Maximize Your Miles: The Ultimate Guide to Adjusting Your woom Bike as Your Child Grows
Summary: Getting the most out of your child's woom bike means more than just waiting for the next size up. Because of their clever design, woom bikes include a variety of easy-to-use adjustment features, ensuring your young rider enjoys a comfortable and safe fit as they grow. From saddle and handlebar tweaks to more specific model adjustments, this guide will walk you through how to fine-tune your woom bike, extending its life and maximizing your child's riding adventures.
In this article:
- Understanding Key Adjustments for Growing Riders
- Fine-Tuning Your woom GO 1 and woom GO 1 PLUS
- Adapting the woom GO 2 for Developing Skills
- The woom Steering Limiter: Safety That Grows
- Perfecting Hand Brake Reach and Tension
- Optimizing Seatpost Height for Comfort and Efficiency
- Customizing Handlebar Position for a Better Fit
- Getting Started with Gears on Size 4, 5, and 6 Models
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Understanding Key Adjustments for Growing Riders
What if we told you that sizing up from one woom to the next isn’t the only way to accommodate your growing young one? While getting a brand new bike is always exciting, you'll be happy to know there’s plenty of room for your child to grow with their current woom bike. Our team of product developers and designers has truly thought of everything – from small adjustments like the saddle height to bigger adjustments such as the variable stem – to ensure your child will always be comfortable and can get the most out of their bike. Making these regular kids' bike adjustments will not only enhance comfort but also safety and confidence.
Fine-Tuning Your woom GO 1 and woom GO 1 PLUS
Even though the woom GO 1 and woom GO 1 PLUS are designed for our littlest riders, they're packed with big features that help them grow with your child. For example, the woom GO 1 features an innovative “bottomless” seat tube design, allowing the saddle to be positioned as low as just 10 inches from the ground. From there, it can easily be adjusted up to 14.4 inches, accommodating those early growth spurts.
Because all kids don’t grow at the same rate or start at the same skill level, we offer a hybrid balance bike between the woom GO 1 and woom GO 2 – the woom GO 1 PLUS. This model is just as adaptable as our other models. While the woom GO 1 PLUS is a balance bike (no pedals here!), it features the same frame size as the woom GO 2. It’s ideal for children on the taller side or those who begin their balancing journey a bit later and have already outgrown the woom GO 1. With its built-in SURFBOARD Footrest, your child has a place to rest their feet as they really get into the groove – it’ll feel like they’re gliding on clouds. Although only the woom GO 1 PLUS comes pre-equipped with the SURFBOARD Footrest, it can also be mounted on the woom GO 1!
Learning to ride is fun and safe on this superlight balance bike with 12″ wheels and a safety-conscious design for toddlers 18 months and up.
Learning to ride is fun and safe on this superlight balance bike with 14″ wheels and a safety-conscious design for kids aged 3 and up.
Learning to ride is fun and safe on this superlight balance bike with 12″ wheels and a safety-conscious design for toddlers 18 months and up. Fully equipped with the VIENNA Bell and BUTLER Bike Bag
Be aware that the bike and accessories may arrive in two separate deliveries.
Adapting the woom GO 2 for Developing Skills
The woom GO 2 is our smallest pedal bike, weighing in at just 12.2 pounds. It's designed to make the transition to pedals seamless. Although the woom GO 2 comes with a bottom bracket (meaning it has crank arms to attach pedals), many parents who are teaching their child to ride choose to gradually transition their young Rider by holding off on installing the pedals and using it as a balance bike at first. This clever approach allows your child to get the hang of their new bike frame while continuing to master balancing and braking. Once they’re fully ready to take off on their own, you can easily add the pedals with the provided pedal wrench and watch them ride off!
Aside from adding the pedals when your young one feels ready, there’s another modification you can make to enhance their riding experience: upgrading the rear wheel. While including a coaster hub brake is legally required for bikes of this size in the US, it’s common for parents to upgrade the rear wheel themselves (see video here), which is completely legal (we recommend it!). By replacing the coaster hub with the woom GO 2 FREEWHEEL Kit, your kiddo will be able to backpedal freely without accidentally engaging the brake. This newfound freedom provides your child with increased maneuverability and allows them to experience less pedal resistance. Freewheels are the norm on most other bikes, so getting kids familiarized early prepares them for their future biking adventures. This is a great way to make their woom bike fit their developing skills even longer.
