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If you’re looking at the Woom GO 3 or GO 4 as your child’s first “proper” bike, you’re already in the right ballpark. These are some of the lightest, most confidence-building kids’ bikes on the market – but they suit slightly different riders, ages and riding styles.
In this review we’ll break down what the Woom GO range actually is, how the GO 3 and GO 4 compare, and which model we’d recommend for most UK families based on height, confidence and how your child will really ride day-to-day.
🔑 Key Takeaways
From balance bike to first gears – Woom’s size progression makes the transition feel natural.
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The Woom GO range is Woom’s latest line of small-wheel bikes, replacing the old “Original” naming on the 12–20 inch models. If you’ve seen Woom 1–4 mentioned in older reviews, the GO 1–4 are essentially the updated versions with refreshed colours, contact points and a few smart tweaks.
The range looks like this:
Above that, older kids move onto the Woom Explore and Woom OFF / OFF Air ranges instead of GO. So GO is very much about those crucial early years – helping children move from scooting, to pedalling, to riding properly on family rides.
All GO models share the same design philosophy: ultra-light aluminium frames, upright geometry, narrow pedal stance and small-hand-friendly controls. That’s why they feel so different to the heavy, “shrunken-down adult” bikes you see in most big chain stores.
At Ribble Valley E-Bikes we specialise in the full Woom GO range, so we spend a lot of time matching real children to the right size and model.
The upright, relaxed Woom GO position helps new riders feel secure from the first pedal strokes.
On paper, the Woom GO 3 and GO 4 look quite similar: both are light, kid-specific bikes with hand brakes, steering limiters and Woom’s trademark easy geometry. In practice, they sit at two different stages of your child’s cycling journey.
| Spec / Feature | Woom GO 3 | Woom GO 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel size | 16″ | 20″ |
| Typical age range | 4–5 years | 5–7 years |
| Gears | Single speed | 7-speed (grip shifter) |
| Riding style | Neighbourhood rides, school run, park paths | Longer family rides, gentle hills, mixed paths |
| Best for | First “proper” bike after GO 2 / balance bike | Confident rider ready to explore further with gears |
| Handling | Very stable, forgiving, extremely easy to control | Still stable, but with more room to stretch and grow |
If your child is still quite new to pedalling, or moving up from a Woom GO 2 or balance bike, the Woom GO 3 is usually the sweet spot. It keeps things light and simple with one gear and a very low standover.
If they’re already whizzing about on a smaller bike and starting to tackle longer rides, gentle hills and cycle paths, the Woom GO 4 adds gears without feeling “too much”. It’s a brilliant choice for families who ride together at weekends or on holidays.
One of the big strengths of Woom is that you can map out a full journey from first scoots to proper gears. Here’s how the GO range breaks down in real life.
Woom GO 1 is for toddlers who are just starting to glide. It has a super-low step-through frame, very low minimum saddle height and weighs much less than most balance bikes you’ll find on the high street.
It’s ideal if you want your child to skip stabilisers entirely and go straight from balance bike to pedals. The upright position, steering limiter and small-diameter grips all help them feel secure while they learn to coast and steer.
Woom GO 2 is the classic “first pedal” option. It’s a 14″ bike designed for children around 3–4 years old who can already glide confidently on a balance bike.
Parents love GO 2 because it’s so light that most kids can physically pick it up, and the dual hand brakes with colour-coded rear lever make it much easier to teach good habits than a cheap bike with a heavy coaster brake.
The Woom GO 3 is where things start to feel like a proper bike rather than a toy. It’s a 16″ single-speed bike with the same upright, confidence-boosting geometry, but with more room for growing legs.
We usually recommend GO 3 if:
For many families, this is the bike that unlocks independent school runs, proper family rides on traffic-free paths and weekend adventures around places like the Ribble Valley and local parks.
Woom GO 4 ups the wheel size to 20″ and adds a 7-speed grip shifter. It still keeps the upright stance and light frame, but gives children more speed and climbing ability for hilly routes and longer days out.
It’s a good fit if:
If you’re unsure whether your child is better on GO 3 or GO 4, feel free to get in touch or visit our showroom – we can usually tell within a minute of seeing them sit on both.
Lightweight frames make it easier for young riders to handle hills, starts and everyday manoeuvres.
Most spec sheets talk about tubing and tyre names. Parents care more about whether their child will actually enjoy riding the bike. Here are the features that make the Woom GO range stand out in the real world.
Woom GO bikes are significantly lighter than the average kids’ bike with the same wheel size. That sounds like a nice detail, but it’s a game-changer when your child is still building strength and co-ordination.
A lighter bike means:
Woom design their frames around how children naturally stand and walk. The GO bikes place their weight over their hips with a relaxed, upright riding position, rather than tipping them forwards over narrow bars.
This gives them great visibility, a calm sense of balance and more time to react to kerbs, dogs, siblings and everything else that appears in front of them.
