Which bike for a 7yo?

Quoted message said:

I'm going to get my 7yo daughter a new bike and am looking for opinions on which to get. She is a
very good rider for her age and I think she is ready to step up to a multi-geared bike. So far my
main choices are the Trek Mountain Track 60 or Specialized Hotrock 20. She's fairly tall for her
age and I think a 20" bike is the right size. I don't mind spending a little more on a good bike
with better quailty components. Are there any other bikes to look at? Thanks for any input,

Scott

Scott: Don't know about the Specialized (we don't sell that line) but the TREK Mountain Track 60 is
a very solid bike that should survive her and maybe a couple other kids afterward. But even with a
kid's bike, the differences between one shop and another (in terms of how carefully they set it up)
can be a bigger difference than what you find between brands.

And, of course, color can be a big issue for kids!

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

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

Quoted message said:

I'm going to get my 7yo daughter a new bike and am looking for opinions on which to get. She is a
very good rider for her age and I think she is ready to step up to a multi-geared bike. So far my
main choices are the Trek Mountain Track 60 or Specialized Hotrock 20. She's fairly tall for her
age and I think a 20" bike is the right size. I don't mind spending a little more on a good bike
with better quailty components. Are there any other bikes to look at? Thanks for any input,

Scott

I looked at two bikes for my seven year old and chose the Specialized Hotrock 20 over the Trek
model. At the time, the Specialized had slightly better components. This was two years ago, and it's
possible that Specialized has decontented the Hotrock by now. Either one would be fine.

If you have a Performance shop near you also check them out as they've added some kids bikes to
their line-up. The Performance K-2000 is about $120, though the ten speed gearing is overkill, and
the 6-7 speed Trek and Specialized models are more than sufficient.

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

Quoted message said:

I'm going to get my 7yo daughter a new bike and am looking for opinions on which to get. She is a
very good rider for her age and I think she is ready to step up to a multi-geared bike. So far my
main choices are the Trek Mountain Track 60 or Specialized Hotrock 20. She's fairly tall for her
age and I think a 20" bike is the right size. I don't mind spending a little more on a good bike
with better quailty components. Are there any other bikes to look at? Thanks for any input,

Scott

Scott:

<rant> I've always wondered why kids' bikes in the US are - well, kids bikes. They're heavy,
overburdened with "features" like suspension that most kids don't need, and for some bikes, weigh
more than the kid. (No, I'm not kidding - read the specs and heft one of these monsters.) A riding
buddy of mine bought a full suspension kid's bike for his kid, and it's so heavy his kid can't ride
it for any distance. In other words, some of these bikes are toys, meant to look pretty under the
tree and then rust in the driveway.

I would guess the Trek and Specialized are a cut above, but still, the Trek weighs a lot - I know, I
considered it for my 6 year old. </rant>

Fuji makes a great kids touring bike. I can't find the link to it at the moment, but it comes with
road tires, 20" wheels, fenders, etc. The catch is that it's sold in UK. Not in the US.

Author makes a line of great kids bikes. I like this one:
author.czindex.phpOpen ↗
author.czindex.phpOpen ↗ 20 lbs, aluminum frame, real
functioning brakes and gears, narrower hybrid tires, beautiful. US$170. The catch? Only available in
the Czech Republic (My 6 year old happens to have one of these. It really is a great bike.) All of
the parts on the bike are the standard stuff - Quando hubs, Shimano shifters, etc. It's basically a
Trek Mountain Trask 60 without the front suspension (and the weight). I even think the Trek has
slightly better components.

I can't figure out why a bike like this can't be sold in the US. Is it because parents (or kids)
have featureitis and want the dual suspension super duper whammy jammy without regard to
rideability?

-Kamus

--
What am I on? I'm on my bike, o__ 6 hours a day, busting my ass. ,>/'_ What are you on? --Lance
Armstrong (_)\(_)

Kamus of Kadizhar <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

<rant> I've always wondered why kids' bikes in the US are - well, kids bikes. They're heavy,
overburdened with "features" like suspension that most kids don't need, and for some bikes, weigh
more than the kid. (No, I'm not kidding - read the specs and heft one of these monsters.) A riding
buddy of mine bought a full suspension kid's bike for his kid, and it's so heavy his kid can't
ride it for any distance. In other words, some of these bikes are toys, meant to look pretty under
the tree and then rust in the driveway.

