon has also introduced their P-Nut Brake innovation, a pre-adjusted brake system that won’t slip out of alignment. If it does get knocked, it can be easily adjusted on one side. This is particularly helpful for parents who may not be confident in bike maintenance. 

One useful detail is that the bike comes with one yellow and one black brake lever to help children differentiate between the front and rear brakes.  We've previously seen this colour coding introduced by the premium brand woom, so it's good to see this available at a much lower price point.

One thing to note is that on the Decathlon bike the yellow brake is set up on the right-hand side by default, meaning it controls the front brake in the UK. This is the opposite to woom bikes, where the green lever is on the left and controls the rear brake. This is something to be aware of if you're swapping between bike brands.

Frame and fit of the BTWIN 16 inch Discover 900

The low standover height makes mounting and dismounting easy for young riders, and the frame is designed with child-specific ergonomics in mind. The handlebars are narrow to suit small shoulders, and the saddle looks to be well-designed for comfort.

The BTWIN 16” Discover 900 is fitted with 1.5” hybrid tyres, which will provide good grip across a variety of urban and light off-road terrains.

Stabilisers and learning to ride

The BTWIN 16” Discover 900 is compatible with stabilisers, but we generally recommend avoiding them if your child has already mastered balancing on a balance bike.   Read our guide Does my child need stabilisers? before buying and fitting them. 

 Additional features on the BTWIN 16" Discover 900 kids bike

These are some of the other features that have impressed us whilst we've been reviewing this 16 inch BTWIN kids bike:

• The full chain guard keeps little fingers away from the moving parts.
• The riser handlebar includes a crossbar, which doubles as a useful carrying handle, perfect for parents who inevitably end up carrying the bike at times!
• The frame and handlebar come with a lifetime warranty, and Decathlon states that spare parts will be available for 10 years.
• The bike comes with a front and rear light which are easy to operate by little hands.

First impressions of the BTWIN 16” Discover 900

The BTWIN 16” Discover 900 arrived well-packaged and mostly assembled, requiring minimal setup. We appreciated that Decathlon kept plastic packaging to a minimum, and delivery was quick and efficient.

After weighing the bike at 6.85kg, making it the lightest 16" wheel bike under £200 in the Cycle Sprog database. The build quality appeared solid and child-friendly, while still being light enough for a 4-year-old to handle comfortably.

Robyn thought the BTWIN Discover 900 looked smart straight away. She particularly enjoyed the fact that it came with lights that she could switch on and off herself, and immediately commented that the saddle was very comfortable.

I was impressed by the overall weight of the bike, as well as the very low step-over height. This made it extremely easy for Robyn to dismount and explore whatever had caught her attention mid-ride. The low crossbar also made it more comfortable to carry than some other bikes, as it was easy to balance in one hand. Anyone who’s cycled with kids will know how important it is to be able to carry their bike when needed!

Putting the BTWIN 16” Discover 900 to the test

The BTWIN 16” Discover 900 performed very well during testing. The brakes were effective, offering good stopping power even on descents and at speed. Importantly, they were not overly sharp, allowing Robyn to learn how to feather the brakes and slow down smoothly, rather than coming to abrupt halts. They worked reliably in all weather conditions.

We appreciated that the brake levers were colour coded (yellow for the front and black for the rear) and well-positioned for small hands. One potential point of confusion is that the Decathlon balance bike (which Harry learnt to balance on) features a yellow rear brake, whereas this changes to yellow for the front brake on this pedal bike. While it didn’t affect our children, it could momentarily confuse some riders when transitioning between the two bikes.

Robyn reported that the saddle was very comfortable. The pedals were well-sized for her feet and hip width. However, her feet did slip off slightly more often than on her regular bike. This can probably be put down to the small design of the pedal and the cheap plastic they are made out of. If we were planning to keep this bike long-term, upgrading to grippier pedals would likely be one of the first changes we’d consider. And maybe something you’d consider too if your child likes riding off road on bumpy terrain.

Both children found the bike easy to lift and manoeuvre. The low crossbar allowed Harry to dismount easily and push the bike uphill while straddling it. Getting on and off the bike was straightforward for both riders, and the design made it easy for them to push off and gain momentum before starting to pedal.

We thoroughly tested the BTWIN 16” Discover 900 across a wide variety of locations and surfaces, both in the UK, around home and on holiday in France. Robyn and Harry rode it on pump tracks, gravel roads, loose forest trails, and more rugged off-road paths. Memorable rides include a 5km gravel trail running from L’Erigne to Morzine in the French Alps, and a full 45km circuit of Lac Annecy, mostly using a FollowMe Tandem for support. We also explored the wooded trails around the Château de Fontainebleau, giving the bike a good workout in a mix of terrain and weather conditions.

Another feature worth highlighting is the shape of the handlebars. The handlebars have a tall rise with a crossbar. The cross bar makes it much easier to lift the bike onto kerbs and provides a handy grip point for an adult to help push it uphill. Alongside the low frame crossbar, this made carrying the bike a much more comfortable task when one of the kids had decided they'd had enough for the day.

Quality of the BTWIN 16” Discover 90 

The main issue we encountered was with the front brake, which occasionally needed realigning. This may have been knocked during transit, but we needed to adjust both the brake pads and arms on a few occasions. It wasn’t a major problem, but I started carrying an Allen key on longer outings just in case.

Despite being used in a range of outdoor conditions, the bike has shown no signs of rust and very little wear and tear. As with most children’s bikes, there are a few scratches on the paintwork, usually from being put down quickly in the middle of an exciting discovery. That’s part and parcel of family cycling!

The only other notable issue was with the chainguard, which lost one of the two screws holding it in place. This was annoying and inconvenient, and was likely due to vibration on rougher ground. To avoid this in future, we’d recommend checking these bolts regularly and tightening if needed. On this occasion it was easily resolved once we found the right replacement screw. Despite the lightweight design and enjoyable ride, this was a reminder that it’s a budget-friendly bike and not a premium build. 

Thoughts from the Sprog

It was superfast on the bumps, and one time I went through a tunnel and turned the light on. It was a bit tricky on the bumps ‘cause my feet kept falling off. Going on the flat bits was really fun, and being able to do it on the pump track was good. Robin

Before you go...

Have you thought about how you will know when your child is ready to learn to pedal?

There's a temptation to start early, but if it's too soon it can leave them anxious and you frustrated.

Take our questionnaire, which is cunningly called "Is my child ready to learn to ride" and we'll send you a personalised report with hints and tips for getting your child pedalling at the right time for them and you.

Other articles you might be interested in:

• Is your child ready to learn to ride a pedal bike?
• Best 16″ kids’ bikes for 4-5 year olds
• Kids bikes that will grow with your child
• Best kids' bikes
• Does my child need stabilisers?
• Cheapest kids' bikes