Shopping for a bike for your daughter or granddaughter? It can be difficult to know where to start.
There are a plethora of girls bikes on the market, and the bad news is that most of them are junk. Seriously. All those bikes at Walmart with the streamers and Disney princesses are heavy, cheaply made, and difficult to ride.
If you want your child to have a great experience riding bikes, pick a good girls bike instead. All of the bikes on this list are lightweight, durable, and intelligently designed to help girls learn to ride and continue developing their skills.
In this article, we’ll help you decide whether your daughter needs a balance bike or pedal bike, which girls bikes are best, which size bike your child needs, and things you should consider before buying a bike. And if your daughter REALLY need a Frozen themed bicycle, we have some solutions for that too…..
But First, Do You Need to Buy a “Girls” Bike?
Kids bikes are kids bikes are kids bikes…..Many bike brands market “girls bikes” or “boys bikes” but there is absolutely no difference for kids this age. If your daughter (or granddaughter) wants a “boys” bike, there is no reason she shouldn’t have it.
That said, there are plenty of girly girls out there (myself included) who want a GIRLY bike. They want a bike that is pink or purple. They want streamers or a basket or a doll baby bike seat. I get it.
For all the girls who like pink (like me), we’ve included a list of girly girls bikes for every age. We’ve also included a round-up of girls bike accessories, so if your daughter wants streamers or a basket, you can make sure she gets them.
Balance Bikes vs Pedal Bikes For Girls
We’ve tried to include every age group on this list (little girls AND big girls) alike. Therefore, you’ll notice a mix of balance bikes and pedal bikes.
If you have a 10-year-old, it’s obvious that they need a pedal bike. But this might not be so obvious for a 3-year-old for instance.
We STRONGLY recommend sticking with a balance bike (a “scoot” bike that doesn’t have pedals) until your daughter has mastered gliding and balance. Rather than buying a pedal bike with training wheels, we believe you should start your kiddo on a balance bike and only get them a pedal bike once they are truly ready.
In order to be listed here, we considered a few things that we think are key for girls:
Is the bike lightweight? Girls tend to be more petite and weigh less than their male counterparts. Bike weight is key to them having fun.
Does it come in feminine colors? We know lots of girls that specifically want a pink or purple bike.
Does it inspire confidence? We want girls to feel confident and empowered on a bike, not timid! Things like a low standover height, geometry that creates stability, and an upright riding position help inspire confidence.
Is it safe? Durable? Fast? We don’t want you to waste your money on a bike that is going to fall apart quickly or cause your child to get hurt. The bikes on this list aren’t cheap, but they are high quality. If you have multiple kids, you’ll be able to hand them down.
The Best Girls Bike BRANDS
In general, the best way to shop for girls bikes is by brand. Regardless of which size bike you need, these brands are well known for providing high-quality bikes that also happen to be pretty.
Woom makes fantastic kids bikes. In fact, they are our FAVORITE kids bikes. And their gender-neutral colors make them a great choice for girls.
Why do we love Woom bikes so much? First off, they are incredibly lightweight. You won’t find another kids bike brand that makes lighter bikes. Considering the girls tend to be more petite and weigh less than their male counterparts, this is particularly important.
They also have a low standover height and upright geometry which helps inspire confidence–this is another area where girls often need a little help.
Woom offers all kinds of fun accessories to match their bikes, including helmets, gloves, and more.
For a long time, Prevelo only offered silver bikes, but now they’ve added purple to the line-up too!
These bikes have everything we look for in a kids bike: dual handbrakes (with no coaster), high-quality components, lightweight build, and child-appropriate geometry. The company also offers superior customer service, which puts them on high on our list of bikes that we’re willing to recommend.
Like Woom, Prevelo also offers a trade-up program that can help make your initial investment a little less painful.
Cleary makes our very favorite first pedal bike for the tiniest riders–the Cleary Gecko. This super small 12″ bike fit little girls as young as 2.5 years old.
Of course, if you are looking for an older girl, Cleary offers plenty of options as well. We like that their frames are made of high-quality steel (not aluminum) that are durable and will last for years.
The steel frames are powder coated with bright beautiful paint, and their saddles are faux-leather. All around, beautiful bikes.
All the Pello bikes are well suited for multi-terrain conditions. If your child wants to ride on pavement, dirt, gravel, gras, whatever–these bikes are a good choice.
All sizes have beefy brand-name Kenda tires, while the larger bikes come with disc brakes. Disc brakes are great for riding in wet or dirty conditions and provide far better stopping power than traditional v-brakes (rim brakes).
We also like the bright pink paint scheme that looks even better in person. We can also attest to its durability. Over several years of testing Pello Bikes, they’ve all held up spectacularly.
Whatever your daughter’s favorite color, you are sure to find a Frog bike to suit. These beautiful little bikes come in a wide array of fun colors and designs.
Fortunately, these bikes don’t just look good, they are well designed also. Expect to find child-appropriate geometry, custom-made components, dual handbrakes, sealed bearings, and more.
