Children's bike 18 inches in the test and comparison 2020

A children’s bike, size 18 inches, represents the last stage in which a bike is classified as a toy. This is also the reason why the equipment here is not yet designed for road traffic. However, if your child drives safely, you can definitely consider further investments.

Bachtenkirch children’s bike Empress purple-white

This is a purple and white children’s bike with a frame height of 31 cm and (removable) handlebar streamers for children from the age of 4 years. There is enough space on the luggage rack or in the basket on the handlebars for teddies, water bottles or a jacket.
The empress is well made and the frame is made of steel and the rims are made of aluminum. Despite the stable workmanship, it is still relatively light with a weight of 11 kg.

The saddle is made of padded plastic and adjustable in height. There is one for sufficient security hand– and coaster brake and reflectors for front and rear as well as a bell and edge protection on the fender ends. The handbrake lever is also child-friendly adjustable.

However, the children’s bike has only one gear, which has both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, this is very good for a beginner’s bike, because you don’t overwhelm the child right away, but children also quickly grow out of their bikes and then you need a new one quickly.
In addition, no training wheels are included, so it is questionable whether the Empress from Bachtenkirch is the first bike of its own. So you would have to retrofit them. Usually children with 18 inch wheels no longer need training wheels.

Overall, the Bachtenkirch Empress offers a good overall package and is definitely recommended for experienced drivers!

Benefits:

✔ low frame height
✔ height-adjustable seat
✔ stable processing
✔ light weight
✔ many safety precautions

Disadvantage:

✘ rigid steering wheel fork
✘ no suspension

Scool Xxlite Soccer 18 inches

This bike is perfect for every little soccer fan. The frame is decorated in green with white stripes. The handlebar is equipped with soft grips, and there is also a ball holder on the handlebar above the front wheel so that the ball can be easily and conveniently taken to the soccer field.
The padded saddle has a football look and is height adjustable.
The football look can also be found on the wide 18 inch tires, because the valve caps are shown as small footballs.

Reflectors above the front and rear wheels, mudguards above the tires and a rim and coaster brake ensure enough safety. If you are still considering buying a children’s bike, whether you want to cancel or not, you can find more information here.

In order to be able to park the bike safely, there is even a height-adjustable bike stand.
The steel frame makes a very stable impression, but the wheel is still relatively light at 11.3 kg for 18 inches.

As far as the number of courses is concerned, the Xxlite Soccer from Scool is only equipped with one gear. This reduces the maintenance effort and is for children easier to use, but it could also happen that the child becomes too slow after a short time. Nevertheless, it is a good beginner bike.

Again, it is not really suitable for longer journeys, since it does not have a luggage rack. sports bag & Co. either have to stay at home or mom or dad take them with them on their luggage racks.

Benefits:

✔ cool football look
✔ Ball holder
✔ Height adjustment (saddle and bike stand)
✔ light weight
✔ stable processing

Disadvantage:

Bachtenkirch Police-T 18 inches

With the Police-T from Bachtenkirch, your little policeman can chase early. The bike is black and completely in (American) police look.
What immediately stands out are the large black balloon tires. As a result, the bike is less stressed and well cushioned despite the lack of suspension off-road or on curbs.

The many reflectors above the front and rear wheels, the reflectors on the spokes and the pedals, as well as the rim and coaster brake ensure very good safety.
The frame is made of steel and therefore very stable, but the bike is relatively light at 11.8 kg.
The handlebar is equipped with soft grips for great driving comfort and a black sign with the words "Police", which is easy to remove.

The padded saddle is made of plastic, black and white and adjustable in height.
However, the mudguards over the front and rear tires are quite short, which means that there is no optimal splash protection.

In addition, there is no luggage rack, which means that the bicycle offers only a few options for transporting luggage, such as sports bags or bags. Whether a missing luggage rack directly As a disadvantage, it must ultimately be decided individually.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the Police-T has only one gear and there is a risk that your child can “grow out” of the bike very quickly.

Benefits:

✔ many safety precautions
✔ extraordinary police look
✔ stable processing

Disadvantage:

What should be considered before buying?

In the case of play bicycles, the size difference only moves upwards in small increments. In general, you can say that 18 inches from a height of 110 cm to 130 cm are recommended. In most cases, the child has already started school accordingly. It should be added that it is better to have already bought a larger bike when the maximum size is reached.

The minimum step length is 51 cm, maximum should not be able to measure much more than 60 cm. As far as the saddle height is concerned, this is normally at most 65 cm. Usually the saddle on 18 inch bicycles can be adjusted by at least 10 cm. However, when adjusting the saddle you should always remember that the children must be able to touch the ground with both tips of their feet at the same time.

Age: 6-8 years
Height: 110-130 cm
Inseam: 51-61 cm
Maximum saddle height: 65 cm

Further features and equipment of an 18 inch children’s bike

As already mentioned, the child usually goes to school when he is given an 18-inch children’s bike. At this age, many children already go to school by bike alone. Even if 18 inches are still considered a play bike in principle, it is appropriate to equip the bike with safety-relevant and roadworthy equipment – then even compulsory for the way to school.

Two non-slip pedals with yellow reflectors and independent brakes are actually included in every high-quality bike. Bicycle lights (white headlights, red taillights), yellow reflectors on the spokes, a reflector at the front and rear, and an easily heard bell are all mandatory. The reflectors at the front and rear can also be integrated into the lamp or the rear light.

Furthermore, it is now essential to ensure gear shifting and a stable luggage rack. Not to forget a lock of good quality.