decisions, decisions

"small change" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

first of all, knowing more about bikes has made it really hard to buy a

kid

Quoted message said:

bike.
Heh, said kid, Jr. Adventure is 6' tall. He's been thrashing around on an
old 16" giant ( mine) with the seat up and insisting it's just fine,
<right> After his performance on Mr Adventure's bike at AMB-ID a few

weeks

Quoted message said:

ago, we thought that with a birthday coming up in a week the kid might

like

Quoted message said:

a) a decent bike for thrashing around on and b) one that fits.

So off we go to the bike shops. I think it's narrowed down to a Giant
Iguana ( $550 inlcudes tax) a Haro V4 (?)$550 no tax and tomorrow we go
look at some of the specialized offerings ( hardrock). OMG, the grin on
that kids face when he came back from a test spin on a bike that fits

his

Quoted message said:

lanky frame...

He was somewhat lukewarm intially. It was very cute," wouldn't you rather
put that $$ in a college fund?". No, we can see you had a lot of fun on

the

Quoted message said:

trails, and you love to ride ( this is the kid that will do a 20 mile town
ride just to go around and visit all his friends) Mr. Adventure put it

this

Quoted message said:

way the other night, now that his brother is off to college, we can spoil

Jr

Quoted message said:

Adventure for a few years; after all his older brother was spoiled for a
few years before he came along.

So anyway, what I really want is any feedback if it exists on the haro v-
series. Not much at the review sites, a google of old posts brings up

even

Quoted message said:

less. Based on the component set, it looks slightly nicer set up than the
Giant, top tube is a little lower but frame fits right, and the kid
certainly likes it the best.

gah, the worst part about this is that I just can't set my sights lower
budget wise. Generic mystery brand componets ( suntour forks, wtf?) and
heavy build on lesser bikes are just, ick. Good thing that we think the

kid

Quoted message said:

has stopped growing at least for a while.

Penny

Consider getting the Specialized Hardrock. These things are built like
tanks. It's got a 70 degress head angle so it's good balance for XC type
riding and general street and dirt jump bashing. Wouldn't worry too much of
components. Breaking components just means upgrades to better stuff.

Here's really short video of a Hardrock that's been to hell and back. Vish
claims the Hardrock will outlast any DH or FR bike the way he punishes the
bike. The second video is a really long video that includes a really bad
case with the frame still in one piece.

Short video:

www.thevishfiles.com/stevegotnothin.wmv

Warning long video:

http://www.thevishfiles.com/thevishfiles.wmv

Get what fits the best. If the components are solid, most frames in
that price range will have about the same durability.

JD

small change said:

first of all, knowing more about bikes has made it really hard to buy a kid
bike.
Heh, said kid, Jr. Adventure is 6' tall. He's been thrashing around on an
old 16" giant ( mine) with the seat up and insisting it's just fine,
<right> After his performance on Mr Adventure's bike at AMB-ID a few weeks
ago, we thought that with a birthday coming up in a week the kid might like
a) a decent bike for thrashing around on and b) one that fits.

So off we go to the bike shops. I think it's narrowed down to a Giant
Iguana ( $550 inlcudes tax) a Haro V4 (?)$550 no tax and tomorrow we go
look at some of the specialized offerings ( hardrock). OMG, the grin on
that kids face when he came back from a test spin on a bike that fits his
lanky frame...

Check out the deals on '05's from Specialized. As usual the Big S has
set up early '06 intorduction for the Rockhopper and Hardrock lines.
Sucks for the dealers, but it can mean reduced prices for customers ...
e.g. 05 Rockhopper Comp MSRP 800.00 seen around ABQ for 600.00. '05
Rockhopper MSRP 500.00 ... 400.00 '05 Hardrock Comp Disc MSRP 600.00
.... 400.00.

R

JD said:

Get what fits the best. If the components are solid, most frames in
that price range will have about the same durability.