Guardian is known for making safe bikes. Thanks to their proprietary SureStop braking system, your child is less likely to have an over-the-handlebars accident. The system uses one brake lever to provide appropriate braking power to both the front and rear wheel.
We especially like this for timid girls and those that have struggled to learn to use brakes in the past.
Priority Bikes are ideal for parents who don’t want to spend a lot of time on bike maintenance. Rather than a traditional chain (which can rust), the Priority bikes have a belt drive (which won’t).
You don’t have to mess with lubing a chain, or even adjusting a derailleur. The 20″ and 24″ bikes come with an internally geared hub rather than a rear cassette and derailleur.
All of this means that these are great bikes for leaving outdoors on the school bike rack, riding in rain, or cruising at the beach.
Here are some tips on how to choose the best bicycle for your daughter (or granddaughter). We’ve also linked to more extensive guides if you want additional help.
Size Is Key
The first step when shopping for a bike is to figure out what size your child needs. While we’ve included a general age-range for each size bike below, each child (and each bike) is a little different.
The best way to determine which size bike your child needs is to measure their inseam and compare it to the minimum seat height of the specific bike you are considering.
The next thing to look for is the bike’s weight. After making sure a bike is the right size for your child, the single most important thing is how much it weighs. This is doubly important for girls who tend to be more petite and less muscular than boys in the same age range.
Unfortunately, weight and price generally go hand-in-hand: the less a bike weighs, the more it costs. For this reason, we recommend buying the lightest bike you can afford.
Training Wheels, Brakes, Gears, And Other Things You Should Consider
Other slightly less important things you will want to think about before buying a bike are whether or not you want training wheels, whether or not you want a coaster brake, if your child is read for a bike with gears.
These accessories are great to add even more fun to one of the bikes listed above OR to add a feminine touch to a less-than-girly bike. For even more accessory ideas, see our Ultimate Guide To Kids Bike Accessories.
Ride Along Dolly Doll Bike Seat
Little girls who have seen mommy biking with a baby seat will love having their own seat for their baby doll. This one fits American Girls dolls–as well as pretty much any dolly or stuffed animal you can throw at it.
The Incredibell is one of our favorite bicycle bells for young children. (My son could use it at 2 years old). It makes a nice (not annoying) ring, and kids can watch the gears move inside the bell as they turn it.
We hear from so many parents that specifically want a Frozen themed bike for their kiddo. Well, you’re in luck. You don’t have to be a Frozen bike for your child to be happy. You can just add Frozen accessories. In addition to this basket and bell set, you can also find Frozen bike decals on Amazon.com
Woven bike baskets break easily, which is why we like this wire mesh basket instead. It comes in several fun colors, is easy to take on and off teh bike, and will last for years.
Kids love how these wheel lights look, and we like them because they help add visibility to your child’s bike. Anything you can do to add light and color to your kiddos bicycle will make them a little safer around traffic.
Here are some of the questions we get emailed frequently.
My daughter complains that her bike seat hurts. What can I do?
Replace it with a better one! You don’t have to buy a whole new bike, just swap out the saddle.
Our favorite for girls is the SDG Fly Jr saddle. You can get even more recommendations in our list of the best kids bike saddles.
How do I pick the right size bike for a girl?
The best way to measure a child for a bike is to measure their inseam. You can then compare this to the standover and minimum seatpost height of the bike (or bikes) you’re considering. For more help in doing this, read our guide to kids bike sizing.
What size bike should I buy a 7 year old girl?
The average 7 year old girl will fit best on a 20 inch or 24 inch bike. But remember, not all kids are average! Before shopping, read our guide to kids bike sizes.
What size bike should I buy a 9 year old girl?
A 9 year old girl will fit best on either a 24 inch or 26 inch bike depending on how tall she is. To measure your child, check out our guide to kids bike sizes.
What size bike should I buy a 10 year old girl?
Most 10 year old girls will fit best on a youth sized 26 inch bike. But remember, each child is different! Make sure to measure your daughter first. Read our guide to kids bike sizing for help.
4 thoughts on “7 Best Girls Bikes & How To Choose!”
We have that bell in purple! Even I love how you can see inside of it. And, streamers! What kid doesn’t love streamers on their bike? I’m all for girly bikes, so long as it means more girls/women on bikes.
I am a tall large woman with a long torso. Often bikes are too short front to back. My cannondale fits well that way but as I age I am less able to be stable while standing and need a curb to mount the bike. It’s really too big to stand over. Is it possible to use smaller wheels? I’m also looking at a 19” Schwinn that is a step thru. Will it be too short front to back?
We have that bell in purple! Even I love how you can see inside of it. And, streamers! What kid doesn’t love streamers on their bike? I’m all for girly bikes, so long as it means more girls/women on bikes.
What about Guardian Bikes?
I am a tall large woman with a long torso. Often bikes are too short front to back. My cannondale fits well that way but as I age I am less able to be stable while standing and need a curb to mount the bike. It’s really too big to stand over. Is it possible to use smaller wheels? I’m also looking at a 19” Schwinn that is a step thru. Will it be too short front to back?
Since you are tall, I wouldnt go with smaller wheels. Opt for a step-thru frame instead.