Dawes Kids Bikes 14"–18" Review 2026: Blowfish, Thunder, Princess & Lil Duchess

Dawes has four small-wheel kids' bikes in the range right now, and between them they cover pretty much every first-pedal-bike brief a parent can throw at us: the alloy-framed Blowfish (14", 16", 18" — £169.99 to £193.99), the steel Thunder (14" and 16" — £146.99 to £162.99), the Princess with its dolly carrier (14" and 16" — £146.99 to £162.99) and the wicker-basketed Lil Duchess heritage bike (14", 16", 18" — £154.99 to £185.99). All ten are in stock, all are discounted off RRP, and every one of them goes through our Shrewsbury workshop before it leaves the building.

We build a lot of these. Dawes has been making kids' bikes for longer than most of the parents buying them have been alive, and the current range is honest, sensibly specced and competitively priced. But there are real differences between the four models — weight above all — and that's what this review is about. If you want the short answer: buy the Blowfish if you can stretch to it, buy the Thunder or Princess if you want the stabiliser-and-accessories bundle at the lowest price, and buy the Lil Duchess if the basket matters more than the scales. And if weight is the priority, our own Shyre Hopton 16 sits at the top of this page for a reason.

Verdict at a glance

Key specs

All prices are our current sale price with the Dawes RRP in brackets. Weights are as listed on our product pages.

Every bike in the table is single speed with a fully enclosed or double-sided chainguard, a cushioned junior saddle, 1/2" pedals and 2.1"–2.125" tyres. Dawes doesn't publish rider heights for these, so use our kids' bike sizing guide and measure inside leg rather than going by age.

Blowfish: the one we'd buy

The Blowfish is the only bike of the four with an aluminium frame, and it shows on the scales. At 8.2kg the 14" is 1.4kg lighter than the Thunder and a whopping 2.6kg lighter than the 14" Princess. For a three- or four-year-old who weighs 15–18kg, that's the difference between a bike they can lift off the ground and one they can't.

The 16" and 18" Blowfish also get proper alloy V-brakes rather than the calipers on the 14" models, which is the right call: V-brakes are more powerful, easier for small hands to operate and simpler for us to keep adjusted. The 18" gets a 114mm crank and a 36T chainring, which gives a sensible cadence for a five- or six-year-old who's starting to cover real distance.

The catch is that only the 14" Blowfish ships with stabilisers. The 16" and 18" don't, because Dawes rightly assumes that a child on a 16" alloy bike has either come off a balance bike or is ready to learn without them. If you do want stabilisers on a 16" Blowfish, we can fit a set in the workshop — ask when you order.

Thunder and Princess: the same bike, two flavours

Strip the paint off and the Thunder and Princess are close relations: Dawes steel Y-frame, steel fork, caliper brakes on the 14", V-brakes on the 16", single speed, fully enclosed chainguard, stabilisers in the box. The Thunder adds a number plate and a water bottle and cage; the Princess adds a dolly carrier on the back and, on the 14", mint mudguards to match.

At £146.99 for the 14" and £162.99 for the 16", they're the cheapest way into a Dawes, and for the money they're solid, well-finished and easy to live with. Junior-reach resin levers on the Thunder are a nice touch that not every bike at this price bothers with.

The honest caveat is weight. The 14" Thunder is 9.6kg; the 14" Princess is 10.8kg, and the 16" Princess is 11.1kg. Those are fine for a child who'll learn on stabilisers and ride round the park, but if you're planning the balance-bike-to-pedals route (read our Balance Bike or Stabilisers? guide first), a lighter bike is a genuinely easier bike to learn on.

Lil Duchess: heritage looks, heritage weight

The Lil Duchess is the style buy. Steel city frame, big swept-back bars (130mm rise on the 16" and 18"), colour-matched steel mudguards on the bigger sizes, a ping bell, a steel kickstand on the 18" and — the reason most people buy one — a small brown wicker basket up front. The 14" comes in blue, the 16" in purple, the 18" in turquoise.

It's noticeably lighter than the Princess at 14" (9.3kg versus 10.8kg) but the 16" and 18" are the heaviest bikes on this page at 11.6kg and 11.9kg. That's the trade-off with a proper steel heritage frame, real steel mudguards and a kickstand. Stabilisers are included on the 14" and 16"; the 18" doesn't come with them. If you like the look but want more bike for the money, see our Elswick heritage bikes review — the Elswick Freedom 14" undercuts the Lil Duchess on price and weight.

The lightweight step-up: our own Shyre Hopton 16

If you've read this far and the word "weight" keeps jumping out, this is where we point you at our own bike. The Shyre Hopton 16 is £279.99 — so roughly £95 more than the 16" Blowfish — and it weighs 6.9kg ready to ride. That's 1.8kg lighter than the Blowfish and nearly 5kg lighter than the 16" Lil Duchess.

It's a 6061 aluminium frame and fork, with alloy V-brakes on short-reach levers, 127mm junior cranks, multi-terrain tyres, stabilisers in the box, a 100–120cm rider height range (44cm minimum inside leg) and a lifetime frame and fork warranty that transfers to the next owner. Four colours — purple, blue, pink, green. We designed it, we build every one in Shrewsbury, and it's the bike we'd put our own kids on. If the budget only stretches to £170, buy the Blowfish and be happy; if it stretches to £280, the Hopton is a different class of bike.

Comparison: which Dawes for which child?

Who is it for?

Good for:

• Parents who want a recognised British brand at a sensible price, built and safety-checked before delivery
• Children learning on stabilisers (Thunder, Princess, 14" Blowfish and Lil Duchess all include them)
• Anyone who wants a basket, bell or dolly carrier without paying for aftermarket bits
• Growing kids — the 14/16/18" ladder makes the next size an easy upgrade

Not for:

• Kids who've nailed balance-bike gliding and need the lightest possible pedal bike — go Blowfish or Shyre Hopton
• Anyone expecting gears — all ten bikes are single speed (that's correct at this age, but worth knowing)
• Off-road use — these are pavement, park and towpath bikes with caliper or V-brakes

Alternatives

• Shyre Hopton 16 — £279.99. Our own 6.9kg alloy hybrid with junior-fit components and a lifetime frame warranty.
• Shyre Myndie 12 balance bike — £69.99 (RRP £99.99). 3.9kg. If your child is under three, start here and skip stabilisers altogether.
• Elswick Freedom 14 — £134.99. Cheaper and lighter (9.3kg) than the 14" Lil Duchess, with the same wicker basket and stabilisers.
• Shop all Dawes bikes →

Final verdict

The Dawes small-wheel range is exactly what you'd hope for from the brand: sensibly built, well-priced and free of gimmicks. The Blowfish is the standout, and the alloy frame plus V-brakes on the 16" and 18" make it the one to buy if you can. The Thunder and Princess are the value picks with everything in the box, and the Lil Duchess is the one you buy with your heart. Just be honest with yourself about the weight — and if it's the thing you care about most, the Shyre Hopton 16 is the bike this whole review has been pointing at.

Every bike is delivered free across the UK and covered by a 12-month warranty and 90-day no-quibble returns.

More from the blog

• Best First Pedal Bikes Under £180 (Ages 3–8)
• Balance Bike or Stabilisers? How to Teach a Child to Ride
• Best Kids Bikes for Ages 4–8 in 2026 (Squish vs Hoy vs Shyre Compared)

Ready to find your next bike?

Check the Dawes 16" Blowfish price → Check the Shyre Hopton 16 price → Shop all Dawes bikes →

Not sure which size? Measure your child's inside leg and give us a ring — we'd rather spend five minutes on the phone than send the wrong bike.