How do I buy a decent kid's bike?

tcmedara said:

The wife and I decided that Santa would be the bearer of bicycles this year for Christmas. I'm
looking for some advice on how to shop for decent value priced kids' bikes.

Thought or suggestions? Anyone else gone through the same drill?

Tom

Tom - I just went throught the same process and ended up going to Wally World and buying Schwinns.
They may not be the Schwinn of old, but the quality is certainly better than the Huffys I bought for
the kids as learner bikes. They looked to be nearly identical to the Trek kids bikes too (and half
the price). The guy at the LBS even suggested I look at the Schwinns. The feature that sold me on
them was that they came with both hand (F&R) and coaster brakes, whereas the Trek only came with a
front hand brake and coaster in rear. My kids are much more comfortable using the hand brakes. Hope
that helps, -Ed

Quoted message said:

The wife and I decided that Santa would be the bearer of bicycles this

year

Quoted message said:

for Christmas. I'm looking for some advice on how to shop for decent

value

Quoted message said:

priced kids' bikes. I am a frequent visitor to the LBS and have more than

a

Quoted message said:

few mail order sites bookmarked in my browser, but buying for the kiddie

set

Quoted message said:

is beginning to throw me. The kids wouldn't know a Huffy from the latest carbon/dura ace wunder
bike, but I'd still like to go a cut above the Walmart price point. On the other hand, I don't see
spending $350-400 on some of the kid's bikes down in the LBS.

At ages 6 & 9, those bikes are (hopefully) going to get ridden a fair amount, and fairly hard
(bordering on abuse). You're also most likely looking at bikes with multiple gears. In that domain,
the better bike shop bikes will be significantly better than what you find at a department store.
Why? Because "cheap" is really the only thing that sells one bike over another at WalMart. This has
even come out in the financial reports of the various bike companies that sell to them. Any effort
to make a bike better (in a functional, rather than cosmetic fashion) yields no extra return. In
fact, as it moves the price up, the return is negative, since there's nobody on hand to explain the
benefits of the more-expensive product.

If you're talking about the most basic single speed starter bikes (12 or 16) there won't be too much
difference between a WalMart (Schwinn, perhaps) special and what I sell, beyond the quality of
assembly. When you go to a basic 20", you'd be surprised how much sturdier some of the frames are on
the LBS bikes, even when the rest of the parts are similar. Sturdier perhaps isn't the right word;
what the LBS bike will typically have is a better (sometimes heavier, which can actually be a
positive feature in an inexpensive bike) frame that holds alignment better, so the chain is less
likely to come off the sprockets (typically a major issue with many department-store bikes).

But once you get into something that has derailleurs & shocks, the advantage of the LBS bike can be
dramatic. Why? It's not only for the reason given above (that a higher-quality bike wouldn't sell
any better at WalMart, just cost more)... it's also because the mechanics at many (hopefully most)
LBSs are very picky people that complain and whine about the littlest things, and keep product
managers on their toes (and pulling hair). The feedback loop is quite small & fast... when we spot
problems, they're addressed very quickly.

As for pricing, not sure where you pull out that $350-$400 figure. You can get great bikes for under
$250, and they'll typically outlast one kid, so, in your case, your 6-year-old can inherit the bike
you'd presently be buying for the 9-year-old. I know, sometimes this doesn't go over well... many
kids want something new, not their brother or sister's hand-me-down. Thank goodness that's not the
case in my family... for reasons I still don't understand, my 10-year-old thinks it's way-cool when
he gets something his 15-year-old sister has grown out of or no longer uses. Weird. But in a good
sort of way!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

"tcmedara" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Bvnhb.51856$AH4.50401@lakeread06...

Quoted message said:

Both my kids (9 and 6) have become fairly proficient riders over the past year. The older one was
a late starter, but is now a maniac on two

wheels.

Quoted message said:

We have them both riding Wally World specials that I am constantly fighing to maintain in working
order. This was an intentional decision as we

didn't

Quoted message said:

want to drop too much money on their initial "training" bikes. They are both on the verge of
outgrowing their current rides.

