Is it time to replace your bicycle?

 It is time to upgrade your bicycle when you have outgrown it in size. However, if the condition of the bicycle is good, you can repair it and pass it down to other members in the family, who are tall enough to ride it.

Do you still have the “Bicycle Owner’s Manual” for the bicycle you are currently cycling on? If you refer to the manufacturer’s bicycle sizing guide, you will be able to find out if your bicycle is still in the right wheel size or frame size for your age or height. Here is one I extracted from a manual issued for Apollo bike owners.

You can see the frame size marked on the seat tube of your bicycle, as shown below:

The tyre size is marked on the sidewall as shown below:

Click on the following link if you want to learn more:

How do you read a bicycle tyre size?

Sometimes we received bicycles from owners which require major repairs that are costly. Based on the condition of their bicycles and the age or height of the rider, we may advise our customer against proceeding, if the total for replacement parts and the service fee is close to the price of a new bicycle.

Our customers will still consider costly repair for bicycles that are branded and of good quality:

-so that younger siblings in the family can continue to ride on them.
-as it has sentimental value; it being a bike one of the parents had cycled as a kid.
-as it is an antique bike passed down as a gift from a loved one who has passed away.

Some of our customers repair bicycles their children have outgrown so that they can give them away to a charitable organisation.

Bring your bicycle to your local bike shop to have it appraised. If you like your bicycle, check with them if some minor changes that are not costly can be made to your bicycle to make your rides more comfortable, now that you are taller.  You can click on the following link to find out what I mean.

How do I get the bike fit done? 

If the attendants at the bike shop are not able to give you the advice you need or you are advised to replace it, you can refer to the following table for other types of bicycle available in the market. It will also help you to decide if you should replace your current bike.

How can I choose the best bike for my children?

This chart provides a general idea of the type and wheel sizes of bicycles your children can ride on, based on their age.

The best bike, from your children’s point of view, will be the one that is:

-suitable for their age as one that is too big scares them.

-in the colours that they like.

-printed with images of their favourite cartoons (for the younger ones).

-similar to that their friends are cycling on (for the older kids).

-meet their purpose, example, BMX for kids who enjoy performing tricks or road bike or fixie for those who enjoy speeding down the road on large wheels or MTBs for those who like to cycle on rough terrains.

From different parents’ point of view (I have met many), the best bicycle for their children will be the one:

-that is safest to ride on, which is usually smaller in size than the one recommended by the bike shop
because they are worried that their children cannot handle them and will be hurt.

-that is the cheapest one in the shop because they are frugal or they have a budget to meet.

-that is easy or not costly to maintain, example, with no gear components installed because they do not trust that their children will take care of the bike well.

-that can also be ridden by other members in the family because they are practical or there are too many members in the family to get each child a bike.

-that have more accessories installed like carrier, mudguards, bell and basket.

-that comes with lots of free gifts like helmet, bell and lights.

From a bike shop owner’s point of view, the best bike for children will be one:

-that the child can ride over a longer period of time (but that is bad for my business).

-that can be shared amongst siblings and, if possible, adults in the family (but that is bad for my business).

-that are installed with carrier, basket , mudguards, bell, front and rear light for children who rides to school or run errands on them.

If you are looking in that direction, consider getting adult folding bikes for your children. As you can see, the seat post and stem height on a folding bike are adjustable to cater to riders of various heights.  This also allows the cyclist to sit in a more upright position.

So, an adult folding bike in wheel size of:

-12″ and 14″ can be ridden by a child age 4.

-16″ can be ridden by a child age 5 and above.

-20″ can also be ridden by a child age 6 till adulthood.

Also, the handlebars on some folding bicycles can be removed if they are bolted on to the stems or there is a quick release mechanism to release them from their stems.

If the distance from the seat to the handlebar is too far to reach. it allows the parent to replace the current handlebar to one that is curved towards a shorter rider in the family.

There are adult bicycles in the market with smaller wheel size that their children can also ride on. This is a 16″ wheel size bicycle made for the Japanese market. A child age 5 or above should be able to ride on it.

This is also made for the Japanese market. Its rear wheel is 16″ while the front is 24″.

Some 20″ wheel size bicycles for children can also be ridden by adults. A child age 6 should not have any problem cycling on a 20″ wheel size BMX.  However, if the top tube length is too long, the handlebar can be pushed towards a shorter rider to enable him to reach it.

Just note that getting the child a BMX with a longer top tube length means that he will be able to ride it for a longer period of time.

When the child is taller replace the seat post to one that is laid back.  The increased distance from the saddle to the handlebar will make the child's ride more comfortable.

The carrier on this 20″ wheel size bicycle can handle load as it is welded to the frame. This is a suitable bicycle for a child who rides to school or have to run errands on it.  

Changes can be made to a bicycle to meet the purpose for buying it.  For example, the customer of the above bicycle, opt to attached a removable padded rear seat to the bicycle so that she can ferry her younger sibling. The original saddle was replaced with one that is larger so that seniors in her family can sit on it comfortably. A stem extender was also added to increase the height of the handlebar so that someone taller in the family can ride on it with comfort.

