What type of bicycle is best for most people?

Through my experience as a bike shop owner since 2012, the best bicycle for most people will be the one that is not too large or heavy so that it can be ridden by:

1) the young or old.
2) someone who is shorter.
3) someone learning to ride.
4) someone with gait issues.
5) someone with back issues.
6) the young till adulthood.
7) someone who likes to cycle recreationally with family members.
8) someone who enjoys going for short excursions or long distance rides.

The bicycle that meets all these criteria is the folding bike. 

It enables the cyclist to ride comfortably in an upright position because the stem and seat post are adjustable. It is also a bicycle recommended by doctors for patients who have back issues and can only do low impact exercises. 

Though most folding bikes are made for adults, due to their adjustable stem and seat post height, even a child age four in the family can ride on one that is 14″ in wheel size.  This is what a 14″ wheel size folding bike looks like.

That said, if you have bought a 14" wheel size bicycle meant for children, you will have to buy another with larger wheels as your child grows older.

When you get your children folding bikes to ride on, you will appreciate it when you do not have to drive them to places they have to be at. If it is further away, you can drive them to the train or bus station so that at their last stop, they can cycle to their final destination. You just have to make sure that the route they have to ride on is safe.

A folding bike in wheel size from 12″ to 20″ is the right option for parents who wish to ride along side their children, as they are cycling on bicycles in such wheel sizes.  When you are cycling recreationally on a larger wheel size bike with younger family members who are cycling on 12″ to 20″ wheel sizes, they will have to struggle to catch up with you.  One revolution of your wheel will take you further and further away from them. You may have to stop often to wait for them, which is not a fun way to ride.

The low top tube also allows seniors in the family with gait issues to mount and dismount the bike without any fear of them falling. As a folding bike is also smaller and usually lighter in weight than the regular bikes for adults, you do not have to worry that they will be easily hurt by it, considering that they may have brittle bones as they age.  If that is a concern, choose one with  alloy frame as they are way lighter.  

This is how a folding bike looks like once it is folded.

Being able to fold it makes it convenient to transport more than a bike in your vehicle, to get to another location to ride.  While you are out on excursions with your family, don’t you hate it if you have to give up a good parking spot as you have to drive off to get something for your get together? If you have a folding bike in your car, you can cycle out for whatever you need.

A folding bike will also be easier for you to manage if you need to take public transport part of the way during a long distance ride. You can consider cycling part of the way and board public transport, like buses or trains, with it in tow, on days when you are not up to the ride or when the weather is too bad to be out cycling.  It will cost you less to ship your folding bike back home if, for some reasons, you cannot continue cycling for the rest of your journey. Moreover, if you often have to carry your bicycle up a flight of stairs, I would suggest that you get an alloy frame unit. The average weight of a 20″ alloy frame folding bike is 12kg and they are making them lighter and lighter. 

It is also a great bike for a beginner to learn to cycle on without training wheels installed.  To learn to ride on it, just lower the seat post to make sure that both feet touch the ground firmly while seated on the saddle. As the top tube is low, the gap between it to the crotch area of rider should be so wide that it is unlikely for the learner to be hurt by it should he or she stumbles and falls over it.  

Be careful if you are learning to ride on one with gear components installed. Gear components are sensitive and damaged parts can be costly to replace.  To lean to ride without training wheels, just follow the tips I shared at the following link:

Learn to ride

How do I learn to cycle?

This is a fun way to learn to cycle without training wheels:

1) Find a park with grassy slopes.

2) Slide down the slope on your bicycle to learn how to balance yourself on it.

3) Once you are confident; start pedalling as the wheels build up momentum, rolling down the slope.

Keep repeating that process and you will soon get the hang of it. Once you are able to keep your balance on the bike, click on the following link to learn how to mount and dismount from your bike:

How to get on and off your bike correctly

However, before you even start on that, make sure that you have got yourself a bicycle suitable for your height.

What is the best age to start cycling?

What is the best age to start cycling? That depends on where you are from.

A child age 2 1/2 from Australia, America or European countries will be tall enough to learn to ride on a 12″ wheel size balance bike.

There are no chain and pedals installed on a balance bike. To be able to ride on one, the child while seated on the saddle, must be able to push the bike with their feet to move the wheels forward. From my observation as a bike shop owner in Malaysia, a child here has to be age three and above in order to be tall enough to learn to ride on one.

As balance bikes are not so common locally, most children here prefer learning to ride on a regular bicycle with training wheels attached. These are bicycles they have seen their siblings, relatives or neighbours’ kids ride on.

Balance bikes are not the kind of bicycle I can convince a grandparent here to buy for his or her grandkids. Though it is definitely a bike that you can consider getting for even an older child to learn to ride on by getting him/her to go down a slope on it. As you can see from this video, the young girl going down a slope on a balance bike is possibly older than 6.

A child or an adult can learn at any age as long as they have a bicycle in the right wheel size for their height, which is generally as shown in this table:

For the safety of the cyclist, there must be a gap of at least 1″ from the toptube to the crotch area.

This is why for adults and older children age 4 and above, I will suggest that they consider learning to ride on a folding bike. Its toptube is low so learners will not be hit by it should they stumble while learning and fall over it. As most folding bikes are made for adults, that means that older or taller members in the family can also ride on it by adjusting the height of the stem and seatpost.

It can become the bike for the family as an adult folding bike in wheel size of:

1. 12″ and 14″ can be ridden by a child age 4.
2. 16″ can be ridden by a child age 5 and above.
3. 20″ can also be ridden by a child age 6.

How to get on and off a bike?

 This was how I was taught to mount a bicycle:

-stand on the left side of your bicycle
-place your left leg on the pedal
-push the ground with your right leg to move your bicycle forward
-as the wheels build up momentum, lift up your right leg over to the right pedal
-start pedaling

You can watch this technique being taught 58 seconds into the video. Seth of Berm Peak called it the “step and swing” method. He also shared many other methods which you can check out.

This is how I was taught to dismount:

-lift up your right leg over to the left side of your bicycle

-as you brake to slow down, put your right leg on the ground to help slow it down further

-your right leg should be firmly on the ground once your bicycle slow down to a stop

-you can now step off the left pedal

You can watch this method 1 minutes into this video. It is called the “high style” by the instructor, Guillaume Guerard.

What's the best way to teach my little sister to ride her bike?

Most balance bikes can take weight load of up to 20kg. Another option to balance bike for a child who is older and heavier is the Scoot and Ride which can take a weight load of 50kg.



The best part about Scoot and Ride is that you can also use it as a scooter.

For a child 6 years and above, you can also consider getting a 12", 16" or 20″ alloy folding bike for her to practice on. An alloy folding bike being lighter than a steel bike will be easier for her to handle.


The toptube of a folding bike is low so she will not be hurt if she falls as both her legs will be touching the floor. Lower the seatpost so that she can walk while sitting on the bike.

Bring her to a park with grassy slopes and let her slide down on the foldie. As the bike builds up its momentum as it rolls down the slope, it will be easier for her to learn to balance herself before she starts pedaling.

This video shows how adults are taught to ride on a folding bike which will give you a better idea of how it can be done.