The wife and I decided that Santa would be the bearer of bicycles this

year

Quoted message said:

for Christmas. I'm looking for some advice on how to shop for decent

value

Quoted message said:

priced kids' bikes. I am a frequent visitor to the LBS and have more than

a

Quoted message said:

few mail order sites bookmarked in my browser, but buying for the kiddie

set

Quoted message said:

is beginning to throw me. The kids wouldn't know a Huffy from the latest carbon/dura ace wunder
bike, but I'd still like to go a cut above the Walmart price point. On the other hand, I don't see
spending $350-400 on some of the kid's bikes down in the LBS. Now obviouly $350-400 is not as bad
is this:

216.247.25.241merchant.mvOpen ↗ e=T&Category_Code=

Quoted message said:

buts it seems a little excessive for something they're going to beat to

hell

Quoted message said:

and then outgrow in a few years. I don't want to get them a POS, but I don't think they need to
ride minature versions of adult gear.

Thought or suggestions? Anyone else gone through the same drill?

Tom

"Ed J." <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

tcmedara said:

The wife and I decided that Santa would be the bearer of bicycles this

year

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for Christmas. I'm looking for some advice on how to shop for decent

value

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

priced kids' bikes.

Thought or suggestions? Anyone else gone through the same drill?

Tom

Tom - I just went throught the same process and ended up going to Wally World and buying Schwinns.
They may not be the Schwinn of old, but the quality is certainly better than the Huffys I bought
for the kids as learner bikes. They looked to be nearly identical to the Trek kids bikes too (and
half the price). The guy at the LBS even suggested I look at the Schwinns. The feature that sold
me on them was that they came with both hand (F&R) and coaster brakes, whereas the Trek only came
with a front hand brake and coaster in rear. My kids are much more comfortable using the hand
brakes. Hope that helps, -Ed

Ed,

Thanks Ed. I haven't done a whole lot of looking outside the bike shops. There were some cool
lookin' Trek kid's bikes, but they were a little too "zoot" to be abused daily and dumped in the
driveway. I'll go and take a look at the discount store bikes. Both my kids' current POS bikes came
with a rear hand brake that even I have trouble pulling. Its more like a decorative brake lever on
the handlebar. That will be something I'll check when I buy it. Anyone know where to get a set of
functional after-market upgrade brake kits for kid's bikes? Will standard brakesets fit on a
kid-sized frame? Even Barnetts doesn't give a lot of insight here.

My two main criteria are to keep the cost down and make sure the bikes are as bombproof as possible,
but still have something that will function effectively. Obviously there'll be a bit of a weight
penalty, but shoot, these guys aren't gonna be entering the Mt Washington climb on these things.
Considering the number of kids and bikes in the world, I wouldn't have thought this was all that
tough a job.

Tom

10 Oct 2003 'Mike Jacoubowsky said:

At ages 6 & 9, those bikes are (hopefully) going to get ridden a fair amount, and fairly hard
(bordering on abuse). You're also most likely looking at bikes with multiple gears. In that domain,
the better bike shop bikes will be significantly better than what you find at a department store.

I have to disagree here. My kids (8 & 9) were not ready for bikes with gears. I just want them to
concentrate on steering and stopping. YMMV.

Quoted message said:

If you're talking about the most basic single speed starter bikes (12 or 16) there won't be too
much difference between a WalMart (Schwinn, perhaps) special and what I sell, beyond the quality of
assembly.

The Schwinn bikes I was referring to are 20", single speed. They're called "Flight". I agree with
you on the assembly. Before they rode them, I spent a morning going over them. The brakes were no
where near correct adjustment.

Quoted message said:

As for pricing, not sure where you pull out that $350-$400 figure. You can get great bikes for
under $250,

$250? The Schwinns were more like $60 each.

I know it may not be a fair comparison, but anybody who's spent time in a bike shop has seen parents
come in with their kids and do a quick 180 out the door when they get a glimpse of the price tags on
the kids bikes from the big names. I would've loved to get my kids a trek, or Specialized, or
whatever, but in the grand scheme (i.e. household with a budget) that's not a choice right now.
Maybe somewhere between now and "Dad I need a car" time. -Ed

Tom said:

Both my kids (9 and 6) have become fairly proficient riders over the past year. The older one was
a late starter, but is now a maniac on two

wheels.