I would guess the Trek and Specialized are a cut above, but still, the Trek weighs a lot - I know,
I considered it for my 6 year old. </rant>

Fuji makes a great kids touring bike. I can't find the link to it at the moment, but it comes with
road tires, 20" wheels, fenders, etc. The catch is that it's sold in UK. Not in the US.

Author makes a line of great kids bikes. I like this one:
author.czindex.phpOpen ↗
author.czindex.phpOpen ↗ 20 lbs, aluminum frame, real
functioning brakes and gears, narrower

Quoted message said:

hybrid tires, beautiful. US$170. The catch? Only available in the Czech Republic (My 6 year old
happens to have one of these. It really is a great bike.) All of the parts on the bike are the
standard stuff - Quando hubs, Shimano shifters, etc. It's basically a Trek Mountain Trask 60
without the front suspension (and the weight). I even think the Trek has slightly better
components.

I can't figure out why a bike like this can't be sold in the US. Is it because parents (or kids)
have featureitis and want the dual suspension super duper whammy jammy without regard to
rideability?

The state of kids bikes in the U.S. is appalling. It is virtually impossible to buy a kids
road/touring bike in the U.S. You have to travel to Europe or Asia to pick one up.

I may suggest to someone I know that imports commute bikes that he consider adding a 20" wheeled and
a 24" wheeled model. They are widely available and there is enough demand for at least one shop in
the U.S. to sell them.

The Fuji trekking bikes can be seen at: "fujibikes.comyouthOpen ↗". Look at the Lion and Tiger
models. I would have bought one of these in a heartbeat versus a Hotrock. Alas, as the text states,
"only available in Europe." Fuji has a lot of potential in the U.S..

"Kamus of Kadizhar" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've always wondered why kids' bikes in the US are - well, kids bikes. They're heavy,
overburdened with "features" like suspension that most kids don't need, and for some bikes, weigh
more than the kid.

It may be heresy, but for anybody under adult size I think there's a good deal to be said for
getting a used bike, a simple, inexpensive bike, or even a good *mart bike.

1. Many people on this list can put together a kid's bike. It's not rocket science, especially if
you keep the bike simple. Actually, the assembly information that came with the Murray and Huffy
bikes I bought my daughters some years ago were substantially better than the information that
came with the Giant Sedona I bought my younger daughter this year -- perhaps because Giant
assumed that trained personnel would assemble it, and Murray and Huffy assumed it would be a
parent or relatively unskilled retail help.

2. They will outgrow it.

3. You may tell yourself that if you get the kid a good bike, they will learn to take care of it,
but part of being a kid is having some things that you don't have to take much care of.

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'm going to get my 7yo daughter a new bike and am looking for opinions on which to get. She is
a very good rider for her age and I think she is ready to step up to a multi-geared bike. So far
my main choices are the Trek Mountain Track 60 or Specialized Hotrock 20. She's fairly tall for
her age and I think a 20" bike is the right size. I don't mind spending a little more on a good
bike with better quailty components. Are there any other bikes to look at? Thanks for any input,

Scott

Scott: Don't know about the Specialized (we don't sell that line) but the TREK Mountain Track 60
is a very solid bike that should survive her and maybe a couple other kids afterward. But even
with a kid's bike, the differences between one shop and another (in terms of how carefully they

set

Quoted message said:

it up) can be a bigger difference than what you find between brands.

And, of course, color can be a big issue for kids!

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

I agree that there is small difference between brands. For a neighborhood bike to use and abuse,
they do the job. As a parent who hopes to one day tour and do club rides with his daughter, I see
these lead pipe specials as a threat.

I want my child to enjoy riding and later remember it as a magical and fun part of her childhood.
Those heavy bikes virtually ensure that my daughter will be disinterested in cycling long before she
can fit a Terry or other small woman's bike. My daughter needs a light and responsive road bike
*now*! A single importer who would be willing to market a lighweight child's bike would be rendering
a very valuable service to people like us!

