14 of the Best Hybrid Bikes for Kids of All Ages
There are countless types of kids hybrid bikes on the market. They are offered from a range of brands and they vary significantly in quality and price.
Here we have picked out 17 of the best that span a wide age range, to help you make an informed decision as to which is best suited to your child. All are available at an affordable monthly rate with Bike Club.
What is a Kids Hybrid Bike?
First of all, what defines a hybrid bike from other kids bikes? Hybrid bikes aim to give kids the best of both worlds, being capable of riding on and off-road. They are essentially a mix of a road bike and a mountain bike.
Hybrid bikes are versatile. They can get your little one across town to school on tarmac roads, or take them along rocky hill trails at speed. Overall, a kids hybrid bike is an excellent choice for a practical all-purpose bike.
What Are The Benefits of a Hybrid Bike?
The main benefit of a hybrid bike is its adaptability. Being able to tackle a range of terrains with ease is something that other types of bikes lack.
With a road bike you would have great difficulty taking it into the woods, conversely taking a mountain bike on the road would require more effort to build and maintain speed than a hybrid bike.
Comfort is also taken more into consideration in hybrid bike design, meaning they usually have a more upright riding position, a padded seat, and wide tyres.
Forme
Forme, launched in 2010, is made up of an array of cycling competitors and specialists, and this is reflected in the high performance of their bikes.
At Bike Club we supply them because we love the design and quality of Forme kids bikes. They pay attention to every detail of their kids bikes, and perfect them with feedback from young riders. Below are three exceptional Forme hybrid bikes for kids that we highly recommend.
Forme Kinder 20
- Inner leg measurement: 52cm – 62cm
- Generally for children 6 - 7 years old
- Weighs 8.47 kg
- 20” Wheels
The Forme Kinder 20 is part of their Kinder range. Forme Kinders are versatile lightweight hybrid bikes that we highly recommend.
For their size and purpose, they are amongst the lightest bikes out there. Their compact frame design means they can employ the largest tyres for their size, which gives a boost to speed and handling on rough terrain.
Finally, there is a short stem length for reduced reach, and a bright gear shift extender to help learners with its 8 gear range. With a Forme Kinder, your little one will have no trouble at all haring around on tarmac, gravel, or grass!
Forme Kinder 24
- Inner leg measurement: 61cm – 67cm
- Generally for children 8 - 9 years old
- Weighs 9.34 kg
- 24” Wheels
Forme Kinder 26
- Inner leg measurement: 66cm – 74cm
- Generally for children 10 - 12 years old
- Weighs 9.4 kg
- 26” Wheels
Frog Bikes
Frog Bikes was started by a husband and wife team in 2013. Jerry and Shelley Lawson set out to make quality lightweight kids bikes, and today Frog has worldwide renown.
Frog bike frames have been designed with the help of sports scientists from Brunel University, and they are scaled to children’s anatomy. Frog’s range of kids bikes now covers balance bikes to mountain bikes for teens. They of course have frog-green hybrid bikes, and a range of other quirky paint jobs.
Frog 52
- Inner leg measurement: 50cm – 58cm
- Generally for children 5 - 6 years old
- Weighs 8.75 kg
- 20” Wheels
Frog hybrid bikes, loosely covering 5 to 13 year olds, can get your child around on a variety of terrains. Like all Frog bikes, their hybrids are light as a feather, well proportioned, and therefore comfortable to ride.
Their hybrids are built from the ground up to fit around the anatomy of children. The geometry and components have been designed with this in mind. They also have 8-speed easy-change gears for hills and wide Kenda tyres for bouncing along trails at speed.
Frog 53
- Inner leg measurement: 50cm - 62cm
- Generally for children 5 - 7 years old
- Weighs 8.15kg
- 20” Wheels
The Frog 53 is an updated version of the Frog 52, with a lighter weight and some changes to its geometry.
Frog 55
- Inner leg measurement: 52cm – 62cm
- Generally for children 6 - 7 years old
- Weighs 8.8 kg
- 20” Wheels
Frog 55 has been discontinued by Frog, but these great bikes are still available from Bike Club as refurbished ‘reBikes’.
Frog 62
- Inner leg measurement: 57 cm - 65 cm
- Generally for children 8 - 10 years old
- Weighs 9.2kg
- 24” Wheels
Frog 69
- Inner leg measurement: 63 cm - 70 cm
- Generally for children 10 - 12 years old
- Weighs 10kg
- 26” Wheels
Frog 69 is the first of the 26” wheel bikes, and is available in a range of striking paint jobs. One of these is the all-yellow Tour De France finish for young racers.