Quoted message said:

The wife and I decided that Santa would be the bearer of bicycles this

year

Quoted message said:

for Christmas. I'm looking for some advice on how to shop for decent

value

Quoted message said:

priced kids' bikes.

A lot depends on how much you know about bikes, and how much tweaking you're willing to do.

When my kids were that age, I didn't hesitate to buy bikes at "Toys R Us" if they looked
serviceable. I would look for something with reasonable brakes, wheels, and frame. Then, I'd spend
some time at home dis-assembling, lubing, adjusting, tweaking, and truing everything.

Bikes bought at a department store or sporting goods store will probably not be assembled well or
prepped properly. Unless you're into bikes and enjoy working on them, you're probably better off
buying at the LBS.

Another thing to consisder is that the 9-year old might get more benefit from a better bike than the
6-year old.

Art Harris

Quoted message said:

I have to disagree here. My kids (8 & 9) were not ready for bikes with gears. I just want them to
concentrate on steering and stopping. YMMV.

Agreed, some aren't ready for gears, but my son wasn't going to have it any other way. I used to
assume that there was a lower age for properly using gears & hand brakes of, say, 7 or so... but I
was way-wrong. I've seen 5-year-olds do great, surprising the heck out of me.

On the other hand, my daughter didn't learn how to ride until she was 8. However, in the space of
two weeks she went from a 20"-wheel single speed to a 24"-wheel 15-speed.

But you're right, your mileage may vary. Maybe kids grow up too fast around here!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

As for pricing, not sure where you pull out that $350-$400 figure. You

can

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

get great bikes for under $250,

$250? The Schwinns were more like $60 each.

The $250 figure was the upper limit for kids bikes with gears & brakes, not for a basic
single speed.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReaction.com

"Ed J." <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

10 Oct 2003 'Mike Jacoubowsky said:

At ages 6 & 9, those bikes are (hopefully) going to get ridden a fair amount, and fairly hard
(bordering on abuse). You're also most likely looking at bikes with multiple gears. In that
domain, the better bike

shop

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bikes will be significantly better than what you find at a department

store.

Quoted message said:

I have to disagree here. My kids (8 & 9) were not ready for bikes with gears. I just want them to
concentrate on steering and stopping. YMMV.

Quoted message said:

If you're talking about the most basic single speed starter bikes (12 or

16)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

there won't be too much difference between a WalMart (Schwinn, perhaps) special and what I sell,
beyond the quality of assembly.

The Schwinn bikes I was referring to are 20", single speed. They're called "Flight". I agree with
you on the assembly. Before they rode them, I spent a morning going over them. The brakes were no
where near correct adjustment.

Quoted message said:

As for pricing, not sure where you pull out that $350-$400 figure. You

can

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

get great bikes for under $250,

$250? The Schwinns were more like $60 each.

I know it may not be a fair comparison, but anybody who's spent time in a bike shop has seen
parents come in with their kids and do a quick 180 out the door when they get a glimpse of the
price tags on the kids bikes from the big names. I would've loved to get my kids a trek, or
Specialized, or whatever, but in the grand scheme (i.e. household with a budget) that's not a
choice right now. Maybe somewhere between now and "Dad I need a car" time. -Ed

tcmedara said:

Both my kids (9 and 6) have become fairly proficient riders over the past year. The older one was
a late starter, but is now a maniac on two wheels. We have them both riding Wally World specials
that I am constantly fighing to maintain in working order. This was an intentional decision as we
didn't want to drop too much money on their initial "training" bikes. They are both on the verge
of outgrowing their current rides.

The wife and I decided that Santa would be the bearer of bicycles this year for Christmas. I'm
looking for some advice on how to shop for decent value priced kids' bikes. I am a frequent
visitor to the LBS and have more than a few mail order sites bookmarked in my browser, but buying
for the kiddie set is beginning to throw me. The kids wouldn't know a Huffy from the latest
carbon/dura ace wunder bike, but I'd still like to go a cut above the Walmart price point. On the
other hand, I don't see spending $350-400 on some of the kid's bikes down in the LBS. Now obviouly
$350-400 is not as bad is this:

216.247.25.241merchant.mvOpen ↗

buts it seems a little excessive for something they're going to beat to hell and then outgrow in a
few years. I don't want to get them a POS, but I don't think they need to ride minature versions
of adult gear.

