Less is more: the optimal weight for a children's bike

When choosing the right children's bike for their offspring, most parents primarily focus on the right size - and rightly so! Because only with an inch size that harmonizes with the child's height can optimal and, above all, safe driving fun be guaranteed. But in addition to the size, there is another factor that you should consider when buying a new kids bike: the weight!

Don't take it lightly - why the weight of children's bikes is so crucial
Heavy equals high quality. Light equals cheap.
In some people's minds there is still the old cliché about bicycles that only use high-quality parts if they are particularly heavy. However, this has not been the case for a long time. Quite the opposite. Especially for children, it is crucial to choose a bike that weighs as little as possible. While the weight of a normal bicycle for an adult is usually around 20 percent of their body weight, this value can be between 40 and 80 percent for a child, depending on the bicycle model.
Such weight is not only strenuous, but also a safety risk. For example, if the child falls while trying to carry his bike up the stairs. The handling of the lightweight bike is also much more child-friendly when turning, as significantly less weight has to be held on. Quite apart from the fact that it's more fun to ride, a light bike accelerates much faster and gets up the mountain much easier.

The goal: less frustration, more driving fun and – more relaxed kids!
The lighter the children's bike, the better your child will get along with it. Every kilo counts.

How much a children's bike should weigh maximum
Basically: the lighter, the better. For a child, every additional kilo has a negative effect on the handling of the bike.
It is said that adult bikes that are intended to move dynamically and safely should weigh no more than one sixth of the rider. If we translate this rule of thumb to a child, with a weight of 20 kilograms, this would correspond to a bicycle weight of between 3 and 5 kilograms.

Since such a light bike would be a dream, but at the moment it is still a dream of the future and children fortunately have more strength in relation to their body weight than adults, children's bikes can be in a slightly higher weight class.

For a body weight between 12 and 16 kilograms, the WHO recommends a bicycle weight of around 5 kilograms. If you weigh between 16 and 20 kilograms, the ideal bike weight should be between 5 and 6 kilograms. If the child weighs between 20 and 25 kilograms, the bike can weigh 6 to 8 kilograms. From 25 to 32 kilograms, a weight between 8 and 10 kilograms is recommended.

Our ACADEMY bikes for ultra-light riding fun
Our ACADEMY bikes are ultra-light: all models weigh 40 percent less than the average weight of a child.
A 16 inch ACADEMY Grade 3 children's bike weighs just 5.5 kilograms. A 20 inch ACADEMY Grade 4 bike weighs just 7.5 kilograms. The 24 inch ACADEMY Grade 5 weighs an incredible 8.2 kilograms and the ACADEMY Grade 6, at 9.0 kilograms, is well below the usual weight of children's and youth bikes.

In addition, they are specifically tailored to the ergonomic requirements of children. The frames with deep and narrow bottom brackets enable a tight and child-friendly leg position, while short cranks and an upright sitting position ensure that the feet can be placed on the ground at any time. At the same time, our lightweight children's bikes enable an ergonomic knee position while riding.

The ACADEMY bikes were developed in collaboration with the German Institute for Orthopedics and Sport (DIOOS) Bielefeld with the aim of developing a lightweight bike for children that meets orthopedic and ergonomic aspects and at the same time offers children fun while cycling. In addition to the well-thought-out and child-friendly design, this is ensured by the modern and stylish look of the lightweight ACADEMY bikes for children.

Easy, light and cool with S'COOL
Our cool S'COOL school bikes are the perfect companions on the way to school and for leisure fun afterwards. Our lightweights from the SL model series, the XXlite SL and the chiX SL, impress with their weight-saving construction in addition to well-thought-out components and a cool design.
For both models, aluminum attachments were chosen when selecting the fork, stem, handlebars and crank. The new hub dynamo and the 3 or 7-speed Nexus freewheel hub save further weight. The XXlite 24 inch weighs just 12.2 kilograms, while the chiX SL impresses with a slim 12.5 kilograms.