Your hybrid bike lets you go anywhere, but your children’s bikes won’t keep up. His mountain bike is hard to pedal on the pavement and her road bike won’t go off-road.
With so many sites listing the “Best Hybrid Bikes” for adults, adult hybrid bikes are easy to find. But kids hybrid bikes are harder to come by and scarcely researched.
Relax. We’ve done the research for you.
Just browse our list of the highest-rated kids hybrid bikes for the 5 best options in quality and price on the market today. Then follow the links to the manufacturer or retail site and purchase. Simple!
Trek Kids Neko and Kids Dual Sport Bikes
Price: $469.99 Wheel Size: 12″-26″ Purchase at: Trek
As long as the price isn’t an issue, the Trek Kids Neko and Dual Sport are the highest quality kids hybrid bikes you will find. They are based on the adult Dual Sport and Neko models with the same quality only smaller.
These two adult-quality kids bikes may seem overpriced at first, but due to their durability and upgradability, they will likely save you money in the long run. Both bikes can be upgraded to accommodate riders from under 3 feet to 5 feet 3 inches! These bikes will last through most of your child’s childhood, saving you the cost of buying a new kids bike every couple of years.
They can easily traverse mountain and city terrain, have 7 speeds, a sturdy silver-aluminum alloy frame, and weigh less than 25 pounds. They are both rated 5 out of 5 by reviewers.
Frog 55
Price: $450.00 Wheel Size: 20″ Purchase at Frog Bikes
The Frog 55 doesn’t have the upgradability of the Trek Kids Neko and Dual Sport, but it does have some unique advantages over the Trek bikes at a comparable price. Where the Trek models are made to look like Mom and Dad’s bike, the Frog 55 was designed more with 6 and 7-year-olds in mind, featuring kid-friendly, colorful patterns to make your kid feel like a kid.
It also comes with two sets of wheels, hybrid wheels for most terrain and heavy-duty off-road wheels for more adventurous riding sessions. This gives the Frog 55 quite an advantage over the Trek bikes in terms of both versatility and value at a similar price. The Frog 55 has 8 speeds and weighs only 19.4 pounds.
The Frog 55 has received top scores on several bicycle retail sites.
Nishiki Manitoba Kids Hybrid Bikes
Price: $249.99 Wheel Size: 24″
Purchase at: Dick’s Sporting Goods
Available in boys and girls designs, the Nishiki Mantiboa has 7 speeds and is designed for older kids ages 10 and up. It features a lightweight alloy frame at 24.25 pounds, an exciting color-scheme for the boys and elegant color-scheme for the girls.
Though the tires aren’t as well-designed for mud and rocks as the above models, one extremely convenient feature is an easy release mechanism for the front and back tires. This makes changing a flat or switching in more off-road tires fast and easy without any tools.
At almost half the price of the Trek and Frog models, the Nishiki Mantiboa is a good quality, affordable option. Reviewers at Dick’s Sporting Goods rated them 4.3 and 4.5 out of 5 for value and quality.
2017 Diamondback Insight 20
Price: $204.17 Wheel Size: 20″ Purchase at: Amazon
Rated 5 stars at Amazon, the 2017 Diamondback Insight 20 is an excellent and affordable first bike for kids aged 6-10. At only $204 down from $259.99, plus free shipping, it’s the most economical option on this list.
But that doesn’t mean lower quality. The 2017 Diamondback Insight 20 features 7 speeds and a lightweight alloy frame with a total weight of 27.6 pounds. As for ease of use, one Amazon reviewer notes that their 8-year-old got the hang of it in 5-10 minutes.
Most Important Thing to Consider
Surely you’ve now decided the perfect bike for your child. But the most important biking decision to make for your child is always put their helmet on before they bike. Helmets save lives; NEVER let your child bike without one.
For related fun, check out more fun activities to do with your kids or more places your kids can follow you.