Thought or suggestions? Anyone else gone through the same drill?

My brothers, who all worked here, take different approaches. One bought bike shop bikes for his
children every couple of years and the other two went to XMart for theirs. They all report that the
bikes worked well and lasted long enough to be outgrown when they took the time to do a thorough
prep. That means every bearing opened, amply greased and adjusted, every fastener and control cable
removed, lubricated and refitted, every wheel detensioned, lubed and retensioned. When they skipped
the afternoon of prep with either kind of bike, the bike's useful life was diminished greatly.

So whether you buy at an LBS or a mall, count on spending a couple of hours assembling the bike
properly. Concentrate on fit and let the kid choose a color s/he likes but don't accept someone
else's word for "prep" - neither source will have paid any attention to it.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

tcmedara wrote: -snip-

Quoted message said:

Both my kids' current POS bikes came with a rear hand brake that even I have trouble pulling. Its
more like a decorative brake lever on the handlebar. That will be something I'll check when I buy
it. Anyone know where to get a set of functional after-market upgrade brake kits for kid's bikes?
Will standard brakesets fit on a kid-sized frame? -snip-

You should be able to get that running well with just a bit of attention. Withdraw the brake wire,
cut out any damaged sections of the casing and lubricate the wire when you reinstall it. Use oil if
the csing is teflon lined and grease if it is bare steel inside.

Take a moment to lubricate the bolt which holds the brake to the bicycle. Tighten that nut securely.
Lubricate the threads which hold the brake shoes in place. Ensure they hit the rim properly and
tighten them securely. Lubricate the adjuster threads and the anchor bolt threads. Finally, if it is
a sidepull, try to wiggle the brake arms front to back. Then squeeze the arms together with your
fingers. If the brake's centerbolt adjustment is either loose (arms wiggle) or tight(arms bind),
adjust and lock the two outer nuts. Don't forget a drop of oil along the centerbolt.

There's no reason to live with a poorly adjusted brake since the cure is quick and painless.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

"tcmedara" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<M0qhb.52146$AH4.28730@lakeread06>...

Quoted message said:

Thanks Ed. I haven't done a whole lot of looking outside the bike shops. There were some cool
lookin' Trek kid's bikes, but they were a little too "zoot" to be abused daily and dumped in the
driveway. I'll go and take a look at the discount store bikes. Both my kids' current POS bikes
came with a rear hand brake that even I have trouble pulling. Its more like a decorative brake
lever on the handlebar. That will be something I'll check when I buy it. Anyone know where to get
a set of functional after-market upgrade brake kits for kid's bikes? Will standard brakesets fit
on a kid-sized frame? Even Barnetts doesn't give a lot of insight here.

If my frequently-faulty memory serves me, I think that trek's current line includes a few kids
bikes which have both hand brakes. (Does trek mean 'trek', or 'trek-fisher-etc'? it might be
fischer branded)

there are also the kids bikes with coaster brake and hand brakes. for the tiny kids, ive seen IIRC
coaster brakes and a rear brake.

on these kids bikes, with their wildly crappy OEM setup, the rear brake is generally useless to my
adult hands. It is possibly that this doesnt matter, becuase small hands may not be able to pull
hard enough to get the power out of a brake i have come to expect. or maybe it does not take much
force to stop a child on a bike.

anyway, i wouldnt give the brakes a squeze in the shop and give up on them in disgust. if it is good
hand brakes you seek, i venture to guess that replacing the housing with meticulously finished name
brand stuff might improve things dramatically. the hand brakes and calipers on those no-brakes
bicycles are generally Promax OEM brand, which seem to work fine on the adult bicycles. for the rear
brake on these kids bikes, the manufacturer generally runs full housing lever to caliper, which
squishes a lot and ends up in an unhappy trade off between pad clearance and braking power. with a
little lube, a file, and some new housing i think the brakes would be respectable. a nicer cable
might help a little. possibly.

my two cents.

