Review: Huffy GRM 16 Inch Kids Bike

So many of the bikes we test, review, and recommend are crazy expensive. And we recognize that the high price of many of those bikes are just not realistic for many families.

That’s why we were excited to test out the Huffy GRM. It’s an affordable learn-to-ride bike that we can actually recommend.

Your bang for your buck is amplified by the fact that it’s able to convert the bike from a balance bike to a pedal bike with easily installed training wheels (which are included!), and finally to a pedal bike without training wheels.

Other nifty features include the color-coded brake system, the parent-assist handle, and the move-up program for children that grow quickly.

Two complaints are the durability and the traction of the tires, but overall, we really liked this ride especially considering the pricepoint. Huffy came up with some genius (in my mind) features for learning to ride and combined them all in this little bike, with a heavy emphasis on safety as well.

Read on to learn more, and then make sure to check out our list of the BEST 16 inch bikes.

Review In A Nutshell

Pros:

Affordable price
Color coded braking system
Able to ride as a balance bike, with training wheels, or as a pedal bike
Move up program

Cons:

Durability is a concern
Not much traction on anything other than pavement
Very flat pedals without much grip

Price: $179.99

Buy at Huffy.com

Unboxing and Assembly Are Almost As Easy As It Can Get

This bike comes 90% assembled, which is fantastic when your child just wants to get out and ride! You get to keep the excitement high instead of taking too long to get the bike together and risk your rider losing interest!

It took us minutes to get it completely assembled and ready to go. It’s a fun-looking bike, from both a child and parent perspective, with a pretty paint job. (Although the paint scratched pretty quickly).

Our tester has been riding pedals for a while, so we went straight to pedaling without training wheels, but I appreciate that it has the ability to be a balance bike. We have lots of little friends that outgrow their tiny balance bikes but aren’t totally ready to do pedals yet, so this is a great way to get them comfortable on a larger bike before learning to pedal.

The pedal removal is quick and easy if you’re wanting to use this as a balance bike, while the training wheels that are also included snap on with no tools needed!

One note that you’ll read more about farther down, but we had multiple issues with components coming loose or re-adjusting, so although it comes almost completely assembled, it’d be worth doing a quick once-over to make sure everything is tight. Don’t end up like us half a mile from home, and Dad carrying a 16 inch bike back.

Design And Geometry

The frame is aluminum, and while not the lightest bike on the market (a little over 21 pounds), it’s not super unwieldy and the rider is still able to control it well. It certainly handled better than we would expect for a bike of this weight.

The bike has a long wheelbase, low center of gravity, and upright geometry that makes it easy for new riders to use. This geo design takes cues from much more expensive kids bikes, and sets it apart from most other “budget” kids bikes.

It has a lower stand over height which makes it easy to get on and off, and is best for riders between 39-46 inches and around 4-6 years old.

child posing with the huffy 16 inch bike

Easy To Pedal Gearing

One of the biggest pros to this bike is the smaller three piece crank that makes it super easy for a kid to get moving from a standstill, and to get up hills, but it’s also not so small that they spin out on small downhills.

Getting the gearing right can be tough on a singlespeed bike. We have another bike in this price range, and we had to convince our son to ride it because it had such a difficult gear ratio and he hated how hard it was to pedal. The Huffy GRM is not like that!

Durability Is A Concern

A huge complaint for this bike is the durability, but I’d also expect a drawback like that at this price point.

Our son rode it for half a mile before the back tire shifted and popped the chain off. That wasn’t a huge fix, but it wasn’t one we could do without tools so hubby had to carry the bike home.

The handlebar grips were peeling off by the fourth ride, and the paint job was scratched after the first couple uses.

In comparison, we have a Prevelo Alpha that we bought used, and it’s on our second child. That means it’s been through at least three riders, depending on how many kids rode it before ours. And overall, it’s in better shape than the Huffy is.

Buying a higher quality used bike is often the best way to go, but if you live in an area without much of a used market or can’t find one in your price range, then the Huffy might be your best option.

Good Wheels But Tires Lack Traction

The tires are wide, which we appreciated for littles, but they don’t have much traction once you leave pavement. Even kids who are just riding around the neighborhood tend to ride on grass, gravel, and dirt. They like to explore!

