This time last year, my then-5-year-old had the joy of reviewing the Frog 53, an awesome bike, in fact, one of the best kids' bikes I've ever come across, and he's still riding pretty much every day. So when Frog announced it was launching a new first-pedal bike, we set about identifying an appropriately sized child to do the testing.
What’s new
The Frog 38 replaces the 40 (and prior to that the 43) as the smallest pedal bike in the range.
Frog’s naming-come-sizing system is based on the rider’s inseam length, denoting the shortest / minimum length for each sized bike for a novice rider (i.e. a 38cm inner seam for the Frog 38). This illustrates quite how much Frog have shrunk down the bike and makes the Frog 38 the smallest pedal bike we’re aware of.
The advantage of this is that there’s much less of a jump in sizing for kids currently riding a standard 12” scoot bike. In turn this makes transitioning to pedals much easier when kids may struggle to get their feet to the floor and so have to fully commit to the pedals at first try.
The build
The Frog 38 is a 9" frame with 14" wheels. Other than the headlines it's probably more helpful to think of its sizing in relation to the child rather than the bike itself.
Frog recommends using a child's inseam measurement for sizing, as it's much more relevant to bike fit than overall height or age (although there is a 3-4 year age guide). The 38cm inseam sizing is for 'beginners', but the 38 will also suit 'confident' riders with 36cm inseam, who are happy not to have both feet on the ground when stopping.
Despite its modest sizing, the 38 boasts all the kid-specific features of the larger Frog bikes. At 6.1 kg, it is lightweight, and its components are well-matched to the bike's stature, including short cranks and smaller brake levers.
Frog boast excellent safety features and have many other well-thought out aspects. For example, there's a internal headset block to prevent oversteering and the bike from folding up on itself, a common cause of crashes and bike tangles for kids.
A new safety feature on the 38 not seen on previous Frogs is the Insane Chains guard. This segmented guard clips over the individual links, which gives a much neater look than the larger plastic guard that features on most bikes. It saves a little weight too.
There are also large bumpers fitted to the handlebar grips to protect the bike in its inevitable crashes and – crucially – improve force dissipation, protecting against nasty injuries from the bar ends.
Our bike arrived directly from Frog, fully built, with a QR code that takes you directly to the setup instructions. Frog bikes are also available through local bike shops, offering expert advice in person.
The ride
At 3 years and 3 months, our tester had physically and metaphorically outgrown his 10" first scoot bike. Not only was it literally too small for him, it was nothing like his bigger siblings' bikes in looks or capabilities, making him more than ready for a "proper bike".
Although he was used to flying around on his small scoot bike he wasn't quite ready for pedals (more from a road-sense point of view rather than a physical one). The provided spanner made it easy to remove the pedals for another time.
At 95cm tall with an inseam of 38cm, he was bang on the minimum sizing for the Frog 38. To help the fit, we dropped the handbars to their lowest height using the included hex keys.
Given our tester's younger age, his ability to go far too fast on his scoot bike and his innate lack of fear, our first step was to introduce him to the concepts of control and stopping.
Perhaps the most crucial adjustment we made was to adjust the reach of the brake levers for his small hands. This is an adjustment that is easy to overlook, particularly since the smaller hex key isn't included, but it is an essential part of learning to ride and transitioning to pedals.
Much to his mother's delight, he grasped this skill really quickly. It was easy to see that this was because we had been able to adjust the small levers to fit his hands, rather than him struggling to reach and pull them.
The 38's geometry is really well balanced, giving our tester plenty of control. On his first few rides, we played loads of steering, stop/start, and bike control games as well as the inevitable flat-out races. He didn't once look out of control; the bike just held its line and went where he put it.
The Insane Chain Guard is neat and tidy. There's a bit of an audible drag as it passes through the chain ring guards, but it is much less than the bash and slap that occurs within a standard full guard.
Our rider is still having lots of fun scooting about without the pedals, so the plan is to keep it this way for a while longer. This is much more for his parents, who aren't quite ready to be constantly chasing after him.
Verdict
The Frog 38 is a wonderful bike, bringing all the good things about well-designed kid's bikes to even shorter and younger riders. By being a little smaller than many first-pedal bikes, it's easier to bridge the gap between scoot bikes and pedals without over-biking a small, new rider. And if they're not quite ready to pedal yet, the pedals themselves are easily removable.
At £380 the Frog 38 is a significant investment, although in line with other quality 14" bikes such as Squish (£320) and Woom (£380). There's a 10-year warranty on the frame and forks, which gives confidence in its longevity, especially if you have more than one child.
Specification
- Frame - 6061 T6 heat treated aluminium alloy, seat tube 6.7" (170mm)
- Fork - 6061 T6 heat treated aluminium alloy
- Front Hub - Quando, aluminium, sealed hub, 5mm allen bolt internal fixing, 16 hole
- Rear Hub - Quando, aluminium, sealed hub, standard freewheel thread and 5mm allen bolt internal fixing, 16 hole, drive side chain tensioner.
- Cassette free wheel - ATA, standard ISO thread, 18t, 4 prong removal, chrome plated/brown
- Rim - Aluminium, 14", double wall, machined braking surface
- Seat Clamp - Aluminium, Quick Release
- Headset - Neco, 1"1/8 , threadless, safety steering stop, Frog Bikes top cap
- Stem - Aluminium, 1"1/8, 38mm, 4 bolt clamp
- Grips/Bar Tape - Frog Bikes specific, lock on, slim grips with 40mm enlarged end
- Brakes (F&R) - Tektro C310, aluminium, linear pull
- Tyres - Kenda K1047, 14"x1.5", Hybrid, (ETRTO/ISO: 38-254)
- Mudguards - Resin, black
- Accessories Included - Bell, bike reflectors white/red, wheel reflectors orange/white, paint plasters , frame protector patches
- Crankset/Chainring - Frog Bikes Patented, 89mm, Aluminium straight arm cranks, 32T chainring, Black
- Bottom Bracket - Neco, square taper, 68/107.5, cartridge bearings
- Pedals - Resin platform, 9/16" thread, w/reflectors
- Chain - KMC, single speed
- Handlebar - Aluminium, 30mm riser bar, 420mm
- Brake Levers - Tektro JL352-RS, aluminium, easy reach brake lever
- Saddle - Frog Bikes child-specific saddle (small), steel rails
- Seat Post - Aluminium, micro adjust, 27.2mm