Every Woom GO bike uses dual hand brakes with compact levers designed for small hands. The rear brake lever is bright green, matching the rear pads, so you can simply say “squeeze the green one first” rather than asking them to remember left and right mid-panic.
The levers are tool-free adjustable, so we can set them up in the shop to suit your child’s reach on collection.
All GO bikes come with a discreet steering limiter. It stops the bars from being turned so far that they cross up and throw your child off balance, and it helps stop cables being twisted when they pick the bike up or spin it round.
Once they’re more experienced, it can be removed – but for most beginners, it’s a simple safety net that causes no downsides at all.
Woom fit the GO range with relatively skinny, fast-rolling tyres. They’re ideal for pavements, smooth paths, dry grass and light gravel. That’s exactly where most children actually ride most of the time.
If you know your child will spend more time on rough, rooty or muddy trails, we’d usually suggest looking at a Woom OFF or OFF Air instead.
A proper rear-mounted kickstand comes as standard on the GO 2 and above. Children love it – and it quietly saves the frame and controls from constant crash landings on the floor.
There are also lots of small touches that parents spot up close: sealed bearings, neat routing, rounded bolts, proper chain guards and bar-end bumpers that save walls, paintwork and knees.
Early balance bike confidence builds the foundation for smooth progression into the GO range.
Short and honest – here’s how we’d summarise the Woom GO 3 and GO 4 for most UK families.
If you’ve been reading older reviews or watching YouTube content, you’ll still see a lot of mentions of Woom Original 2 / 3 and Automagic. Here’s how it fits together now.
The GO models are simple single-speed bikes (until you reach GO 4’s 7-speed) with fewer moving parts and very low maintenance. Woom 3 Automagic uses clever internals to shift gear automatically, which some children love – but it does cost more and adds a bit of mechanical complexity.
If you want the most straightforward, robust option for everyday use, GO 3 and GO 4 are perfect. If you’re specifically excited about automatic gearing and are happy with the extra cost, Automagic is an interesting alternative at the 16″ size.
The GO range isn’t just about bikes — it’s about family rides, confidence and shared milestones.
Use this as a starting point – then consider your child’s confidence, not just their height.
| Model | Wheel size | Approx. child height | Inside leg (minimum) | Typical age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woom GO 1 | 12″ | 82–100 cm | ≈ 30 cm | 18 months–3 years |
| Woom GO 2 | 14″ | 95–110 cm | ≈ 40 cm | 3–4 years |
| Woom GO 3 | 16″ | 105–120 cm | ≈ 47 cm | 4–5 years |
| Woom GO 4 | 20″ | 115–130 cm | ≈ 55 cm | 5–7 years |
If your child sits between sizes, a confident rider who already pedals well will usually be happier on the larger bike, while a more cautious rider often does better starting on the smaller one.
The right accessories make a huge difference to confidence and safety, especially for younger riders.
A properly fitting helmet is non-negotiable, and the Woom helmet range is designed to match the bikes – light, well-ventilated and easy to adjust. Bright colours help children stay visible on family rides and school runs.
Although the GO bikes come with a stand, many families like to add a separate Woom kickstand as a spare or upgrade on other bikes. It’s mounted neatly out of the way of the pedals and helps protect the frame and controls from constant drops.
Small touches like a Woom Bing bell, clip-on mudguards and the Pickup rack make day-to-day riding more practical in typical UK weather. Children also love adding a Glug bottle and cage once they’re riding further.
Lightweight first “real” bike for kids around 4–5, ideal for pavements, parks and school runs.
20″ geared bike for confident riders aged 5–7 who are ready for longer family rides and mixed terrain.
Match your child’s GO bike with a lightweight helmet, bell, mudguards and bottle for everyday riding.
For most families, the answer is simple:
Both are a huge step up from heavy, generic kids’ bikes and tend to stay in the family or sell on quickly when outgrown. If you’d like help choosing the right size or model, you’re always welcome to get in touch with our team – we live and breathe kids’ bikes and can usually narrow it down in one conversation.
Ready to find your child’s next bike? Start with our full Woom range here, or head straight to the Woom GO models to compare colours and builds.
Yes – for many children, Woom GO 3 is the first bike that feels like a “proper bike” rather than a toy. If your child has already pedalled on something smaller or is a confident balance bike rider and is roughly 4–5 years old, GO 3 is often the ideal next step.
If they’re on the smaller side or still a bit cautious, we’d generally choose GO 3 for easier handling. If they’re already confident, growing fast and keen to ride further with you at weekends, GO 4 is usually better long-term value.
The GO range is designed for pavements, parks, canal paths and light gravel. They’ll cope with smooth off-road riding, but if your child is heading for proper mountain bike trails, jumps or very rough tracks, a Woom OFF or OFF Air will be a better match.
Yes. Because they’re so light, well-engineered and in demand, Woom bikes tend to sell quickly second-hand if they’ve been looked after. Many families move through GO 2 → GO 3 → GO 4 and either pass bikes down siblings or resell them locally.