Frank & Joni Knox said:

Quoted message said:

I agree that there is small difference between brands. For a neighborhood bike to use and abuse,
they do the job. As a parent who hopes to one day tour and do club rides with his daughter, I see
these lead pipe specials as a threat.

I want my child to enjoy riding and later remember it as a magical and fun part of her childhood.
Those heavy bikes virtually ensure that my daughter will be disinterested in cycling long before
she can fit a Terry or other small woman's bike. My daughter needs a light and responsive road bike
*now*! A single importer who would be willing to market a lighweight child's bike would be
rendering a very valuable service to people like us!

On first blush, this seems reasonable, but a 7yo would probably not notice all that much difference
between a low end or high end bike. I would suggest shying away from the 'mart bikes and looking for
a low end trek, specialized, schwinn, GT, etc. 21 speeds will work fine for a couple years until she
is ready to graduate to newer, high end stuff. The difference between an $80 'mart bike and a decent
used Trek 800 is minor (maybe even the same) and will suit her needs much more. If you are looking
for a road bike at 7yo, well... your options are severely limited, but the same holds true.

Dan Brussee said:

On first blush, this seems reasonable, but a 7yo would probably not notice all that much
difference between a low end or high end bike.

Given that my experience with kids is limited to my own but...

My 6 year old is a mountain biker. I say this half seriously - I'm a roadie, and have all the grace
and ability of a overcooked yam on a mountain bike, so I was really hoping to get her road riding.
Alas, she gets bored after even a mile of straight road. My wife took her on a 3 mile nature trail,
though, and from what I hear, this kid was jumping roots and had a blast. (I had my recumbent with
me at the time, so no root jumping for me.)

While gears, bike sophistication, geometry, etc. are lost on her - she uses two speeds, slow and
wide open - the weight of the bike is paramount for having fun. That's where my problem with kid
bikes available in the US lies. They're all too heavy!

Most weigh in at 30 lbs or so. A 40 or 50 lb kid just can't muscle that kind of weight with any sort
of enjoyment. There is no reason why someone couldn't build a sub-20lb kid's beater bike, and market
it for under $200.

Quoted message said:

If you are looking for a road bike at 7yo, well... your options are severely limited, but the same
holds true.

For a kid that young, putting road slicks on a 20 lb rigid frame bike will make it a road bike. Drop
handlebars would just confuse the issue and possibly even be dangerous due to the brake lever
placement - kids have very short fingers and reach could be an issue, since there are no kids road
brake levers anymore...

-Kamus

--
What am I on? I'm on my bike, o__ 6 hours a day, busting my ass. ,>/'_ What are you on? --Lance
Armstrong (_)\(_)

In article said:

I can't figure out why a bike like this can't be sold in the US. Is it because parents (or kids)
have featureitis and want the dual suspension super duper whammy jammy without regard to
rideability?

I can't recall the precise details of the Giant bike I bought my (quite tall, quite heavy) seven
year old daughter for her seventh birthday in April, but I'm pretty sure from a swift web search
that it's the rigid version of the Giant MTX225, either the '02 or the '03 model. I just went into
the local bike shop and said ``something good for her'' and let them sort it out (and then did the
same for myself, which kickstarted my interest in riding bikes).

It's heavy, presumably because it's a steel frame, but it's been a raging success. The shop's simple
statement was that suspension is pointless, heavy and unreliable at that price, which makes sense.
Even given she's tall and strong, the seat post is pretty much right the way down, but that means
she'll get several years of use from it. She had struggled on a previous bike with stabilisers when
we took them off, but on the new bike (partly, I suspect, because she'd set herself the goal of
succeeding on her new bike, and once she sets herself a target it doesn't get missed) she was riding
it confidently within a few days. And having decent brakes is handy, as we live on a hill.

Her first ride beyond the confines of the park at the bottom of the road was on a local cycle track
(Rea Valley route, Birmingham-ites) and she managed a four mile round trip on that, and last weekend
we went out for a ride with a friend and she did about six and a half miles without obvious strain,
including several quite sharp hills, some muddy sections, and four quick laps of a semi-abandoned
440yard running track nearby.

