Child's bike
- Thread starter stosh
- Start date
good luck, my son is almost 6 now and he is on his third bike. They grow so fast that it's hard to keep up. I stuck with treks for him at first but finally moved over to a redline BMX bike.
Yeah well she has a sister 2yrs younger so hopefully they can get passed down.
I have a fleet of 5 girls bikes and my girls are 2 yrs apart. Started at 4 on 12" shop bikes. I had to wind up buying a second 12" Toys R Us rig b/c the youngest started to ride way before big sis wanted to give up hers.
I suggest going with one from a bike shop (off Craigslist there are tons daily) because they come with adjustable handlebars rather than big box brands with a one piece handlebar/ stem. They'll get more use as they grow. And I've paid $40 for a 16" Giant and $50 for a Trek Mystic. Both girls bikes and virtually new b/c girls just don't destroy them.
Both bikes new are $110 and $225!!!
Landed a 16" Barbie bike new when the oldest outgrew the 12" through the grandparents and it had the one piece front and sucked! Now at age 7 she's on the 20" Mystic and as said, I snagged the 16" Giant two weeks ago.
Pull the training wheels and pedals off the 12" and go.
I suggest going with one from a bike shop (off Craigslist there are tons daily) because they come with adjustable handlebars rather than big box brands with a one piece handlebar/ stem. They'll get more use as they grow. And I've paid $40 for a 16" Giant and $50 for a Trek Mystic. Both girls bikes and virtually new b/c girls just don't destroy them.
Both bikes new are $110 and $225!!!
Landed a 16" Barbie bike new when the oldest outgrew the 12" through the grandparents and it had the one piece front and sucked! Now at age 7 she's on the 20" Mystic and as said, I snagged the 16" Giant two weeks ago.
Pull the training wheels and pedals off the 12" and go.
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I just got Strawberry Shortcake here her first pedal bike. She is 3 and was totally dominating her Stryder push bike. She was sprinting up hill on it and coasting downhill at full speed and the tiny wheels were super wobbly. She can ride my pumptrack on it and is actually leaning into and railing berms.
That said, she can't pedal for $hit, and her new bike is a 16 size, so she is going to have to grow into it.
Specialized says it is for ages 3 to 5, so hopefully she can keep it for a while. Its really nice and well put thought out. I hope she is ready for it by early spring.
That said, she can't pedal for $hit, and her new bike is a 16 size, so she is going to have to grow into it.
Specialized says it is for ages 3 to 5, so hopefully she can keep it for a while. Its really nice and well put thought out. I hope she is ready for it by early spring.
Kidding, very cute and thank you for the useful information!
I just got Strawberry Shortcake here her first pedal bike. She is 3 and was totally dominating her Stryder push bike. She was sprinting up hill on it and coasting downhill at full speed and the tiny wheels were super wobbly. She can ride my pumptrack on it and is actually leaning into and railing berms.
That said, she can't pedal for $hit, and her new bike is a 16 size, so she is going to have to grow into it.
Specialized says it is for ages 3 to 5, so hopefully she can keep it for a while. Its really nice and well put thought out. I hope she is ready for it by early spring.
I started my son on a 12" walmart cheapy, he outgrew that and I figured he deserved a decent bike. I bought him a 16" se lil wildman, beefy pit bike.
He raced that once at the bmx track and all the kids on micro's and mini's kicked his ass. So we started the search for a mini, the micro would have fit better, but he's fine on the mini already.
The mini has worked great as a real nice lightweight all around bike, a good bike for the bmx track, and even works as a decent mountain bike on tamer trails. He even rode it down some green's at the local ski hill on a few "downhill runs".
He recently picked up a small kona hula with 24" wheels as an XC bike, it's way to big, but he has figured out how to handle it pretty well. I am in the process of either trying to make it a little more gravity friendly, or finding him a kona stinky 2-4 as well.
The mini bmx was the best purchase I could have made for both my son and my girlfriends daughter. They are tough to find on craigslist, but they hold their value well and also work extremely well.
He raced that once at the bmx track and all the kids on micro's and mini's kicked his ass. So we started the search for a mini, the micro would have fit better, but he's fine on the mini already.
The mini has worked great as a real nice lightweight all around bike, a good bike for the bmx track, and even works as a decent mountain bike on tamer trails. He even rode it down some green's at the local ski hill on a few "downhill runs".