Frog 73
- Inner leg measurement: 67cm – 76cm
- Generally for children 12 - 14 years old
- Weighs 10kg
- 26” Wheels
Frog 78
- Inner leg measurement: 72cm – 83cm
- Generally for children 13+ years
- Weighs 10.8kg
- 26” Wheels
Frog City 53
- Inner leg measurement: 49cm – 62cm
- Generally for children 5 - 7 years old
- Weighs 9.71 kg
- 20” Wheels
The clue is in the name with Frog City bikes: they are made for urban cycling. This might mean getting to school for your child or it might mean riding around town with their mates. Whatever the need, if it's in a town or a city, these bikes have it covered.
Frog City bikes differ from regular Frog hybrids in several ways. They have a more upright riding position, a step-through frame, a floating chain glider, and a pannier rack. Like regular Frog hybrid bikes, they also have 8-speed gears.
Frog City 67
- Inner leg measurement: 63cm – 76cm
- Generally for children 10 - 12 years old
- Weighs 9.61kg
- 26” Wheels
Woom
Woom is an Austrian kids bike company founded in 2013 with an increasingly global presence. It was started by two cycling enthusiasts looking to build kids bikes that truly fitted to a child’s proportions.
Since then Woom has grown to become one of the most popular kids bike brands in Europe, being a leader in Germany and Austria. They have a solid reputation for high-quality kids bikes, and at Bike Club we couldn’t agree more!
Woom 4
- Inner leg measurement: 57 - 72cm
- Generally for children 6 years and older
- 7 Gears
- 20 Inch Wheels
Woom 4 is the smallest of Woom’s three hybrid bikes and is excellent at introducing children to gears. The Woom hybrids all share an ergonomic frame design that fits naturally to a child's proportions.
They have light but strong aluminium frames to make handling the bike as easy as possible. Conveniently, the seat height can be adjusted which gives some wiggle room with height for when your child grows.
All parts of the bike have been designed to make it child friendly and natural to ride. This includes ergonomically positioned pedals, a simple-to-use gear shifter, and brake levers that can be pulled easily by small hands. Finally, with grippy tyres, Woom hybrids will let your child speed around on and off the road.
Woom 5
- Inner leg measurement: 69 - 84cm
- Generally for children 7 years and older
- 8 Gears
- 24 Inch Wheels
Questions We’re Regularly Asked About Kids Hybrid Bikes
What bike should a 7 year old have?
Most 7 year olds would be comfortable on a 20-inch hybrid bike, such as Woom 4, Forme Kinder 20, Frog 53, amongst others. However, 7 year olds on the taller side would be better off on a 24-inch wheel bike.
This is why when picking a bike for your child it is more important to go by inside leg measurement than age. To help, you can read our handy guide to measuring your child for a bike.
Can a 4 year old ride a 14-inch bike?
Yes. Most 4 year olds can ride a 14” bike, but many would be more comfortable on a 16” bike. Again, we recommend going by inside leg measurement to more accurately decide which bike will be perfect for your little one.
Is a hybrid bike good for beginners?
Hybrid bikes are great for beginners as they can nimbly ride on roads or be taken off-road. All the bikes on our list are great for developing young cyclists and are great for introducing them to gears.
If you have a young child you may be better off starting them on a balance bike or a first pedal bike depending on their size.
Is a 24-inch bike too big for a 6-year-old?
Yes. Unless your 6 year old is exceptionally tall for their age, a 24-inch bike will be big. A 6 year old would be more comfortable on an 18” or 20” bike depending on their inner leg measurement.
How do I measure my child for a bike?
The best measurement to use when picking a child's bike is inside leg measurement. To measure this, get your child to remove their shoes and stand with their back against a wall.
Then slide a thin book or similar object between their legs as high as is comfortable. Mark where the top of the book touches the wall, then measure the distance from the mark to the floor.
You can then input this measurement into our bike finder and see which bikes will be the correct size for your little one.
Kids Hybrid Bikes with Bike Club
You can sign up to Bike Club today and have access to the best kids hybrid bikes on the market for an affordable monthly fee. When your child outgrows their current bike you will be able to exchange it for a larger bike. We aim to save you time and money, and also do our bit to reduce waste and promote a sustainable circular economy.