I think (if such things existed easily) a bike with Rapidfire-style gears would help, as her hands
and wrists aren't really strong enough to make using the twist-grip gears easy, but with it left on
the smallest chain ring she's happily using a range of gears reasonably sensibly.

ian

Kamus of Kadizhar said:

Dan Brussee said:

On first blush, this seems reasonable, but a 7yo would probably not notice all that much
difference between a low end or high end bike.

Given that my experience with kids is limited to my own but...

My 6 year old is a mountain biker. I say this half seriously - I'm a roadie, and have all the grace
and ability of a overcooked yam on a mountain bike, so I was really hoping to get her road riding.
Alas, she gets bored after even a mile of straight road. My wife took her on a 3 mile nature trail,
though, and from what I hear, this kid was jumping roots and had a blast. (I had my recumbent with
me at the time, so no root jumping for me.)

While gears, bike sophistication, geometry, etc. are lost on her - she uses two speeds, slow and
wide open - the weight of the bike is paramount for having fun. That's where my problem with kid
bikes available in the US lies. They're all too heavy!

Most weigh in at 30 lbs or so. A 40 or 50 lb kid just can't muscle that kind of weight with any
sort of enjoyment. There is no reason why someone couldn't build a sub-20lb kid's beater bike, and
market it for under $200.

Quoted message said:

If you are looking for a road bike at 7yo, well... your options are severely limited, but the
same holds true.

For a kid that young, putting road slicks on a 20 lb rigid frame bike will make it a road bike.
Drop handlebars would just confuse the issue and possibly even be dangerous due to the brake lever
placement - kids have very short fingers and reach could be an issue, since there are no kids road
brake levers anymore...

Agreed on the "road bike" analysis.

As for weight, I would have to respectfully disagree. Even a 10 lb weight penalty is not all that
much for a kid to withstand. I think the main thing is to have a well-designed, well-adjusted
quality bike. Remember what "kids" used to ride - and be VERY happy with back in the Krate bike and
Schwinn Varsity days. As others have said so elequently... It's not the bike!

Ian G Batten said:

I think (if such things existed easily) a bike with Rapidfire-style gears would help, as her hands
and wrists aren't really strong enough to make using the twist-grip gears easy, but with it left on
the smallest chain ring she's happily using a range of gears reasonably sensibly.

I don't see why it wouldn't be easy to have more appropriate shifters put on. If you can't do it
yourself, I imagine the LBS would do it at a reasonable price.

Quoted message said:

ian

--
Rick Onanian

In article said:

I don't see why it wouldn't be easy to have more appropriate shifters put on.

Clearly. But it's not a big issue.

ian

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

Quoted message said:

Kamus of Kadizhar said:

Dan Brussee said:

On first blush, this seems reasonable, but a 7yo would probably not notice all that much
difference between a low end or high end bike.

Given that my experience with kids is limited to my own but...

My 6 year old is a mountain biker. I say this half seriously - I'm a roadie, and have all the
grace and ability of a overcooked yam on a mountain bike, so I was really hoping to get her road
riding. Alas, she gets bored after even a mile of straight road. My wife took her on a 3 mile
nature trail, though, and from what I hear, this kid was jumping roots and had a blast. (I had my
recumbent with me at the time, so no root jumping for me.)

While gears, bike sophistication, geometry, etc. are lost on her - she uses two speeds, slow and
wide open - the weight of the bike is paramount for having fun. That's where my problem with kid
bikes available in the US lies. They're all too heavy!

Most weigh in at 30 lbs or so. A 40 or 50 lb kid just can't muscle that kind of weight with any
sort of enjoyment. There is no reason why someone couldn't build a sub-20lb kid's beater bike,
and market it for under $200.

Quoted message said:

If you are looking for a road bike at 7yo, well... your options are severely limited, but the
same holds true.