Here is another 20″ wheel size, low cost and low maintenance bicycle to consider getting for children age 6 and adults to ride on.  It looks like a folding bike as its top tube is low. 

If you plan on getting a bicycle for your child to ride to school on, consider getting one with full mudguards installed as it rains all year round in Malaysia. 

How do cyclists adjust their saddles to the correct height and fore or aft position?

The height, fore and aft adjustment for saddle is the same for all bicycles. You will find very clear instruction with photos from “Raleigh Bike Manuals & Quick Start Guide”.

From there, you can click on link to Raleigh bike Owners Manual. If the links I shared are broken, you can refer to the following question I answered earlier for other links and learn how to find your own bicycle owner's manual.

What are the best tips to maintain a bike in the proper way?

I extracted the following information from an older manual from Raleigh that I have:

“To adjust the saddle height, loosen the clamp bolt using an Allen key, spanner or the quick release lever and adjust the seat post to the required height. Adjust the height of the saddle so that when cycling along, your leg will be slightly bent with the pedal at its lowest point.

Important: When altering the height of the saddle, you must not pull the seat post out further than the limit mark (17). This must not be visible.”

Some clamps on seatposts are different but they are fitted to slide along the rails of the saddles in the same manner. These are the type of seat clamps that are often seen on alloy seatposts.

This is how the clamps with titanium bolts on a Prolite seatpost looks like.

This is how the saddle is attached to this lightweight seatpost from GUB. 

There are alloy and steel seatposts without clamps on them to attach to the saddles. Instead, the clamps are already attached under the saddles. As these clamps are heavier, you will not see them installed on road bikes. They are usually seen on saddles for cruisers or lower end bikes. For such, you loosen the nuts at both sides of the seat clamp to move the saddle forward or backward along the rails.

Cyclists of Canyon bikes, can even read about how they can adjust their saddle position and angle at the following link of their site. 

Bike Fitting for Road Bikes

If you prefer to see how the saddle height is adjusted, you can watch this video from Canyon Bikes.

The way the saddle from this Canyon Bike is attached to its seatpost is also different. You can see how the tilt is adjusted. 

Can an adult ride an 16 or 18" kids bike?

This bicycle has a size 16″ rear wheel and a size 24″ for its front wheel. It is a bicycle suitable even for shorter members in the family.



This is also a 16″ bicycle.


Adults should not look awkward cycling on bicycles like these.

Size 12″ to 20” folding bike is another option a shorter rider can consider. You can raise the seat post and handlebar to a height where you will feel comfortable cycling. Straddle over the body of a 20” folding bike. It is not likely to touch your crotch area.

This is a how a 12 inch wheel size folding bike looks like.



This is a 20″ folding bike.


If the handlebar of a 20″ foldie is too far away for your reach, choose a folding bike that gives you the option to change the handlebar to one that you can reach. Some folding bikes come installed with T shape handlebar which is not interchangeable.

A bicycle with 20" wheelset is suitable for kids 6 years and above. However, if you get yourself a 20″ BMX bike with a top tube length of 18" to 20" you will be able to ride it till you are 5’ 3” in height.



A BMX has higher handlebar which is more comfortable as you do not have to slouch over to reach it. If it is installed too far for your reach, you can lower it down towards you. The seat post bends backward to accommodate the height of taller riders. That way, their legs will not feel too tired cycling. There is a tendency for cyclists to stand on the pedals to ride to relieve the fatigue and that will damaged the pedals sooner.

I usually discourage my customers from buying 18″ wheel size bicycles as it is not a common size in Malaysia and they will have difficulty finding spare tyres and tubes.

Which one is the best balance bike for my toddlers?

Not all balance bikes are built the same. Some are more expensive than the other.

Through my experience selling JDBug Balance Bike, though it is indicated that child of age 2.5 years can start ridding on it, so far, only 3 years old kids are tall enough to ride. This is because the average height of Asian children is lower than that of children from Europe.



Read up on the material used to produce the balance bike. If it is made of steel will your child be hurt if he or she keeps falling while riding on it because it is heavier? It is best to bring your child to the shop selling the balance bike you are interested in to give it a test ride. Find out the maximum weight load it can take and the warranty period extended. Ask if there are replacement parts for it, especially for the tyres and tubes. Ask if they of common size so that you can easily find them in other bike stores near your home.

I noticed that quite a number of kids still can’t ride without the training wheels attached though they are old enough to ride a 20″ bike. Here is an option for children too tall to learn to ride with a balance bike.

This is the Scoot and Ride which has worn the Toy Award in 2015. It can take a weight load of 50kg.


Once your child no longer needs it as a push/balance bike, he or she can continue ridding it as scooter, possibly even after age 15.

24 INCH BICYCLES FOR AGE 9-13

A 26" bicycle should be comfortable for any one below the height of 5' 6".  A competent rider of 10 years of age should not have any problem mounting one to cycle.

But if height is an issue, there is always the 24" bicycle to consider.  Just make sure that when the rider straddle over the bicycle, his or her crotch is not rubbing hard against the toptube.  We do not want the cyclist to be hurt badly should he or she take a fall.

Similar 24" bicycles for kids can be purchased online at Amazon.