Our tester rode on everything from pavement to gravel to single track, and there wasn’t as much traction as I would want for a young rider. I think a huge improvement for this bike, since kids aren’t trying to go long and hard on the road, would be just a bit knobbier tires. (Keep in mind you could always upgrade the tires too).

The hubs do spin super smoothly, which we appreciated. The wheels are bolted on with no quick release which is pretty typical for this size of bike.

Color Coded Brakes Are Awesome

The Huffy GRM 16 has dual hand brakes (yay!), and we loved the color coded brake system. The only other 16″ bike we’ve seen with this is the much more expensive Woom 3.

The color coded lever is so helpful for kids to learn which brake lever stops which wheel, and it makes it so easy with the bright yellow right (rear) lever connected to the bright yellow v-brake. In this way, you can start teaching your child safe braking techniques early. (Use more back brake than front brake to avoid over-the-bars accidents).

The brake levers are easy to pull even for smaller hands, and the cables are externally routed for easy maintenance. The brakes use a single pivot brake arm, but do a good job of stopping the bike quickly.

The levers themselves were not very tightly attached to the handlebars, so they shifted drastically while our son was riding. Not a difficult fix, just a bolt to tighten, but it did seem to be a theme. Although the bike came mostly assembled, it’s worth giving it a once-over to tighten everything.

In addition to the handbrakes, the bike has a coaster brake system as well. This is likely so as to avoid any legal issues with the CPSC. We find the back pedal to be confusing for children, which means coaster brakes aren’t our favorite, but we understand the inclusion here. Also, if the child has previously ridden a bike with only a coaster brake and can be nice have that option while they learn the hand brakes.

Other Things Worth Mentioning

Comfortable saddle. The memory foam saddle seems really comfortable, but not bulky enough to get in the rider’s way, which I appreciated, and the quick-release collar makes it easy to change the seat height on the go.
Pedals. The pedals are not great as far as grip goes. You may want to upgrade later.
Fully enclosed chain guard. The fully enclosed chainguard is a great safety feature to keep things from getting stuck in the chain (like your child’s pants), but it does give a little bit of trouble if you have the chain come off. We had to take it apart to get the chain back on.
Parent assist handle. Something I haven’t seen before on a pedal bike is the parent assist handle, a small handle under the rear of the saddle for a parent to help the child balance and learn. This would be especially helpful for kids that haven’t done the balance bike route first and need a little extra stability from Mom or Dad.
Quick release seatpost collar. This allows you to easily raise or lower the height of the saddle without the need for any tools!

If Your Child Quickly Outgrows This Bike, Huffy Has a Solution For That!

Another big advantage to this bike is Huffy’s “Move Up Program.” You can find more information about it on their website, but in short, if your child outgrows their bike within 365 days of purchase, they’ll give you a 25% discount code on your next bike.

There is no need to trade in your current bike, so you can still pass it down to younger children while getting a discount on the next size of GRM bike for your oldest! The best of both worlds!

Just keep in mind that you do have to register your bike within 365 days of purchasing in order to be eligible for the program, and the program is only available with the GRM line of bikes, both the original bike and the bike you’d use the discount code on.

In Comparison

Compared to other bikes at this price point, the Huffy GRM actually performs really well. It has a longer wheelbase and lower center of gravity, that gives it more stability and makes it easier to ride. For example, compared to the Retrospec Koda Plus (which is actually a bit more money), this bike performs much better in terms of ease for learning/riding, if not quite in the durability category.

While a bit more money up front, a bike with higher-end components is going to last longer and provide a better experience. If you’re wanting your family to be able to ride off the paved trail, or wanting a bike that can be handed down through all of your children (and still hold value on the used market), you are most likely going to be better off putting a little more money into a bike with more durability, better tires, etc.

Bottom Line

Overall, this is a great bike at this price point, and there are some very helpful features for both parent and rider when teaching your child the fundamentals of riding. The three ways to use the bike, the parent assist handle, the color-coded braking system, and more give your littlest rider (and Mom and Dad!) the best experience while learning.

There are a few detractors, such as the durability of the bike, the lack of traction on the tires, and grip on the pedals, but I would say, depending on your needs, these could be overshadowed by the price and the pros. If you (or your child) are wanting to do a lot of dirt, gravel or single track riding, or if you’re hoping to have a bike durable enough to pass down to multiple children this might not be for your family, but if you just getting your kiddo out on the paved trail and on two wheels for the first time, this is a good choice!