Many people apply the expression “Just like riding a bike” to an act or skill that comes as second-nature after it’s first learned.

“The magic of seeing someone learn how to ride a bike is that when they get it, they’ve pretty much got it,” said Steve Taylor, communications manager for the League of American Bicyclists, a nonprofit organization based in Washington. “And then it’s a matter of just building and mastering the skills.”

Choosing the right bike for a child’s first ride can be instrumental toward building confidence. Here are some guidelines for navigating the selection process for that first bike and beyond.

Helmet basics

A child needs a proper-fitting helmet before getting on a bike to help prevent head injuries resulting from a crash. Helmets must meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission standard, as indicated by a sticker on the inside of the helmet.

Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization also based in Washington, outlines helmet fitting guidelines:

• The helmet should be no more than the width of two fingers above the eyes.
• Straps should form the letter V under the child’s ears.
• The helmet should remain snug when the child’s mouth is open.

“Some helmets are cuter than others,” said Randy Swart, founder of the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute in Arlington, VA, “but as far as the basics go, each offers about the same coverage and about the same impact performance.”

Swart said many helmets feature multiple sets of adjustable foam pads, helping to extend the life of a helmet as a child’s head grows.

The balance bike method

Experts suggest starting children on a tricycle or a balance bicycle around age 2. Balance bikes, which have been gaining popularity as alternatives to training wheels for more than 10 years, emphasize practicing balance before steering, and don’t come equipped with pedals. In most instances, there is no brake or stopping mechanism other than the rider’s foot.

Or is it glider’s foot?

“The kids can actually use their feet to balance, and they use their feet kind of like a duck foot, kind of to flap themselves along and glide on the bicycle,” said Chris London, a community relations official with Performance Bicycle, a retailer in Chapel Hill, NC.

All children’s bikes are sized by wheel diameter. Balance bikes typically feature 12-inch wheels, similar to that of a suggested starter bicycle with training wheels, but industry professionals have found that balance bikes help accelerate development for riders after the initial learning phase.

“You’d be surprised,” London said. “Kids … oftentimes can either quickly or almost immediately remove the training wheels on a 16-inch bicycle after coming off these balance bikes.”

Training wheel checkpoints

Although training wheels typically are seen as aids when a young rider is in motion, London advises that “training wheels themselves aren’t necessarily meant to be a static product.”

To optimally boost the child’s development, adjust the training wheels as the child builds confidence with mounting, riding and stopping. London recommends incremental adjustments of one-quarter inch as warranted.

“As the child gets more comfortable on the bicycle, they’ll find themselves actually self-balancing on the two wheels as it was meant to be, and the training wheels only come into effect as the child starts to tip or lean over,” London said. “From there, that’s when you know you can remove the training wheels.”

Sizing things up

Many retailers provide bike size charts based on a child’s height or inseam. Here’s a glance at a chart from Performance Bicycle:

Age	Height	Suggested bike
2-4 years old	26-34 inches	12-inch bike
3-6 years old	34-44 inches	16-inch bike
4-8 years old	44-56 inches	20-inch coaster brake bike or 20-inch geared bike
7 or older	56-62 inches	24-inch geared bike

Performance Bicycle also offers these recommendations for buying a child’s bike:

• The child should be able to comfortably sit on the seat with his or her feet or toes touching the ground.
• When the child’s feet are on the pedals, his or her knees shouldn’t touch the handlebars.
• When sitting on the seat, the child’s hands should reach the handlebars easily.

A bike that’s inappropriate for a child’s size and age may decrease his or her enjoyment level and likelihood of striving to develop riding skills. Experts also warn against parents buying a larger bike so a child can grow into it.

“One of the common things we see is people looking to get the largest bike that they can prop the child up on, and I think that’s oftentimes a buying mistake when they do that,” London said. “It certainly makes sense why they’re doing it; however, what you end up doing when the child can’t comfortably or safely reach the ground is I think you take away the confidence of the child, and I think they’re going to typically learn at a slower rate if they’re not comfortable on the bicycle. Or they might just reject wanting to get on it altogether.”

London said he also sees parents “starting to forgo a helmet for a child, which of course is a mistake.” He also reminds parents to be wary of using hand-me-down helmets from older siblings.

Overall, London said, parents should do everything they can to make the child feel comfortable in the early learning stages. “If the event as a whole or the ride as a whole is enjoyable, I think they’re more likely to do it or repeat it,” he said.