"A Muzi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So whether you buy at an LBS or a mall, count on spending a couple of hours assembling the bike
properly. Concentrate on fit and let the kid choose a color s/he likes but don't accept someone
else's word for "prep" - neither source will have paid any attention to it.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

There's lots of great advice out there, thanks all. My oldest is convinced on a "geared" bike so he
can go biking with dad -- I'm sure he'll do fine if we don't get beyond the fire roads. Maybe I'll
give him his first taste of singletrack this spring. I'm pretty sure the youngest is going to end up
with a dept store SS. She's already outgrown her training bike, and is happy just riding around the
streets of the neighborhood. No off road ambition for the time being.

I'm a fairly competent bike mechanic, but I haven't spent lots of time disassembling/assembling the
kids bikes. Beyond some basic fit adjustments, and an occaisonal chain lube, the effort of
overhauling the rear hub or headsets on these rigs just doesn't seem worth it -- especially when the
kids don't care either way! I'm not sure how much of the OEM stuff is even replaceable. Based on the
posts above, it looks like the same type of TLC given to my own machines will overcome some of the
budget price point buffoonery evident on the dept store inventory.

I'm beginning to think that a couple hunrdred $$'s for the older kid will be worth it, while a dept
store SS for the younger with a few hours of overhaul appears to be in order.

Thanks

Tom

tcmedara said:

I'm a fairly competent bike mechanic, but I haven't spent lots of time disassembling/assembling
the kids bikes. Beyond some basic fit

adjustments,

Quoted message said:

and an occaisonal chain lube, the effort of overhauling the rear hub or headsets on these rigs
just doesn't seem worth it -- especially when the kids don't care either way!

One caveat: On some inexpensive bikes, the hand brakes just don't have enough power to stop the
bike. Make sure you check that before buying.

As a minimum, I would remove the brake cables and lube the inner wires. Then make sure the brake
pads are lined up properly with the rims, and that the brake levers don't bottom out when
squeezed hard.

Good luck, Art Harris

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

Quoted message said:

tcmedara said:

I'm a fairly competent bike mechanic, but I haven't spent lots of time disassembling/assembling
the kids bikes. Beyond some basic fit

adjustments,

Quoted message said:

and an occaisonal chain lube, the effort of overhauling the rear hub or headsets on these rigs
just doesn't seem worth it -- especially when the kids don't care either way!

One caveat: On some inexpensive bikes, the hand brakes just don't have enough power to stop the
bike. Make sure you check that before buying.

As a minimum, I would remove the brake cables and lube the inner wires.

Then

Quoted message said:

make sure the brake pads are lined up properly with the rims, and that the brake levers don't
bottom out when squeezed hard.

Good luck, Art Harris

I envision a wholesale cable replacement and possibly an entire brake kit swapout if I can't get
them to work safely and properly. The handbrakes on both kids bikes are pretty much inop. I barely
have the handstrength to pull the levers, let alone the under-10 crowd. Not sure if its just too
much crappy cable or the actual POS brake mechanism and springs are just not up to the task. New
cables, a little less cable run (if possible) and lots of lube will hopefully do the trick.

In light of the responses here there's obviously some interest. I'll post updates on the saga as I
go. I'm still amazed that the market for kids bikes is so focused on the low end. In the adult
range, the LBS has everything from the latest high-end feather weight engineering marvels to the
bombproof comfort bikes at a decent price for those who don't need the top on the line. The LBS
selection of kids bikes, while of decent quality, appears to be an afterthought. On the other hand,
the dept store line-up features an amazing selection of low-end [censored]. Hopefully I'll be able to
sift through the detrius at Wally World/Kmart/Target and find something that I can work up to a
decent ride.

I wonder how many kids would keep riding into adulthood if they were brough up on quality gear. I
suspect that most of us actually "re-discovered" cycling as adults, having abandoned it for the
excitement of cars, girls, and beer during that certain stage of life 🙂.

Wish me luck....