He recently picked up a small kona hula with 24" wheels as an XC bike, it's way to big, but he has figured out how to handle it pretty well. I am in the process of either trying to make it a little more gravity friendly, or finding him a kona stinky 2-4 as well.
The mini bmx was the best purchase I could have made for both my son and my girlfriends daughter. They are tough to find on craigslist, but they hold their value well and also work extremely well.
After my 4 year old basically bashed his Skuut push bike to death, I got him this:
He's a heavy hitting rider thus far (only a month into riding and is dropping off of curbs like crazy, wants to challenge me to a skid contest). So far, so good. Pretty indestructible.
He's a heavy hitting rider thus far (only a month into riding and is dropping off of curbs like crazy, wants to challenge me to a skid contest). So far, so good. Pretty indestructible.
Kickstand, what mini bmx did you get? Looking at that as a "next" option for my son.
Our oldest is eleven and she's on a Kona Stuff 24. She rips around on it pretty good but i doubt she'll be on 26's for another year. The eight year old is on a Norco Samurai with 24's. Its his first real bike that wasn't bought at a dept store. He had bagged his dept store 20" so We upgraded him. The 24" wheels are a little big but he'll grow into it. The six year old is on a dept store 14" wheeled princess bike. She rode her 12" wheels for two years one with training wheels and one without then got too big for it. The youngest is three and he was on a run bike last year and is now on a 12" without training wheels.
I'll likely be buying a 16" bike for my six year old next summer depending on how much she grows. It'll be a dept bike again since it seems like the younger ones outgrow a bike once a year and its hard to find something decent with wheels smaller than 20".
The youngest ones first ride on dirt. He started on training wheels this spring and we took them off in September. He rode almost 3kms that day.
[video=facebook;10150870461770333]http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150870461770333[/video]
I'll likely be buying a 16" bike for my six year old next summer depending on how much she grows. It'll be a dept bike again since it seems like the younger ones outgrow a bike once a year and its hard to find something decent with wheels smaller than 20".
The youngest ones first ride on dirt. He started on training wheels this spring and we took them off in September. He rode almost 3kms that day.
[video=facebook;10150870461770333]http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150870461770333[/video]
oddly enough both of our kids ended up on haro's. Its a mid pack kinda bike, but works well. Intense, redline,gt and a host of others all make them. Intense is real popular at the tracks we've raced at. Cool part is the mini is 20"wheeled and kids from 5-12ishthe can ride them.
I converted a used Haro bmx race bike and my daughter has been riding it for several years.
4yo? No effin' way you'll be able to get her a bike that'll last her "a few years"... you do realize she'll be twice as big as she is now in a few years?
The first bike the kids got was a 12" from Target. Best thing I did was pull it apart and greased everything. Still going after 6-7 years. Two of the kids kids learned how to ride on it and the other tow will probably too.
Picked up a Hoffman 16" for the oldest when he hit about 7 -- now the second kiddo(8) is riding it.
Picked up a Hoffman 16" for the oldest when he hit about 7 -- now the second kiddo(8) is riding it.
Looks like the exact bike both of my kids have. One is probably 10 years old and all chrome, the other has a similar paint scheme maroon and black like yours.I converted a used Haro bmx race bike and my daughter has been riding it for several years.
Hey Stosh,
If you've got an extra $80 to burn, buy these two bikes too:
Jamis girls bike
GT Flame Girls' Mountain Bike
Both of those bikes in storage and you'll thank me later.
I can't find a 24" in that kind of shape for less than $140 used and they're $330 retail.
That 16" is worth $90 used AT a bike shop.
local craigslist for high end kids bikes. Check it daily and within a week, you'll get a 12" with adjustable bars.
Oh, and we sold our 12" Cignal yesterday for $25. Paid $50 for it new at a bike shop a little over 3 years ago. WIN!
If you've got an extra $80 to burn, buy these two bikes too:
Jamis girls bike
GT Flame Girls' Mountain Bike
Both of those bikes in storage and you'll thank me later.
I can't find a 24" in that kind of shape for less than $140 used and they're $330 retail.
That 16" is worth $90 used AT a bike shop.
local craigslist for high end kids bikes. Check it daily and within a week, you'll get a 12" with adjustable bars.
Oh, and we sold our 12" Cignal yesterday for $25. Paid $50 for it new at a bike shop a little over 3 years ago. WIN!
