ByK E-250 Review

A bang for your buck, the ByK E250‘s lightweight, larger tire size, and low center-of-gravity design allow kids to ride easier, sooner, and faster. Read the review below!

young boy riding a 14 inch byK e250 kids bike

ByK E-250 Overview

RATING: Recommended

MSRP: $259

BEST FOR: Young riders, aged 3 to 5, ready to transition to a quality, but affordable small pedal bike.

ADDITIONAL SPECS

SEAT HEIGHT: 15.75″ – 18.1″
WEIGHT: 14.4 lb.
TIRE SIZE: 14″
GEARS: Single Speed
BRAKES: Coaster brake with Front Hand Brake
WHEELBASE: 645 mm
GAIN RATIO: 2.45

PROS:

  • Low center-of-gravity design for easier balancing
  • Included push bar to help parents balance unstable kids
  • Lightweight for its price range
  • Available in four colors

CONS:

  • Quality of components could use improvement
  • Coaster brake

ByK E250 Review – Results of our Test Rides

ByK bikes were designed for one main purpose, to make bikes safer for kids to ride. As a bike shop owner for 25 years, Australian Warren Key watched thousands of kids bikes leave his shops, but never realized how poorly designed those bikes were until he had kids of his own. “Sometimes it’s the obvious things that get neglected. Even though I have been surrounded by bikes for over 25 years, it wasn’t until I needed to help my son that the penny dropped; kids bikes were clearly lagging in design.

The idea of an easier to ride kids bike pushed me. I knew there was a need in the market and more importantly my own children, especially one, needed it too.” After years of research and design, ByK bikes was born and have been a hit in Australia since day one. ByK bikes are now available in the US and are quickly putting smiles on kids faces.

What makes ByK bikes different? Lighter, longer and lower, ByK built their bikes around a child’s body. A lighter frame makes the bike easier to handle, a longer wheelbase provides more stability and a lower bottom bracket, allows the child to sit lower on the bike (in relationship to the wheels), lowering the overall center of gravity of the rider.

As a result, ByK bikes are easier and safer for a child to ride.  To demonstrate the difference, ByK provided an E-250, their smallest pedal bike, which has 14″ wheels to facilitate this review. When compared to the popular 12″ Walmart bike, which is designed to fit the same size child, the differences between the two is visually significant. This just goes to show how important it is to find the right size of bike for your kids.

ByK vs. HotWheel

In addition to making the bike easier and safer to ride, ByK went one step further and included a push bar for parents. With a large number of kids still relying on training wheels (also included with the E-250), the push bar provides a natural transition for kids who struggle once they are removed. We also found the bar to come in handy for kids who already know how to balance a bike, but are having trouble learning how to pedal.

By supporting our three-year-old tester with the bar, he felt more comfortable practicing pedaling as he didn’t have to worry about loosing momentum.  Accidentally pedaling backwards (common for toddlers), also become a non-issue as the push bar prevented falls often caused by the unexpected activation of the coaster brake. Once a child is comfortable pedaling, the bar is easily removed by simply pushing a button, no tools needed.

ByK bar

The gear-ratio of the ByK also makes them easier to ride.  With a smaller chain ring, it requires less effort to get started riding. For more aggressive riders, the lower gear ratio means they won’t be able to ride as fast, but for the average kid, the gear ratio was a perfect balance. To prevent greasy pant legs, the chain ring is fully enclosed, front and back, helping to prevent the chain from coming off the chain ring.

ByK chain ring

For added safety, ByK bikes also include a pad to cover the threaded headset and a bell. The inset bolts of the headset, will additionally protect from scratches when the pad is not in place. The bell on our test bike did brake relatively soon, which is typical with bells found on kids bikes.  The overall quality of the bike also isn’t a high-end as the WOOM or the Islabikes but considering its lesser price tag, it is certainly reasonably priced.

ByK headset

Weight

At 14.4 lb. the ByK E-250 is heavier than the woom 2, but lighter than the Guardian Ethos 14. Ideally, a child’s bike should be less than 30% of their body weight, but since kids can weigh as little as 30 lb., that’s generally not feasible. At 14 lb. the ByK is especially light for its price, considering it has larger and heavier 14″ tires.

The brakes of the ByK is certainly one item we would like to see improvement on.  While child-sized, the brake lever was almost too far for our three-year-old tester to reach.  As mentioned previously, we would also like to see a freewheel option, but since they are required on all bikes with a minimum seat post less than 17″, it would require selling a completely separate back wheel (which the user would have to install themselves, like the WOOM) or selling the bike with a extra long seat post and require the purchase of a shorter one (like Cleary).

Byk Brakes

Bottom Line

Lightweight with a larger tire size and low center-of-gravity design, the ByK E-250 packs a lot of punch into its price tag.  The “Best Bang for Your Buck” in bikes, ByK’s allow kids to ride easier, sooner and faster. Coming standard with a coaster brake, the ByK can be more challenging for balance bike graduates to learn to pedal, but the included push bar can certainly help to ease the transition.  With its low 15.7″ minimum seat height, the E-250 is suitable for kids in size 3T to 5T pants. For more small bike options, check out our list of 10 Favorite 12 Inch and 14 Inch Bikes.

FTC Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this review.  No monetary compensation was provided for this review, however, the reviewed product was supplied by the manufacturer or distributor to help facilitate this review. All opinions and images are that of Two Wheeling Tots LLC.  All content and images are copyrighted and should not be used or replicated in any way. View our Terms of Use.

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