Buying a Kids Bike for Christmas: When to Order, What to Choose and How to Hide It
A new bike is still one of the best Christmas presents a child can get, and also one of the hardest to keep secret. It's big, it needs to fit, and it has to be safe to ride on Christmas morning. Here's how we help parents and grandparents get it right: when to buy, how to choose a size without giving the game away, our gift picks by age, and what to check before the big reveal.
When to buy a kids bike for Christmas
Earlier than you think. Every year the most popular kids sizes and colours get tight as December goes on, and the first-choice bike isn't always there in the week before Christmas. Buying in October or November gives you the full range to choose from and time to swap if something isn't right.
It's also worth knowing that some bikes on our website are held in our suppliers' warehouses rather than on our shop floor. They're just as available, but they need ordering in, so give yourself a bit of extra time. If you're unsure, call us and we'll tell you whether a bike is here at Long Road or needs ordering.
Getting the size right without spoiling the surprise
Kids bikes are sized by wheel, and the child's height and inside leg matter much more than their age. Our kids bike size guide has the full chart, but you don't need to ask them to stand against a wall with a tape measure in December. A few sneaky ways to get the numbers:
- Measure a pair of trousers that fit them well, from the crotch seam to the hem, for a rough inside leg.
- Check their height against a doorframe "for school" or use their latest height from a recent check-up.
- Look at the wheel size of the bike they ride now. If their knees are high and their feet sit flat on the floor, they're probably ready to go up one size.
Bring those numbers to us and we'll match them to the right bike. If you can't decide between two sizes, the smaller one is usually the better first Christmas bike, as it's lighter and easier to control.
Our Christmas gift picks by age
First pedal bikes (around 3 to 5)
The Probike Ultrabot 12" is a simple, low stand-over starter bike with stabilisers and alloy rims, which suits little ones taking their first pedal strokes. For superhero fans, the Huffy Marvel Avengers 12" comes with wide training wheels and a padded seat, and is recommended for ages 3 to 5.
Growing in confidence (around 4 to 6)
The Probike Heidi 16" is a cheerful purple 16" bike with stabilisers, streamers and V-brakes, so it's ready for park laps straight out of the wrapping paper and can lose the stabilisers once they're steady.
First gears (around 5 to 8)
The Trek Precaliber 20 7-Speed is a great step up for riders roughly 114 to 132 cm tall. It has a front suspension fork, seven gears, brakes sized for small hands, and a hidden handle under the saddle so you can steady them while they learn to ride on two wheels.
If they're already riding confidently and you want something lighter with stronger brakes, the Cube Numove 200 Disc has Tektro hydraulic disc brakes with child-specific levers, an adjustable stem that can grow with them, and 8-speed gears.
Big kids ready for trails (around 7 to 11)
For a proper junior mountain bike, the Whyte Secta 24 uses a lightweight 6061 aluminium frame, a rigid fork and grippy 2.3" Kenda tyres. Whyte recommend it for riders around 120 to 140 cm. If you want front suspension and lots of gears at a value price, the Viking Wolverine 24" pairs a Zoom suspension fork with Shimano 21-speed gearing, and it's a bike we've tested and approved in the shop.
You'll find every size and brand in our kids bikes range.
Where to hide a bike (and how to wrap it)
A bike is hard to hide in a house full of curious kids. A few things that work for our customers:
- Keep it somewhere else. A grandparent's or neighbour's garage is the classic hiding place.
- Collect it close to the day. Buy early to secure the size and colour, then talk to us about when to pick it up.
- Wrap the shape, not a box. An old bedsheet or a big bow over the handlebars is much easier than wrapping paper, and the reveal is better.
- Hide the helmet separately. A helmet makes a great "clue" present to open first.
Christmas Eve checks before the big reveal
Whether it came from us or not, spend five minutes on these before it goes under the tree:
- Brakes: squeeze both levers. The bike shouldn't roll when you push it forward, and small hands should be able to reach the levers.
- Tyres: pump them to the pressure printed on the tyre sidewall. Bikes that have sat in storage often go soft.
- Saddle height: for a new rider, set it low enough that they can put both feet flat on the ground.
- Bars and wheels: check the handlebars don't twist against the front wheel and the wheels are done up tight.
- Stabilisers: if fitted, check they're level and tight on both sides.
If anything feels wrong, don't guess. Bring it in after Christmas or give us a call and our workshop will sort it.
Stocking fillers to go with the bike
A helmet is the one extra we'd never skip. The Kali Chakra Child Lighted helmet has a built-in light, a moulded visor and a Dial-Fit closure for an easy, secure fit, and there are more options in our kids helmets range.
For smaller stocking fillers, the Oxford Junior Ping Bells come in fun animal designs, and an Oxford self-coiling cable lock is a good first lock for quick stops at the park or the shops.
Come and choose it with us
If you'd like help picking the right Christmas bike, pop in with your measurements (or the child, if the surprise doesn't matter) and we'll show you the options side by side. You can also browse our kids bikes online and call us to check stock.
Find us at Les’s Cycles, 365 Long Road, Canvey Island, Essex SS8 0JQ, call 01268 695877 or email sales@lescycles.co.uk.