First Pedal Bikes
Best kids bikes with training wheels
The Retrospec Koda 16 wins because it is the only bike here that publishes a saddle range (18.5–23 in) as well as arriving with training wheels fitted, and at 18.5 lb it is roughly three pounds lighter than every Schwinn at the same wheel size.
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If you want a bike with training wheels, buy the one that is light enough to ride after they come off. Every bike here ships with them fitted, so the only things that separate these four are weight, whether the brand publishes a saddle height, and whether there is a hand brake as well as a coaster.
| Model | Wheel | Weight | Saddle range | Brakes | Also included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retrospec Koda 16 | 16" | 18.5 lb | 18.5–23" | Coaster + hand V-brake | — |
| Retrospec Koda 12 | 12" | 15.9 lb | 15.5–18.5" | Coaster + hand V-brake | — |
| Schwinn Elm 16 | 16" | 21.14 lb | not published | Coaster + front caliper | Basket, chainguard |
| Schwinn Petunia 12 | 12" | 19.36 lb | not published | Coaster only | Parent push handle |
Read from Retrospec's and Schwinn's own product pages on 2026-09-26. Schwinn publishes total bike weight but no saddle height for any of these models.
Read this before you buy any of them
Training wheels are not a shortcut to riding a bike. They teach a child to pedal and steer a tricycle that happens to look like a bicycle, and they actively prevent the one skill that matters — leaning. Plenty of children learn this way and turn out fine; it just takes longer than the balance-bike route. We make the full case on do kids need training wheels.
If you have decided on training wheels anyway — because it is what the grandparents bought, or because your child is five and has never been on two wheels, or because that is simply how you want to do it — then the bike underneath them is what this page is about.
Weight is the thing training wheels hide
With stabilisers on, a heavy bike feels fine: the child is being held up by steel. Take them off and the same bike is suddenly a 21 lb object that has to be balanced. That is the moment weight starts to matter, and it is why we rank on it.
18.5 lb
Retrospec Koda 16
21.14 lb
Schwinn Elm 16
22 lb
Schwinn Elise 16
The CDC's median five-year-old weighs about 40 lb. A 21 lb bike is 53% of them — the equivalent of a 95 lb bicycle under a 180 lb adult. The Retrospec at 18.5 lb is 46%. Neither is light, but two and a half pounds at this size is a real difference in whether a bike gets picked up after a fall.
| Age | Boys (lb) | Girls (lb) | Midpoint (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 27.9 | 26.6 | 27.3 |
| 3 | 31.4 | 30.4 | 30.9 |
| 4 | 35.6 | 34.6 | 35.1 |
| 5 | 40.3 | 39.3 | 39.8 |
| 6 | 45.4 | 44.4 | 44.9 |
| 7 | 50.6 | 49.9 | 50.3 |
| 8 | 56.3 | 56.2 | 56.3 |
| 9 | 62.7 | 63.6 | 63.2 |
| 10 | 70.1 | 72.1 | 71.1 |
Parsed from the CDC's published weight-for-age percentile data file. These are measured national medians, not estimates.
Why the saddle range matters more than the wheel size
Retrospec publishes a saddle height range on every Koda. Schwinn publishes none on any bike in this roundup. That single difference decides whether you can confirm the bike fits before it arrives, or have to guess and hope.
Note what those Koda numbers mean in practice: the 12-inch Koda needs a 15.5 inch minimum saddle, which is a longer leg than most two-year-olds have. A bike marketed at ages 2–3 is really a bike for the top of that band.
Coaster brake, hand brake, or both
Both Retrospec Kodas have a hand-operated V-brake alongside the coaster, with a reach-adjustable lever — so a small hand can actually pull it. The Schwinn Elm 16 has a front caliper as well as its coaster. The Schwinn Petunia 12 has a coaster only, with no lever at all.
On a bike that will lose its training wheels in a few months, a hand brake is the thing that carries forward: it is the brake every bike they own afterwards will have. The argument in full is on coaster brakes vs hand brakes.
