What are your thoughts on kids bikes? Specifically, how important is it to have quality components and construction and how much of a difference is there between a lower end and a proper bike when talking about small riders?My kid is turning 3 and has been asking for a bike. he even has specifics; he wants pedals, and knows what colour he'd like.The only place I've found something that checks all the boxes is a hardware store kinda place. It comes with 10" wheels, which is the biggest he'll be able to ride, and training wheels. I don't particularly like it but it seems like the closest match to what he'd want. My wife is insisting it's merely a toy and is afraid it won't perform well, perhaps putting him off cycling altogether. She wants to get a balance bike instead and one that isn't the right colour either. Both are the same price range.Obviously, I'll probably end up buying the present for my wife instead of my kid, but I'm wondering if I'm underestimating how important the difference between the two may be. Thanks
>>2015971A friend of mine explained it to me like this (I was a proponent of cheap used shitters for kids):Higher-end kid's bikes are lighter, have better geometry and better components geared towards kids' short fingers etc. All of this combines to a better riding experience for them.You don't want your kid to lose motivation because the bike is unwieldy and unresponsive.I think he's right about that.
>>2015977btw this does in no way mean that you NEED to spend 4-500 bucks on a small kid's bike. You can find tons of used bikes from renowned manufacturers that you can equip with better gear and still come out much cheaper.picrel is my younger daughter at 5 years old on a 16" HotRock. This bike had a coaster brake which was all she used, so I took off the hand brakes which were too big for her small hands anyway. I bought some fun and quick-running BMX tires and she loved it. Perfect kid's bike.
Kids grow too quickly it's not worth buying an expensive bike There are department store bikes with alloy frames and name brand components that are 80% as good Otherwise your best bet is getting a used bike since kids grow out of them so fast they're always available
Everyone I know who is into cycling as an adult had "real bikes" from a bike shop growing upEvery hamplanet I know who thinks bikes are toys had, at best, a BSO from walmart growing upI'm not saying there's a connection, but...
>>2015977>>2015986All right you got me, I'm getting the good bike. He'll probably outgrow it soon anyway so there will always be another chance to get one he really likes.>>2015977>>2015982I'm with you but the good one is only 100 buck anyway and there's no time to shop for a second hand one at this point. Next time I won't get caught off guard and will be on the lookout earlier.Thanks for your input
>>2016016>there's no time to shop for a second hand one at this pointI don't think it's that important at 3yo anyway. He'll love it no matter what.
>>2015971>>2016016>>2016018I was 4 when I started riding, the most important thing in that kid's head is the bike's color and how cool it looks. He'll outgrow it but that's ok, the memories will last forever. One of my first and most cherished memories is of my dad teaching me how to ride. My bike was a black kids bmx with red grips and red handlebar/top tube cushions, 7 out of 10 bikes I've had in my life have been black because of my first bike. Get your kid the bike he wants, $100 is worth giving him a forever memory
>>2015985Just have more kids. I have 4, so it's easy for me to justify buying a nice bike. Each one will see quite a few years of use. And bikes like Woom are decent resell when the time comes
>>2016021Same but was much older than 3 when I got my first memorable bike, so I'm just hoping he'll enjoy riding it
>>2015977>be my godson>anything has wheels, can be sat on and ridden about>instantly go bananas, excitement through the roof, lots of funeven if its some plastic toy cage, kick scooter or whatevsit's not feasible to believe kids would not enjoy something that rolls om wheelsat the same time kids dont seem to have the motor control and power production to make things really matteralso they dont seem to have specific goals like going very far or hitting certain average speeds or comparable goals, they just have fun at any speed and effort>geometryreally has nothing to do with quality or cost. Also rideable geo should be one of the most basic requirements for a product to be perceived as bicycle.
>>2016226picrel is the boy on his pushbike learning to balance and brakehis dads a safety nazi thats why helmet and shit I mean theyre cagers too so what to expect
>>2015971Start with a good balance bike For a year, then get a vitusNever let him ride on training wheels that will ruin him
>>2016024Women bike is shit compared to vitus. Tires are too narrow and handlebars are too high
>>2016281Woom*
btw what is it with the brake lever size? Could it been they have even grown larger in the recent years? becauae of the integration of shifting maybe?Thats the only concern here I deem valid. It's rare to see a kids bike with proportional brake levers. Even at my job, I got a lady coworker (the whole departement arrives by bike) who isn't even that small but struggles with modern brifters.
>>2015971You are overthinking things. My first bike was a supermarket shitter with training wheels. Learned cycling just fine and loved it ever since.
>>2016359Modern hydraulic brake levers are tiny and can be adjusted to pretty much any distance from the grip. Cheap bikes usually still rely on V-brakes though, which require the higher leverage and longer travel of large brake levers.
>>2015971Just make sure that it's not some bottom of the barrel chinesium shit. You don't need anything nice since kids abuse stuff and will bend the derailleur hangar or some shit at some point.
No idea, but since I grew really fast my mom had me on a small or xs mtb and just pushed me along a track at a school and let go of me. After that I was doing road rides and saying"are we there yet"Whatever you do if you want to ride with your kid go short distances first. Going on 20 mile rides was just too much for me as a kid, mentally and physically and I wasn't enjoying it.
>>2015971get a regular bike and take the pedals off, instant balance bike
>>2015971Don't get him training wheels; he'll develop bad habits that'll hamper him later on, from not having to keep balance to stay on the bike (like getting distracted with everything and anything while riding, instead of keeping focused on the riding and learning how to actually ride); just get him a regular bike and remove the bb/cranks/chain, etc. to make it a balance bike till he gets the hang if it, then put them back on.Also, specially for cheap bikes, check if the geometry isn't off somehow (misaligned wheels, frame), though it nay not matter much if at all at that stage, it still shouldn't happen.
>>2015971I'm probably late to the party, but, balance bikes are pretty much a waste of moneyI mean they are actually the greatest thing to learn to ride a bike, but you can achieve the same thing with a normal bike, you just take off the pedals and use it as a balance bike until your kid learns how to balance properly and how to use the breaks, with no costs added
>>2018985Just as i say in comment just above yours
Most kids in my neighborhood learned to ride a bike on my schwinn my mom got me to learn on Buying expensive anything for kids is insane
