Bicycle for Children

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JBliss1108
JBliss1108 Posts: 21 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone -

I'm looking at buying my daughter a new bicycle from my LBS- a Precaliber 20 by Trek, and wanted to get some feedback from some of the cyclist here. It's a 20" single speed bike with coaster brakes. It's a nice looking little bike. She rides her little 16" bike we got from Walmart with me and she'll go about 6 miles each time we go. She's quickly outgrowing her current ride, and has wore this little bike out with how much she's been on it.

Does anyone have experience with this bike? I'm sure it's a quality bike since it's made by Trek. I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance since I didn't ever think I would be spending this kind of money on a bicycle for a girl about to turn 6.

Any thoughts on this bike or buying bicycles for growing children?

Replies

  • MudRunChica
    MudRunChica Posts: 24 Member
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    My son (6 yrs old) has had a Trek for the last year and I've noticed a huge difference in how easy it is for him to ride vs. a cheaper bike from Walmart that was given to him as well.
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
    edited August 2016
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    _MistahJ_ wrote: »
    My .02; don't buy a... nicer bike for a child that is going to outgrow it long before it needs replacement parts. I've continued to buy Huffy's, or the like, for my two kids as they never seem to get more than a year and a half out of them before they need a bigger size.

    I would only recommend buying a "Wal-Mart" bike for an absolute beginner on training wheels. Here is the reason I say that.

    Weight, and weight alone.

    We'll take this bike from WalMart. It's a 16 inch Huffy bike, Disney's Frozen theme. Something most little girls would love to ride. It weighs in excess of 25.00 pounds. And the reason I'm saying that is Target list the 16" Disney Princess bike
    same frame, at 25.60 pounds.

    So the average girl at age 5 is 40.00 pounds, according to KidsHealth.org, So you have a bike that weighs 64% of the total body weight of said girl. How fun is that going to be for her to ride? Do you thing she really has the leg strength to push around 65.60 pounds and have fun, while keeping the bike balanced.

    Lets put that into adult numbers. Lets say the average male weighs 175.00 pounds. That would mean he would be riding a bike around the 107.00 neighborhood.

    When you go to a LBS, you're buying a lighter bike, which is more responsive and easier handling for the child. And it will come with replaceable parts in case something breaks. And most LBS have a youth Buy-Back Program for kids bikes. When you upgrade the bike to a new one they're going to give you X amount of money back for it.
  • JBliss1108
    JBliss1108 Posts: 21 Member
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    @ CindyNeid.... Good pick on the Huffy bike. That's the exact model my daughter has now, minus the sleigh. :smile:

    My daughter will be 6 at the end of October and she's already 49" and wights 60 pounds. She really enjoys loading the bikes up and going to one of our local trails and riding. I'm hoping that if she has a more efficient bike that she won't have to work so hard to pedal that she can ride longer and further, which will in turn help her get more exercise. And, want to ride even more than she does now.
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
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    _MistahJ_ wrote: »
    The buy-back programs at the local bike shops here are a joke. I would be surprised if you got more for the bike than you would selling it on craigslist.

    Mine are 1/2 way decent. One shop gives you 50% off any kids bike from a list of brands [Trek, Specialized, Giant ect], or 75% back off their brands towards a new bike from their showroom.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    edited August 2016
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    We always got our kids bikes at the lbs. Walmart etc pretty much junk imo.

    Would get a used Trek or something like that from the lbs if cost was a consideration instead of new walmart.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    I'd also get a used bike over an xmart one.

    I googled the bike name, I kept finding results for a 6 speed, not a single speed. All of them looked like they have shock forks? Most people will probably disagree with me but I'd suggest getting a rigid fork (and frame) over a shock. Budget shock absorbers aren't great. They're heavy, they don't lock out, you spend a lot of your energy on pushing it up and down instead of moving forward. They can look really cool, but if you're riding on pavement or smooth dirt, you don't need one. Plus they can encourage kids to do dumb things like try to ride down stairs.

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