Mainstream manufacturer makes a bike for children: Boardman JNR 16” 2022 Kids Bike review

For the first time since 2014, Boardman is making kids’ bikes again, and they are back with a bang. Using geometry cues from their adult bikes, these premium junior bikes, aptly named the JNR range, comprises of six models, from a 12” wheel balance bike to a 26” wheel family adventurer. On review is the entry-level pedal bike in the JNR range, a 16” wheel, ready for stabilisers, if needed.

Five of the six models have had their design inspiration from the HYB (hybrid) Range, a bike competent over tarmac, grass or gravel. This on-test is an all-rounder, ideal for kids as they begin their cycling adventure, where riding over many different types of terrain is a given.

Boardman has been sure to consider everything on the bike to fit smaller bodies and limbs, turning the pedals over easier, flatter handlebars make them easier to balance, and lighter weight makes them easier to ride up hills and parents to carry if needed.

Priced at £280, Boardman has made a kid’s bike cheaper than its rivals, but that’s not to say it’s compromised anywhere. Coming in under the well-respected brand Frog Bike and is also more affordable than other big names, such as Raleigh, Specialized and Orbea. Read on to see What's The Best's review.

Boardman takes on the little wheel leagues: How does it fair?

Making a kid’s bike isn’t just about putting something together that they will have to put up and do with. The better the bike fits, feels, balances and performs, the more confidence your child will have riding, the more they will want to ride and the happier cyclist they will be.

Having said that, there is always a balance between what you can afford and what you need for your child to ride. Picking up respected brands second-hand is a very good option, but investing in a bike which will last siblings and hold its value for resale should also be considered.

You may wonder what makes a 16” kid’s bike worth £280. Well, most things you’ll want from a bicycle to perform well and keep your child riding for longer. The biggest thing to consider is weight. A heavier bike will fatigue your child more quickly, yet a bike that is too light can quickly become imbalanced and unstable, so manufacturers must perform a balancing act here. Coming in at 6.2kg, the 16” JNR already gives its competition some headaches.

The smooth weld triple-butted aluminium frame provides lightness, yet it’s stiff enough to cope with various terrains. The Vee Rubber Speedster tyres give good all-weather grip, but when things get muddy, grip gives way.

Shorter peal arms but nice feet-sized pedals give your little one enough purchase to crank the pedal around without over-exertion. This helps balance, installing riding confidence and making bike rides more enjoyable.

What’s in the spec?

As mentioned, the lightweight triple-butted smooth weld aluminium frame kicks the bike off and gives it its class-leading low weight of 6.2kg. It is easy for you to carry and for children to ride. Add to that the fork, which is made from the same material, and you are getting a bike that will be smooth to ride and rigid but has enough flex to eliminate road buzz and small bumps.

There is a 25-tooth cog on the crank and a 14-tooth sprocket on the rear; Boardman has achieved a balance here of ease when starting to pedal and enough of a gear, so your child isn’t constantly pedalling out. You can get bikes with a bigger cog on the crank, but this is often paired with a bigger cog on the rear. So this becomes negligible between brands and when using, not something which is an issue.

Similar to the brakes, many brands at this level will use Tektro v-brakes, which provide plenty of stopping power. At this level, it’s more about getting kids used to using their brakes to stop, not their feet. The short brake levers are seen across a wide range of the Boardman competitors and are great for grabby little hands – easy to apply yet not so sharp in the cables to be doing flips over handlebars or skids.

One final note is the paintwork, which is exceptional. Boardman has given this bike a nice finish on the paint, making it stand out. You’ll love this but hate it when your child falls off, drops the bike and when it falls over. I’d recommend a cycle stand to try and preserve the glorious paintwork, but it seems pretty durable and tough.

Any downsides?

A few minor points to note, which would be handy, is the lack of accessories on the bike. While it comes with a bell and reflectors (a legal requirement when selling a bike), having mudguards and a bike stand would be beneficial. This allows for riding in all weather conditions and reduces the risk of the bike being dropped on the floor. While inexpensive additions, it’s nice to have these things from the off from the manufacturer, so you know they will fit, and you don’t have to think too much about it.

A note on stabilisers - while this bike has nice thick tyres to help with balance, around the back wheels, it gets a bit tight for stabilisers. While I didn’t try and fit them, my suggestion would be, if you needed stabilisers for this bike, to get clip-on ones because they are easier to fit and remove.

Price and competition

It leaves me scratching my head, not at the Boardman bike but at its competition. The Frog 44 is £365. The Cannondale Cujo is £415, while Orbea has an MX 16 at £429. The only bikes which come in cheaper than the Boardman are the Raleigh Pop and Specialized Riprock, which are £240 and £269, respectively. Both are much heavier than the Boardman JNR 16”, which would explain the cost deficit.

So the JNR 16” is aggressively priced, undercutting that of the big name brands of a similar weight and boasting its reasons why it is only a few quid more than its rivals priced below it. For the money and its spec, finding a product on the market that can cope with it isn't easy.

Verdict

With just a few minor additions of mudguards and a bike stand, this bike could easily be a five out of five. However, they don’t come as standard, and purchasing such should only cost you an extra £10-£20 each.

It’s ready to go out of the box with all the tools you need and should only take you the same amount of time to make a cup of tea to put together, attach the pedals and straighten the handlebars, and you’re ready to watch your child take those first pedals of freedom.

I would happily buy the JNR 16” as my child’s first pedal bike or bike away from stabilisers if I’m looking to upgrade. It isn’t easy to see a rival on the market which comes close to it in terms of weight and cost.

More items to consider:

Myles is a Commercial Content Writer for What's The Best, Parkers and CAR. His areas of expertise include cycling, fitness tech and hot hatches.

Subscribe to the What's The Best Newsletter to keep up to date with more of the latest reviews and recommendations from the What's The Best team.