And this one: Excellent Cignal Bike
Hey Stosh,
If you've got an extra $80 to burn, buy these two bikes too:
Jamis girls bike
GT Flame Girls' Mountain Bike
Both of those bikes in storage and you'll thank me later.
I can't find a 24" in that kind of shape for less than $140 used and they're $330 retail.
That 16" is worth $90 used AT a bike shop.
local craigslist for high end kids bikes. Check it daily and within a week, you'll get a 12" with adjustable bars.
Oh, and we sold our 12" Cignal yesterday for $25. Paid $50 for it new at a bike shop a little over 3 years ago. WIN!
Thanks for the heads up!
I was grabbing some items at Sams this morning and I saw this beauty!
16" Girls' Pink Schwinn Roadster Children's Bike - Sam's Club
We don't have a lot of room for storage of bikes so I'm going to have to pass on those deals.
skip the 16" bikes and try to find a used micro bmx with 18" wheels. You'll be very happy you did.
It will fit longer/better than the 16" bike, and will also be half the weight, and have some quality components so the kid can actually enjoy riding a bike.
It will fit longer/better than the 16" bike, and will also be half the weight, and have some quality components so the kid can actually enjoy riding a bike.
if you search micro mini 18" there are quite a few coming up around the country. Should fit until 4-6/7ish age range.
The 20" mini's will fit quite a bit longer if she is a little taller.
The 20" mini's will fit quite a bit longer if she is a little taller.
Kinda depends - a decent 16" is a good thing if your kid is rough on stuff. Plus you can get them w/ a coaster brake, which helps a ton when they're just starting out. The BMX racing minis/micros are really nice and light, fine for trail riding if you gear them down some (and your kid is comfortable w/ hand-brakes) but they're pretty delicate. Probably not an issue for riding around the neighborhood/rail-trail or some mellow dirt or as intended on a BMX track, but my kid really loves park/DJ stuff too and racer set-ups don't work well for it.
We ditched the training wheels on his crapper 12" just before his 4th, then started riding a 16" Redline Pitboss w/ coaster brakes shortly after. Couple trips to the BMX track when he turned 5 and we got him a Redline Mini for racing, which he figured out hand-brakes pretty quickly on. We also have another 16" Haro Mirra that he still uses a lot for 'tricks', even though he's looking pretty big on it (7 now); I figure it fits him like a 20" bmx fits an adult, and he can throw the thing around pretty damn well. There's an 18" Premium Big Rig hanging in the garage that he rides from time to time, but he's so comfortable on the 16" that it might be another season til it sees regular play in the park. Just got him on a 24" Spec Hotrock this summer, all spruced up for DHing. Good, good times.
Only downside is when I ride with him, it's obvious that natural ability skipped a generation.6 y/o at the local jumps. Flows em like you read about on the 16.
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Kinda depends - a decent 16" is a good thing if your kid is rough on stuff. Plus you can get them w/ a coaster brake, which helps a ton when they're just starting out. The BMX racing minis/micros are really nice and light, fine for trail riding if you gear them down some (and your kid is comfortable w/ hand-brakes) but they're pretty delicate. Probably not an issue for riding around the neighborhood/rail-trail or some mellow dirt or as intended on a BMX track, but my kid really loves park/DJ stuff too and racer set-ups don't work well for it.
We ditched the training wheels on his crapper 12" just before his 4th, then started riding a 16" Redline Pitboss w/ coaster brakes shortly after. Couple trips to the BMX track when he turned 5 and we got him a Redline Mini for racing, which he figured out hand-brakes pretty quickly on. We also have another 16" Haro Mirra that he still uses a lot for 'tricks', even though he's looking pretty big on it (7 now); I figure it fits him like a 20" bmx fits an adult, and he can throw the thing around pretty damn well. There's an 18" Premium Big Rig hanging in the garage that he rides from time to time, but he's so comfortable on the 16" that it might be another season til it sees regular play in the park. Just got him on a 24" Spec Hotrock this summer, all spruced up for DHing. Good, good times.
6 y/o at the local jumps. Flows em like you read about on the 16.
View attachment 108573
Sweet info! Thanks a ton!