JD

heh, the most important factor in that price range is the grin factor...
what was it that Matt called it?

small change said:

first of all, knowing more about bikes has made it really hard to buy a kid
bike.
Heh, said kid, Jr. Adventure is 6' tall. He's been thrashing around on an
old 16" giant ( mine) with the seat up and insisting it's just fine,
<right> After his performance on Mr Adventure's bike at AMB-ID a few weeks
ago, we thought that with a birthday coming up in a week the kid might like
a) a decent bike for thrashing around on and b) one that fits.

So off we go to the bike shops. I think it's narrowed down to a Giant
Iguana ( $550 inlcudes tax) a Haro V4 (?)$550 no tax and tomorrow we go
look at some of the specialized offerings ( hardrock). OMG, the grin on
that kids face when he came back from a test spin on a bike that fits his
lanky frame...

He was somewhat lukewarm intially. It was very cute," wouldn't you rather
put that $$ in a college fund?". No, we can see you had a lot of fun on the
trails, and you love to ride ( this is the kid that will do a 20 mile town
ride just to go around and visit all his friends) Mr. Adventure put it this
way the other night, now that his brother is off to college, we can spoil Jr
Adventure for a few years; after all his older brother was spoiled for a
few years before he came along.

So anyway, what I really want is any feedback if it exists on the haro v-
series. Not much at the review sites, a google of old posts brings up even
less. Based on the component set, it looks slightly nicer set up than the
Giant, top tube is a little lower but frame fits right, and the kid
certainly likes it the best.

gah, the worst part about this is that I just can't set my sights lower
budget wise. Generic mystery brand componets ( suntour forks, wtf?) and
heavy build on lesser bikes are just, ick. Good thing that we think the kid
has stopped growing at least for a while.

Penny

Related topic, perhaps the biggest consideration is $ vs. future growth.
If you are concerned about Jr. outgrowing the bike, then budget becomes
a bigger issue.
Last spring I bought a niced used bike for my growing boy, stripped it,
got it painted, added new Specialized decals, and put it all back
together with some replacement parts I had around. All with him doing
some of the work. It may not be what you are looking for, but for about
$400 my son got a almost-like-new bike and a little wrenching experience.
Just a thought.

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado

"Anyone who isn't confused really doesn't understand the situation."
Edward R. Murrow

Quoted message said:

small change said:

first of all, knowing more about bikes has made it really hard to
buy a kid bike.
Heh, said kid, Jr. Adventure is 6' tall. He's been thrashing around
on an old 16" giant ( mine) with the seat up and insisting it's
just fine, <right> After his performance on Mr Adventure's bike at
AMB-ID a few weeks ago, we thought that with a birthday coming up in
a week the kid might like a) a decent bike for thrashing around on
and b) one that fits.

So off we go to the bike shops. I think it's narrowed down to a
Giant Iguana ( $550 inlcudes tax) a Haro V4 (?)$550 no tax and
tomorrow we go look at some of the specialized offerings (
hardrock). OMG, the grin on that kids face when he came back from
a test spin on a bike that fits his lanky frame...

Check out the deals on '05's from Specialized. As usual the Big S has
set up early '06 intorduction for the Rockhopper and Hardrock lines.
Sucks for the dealers, but it can mean reduced prices for customers
... e.g. 05 Rockhopper Comp MSRP 800.00 seen around ABQ for 600.00.
'05 Rockhopper MSRP 500.00 ... 400.00 '05 Hardrock Comp Disc MSRP
600.00 ... 400.00.

R

evidently my timing is off. Thanks for the tips, but my specailized dealers
just had a massive sale right before we started this process and somehow
managed to sell every 05 in the region.... I'd look at shipping something
but I think we have an instant gratification factor in here somewhere.

penny

Craig Brossman said:

Quoted message said:

Related topic, perhaps the biggest consideration is $ vs. future

growth. If you are concerned about Jr. outgrowing the bike, then
budget becomes a bigger issue.
Last spring I bought a niced used bike for my growing boy, stripped
it, got it painted, added new Specialized decals, and put it all back
together with some replacement parts I had around. All with him doing
some of the work. It may not be what you are looking for, but for
about $400 my son got a almost-like-new bike and a little wrenching
experience. Just a thought.

god, at 6' I hope he doesn't grow much more.
One bonus is that if he does, the frame is the right size for Dad.