Tom

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I envision a wholesale cable replacement and possibly an entire brake kit swapout if I can't get
them to work safely and properly. The handbrakes on both kids bikes are pretty much inop. I barely
have the handstrength to pull the levers, let alone the under-10 crowd. Not sure if its just too
much crappy cable or the actual POS brake mechanism and springs are just not up to the task. New
cables, a little less cable run (if possible) and lots of lube will hopefully do the trick.

In light of the responses here there's obviously some interest. I'll post updates on the saga as I
go. I'm still amazed that the market for kids bikes is so focused on the low end. In the adult
range, the LBS has everything from the latest high-end feather weight engineering marvels to the
bombproof comfort bikes at a decent price for those who don't need the top on the line. The LBS
selection of kids bikes, while of decent quality, appears to be an afterthought. On the other hand,
the dept store line-up features an amazing selection of low-end [censored]. Hopefully I'll be able to
sift through the detrius at Wally World/Kmart/Target and find something that I can work up to a
decent ride.

I wonder how many kids would keep riding into adulthood if they were brough up on quality gear. I
suspect that most of us actually "re-discovered" cycling as adults, having abandoned it for the
excitement of cars, girls, and beer during that certain stage of life 🙂.

As you have seen, decent kids bikes are difficult to sell for the following reasons:

1. The child will most likely outgrow the bike in a year.
2. Most likely the child will NOT be "into" biking the way the parent(s) are.
3. The child will most likely beat the [censored] out of the bike.
4. There is little or no resale value in a used kids bike.

Items 3 and 4 are the main things involved here I think. My suggestion is to look for an example of
where item 3 is not true, but item 4 is. Look for a decent quality used kids bike. As with the
Walmart job, see yourself with a set of new cables, a spoke wrench and maybe even new tires - at
least the back one - kids really do like skids 🙂

We recently purchased a bicycle for my (rather tall) nine-year old daughter and I thought I would
share my experiences. After really outgrowing her 20" coaster-brake Trek (in a number of dimensions
as well as in cycling ability), we set out to purchase a new bicycle. Fall in Rhode Island is a good
time because the bike shops aren't jammed with idiots (not customer idiots anyway) and last year's
models are cheap and next year's models are available (more on this later). After looking at all the
websites' descriptions of 24"-wheeled youth bikes, I thought I was well-armed, though
not-too-enthused about heading out for such beast (all reasonable ones had a front suspension fork
and looked mountain-bikey, which we are not). After trying out the 24" models, the purple ones in
particular, I wondered if a small 26"-wheeled bike might be a better bet for adjusting for her
inevitable growth and for parts compatability. By the way, the 2004 Trek and Fisher kid's bikes have
cranks with two sets of pedal holes and adjustable stems along with a reasonable frame and parts
(along with obligate suspension fork) make them a good choice. The only good rigid fork model *was*
the 2003 Specialized Hotrock-something but I never did find one of those.

So back the the 26"-wheeled bikes -- well, have you ever ridden a $300 mountain bike? All that I was
able to find had a (really heavy) front suspension fork which I considered absolutely unncessary,
crummy parts, and a terrible ride compared with a modern "old-school" road or hybrid bike (I really
don't know how a modern bike feels). The Trek 3700's, for example, only redeeming quality, for me
anyway, was that it was available in purple, which my daughter admired (otherwise it was really ugly
with black (!) spokes with cheap no-name parts and a lot of plastic -- no better than the 24" bikes,
btw). But I had to say that the smallest size fit well even though it had 170 mm cranks and it *was*
purple. BTW, the smallest Specialized Hardrocks are spec'ed with 165 mm cranks though one of the
ones at the LBS had 170s. I think that they fit my daughter better than the Treks though
'periwinkle' was available only in the $449.00 model (too much, considering this won't be her final
frame size). Then the (very helpful!!!) LBS guy found a 2002 (?) Specialized Expedition in the back.
This fit well, had the (nearly) obligate suspension fork but was at least a road bike and felt it --
it rode like a real bike! Then we (my wife and I), found a (2001 (?)) Specialized
Crossroads-something in the racks -- rigid threaded fork and quite a nice bike for $229.00!! (BTW,
did bikes have a model year in the good ol' days?) Although this one fit the least well of the bikes
we tried out -- longer top tube -- it was a steal at $229 with really quite nice parts (+ a bell,
water bottle cage, and seat bag!). Swapping out the suspension seat post for a regular one (it was a
27.2! so she could choose one from my parts bin) made my daughter a little closer to the ground
while seated (a little lower than optimal, but she'll get used to it and we'll raise it back up).
The rather pretty cobalt blue color of the frame didn't suit as much as the purple or periwinkle but
I convinced her than I could, with greater certainty, mount cantilevers in front so she could use a
Mojo peace sign straddle cable hanger (finally found a silver 1 1/8" hanger on Ebay!). I might swap
out the 170 mm cranks for some 165s but I feel I can do that since I don't have to buy much else for
the bike. So, I think everyone is quite happy but I consider ourselves lucky. If someone is
listening, is it really that hard to make and sell no-nonsense, non-mountainey kid's bikes of decent
quaility? Thanks for listening.

