Considerations will differ per rider depending on a person’s specific situation and expected uses of the bike. Price, weight, and folded size tend to be the deciding factors for most buyers, but if you’re not picky about those, consider performance and ride quality. Choose a folding bike with a comfortable riding position, stable handling, and appropriate gearing for your typical routes. In terms of construction, huffy bicycle the Banana Bike was nowhere near as easy to build as our other picks. It comes with axles and accompanying hardware pre-threaded and attached, but the trick was attaching them to the front and rear forks so that they weren’t too loose or too tight. This required some attentive wrenching with two wrenches (the bike came with only one) and paying close attention to the diagram on the instruction sheet.
Based on our research, here are the best beach cruiser bikes on the market. So beyond our range of kids’ bikes, you’ll also find a range of bike accessories as well as bike helmets and kids cycling clothes to make sure that you have everything you need to keep them safe on two wheels. Basically, this is ideal for anyone who wants in on the e-bike action but is limited on storage space. It’s also a great option for RVers who want something they can use to zip around the campsite or for a quick trip into town. This Class 2 e-bike top outs at 20 mph and has both pedal assist and a throttle.
However, many folding bikes have adjustable components, such as the seat post, stem angle, and handlebars to improve fit and comfort. Many folding bikes use 20-inch wheels to ensure they fold down to a manageable size and stay relatively light when commuting or traveling on public transport. If you plan on riding longer distances, 700c wheels will offer a smooth ride and maximize your pedaling input. The Strider 12 Sport comes without a rear linear-pull hand brake—the ideal kind for a balance bike. Most kids can indeed stop a balance bike even on moderate hills with nothing more than their feet or simply step off the back of the bike, but a good squeeze of a hand brake can stop them faster. Strider does sell a $20 simple add-on foot-operated brake, which can also help teach coaster braking skills.
With origins dating back to the early 20th century, these transformer-style bicycles have come a long way in terms of design and functionality. Today, they provide a practical solution for those who want to combine cycling with public transportation, or simply save space in their living or work environment. Often, with a folding bike, you can unobtrusively bring it into many places that otherwise wouldn’t allow bicycles huffy bicycle inside. If our top pick is sold out, or if you want the cushioning and traction of rubber tires, particularly for indoor riding or bumpy surfaces, the REI Co-op Cycles REV 12 Kids’ Balance Bike is an excellent choice. Even though it usually costs $30 more than the Strider, we liked the bike’s Strider-like geometry, its ease of assembly, light weight, wheel setup, and relatively low price, as well as REI’s reputation.
Folding bikes, not surprisingly, have become increasingly popular among urban commuters, frequent travelers, and apartment-dwellers—all the kinds of riders who might have limited storage space. Cannondale’s $225 Trail Balance bike (it comes in boys’ and girls’ versions, which are identical apart from the colors) is unique, with its single-sided lefty-style fork, made famous on Cannondale’s big mountain bikes. The Woom’s beautifully cast aluminum forks are attached to a unique steering limiter, which is little more than a strap and a thick O-ring bushing. The limiter offers progressively greater resistance once the handlebar approaches a 90-degree angle, preventing the rider from making jarring and potentially over-the-handlebar stops. When your kid no longer needs it, simply pop off the O-ring and let it dangle.
As far as geometry and weight, the 14x Sport is meant for older kids, from the late 3s up to 6 or 7. The 14x weighs 12 pounds without pedals, 15.5 pounds with, which is pretty light for a 14-inch bike, but double the weight of the 12 Sport. Couple that range with a handlebar stem that can be raised nearly 4 inches and a bar that can be tilted upward and forward nearly 4 inches, and you have an incredibly versatile and maneuverable little people mover. When I raised the bars to their maximum and rotated them halfway forward, even my 8-year-old had a blast whipping around the driveway with his friends without bumping his knees. When shopping for beach cruiser bikes, it’s important to note that they usually weigh more than traditional bicycles. This is because they’re designed with features that stand up to daily wear and tear, like wider tires and curved handlebars.
With Strider’s excellent step-by-step instructions (here’s a video), buildout was a simple, 10-minute matter of slipping on a few nylon washers at the headset, sliding on a self-aligning clamp, and inserting and tightening the handlebar assembly. Some beach cruiser bikes come with additional accessories like cup holders, baskets, headlights, cellphone holders, bells, and more. Others don’t come with any, but you can usually purchase and fit most of these afterward if you feel that your beach cruiser bike is incomplete without them. When choosing the best beach cruiser bikes, we first spoke with Jeffrey Palter, owner of Cycle Loft bicycle shop, and Chad Buchanan, owner of BiKASE, a bicycle accessories manufacturer. They shared their expert opinion on the important features every beach cruiser bike should have.