The push handle question
The Schwinn Petunia 12 comes with a removable parent push handle. It is genuinely useful for the first two or three outings — you can steer them, slow them, and stop them walking the bike home. It also adds weight, and after a fortnight it lives in the garage. Worth it if your child is at the youngest end of ready; irrelevant otherwise.
What we would actually buy
For most families: the Retrospec Koda 16. Lightest of the 16-inch options, training wheels fitted out of the box, a real hand brake, and the only one whose fit you can verify on paper.
For a three-year-old: the Retrospec Koda 12, on the same reasoning at the smaller size — as long as the inseam clears 15.5 inches.
If a basket is part of the deal: the Schwinn Elm 16, which arrives with training wheels, a basket and a chainguard. See best girls' bikes with a basket for the rest of that range.
And when it is time for them to come off — which is sooner than you think — the method is on how to get rid of training wheels.
The picks
Every figure below is the manufacturer's own published spec, linked to the page we read it from. We have not ridden these bikes and the cards say so — here is how we choose.
Quick picks — sorted by weight
| # | Product | Best for | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16" Top pickRetrospec Koda 16 18.5 lb, a published 18.5–23 in saddle range and training wheels fitted — the budget 16-inch that does not make you guess at the fit. | The budget 16 inch that publishes its fit | 18.5 lb | |
| 2 | 12" Retrospec Koda 12 The only 12-inch pedal bike here that publishes a saddle range (15.5–18.5 in), and the lightest of them at 15.9 lb — which makes it the one you can size before you buy. | The 12 inch you can size on paper | 15.9 lb | |
| 3 | 16" Schwinn Elm 16 The basket bike most parents actually mean when they search for one: 16 inches, training wheels on, basket fitted, and a front hand brake already there. | A basket, fitted out of the box | 21.14 lb | |
| 4 | 12" Schwinn Petunia 12 The 12-inch with a removable parent push handle — genuinely useful on the first few outings, and the reason to pick it over the Elm 12 if your child is at the youngest end of ready. | A push handle for the first rides | 19.36 lb |
n/p = the manufacturer does not publish that figure. We do not fill in a number they never gave.
Top pick — The budget 16 inch that publishes its fit
Retrospec Koda 16
18.5 lb, a published 18.5–23 in saddle range and training wheels fitted — the budget 16-inch that does not make you guess at the fit.
| Wheel | 16" |
|---|---|
| Weight | 18.5 lb |
| Saddle height | 18.5–23 in |
| Brakes | Rear coaster brake plus a hand-operated aluminum V-brake |
| Gearing | Single speed, 32T crank and 16T cog, 4.0 gain ratio |
| Frame | High-tensile steel, low-profile step-over |
| Brand says | Manufacturer says ages 4–6, riders 39–53 in, up to 80 lb |
What works
- 18.5–23 in published saddle range, 4.5 in of travel
- 18.5 lb — lighter than every Schwinn 16 in here by about 3 lb
- Training wheels come installed, and come off when they are ready
- Hand V-brake as well as the coaster
What doesn't
- The coaster brake is still the primary stop
- Retrospec publishes rider height, not inseam, so the saddle number does the sizing work
- 80 lb rider limit
Hands-on status: Researched from published specs · Retrospec — Koda 16 specs
#2 — The 12 inch you can size on paper
Retrospec Koda 12
The only 12-inch pedal bike here that publishes a saddle range (15.5–18.5 in), and the lightest of them at 15.9 lb — which makes it the one you can size before you buy.