For a kid that young, putting road slicks on a 20 lb rigid frame bike will make it a road bike.
Drop handlebars would just confuse the issue and possibly even be dangerous due to the brake
lever placement - kids have very short fingers and reach could be an issue, since there are no
kids road brake levers anymore...

Agreed on the "road bike" analysis.

As for weight, I would have to respectfully disagree. Even a 10 lb weight penalty is not all that
much for a kid to withstand. I think the main thing is to have a well-designed, well-adjusted
quality bike. Remember what "kids" used to ride - and be VERY happy with back in the Krate bike
and Schwinn Varsity days. As others have said so elequently... It's not the bike!

This doesn't apply to kids today, at least not to girls. Kids used to go out alone and their bikes
were for transportation to parks and the homes of friends. Many parents no longer feel comfortable
allowing their children to do this.

My daughter will not be leaving our yard without an adult until her middle teen years. Therefore,
her bicycling will be entirely for enjoyment as a hobby. I have a Trek kids bike outfitted with road
slicks, but this piece of junk is limited to sub-10 mile rides. We generally rely on her Adams
Trail-A-Bike for anything over 10 miles. However, if she had a 15-20 lb lightweight bike this would
not be the case.

Dan Brussee said:

As for weight, I would have to respectfully disagree. Even a 10 lb weight penalty is not all that
much for a kid to withstand. I think the main thing is to have a well-designed, well-adjusted
quality bike. Remember what "kids" used to ride - and be VERY happy with back in the Krate bike and
Schwinn Varsity days. As others have said so elequently... It's not the bike!

As a child riding heavy bikes in a hilly area, I was so proud when I finally accomplished a 1 mile
ride; and I was amazed when I actually made it to the next town, maybe 2 or 2 1/2 miles down the
road. I had those early department store mountain bikes.

If I had bikes that didn't weigh such a significantly large percentage of my own weight, I probably
would have been able to ride much farther. Of course, level land would have helped too.

While "It's not the bike, it's the engine" is so true, a kid who doesn't have fun and go far and
have something to _really_ be proud of will not want to continue bicycling. When I started
driving, I was so happy that I'd never have to pedal again (little did I know that I'd do it again
anyway, for fun).
--
Rick Onanian

Quoted message said:

I've always wondered why kids' bikes in the US are - well, kids bikes. They're heavy, overburdened
with "features" like suspension that most kids don't need, and for some bikes, weigh more than the
kid. (No, I'm not kidding - read the specs and heft one of these monsters.) A riding buddy of mine
bought a full suspension kid's bike for his kid, and it's so heavy his kid can't ride it for any
distance. In other words, some of these bikes are toys, meant to look pretty under the tree and
then rust in the driveway.

I would guess the Trek and Specialized are a cut above, but still, the Trek weighs a lot - I know,
I considered it for my 6 year old.

Kids bikes *do* weigh a lot, but for the most part it's intentional. For most kids of that age,
they're not going to be taking them on long rides with Mom or Dad; more typically it's around the
neighborhood or to school and back, that sort of thing. And the simple facts are that a good number
of them will have been left behind Mom or Dad's car and backed over, as well as many other
unfortunate types of abuse... and the heavier bikes hold up better to that.

Ideally, we'd have something light & cool as well, but the other issue is that we're talking about
an industry that can barely support itself at the moment, and adding "fringe" SKUs that would sell
great to those who post here but not do so well elsewhere... it's just not likely to happen. Wish it
would though!

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

"Kamus of Kadizhar" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

Quoted message said:

I'm going to get my 7yo daughter a new bike and am looking for opinions on which to get. She is
a very good rider for her age and I think she is ready to step up to a multi-geared bike. So far
my main choices are the Trek Mountain Track 60 or Specialized Hotrock 20. She's fairly tall for
her age and I think a 20" bike is the right size. I don't mind spending a little more on a good
bike with better quailty components. Are there any other bikes to look at? Thanks for any input,

Scott

Scott:

<rant> I've always wondered why kids' bikes in the US are - well, kids bikes. They're heavy,
overburdened with "features" like suspension that most kids don't need, and for some bikes, weigh
more than the kid. (No, I'm not kidding - read the specs and heft one of these monsters.) A riding
buddy of mine bought a full suspension kid's bike for his kid, and it's so heavy his kid can't
ride it for any distance. In other words, some of these bikes are toys, meant to look pretty under
the tree and then rust in the driveway.

