Cleary Gecko 12" Single Speed

Is your child just learning to ride? The Gecko might be just the ticket for them. Start them off with a lower seat height and their legs at about 75% at the bottom of their pedal stroke, handlebars set so their arms are slightly bent and their weight evenly distributed between their feet, bottom and hands. As they get more confident on the bike, you can raise the saddle so they touch the ground with the balls of their feet rather than flat-footed. This riding position offers the child leverage to climb hills. By having their hands at about the level of their saddle, they can maintain weight over the front wheel. This means they can pedal as hard as they want and the front wheel will stay straight instead of wobbling to either side. If the childs hands were higher relative to their saddle, like many other children's bikes, their weight would slide too far back on climbs, unweighting the front wheel and rendering the bike unsteady and difficult to control. Try to pedal a cruiser bike up a hill and you’ll experience this. The Gecko ships with a 220mm seat post because it enables the saddle to be raised several inches as your child grows.

First time riders feel safest with their bottom on the saddle and their feet flat on the ground. That's how a child with a 15" inseam will fit the Gecko with the seat post dropped completely into the seat tube. No short post required!
Once kids get more comfortable on two wheels, they'll want to sit on the saddle with the balls of their feet on the ground. Thus, a confident rider with a 15" inseam and a first-time rider with a 17" inseam may both feel comfortable with the same set-up.