Yeah, my son still rides the SE lil Wildman pit bike at dirt jumps or on anything like that.Kinda depends - a decent 16" is a good thing if your kid is rough on stuff. Plus you can get them w/ a coaster brake, which helps a ton when they're just starting out. The BMX racing minis/micros are really nice and light, fine for trail riding if you gear them down some (and your kid is comfortable w/ hand-brakes) but they're pretty delicate. Probably not an issue for riding around the neighborhood/rail-trail or some mellow dirt or as intended on a BMX track, but my kid really loves park/DJ stuff too and racer set-ups don't work well for it.
We ditched the training wheels on his crapper 12" just before his 4th, then started riding a 16" Redline Pitboss w/ coaster brakes shortly after. Couple trips to the BMX track when he turned 5 and we got him a Redline Mini for racing, which he figured out hand-brakes pretty quickly on. We also have another 16" Haro Mirra that he still uses a lot for 'tricks', even though he's looking pretty big on it (7 now); I figure it fits him like a 20" bmx fits an adult, and he can throw the thing around pretty damn well. There's an 18" Premium Big Rig hanging in the garage that he rides from time to time, but he's so comfortable on the 16" that it might be another season til it sees regular play in the park. Just got him on a 24" Spec Hotrock this summer, all spruced up for DHing. Good, good times.
6 y/o at the local jumps. Flows em like you read about on the 16.
View attachment 108573
For mountain biking trails he rides the mini, but the trails I take him on aren't highly technical, so it still works pretty good.
He did just get a Kona Hula that I am tossing up either outfitting for downhill, or leaving as is for XC and finding a different bike for DH riding.
He just turned 6 and is pretty small for his age, so he isn't too hard on the mini when mountain biking, but knows he has to use the wildman for dirt jumps and stuff.
As for brakes, only coaster brakes either of my kids had was on the 12" walmart bikes, after that they went right to hand brakes and both kids picked up on it just fine.
We got a specialized hot rock... money well spent, but now he's graduating to a hand me down huffy.
(when he was 3)
(when he was 3)
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Nice.
A buddy of mine made this for his kid. It's bad-ass...
Wraith bicycles is dedicated to building chromoly steel Full suspension bicycles for DH (down hill) trail or all mountain, custom made for the individual and not the masses.
A buddy of mine made this for his kid. It's bad-ass...
Wraith bicycles is dedicated to building chromoly steel Full suspension bicycles for DH (down hill) trail or all mountain, custom made for the individual and not the masses.
My daughter started on a $10 yard sale WalMart bike at 4, then moved to a slightly larger craigs list WalMart bike at 6, then her 20" Phat Cycles cruiser at 8. I paid $145 for the cruiser, but she loved it. I sold it a few months ago for $75 and paid less than that for her 24" mountain bike on CL (non WalMart Schwinn).
Syd started out on a 12" trek ($5 garage sale buy) and is now on a 16" Jamis ($20 garage sale buy). Definitely try to go without the training wheels if you can...they're a hard habit to break.
Cool, great advice!
I have to say that this is where the balance bike paid off in spades...no training wheels at all.
Oldest: Took the cranks off
Next: Wanted the cranks back on, but he started on a scooter.
Next: Wanted the cranks back on, but he started on a scooter.
They have this 16" bike at our local bike shop here in town for $89 used in "good" shape.
Specialized Bicycle Components : Hotrock 16 Coaster Girls
What do ya think....?
Specialized Bicycle Components : Hotrock 16 Coaster Girls
What do ya think....?
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Buy it
Probably too big for a 4 yo though
Probably too big for a 4 yo though
Looks like a nice bike, but it might be a bit big right now. Keep in mind, she's not going to be riding too much until the spring and will grow again by then
Pull trigger if you've got the cash on that ASAP. You'll not regret it. Build up the quiver. My 5 year old is a short 5 and she's on the 16" and it's way, WAY more stable than her 12". Especially at Mach Kid going down our gravel drive.They have this 16" bike at our local bike shop here in town for $89 used in "good" shape.
Specialized Bicycle Components : Hotrock 16 Coaster Girls
What do ya think....?
Just buy it - if it's not the right size now, it will be soon.
I'm having the same debate for the next bike - he's almost outgrown the 12" (and is always spinning out gearwise). 16" or 20"? He'll be approaching well over 45" tall at 4 years + ...
I'm having the same debate for the next bike - he's almost outgrown the 12" (and is always spinning out gearwise). 16" or 20"? He'll be approaching well over 45" tall at 4 years + ...