What is a good bike for high school
Is your son or daughter going to high school and really needs a new bike. Which bike for high school is recommended then? Which two-wheeler is not only practical but also popular with high school youth?
Read my tips and experiences here.
Cycling to school
Elementary schools are often nearby, within walking distance. Or maybe a short bike ride is needed. How different is this when children go to high school.
Suddenly have to cycle quite a distance and also with heavy bags.
A heavy backpack
Cycling with a heavy backpack on your back is no fun. What makes that backpack for high school students especially heavy are the many books and the laptop. Our oldest son came the first days of high school with pain in his back.
This came purely from the heavy backpack. That was the time for us to go to the bike store and buy a new bike for high school.
What high school bike do kids want to ride
What bikes do you see a lot on the schoolyards right now? Those are mostly three styles:
- Transport bikes
- Ordinary bicycle with possibly a front carrier or monkey along.
- Electric bikes
Go to a bike store to choose
My tip, go to a bike store when looking for a two-wheeler for your teenager. After all, here they can not only try out the different bikes, but also get a good look at what size bike you should have. Ease of use is important, but so is durability and you don’t want your son or daughter to have outgrown the bike after just one year.
A transport bike
The transport bike is one of the bikes you see a lot in high school. It has been one of the most popular bikes among high school students for years. A transport bike looks cool.
Is sturdy by design, has a double stand and the handlebars can be locked, the chance of falling over is then very small. A transport bike has a front carrier on which you can put your bag with or without a basket. Of course there are different brands of transport bikes.
It is good to look at what you want in terms of two wheels. How many gears do you want on your bike and do you want a coaster brake or handbrake?. In a bicycle store there is always the opportunity to try out different bikes, but take advantage of this.
An ordinary bike, possibly with a front carrier
Besides the transport bike you see a lot of regular bikes in high school. An ordinary bike can be expanded with a front carrier, on which you can put a crate for your bag. But if you have a bike that does not allow this, you can choose a Monkey Mee. A Monkey along is a stand where you can put a bag against the back of your bike.
You do not have to carry the heavy bag on your back, but put it on the back of your bike. The bag is well secured and cannot fall off your bike halfway through.
An electric bicycle
Not every high school is within biking distance but they can also be difficult to reach by public transport. One choice could be to buy your teenager an electric bike. Now of course you hear quite often about accidents with electric bikes, so whether this would be my preference, I don’t think so.
Yet an electric bike is the solution if the distance is too far for a regular bike.
What extra’s do you have for the bike
What can you buy extra to enjoy your bike for a long time, ease of use at the top and maybe modernize your ‘old’ bike:
- Buy an extra lock for when the two-wheeler is at the stations or in a city.
- Provide a rain cover for the saddle.
- No good carrier straps? A monkey backpack carrier on the back of the something is the solution.
- Or buy a separate front carrier on the bike. Here you can put a crate on, in which the bag can be taken along. There are different sizes of crates, get information at a bike store or look online.
Every day cycling fun
Buying a new bike, whether it is a bike for high school, a children’s bike, road bike, mountain bike, mommy bike or e-bike it is really a big deal. Look carefully at where your preference lies and get informed in a bike store about the right size, but also the growth possibilities with the bike. After all, you don’t want to have to buy a new bike next year.