The woom Steering Limiter: Safety That Grows
The woom GO 1, woom GO 1 PLUS, woom GO 2, woom GO 3, and woom GO 3 AUTOMAGIC each come with a woom Steering Limiter. Designed to prevent accidental overturning and help maintain a straight line, this small but essential piece has an intentional breakaway feature. If you notice this piece has broken loose, don't worry! Once your Rider has developed their steering skills and outgrown the need for the limiter, it will naturally break away. If you’d like to replace it for your current Rider or for a younger sibling to use the bike, you can find a spare here.
Perfecting Hand Brake Reach and Tension for Small Hands
One of the most critical parts of a bicycle is its hand brakes, and at woom, we recognize the importance of making them highly adjustable for small hands. Kids’ hands come in a wide range of sizes, and each child grows at their own pace.
To account for this, the woom GO 1 PLUS, woom GO 2, woom GO 3, and woom GO 3 AUTOMAGIC all include an easy-to-use reach adjustment knob. This knob determines how far away the brake lever is from the handlebars, ensuring even the smallest fingers can comfortably and confidently apply the brakes.
There’s more! All woom bike brakes also feature a barrel adjuster to alter the brake lever tension. As your child's grip strength changes, you can fine-tune the brakes for optimal responsiveness. The brake levers themselves can also be rotated up or down so that the Rider can reach them from a comfortable, neutral wrist position.
Optimizing Seatpost Height for Comfort and Efficiency
One of the simplest and most effective ways to adjust your woom bike for a growing child is by raising the seatpost. Making this woom bike adjustment is a cinch on our collection of woom GO models, as they all come equipped with a quick-release seatpost clamp. To make things even easier, the seatpost comes with “ABC” markings for precise adjustments of the saddle height in relation to the same corresponding marking on the handlebars. Just keep an eye out for the minimum insertion point marked on the post – this is the highest the seatpost can safely be raised.
How high should the saddle be?
Brand new riders should be able to comfortably place their feet flush on the ground while seated. This provides stability and confidence. More experienced riders can extend the seat upward so just their tippy-toes touch when seated. This higher seat position will allow for greater leg extension and more efficiency when pedaling, helping make the kids' bike fit longer.
Customizing Handlebar Position for a Better Fit
The woom GO 1 PLUS, woom GO 2, woom GO 3, woom GO 3 AUTOMAGIC, and woom GO 4 all come with BMX-style, high-rise handlebars that can be easily adjusted to accommodate growth. Simply tilt the handlebars forward or backward by loosening the bolts on the front of the stem. The ideal positioning would allow the Rider to lean slightly forward with their arms coming downward at a 40-60 degree angle. Afterward, don’t forget to adjust the orientation of the brake levers to match the angle of your Rider’s arms, as seen in this video.
For older riders, the woom EXPLORE 4, woom EXPLORE 5, and woom EXPLORE 6 feature an ingenious stem design that allows for even more handlebar adjustability. By simply loosening two bolts, the variable stem allows the handlebars to unfold into higher or further positions so your growing Rider can always find a comfortable position. This means you can truly make their woom bike fit perfectly as they shoot up in height! To find out more about adjusting your variable stem, watch this video.
The superlight, all-rounder 20" children's bike for riders aged six and up with disc brakes, 7 gears and all-terrain tires.
The superlight, all-rounder 24" children's bike for riders aged seven and up with disc brakes, 8 gears and all-terrain tires.
The superlight, all-rounder 26" children's bike for riders aged ten and up with disc brakes, 8 gears and all-terrain tires.
Getting Started with Gears on Size 4, 5, and 6 Models
Once your child is approaching 6 years old and/or 45” in height (i.e., size 4 in our lineup), they’ll have a few different bike options to pick from within the woom catalog. We recommend taking the Bike Finder Quiz for a quick expert recommendation based on your child’s height and riding style. With that said, whether they go for a woom OFF AIR mountain bike or the versatile woom EXPLORE, one thing all woom bikes have in common at the size 4 stage is gears.
As kids transition from a single-speed bike to one with a cassette, they probably won’t initially use the full range of gears. However, as they grow stronger and more confident, they’ll begin to explore how the different gears work: lower gears for tackling hills and higher gears for cruising on flat ground or downhill terrain. This adaptability helps them master new skills and ensures their bike continues to challenge and engage them as they grow.
Your child’s bike is a means for personal growth, so it’s only fitting that it can grow with them. Therefore, whether by dialing in the brake levers, raising the seatpost, or tweaking the handlebars, you can help your Rider go wherever their cycling journey takes them – they’ll be unstoppable!
At woom, we believe in the magic of riding. Founded by two dads passionate about cycling, we craft ultra-lightweight, high-quality bikes designed specifically for children. Our mission is to make learning to ride easy and fun, ensuring every woom bike grows with your child, creating countless joyful adventures. Learn more about our story and commitment to kid-friendly cycling.