My child wants a BMX: what does it really need?
Your child has watched the older riders at the skatepark or on the pumptrack and now wants a BMX of their own. That is good news: few bikes teach a child as much about balance and body tension. Parents ask us this a lot, so here is what we usually recommend. So you do not have to put it all together piece by piece, there is a starter kit further down: bike, helmet, pads and the essentials in the right size go into your cart together in a few clicks. That way everything is there from the start, so your child rides safely and enjoys it for a long time.
The short answer
For a child from about 8 and 125 to 150 cm tall, an 18 inch BMX fits in most cases. Add a helmet, ideally with a chin guard, knee and elbow pads, gloves a small tool kit, a spare tube and a pump. Pegs are worth it as soon as the skatepark is on the plan.
That is exactly the starter kit below, with up to three suggestions per part. Pick one of each, untick what you do not need, and one click puts the rest in your cart.
Our starter kit
How old is your child?
Height is what counts. If your child is in between, take the size that fits now.
Which size?
Kids BMX bikes are sized by the wheel, given in inches. What matters is your child's height; age is only a rough guide:
| Wheel | Height | Age (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 inch | 95 to 110 cm | 3 to 5 years |
| 14 inch | 105 to 130 cm | 4 to 6 years |
| 16 inch | 115 to 140 cm | 5 to 9 years |
| 18 inch | 125 to 150 cm | 7 to 12 years |
If your child is between two sizes, take the one that fits now, not the one to grow into. Why, is right below.
All kids BMX bikes (12 to 18 inch) 20 inch BMX (from about 150 cm)
Won't my child outgrow it quickly?
We hear this question almost every time, and our answer is clear: buy the bike that fits now, for this season.
The smaller a BMX, the more control you have and the easier jumps and tricks become. 20 inch BMX bikes are sports equipment for teenagers and adults. A child does grow into a bike that is too big within one or two years, but those are exactly the years that matter most.
Our experience: the first year decides. When the first tricks like a bunny hop, a tailwhip or a 180 work out, kids want more and stick with it. When they do not, because the bike is simply far too big, it soon ends up in the corner.
And outgrowing it is no loss. A BMX is usually ridden for about three years. After that your child has either become good enough that a higher-quality bike, or a geometry for the direction they want to go, makes sense. Or the interest is gone and the bike is sold on. The kids BMX bikes we offer have a very high resale value.
With the right bike nothing stands in the way of a season full of riding, and your child has one of the most fun hobbies there is.
The easiest start: a workshop
Kids learn their first tricks fastest with other kids and a coach. Together with STUTTPARK in Stuttgart Bad Cannstatt we support BMX workshops for everyone from 6, whether your child is on a BMX for the first time or already rides confidently. Dates and sign-up are in the article BMX Workshops 2026 at Stuttpark.
Why a real BMX and not a toy
Many BMX-look kids bikes, as found on all kinds of marketplaces, are heavy and built with parts that do not survive the first jumps for long. The bikes we recommend are scaled-down versions of what adults ride in the skatepark: lighter frames, thinner grips and brake levers small hands can reach. A child can pull such a bike up, jump it and control it, and that is where the fun is.
Whether your child wants to learn jumps and tricks in the skatepark or ride laps on the pumptrack makes no difference to the bike. A BMX is built for both. More about pumptracks in our guide Which bike for the pumptrack?
Pegs or no pegs?
Pegs are the short tubes bolted onto the axles. In the skatepark riders stand on them, slide along ledges and rails or stall on a coping. Your child will not need them in the first weeks. But as soon as the first tricks on a ledge come up, they are usually the first thing asked for.
Our recommendation: if your child is heading for the skatepark, take them right away. If it is only pumptrack and trails, leave them out, they do nothing there.
- Plastic rather than metal: we recommend the Salt AM pegs with a plastic sleeve. They slide well, are kind to the skatepark's edges, and the sleeve can be replaced once it is worn.
- Fit almost anything: the Salt AM pegs fit 14 mm axles, an adapter for 10 mm axles is included.
- Not a footrest: pegs are not for giving a friend a ride. A second child on the pegs throws the bike off balance quickly.
How to fit them is shown in our video How to fit pegs to your BMX.
Helmet, pads and gloves
While learning, going over the bars is part of it. That is why we prefer a helmet with a chin guard for kids. The TSG Seek Youth FR has a removable chin guard: it stays on in the skatepark and comes off for the way to school. A helmet without a chin guard, a half shell like the TSG Evolution Youth, is just as fine with us. What matters is that it fits and is always worn. Measure the head about one centimetre above the eyebrows; the sizes are in our size charts.
For pads, knees, shins and elbows matter most, because they land first in almost every fall. The TSG Junior bike set covers exactly those and is made for children up to about 7. For older children we recommend the TSG Basic set with knee, elbow and wrist pads.
Gloves always make sense. On a BMX you fall a lot, and most of the time you catch yourself with your hands. Gloves keep the skin from tearing open. In summer they give a perfect grip on the bars even with sweaty hands, and in winter they even keep the hands a little warm.
Tools, tube and pump
After the first crash the bars are often twisted, and now and then a bolt works loose. A small BMX tool kit fixes that in two minutes at the spot. The Cult BMX set has a 17 mm socket, a ratchet with an extension for the pegs and 6 and 8 mm hex keys, which reaches most bolts on the bike.
A flat comes sooner or later, and not every bike shop stocks tubes for small BMX wheels. With a spare tube at home the bike is ready again the next day. Add a pump: at the right pressure the bike rolls more easily and the tube does not pinch as quickly on landings. A floor pump with a gauge is the most convenient at home, a mini pump fits in the backpack.
More 18 inch BMX bikes available right now
Not sure?
Then just get in touch, we are happy to help. It helps us if you mention how tall and how old your child is and where they want to ride. In our shop in Stuttgart the kids BMX bikes are there to try, and what is not in stock we order for you.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach us anytime via our contact form. In the shop you can reach us on +49 711 / 219 548 90. How to find us is described in our article BMX in Stuttgart.