Kyle Kikuchi

A Muzi <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

tcmedara said:

Both my kids (9 and 6) have become fairly proficient riders over the past year. The older one
was a late starter, but is now a maniac on two wheels. We have them both riding Wally World
specials that I am constantly fighing to maintain in working order. This was an intentional
decision as we didn't want to drop too much money on their initial "training" bikes. They are
both on the verge of outgrowing their current rides.

The wife and I decided that Santa would be the bearer of bicycles this year for Christmas. I'm
looking for some advice on how to shop for decent value priced kids' bikes. I am a frequent
visitor to the LBS and have more than a few mail order sites bookmarked in my browser, but
buying for the kiddie set is beginning to throw me. The kids wouldn't know a Huffy from the
latest carbon/dura ace wunder bike, but I'd still like to go a cut above the Walmart price
point. On the other hand, I don't see spending $350-400 on some of the kid's bikes down in the
LBS. Now obviouly $350-400 is not as bad is this:

216.247.25.241merchant.mvOpen ↗

buts it seems a little excessive for something they're going to beat to hell and then outgrow in
a few years. I don't want to get them a POS, but I don't think they need to ride minature
versions of adult gear.

Thought or suggestions? Anyone else gone through the same drill?

My brothers, who all worked here, take different approaches. One bought bike shop bikes for his
children every couple of years and the other two went to XMart for theirs. They all report that
the bikes worked well and lasted long enough to be outgrown when they took the time to do a
thorough prep. That means every bearing opened, amply greased and adjusted, every fastener and
control cable removed, lubricated and refitted, every wheel detensioned, lubed and retensioned.
When they skipped the afternoon of prep with either kind of bike, the bike's useful life was
diminished greatly.

So whether you buy at an LBS or a mall, count on spending a couple of hours assembling the bike
properly. Concentrate on fit and let the kid choose a color s/he likes but don't accept someone
else's word for "prep" - neither source will have paid any attention to it.

You should have gotten her the purple bike.

Quoted message said:

We recently purchased a bicycle for my (rather tall) nine-year old daughter and I thought I would
share my experiences. After really outgrowing her 20" coaster-brake Trek (in a number of
dimensions as well as in cycling ability), we set out to purchase a new bicycle. Fall in Rhode
Island is a good time because the bike shops aren't jammed with idiots (not customer idiots
anyway) and last year's models are cheap and next year's models are available (more on this
later). After looking at all the websites' descriptions of 24"-wheeled youth bikes, I thought I
was well-armed, though not-too-enthused about heading out for such beast (all reasonable ones had
a front suspension fork and looked mountain-bikey, which we are not). After trying out the 24"
models, the purple ones in particular, I wondered if a small 26"-wheeled bike might be a better
bet for adjusting for her inevitable growth and for parts compatability. By the way, the 2004
Trek and Fisher kid's bikes have cranks with two sets of pedal holes and adjustable stems along
with a reasonable frame and parts (along with obligate suspension fork) make them a good choice.
The only good rigid fork model *was* the 2003 Specialized Hotrock-something but I never did find
one of those.

