BTWIN 16” Discover 900 First Impressions Review: A budget-friendly 16″ Decathlon bike

If you're searching for a great bike for a child aged around 4 or 5 years old, we recommend starting with one of the best 16” kids' bikes you can find.

At Cycle Sprog, we've been reviewing and recommending the best children's bikes since 2012. Whether your child is moving up from a 14" bike or getting their first pedal bike, choosing the right one can spark a lifelong love of cycling. The perfect fit helps them to feel comfortable, confident, and excited to ride.

At this stage, most children are either learning to pedal or building their confidence after outgrowing a smaller bike. The right choice depends on their height, inside leg measurement, and riding ability, alongside factors like your budget and where they’ll be riding.

In this first impressions review, we'll share our initial thoughts on the BTWIN 16” Discover 900 straight out of the box, ahead of a more in-depth rider review coming soon.

BTWIN Bikes - brand overview

BTWIN is Decathlon’s in-house bike brand, known for producing a wide range of children’s and adult bikes at accessible price points. 

Their kids' bike range includes three levels: 

• 100 series: entry-level and affordable
• 500 series: offering a balance of quality and affordability
• 900 series: featuring the highest specifications and lightest designs. 

Decathlon is known for innovative features tailored to young riders, such as their Stop Easy braking system and lightweight aluminium frames, making BTWIN bikes a solid choice for parents looking for well-designed and budget-friendly options.

BTWIN 16” Discover 900 specifications

Lightweight design

The BTWIN 16” Discover 900's frame is made from aluminium, making it one of the lightest bikes under £200 in our kids’ bike database. We weighed it at 6.85 kg with pedals on, which compares to 8.5kg for the cheaper B'Twin 100 in the same wheel size,

A lighter bike is much easier for a child to handle, making their first riding experiences more enjoyable and confidence-boosting. Usually, lightweight bikes come with a high price tag, so this bike is a great value choice.

Child-friendly braking system

The BTWIN 16” Discover 900 features Decathlon’s patented Stop Easy braking system, designed to suit small hands. The brake levers are positioned parallel to the handlebars, making them easier to grip, and Decathlon claims provide 30% more braking power than their conventional levers. This means children should be able to brake more safely and effectively than on their other model 16" wheel bikes.

Decathlon has also introduced their P-Nut Brake innovation, a pre-adjusted brake system that won’t slip out of alignment. If it does get knocked, it can be easily adjusted on one side. This is particularly helpful for parents who may not be confident in bike maintenance. 

One useful detail is that the bike comes with one yellow and one black brake lever to help children differentiate between the front and rear brakes.  We've previously seen this colour coding introduced by the premium brand woom, so it's good to see this available at a much lower price point.

One thing to note is that on the Decathlon bike the yellow brake is set up on the right-hand side by default, meaning it controls the front brake in the UK. This is the opposite to woom bikes, where the green lever is on the left and controls the rear brake. This is something to be aware of if you're swapping between bike brands.

Frame and fit

The low standover height makes mounting and dismounting easy for young riders, and the frame is designed with child-specific ergonomics in mind. The handlebars are narrow to suit small shoulders, and the saddle looks to be well-designed for comfort.

The BTWIN 16” Discover 900 is fitted with 1.5” hybrid tyres, which will provide good grip across a variety of urban and light off-road terrains.

Stabilisers and learning to ride

The BTWIN 16” Discover 900 is compatible with stabilisers, but we generally recommend avoiding them if your child has already mastered balancing on a balance bike. 

Additional features

• The full chain guard keeps little fingers away from the moving parts and looks sturdy enough to withstand knocks.
• The riser handlebar includes a crossbar, which doubles as a useful carrying handle, perfect for parents who inevitably end up carrying the bike at times!
• The frame and handlebar come with a lifetime warranty, and spare parts are available for 10 years.
• The bike comes with a front and rear light which are easy to operate by little hands.

First impressions of the BTWIN 16” Discover 900

We were pleased when Decathlon got in touch to let us know they had redesigned their 16” bike. Having recently reviewed and loved their 26” Riverside 900, we were keen to see how their smaller BTWIN models stacked up.

The BTWIN 16” Discover 900 arrived well-packaged and mostly assembled, requiring minimal setup. We appreciated that Decathlon kept plastic packaging to a minimum, and delivery was quick and efficient.

After weighing the bike at 6.85kg, we found it to be the lightest 16" wheel bike under £200 in our database, a standout feature for this price point. The build quality appears solid and child-friendly, while still being light enough for a 4-year-old to handle comfortably.

The metallic blue paint is eye-catching, and the unique low top tube frame design provides a low standover height, making it easy for little legs to get on and off. We also liked the handlebar design, which includes a convenient crossbar for carrying, a thoughtful touch for parents who often end up transporting their child’s bike.

What’s next for the BTWIN 16” Discover 900?

The bike is now off to be tested by Robyn, our 5-year-old reviewer. She’ll be taking it on holiday to France, cycling to the swimming pool and exploring new paths, before putting it through its paces on weekend rides in and around the Lake District. Stay tuned for our full in-depth review coming soon!

Before you go...

Have you thought about how you will know when your child is ready to learn to pedal?

There's a temptation to start early, but if it's too soon it can leave them anxious and you frustrated.

Take our questionnaire, which is cunningly called "Is my child ready to learn to ride" and we'll send you a personalised report with hints and tips for getting your child pedalling at the right time for them and you.

Other articles you might be interested in:

• Is your child ready to learn to ride a pedal bike?
• Best 16″ kids’ bikes for 4-5 year olds
• Kids bikes that will grow with your child
• Best kids' bikes
• Does my child need stabilisers?
• Cheapest kids' bikes