I would guess the Trek and Specialized are a cut above, but still, the Trek weighs a lot - I know,
I considered it for my 6 year old. </rant>

Fuji makes a great kids touring bike. I can't find the link to it at the moment, but it comes with
road tires, 20" wheels, fenders, etc. The catch is that it's sold in UK. Not in the US.

Author makes a line of great kids bikes. I like this one:
author.czindex.phpOpen ↗
author.czindex.phpOpen ↗ 20 lbs, aluminum frame, real
functioning brakes and gears, narrower hybrid tires, beautiful. US$170. The catch? Only available
in the Czech Republic (My 6 year old happens to have one of these. It really is a great bike.) All
of the parts on the bike are the standard stuff - Quando hubs, Shimano shifters, etc. It's
basically a Trek Mountain Trask 60 without the front suspension (and the weight). I even think the
Trek has slightly better components.

I can't figure out why a bike like this can't be sold in the US. Is it because parents (or kids)
have featureitis and want the dual suspension super duper whammy jammy without regard to
rideability?

-Kamus

--
What am I on? I'm on my bike, o__ 6 hours a day, busting my ass. ,>/'_ What are you on? --Lance
Armstrong (_)\(_)

"Frank & Joni Knox" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:RqLyb.301

Quoted message said:

My daughter will not be leaving our yard without an adult until her middle teen years.

Well, I don't know your neighborhood, and don't know your daughter, but this seems extreme.

--
Mike Kruger (father of 2 daughters myself)

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

Quoted message said:

I'm going to get my 7yo daughter a new bike and am looking for opinions on which to get. She is a
very good rider for her age and I think she is ready to step up to a multi-geared bike. So far my
main choices are the Trek Mountain Track 60 or Specialized Hotrock 20. She's fairly tall for her
age and I think a 20" bike is the right size. I don't mind spending a little more on a good bike
with better quailty components. Are there any other bikes to look at? Thanks for any input,

Scott

When she's bigger there are a few bikes available. Here are some links to the coming attractions:
feltracing.comf24.htmlOpen ↗
tri-specialties.comdetailproduct.aspOpen ↗ Also, Fuji makes the ACE in a 43 cm road
bike with 650c wheels.

"Frank & Joni Knox" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I agree that there is small difference between brands. For a neighborhood bike to use and abuse,
they do the job. As a parent who hopes to one day tour and do club rides with his daughter, I see
these lead pipe specials as a threat.

I want my child to enjoy riding and later remember it as a magical and fun part of her childhood.
Those heavy bikes virtually ensure that my daughter will be disinterested in cycling long before
she can fit a Terry or other small woman's bike. My daughter needs a light and responsive road
bike *now*! A single importer who would be willing to market a lighweight child's bike would be
rendering a very valuable service to people like us!

I disagree here. I rode a heavy steel bike as a youngster and never lost interest.

I suspect most folks here are perfectly capable of putting together a decent kids bike. Probably
limited only by budget. Smart enough to pick a good enough walmart bike and assemble it decently.
For a bike that probably won't get the best of care and will probably be outgrown soon enough, this
may be a good route.

Quoted message said:

I'm going to get my 7yo daughter a new bike and am looking for opinions on which to get. She is a
very good rider for her age and I think she is ready to step up to a multi-geared bike.

I think that the best way to get your daughter on a bike that doesn't suck (and doesn't cost too
much) would be to buy a retired BMX race bike, then add a Sturmey Archer 3-speed rear wheel and a
front brake. Both used BMX race bikes and used S-A 3spd hubs are serious equipment that can be had
very cheaply with plenty of usefulness left in them. You may have to repaint the frame to suit your
kid's tastes, of course.

"Mini" or "Junior" race bikes are smaller than full-sized or "Pro/XL" bikes, and will be fitted
with short cranks that should suit your daughter's short legs and allow her to develop an effective
pedal stroke.

Chalo Colina