So back the the 26"-wheeled bikes -- well, have you ever ridden a $300 mountain bike? All that I
was able to find had a (really heavy) front suspension fork which I considered absolutely
unncessary, crummy parts, and a terrible ride compared with a modern "old-school" road or hybrid
bike (I really don't know how a modern bike feels). The Trek 3700's, for example, only redeeming
quality, for me anyway, was that it was available in purple, which my daughter admired (otherwise
it was really ugly with black (!) spokes with cheap no-name parts and a lot of plastic -- no
better than the 24" bikes, btw). But I had to say that the smallest size fit well even though it
had 170 mm cranks and it *was* purple. BTW, the smallest Specialized Hardrocks are spec'ed with
165 mm cranks though one of the ones at the LBS had 170s. I think that they fit my daughter better
than the Treks though 'periwinkle' was available only in the $449.00 model (too much, considering
this won't be her final frame size). Then the (very helpful!!!) LBS guy found a 2002 (?)
Specialized Expedition in the back. This fit well, had the (nearly) obligate suspension fork but
was at least a road bike and felt it -- it rode like a real bike! Then we (my wife and I), found a
(2001 (?)) Specialized Crossroads-something in the racks -- rigid threaded fork and quite a nice
bike for $229.00!! (BTW, did bikes have a model year in the good ol' days?) Although this one fit
the least well of the bikes we tried out -- longer top tube -- it was a steal at $229 with really
quite nice parts (+ a bell, water bottle cage, and seat bag!). Swapping out the suspension seat
post for a regular one (it was a 27.2! so she could choose one from my parts bin) made my daughter
a little closer to the ground while seated (a little lower than optimal, but she'll get used to it
and we'll raise it back up). The rather pretty cobalt blue color of the frame didn't suit as much
as the purple or periwinkle but I convinced her than I could, with greater certainty, mount
cantilevers in front so she could use a Mojo peace sign straddle cable hanger (finally found a
silver 1 1/8" hanger on Ebay!). I might swap out the 170 mm cranks for some 165s but I feel I can
do that since I don't have to buy much else for the bike. So, I think everyone is quite happy but
I consider ourselves lucky. If someone is listening, is it really that hard to make and sell
no-nonsense, non-mountainey kid's bikes of decent quaility? Thanks for listening.

Kyle Kikuchi

A Muzi <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

tcmedara said:

Both my kids (9 and 6) have become fairly proficient riders over the past year. The older one
was a late starter, but is now a maniac on two wheels. We have them both riding Wally World
specials that I am constantly fighing to maintain in working order. This was an intentional
decision as we didn't want to drop too much money on their initial "training" bikes. They are
both on the verge of outgrowing their current rides.

The wife and I decided that Santa would be the bearer of bicycles this year for Christmas. I'm
looking for some advice on how to shop for decent value priced kids' bikes. I am a frequent
visitor to the LBS and have more than a few mail order sites bookmarked in my browser, but
buying for the kiddie set is beginning to throw me. The kids wouldn't know a Huffy from the
latest carbon/dura ace wunder bike, but I'd still like to go a cut above the Walmart price
point. On the other hand, I don't see spending $350-400 on some of the kid's bikes down in the
LBS. Now obviouly $350-400 is not as bad is this:

216.247.25.241merchant.mvOpen ↗ e=T&Category_Code=

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

buts it seems a little excessive for something they're going to beat to hell and then outgrow in
a few years. I don't want to get them a POS, but I don't think they need to ride minature
versions of adult gear.

Thought or suggestions? Anyone else gone through the same drill?

My brothers, who all worked here, take different approaches. One bought bike shop bikes for his
children every couple of years and the other two went to XMart for theirs. They all report that
the bikes worked well and lasted long enough to be outgrown when they took the time to do a
thorough prep. That means every bearing opened, amply greased and adjusted, every fastener and
control cable removed, lubricated and refitted, every wheel detensioned, lubed and retensioned.
When they skipped the afternoon of prep with either kind of bike, the bike's useful life was
diminished greatly.

So whether you buy at an LBS or a mall, count on spending a couple of hours assembling the bike
properly. Concentrate on fit and let the kid choose a color s/he likes but don't accept someone
else's word for "prep" - neither source will have paid any attention to it.

--
Perre

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