Kids bike sizing advice

"Peter Boulton" wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Advice appreciated, thanks!

I know it spoils the suprise, but you have to go try a few in your LBS for
fit.

Remember weight is just as important to 9 year olds as it is to adults.

Jc.

In article <[email hidden]>

Peter Boulton peter@data*no-spam*perceptions.co.uk said:

I'm about to buy a bike for my 9 year old daughter over the net. Her inside
leg measurement is 22" (inches). I reckon she needs 24" wheels, yes?

I see that most of the frame sizes are quoted as 13", but there are some
bikes with 24" wheels which are quoted with a variety of frame sizes.

Guess my question is, 22" inside leg / 9 years old = 24" wheels + 13"
frame - right or wrong? If wrong, how do I get from inside leg to frame
size?

As far as rules of thumb go she should be fine on a 13" frame 24" wheel,
but there's more to it than that -
Style of frame: if the top-tube is close to the top of the seatpost then
a 13" frame with a 9" bottom-bracket height means there's very little
standover clearance.
Length of frame: the saddle height is easily adjustable, but the reach
to the handlebars is fixed - too long and it won't be easy to control,
too short and it won't give much room for growing.
Length of cranks: there's no point being able to put the seat low enough
for safety/comfort if she can't pedal properly because her knees come up
too far.

Quoted message said:

Obviously I'm hoping to buy a bike which is safe for her now but which will
also last as she grows.

A 24" wheel mountainbike style machine should be useable until she's
over 5' tall, although you'll probably need to fit a longer seatpost.
The only way you can really tell, though, is to sit her on some bikes
and see how it looks/feels - don't forget to get her to pedal backwards
so you can see how high her knees go, and to steer so you can see if
she's overstretched when turning the bars.

Thanks Rob. That's good advice. I can see it's better to go to a shop, but
there are some darn good savings out there on the net! :-))

I was thinking of this one... she likes the colour!

http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=5665

Seems to have a comfortable step through and matches the other suggestions
you made.

Thanks again!

Pete

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

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>

Peter Boulton peter@data*no-spam*perceptions.co.uk said:

I'm about to buy a bike for my 9 year old daughter over the net. Her
inside
leg measurement is 22" (inches). I reckon she needs 24" wheels, yes?

I see that most of the frame sizes are quoted as 13", but there are some
bikes with 24" wheels which are quoted with a variety of frame sizes.

Guess my question is, 22" inside leg / 9 years old = 24" wheels + 13"
frame - right or wrong? If wrong, how do I get from inside leg to frame
size?

As far as rules of thumb go she should be fine on a 13" frame 24" wheel,
but there's more to it than that -
Style of frame: if the top-tube is close to the top of the seatpost then
a 13" frame with a 9" bottom-bracket height means there's very little
standover clearance.
Length of frame: the saddle height is easily adjustable, but the reach
to the handlebars is fixed - too long and it won't be easy to control,
too short and it won't give much room for growing.
Length of cranks: there's no point being able to put the seat low enough
for safety/comfort if she can't pedal properly because her knees come up
too far.

Quoted message said:

Obviously I'm hoping to buy a bike which is safe for her now but which
will
also last as she grows.

A 24" wheel mountainbike style machine should be useable until she's
over 5' tall, although you'll probably need to fit a longer seatpost.
The only way you can really tell, though, is to sit her on some bikes
and see how it looks/feels - don't forget to get her to pedal backwards
so you can see how high her knees go, and to steer so you can see if
she's overstretched when turning the bars.

On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 14:25:38 -0000, "Peter Boulton"

peter@data*no-spam*perceptions.co.uk said:

Hi,

I'm about to buy a bike for my 9 year old daughter over the net. Her inside
leg measurement is 22" (inches). I reckon she needs 24" wheels, yes?

I see that most of the frame sizes are quoted as 13", but there are some
bikes with 24" wheels which are quoted with a variety of frame sizes.

Guess my question is, 22" inside leg / 9 years old = 24" wheels + 13"
frame - right or wrong? If wrong, how do I get from inside leg to frame
size?

Obviously I'm hoping to buy a bike which is safe for her now but which will
also last as she grows.

Advice appreciated, thanks!

Try before you buy, but buy as big as she can comfortably manage.

http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/beinn24.html
might be close to ideal. They'll exchange if not.

On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 15:56:25 -0000, "Peter Boulton"

peter@data*no-spam*perceptions.co.uk said:

Thanks Rob. That's good advice. I can see it's better to go to a shop, but
there are some darn good savings out there on the net! :-))

I was thinking of this one... she likes the colour!

http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=5665

Have a look at the *cheap bike* and *children's bikes* articles at
www.johnballcycling.org.uk. Then take a closer look at the Islabikes
Beinn 24.

Tom Crispin said:

On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 15:56:25 -0000, "Peter Boulton"

peter@data*no-spam*perceptions.co.uk said:

Thanks Rob. That's good advice. I can see it's better to go to a shop, but
there are some darn good savings out there on the net! :-))

I was thinking of this one... she likes the colour!

http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=5665

Have a look at the *cheap bike* and *children's bikes* articles at
www.johnballcycling.org.uk. Then take a closer look at the Islabikes
Beinn 24.

You might also, if she is a normal to tall 9 year old, consider a Trek
3500. This is the bottom of the Trek adult range and has a 13" frame
but no silly front suspension and will last a long time. Did you
mention a standover height of 22"? that would be a bit small for the
Trek - but worth a try.

...d

In article <[email hidden]>

Peter Boulton peter@data*no-spam*perceptions.co.uk said:

Thanks Rob. That's good advice. I can see it's better to go to a shop, but
there are some darn good savings out there on the net! :-))

I was thinking of this one... she likes the colour!

http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=5665

Seems to have a comfortable step through and matches the other suggestions
you made.

You might want to find a good local shop that has one in stock (or can
easily get one), tell them you'd like to buy it from them but can't
really justify it because they're 50 quid cheaper on t'internet - they
can probably come down a bit on price and throw in some goodies, plus
you'll have established a relationship which will be helpful if there
are any problems with the bike, or when you get it serviced. Sometimes
the savings from buying online are just too good to ignore, but don't
forget to factor delivery costs and the vagaries of delivery time into
your evaluation.