| Wheel | 12" |
|---|---|
| Weight | 15.9 lb |
| Saddle height | 15.5–18.5 in |
| Brakes | Rear coaster brake plus a hand-operated aluminum V-brake with a reach-adjustable lever |
| Gearing | Single speed, 28T crank and 16T cog, 3.5 gain ratio |
| Frame | High-tensile steel, low-profile step-over |
| Brand says | Manufacturer says ages 2–3, riders 31–42 in, up to 50 lb |
What works
- 15.5–18.5 in published saddle range, so the inseam check works on paper
- 15.9 lb, the lightest 12 in pedal bike in this registry
- Training wheels included and removable
- A real hand-operated V-brake with an adjustable-reach lever, not just a coaster
What doesn't
- A 15.5 in minimum saddle is still too high for most two-year-olds — that is a balance-bike inseam
- 50 lb rider limit
- Steel frame; it is light for the category, not light in absolute terms
Hands-on status: Researched from published specs · Retrospec — Koda 12 specs
#3 — A basket, fitted out of the box
Schwinn Elm 16
The basket bike most parents actually mean when they search for one: 16 inches, training wheels on, basket fitted, and a front hand brake already there.
| Wheel | 16" |
|---|---|
| Weight | 21.14 lb |
| Brakes | Rear coaster brake plus a front caliper hand brake |
| Gearing | Single speed |
| Frame | Steel, 9 in, Schwinn SmartStart geometry |
| Brand says | Schwinn publishes no age or height range for the 16 in Elm |
What works
- Basket, removable training wheels and chainguard all come in the box
- Front caliper hand brake in addition to the coaster
- Slack seat-tube angle and tool-free adjustment, so it grows a little
What doesn't
- 21.14 lb — about half the body weight of the median five-year-old
- Schwinn publishes no saddle height, so the leg-length check cannot be done before delivery
- Steel frame and steel rims; expect it to feel like a heavy bike, because it is one
Hands-on status: Researched from published specs · Schwinn — Elm 16in specs
#4 — A push handle for the first rides
Schwinn Petunia 12
The 12-inch with a removable parent push handle — genuinely useful on the first few outings, and the reason to pick it over the Elm 12 if your child is at the youngest end of ready.
| Wheel | 12" |
|---|---|
| Weight | 19.36 lb |
| Brakes | Rear coaster brake only — there is no hand lever |
| Gearing | Single speed |
| Frame | Steel, 8 in, kids geometry |
| Brand says | Schwinn publishes no age or height range for the Petunia 12 |
What works
- Removable push handle with a bottle holder, so an adult can steer and slow it
- Removable training wheels included
- Quick-release seat post for tool-free height changes
What doesn't
- 19.36 lb — over two pounds heavier than the Elm 12 on the same wheel size
- Coaster brake only; there is no hand lever at all
- No published saddle height or rider height range
Hands-on status: Researched from published specs · Schwinn — Petunia 12in specs
Questions parents actually ask
01What is the best kids bike with training wheels?
The Retrospec Koda 16. It comes with training wheels installed, weighs 18.5 lb — around three pounds less than the Schwinn 16-inch bikes — has a hand-operated V-brake as well as a coaster, and is the only bike here whose maker publishes a saddle height range (18.5 to 23 inches).
02Do kids bikes come with training wheels?
Most big-box and budget kids bikes do, in 12 to 20 inch sizes. Premium brands like woom, Prevelo and Guardian generally do not, because they are built around the balance-bike route instead.
03What age are training wheels for?
Usually three to six, on a 12 to 16 inch bike. There is no fixed age — what matters is the inseam clearing the bike's minimum saddle height, and Retrospec is the only brand in this roundup that publishes one.
04Should I buy a bike with training wheels or a balance bike?
A balance bike is the faster route to riding, because it teaches balance directly and training wheels prevent it. But if you have already decided on training wheels, buy the lightest bike you can, because weight only becomes obvious the day the stabilisers come off.
Sources
Read next
- Learning to RideBest training wheels for kids bikesFour real sets, compared on what they fit and what they hold.
- Learning to RideDo kids need training wheels?A straight no, and the faster alternative.
- Learning to RideHow to get rid of training wheelsTake both off at once. Two weekends, not two months.
- First Pedal BikesBest 16 inch kids bikesFour 16-inch bikes — and a 2.1 inch spread in minimum saddle height.