Kids bikes, recommendations...

[rjwaldren]

We've decided that my 4 year old daughter get to buy a bicycle with her part of the tax rebate and put the rest in savings.

We went to Toysrus and sized her to a 16in bike, but I refuse to make anymore purchases based on a Disney princess or Dora being smeared across it. I know some of you have kids around this age, any advice? I'd like to get something a bit nicer than what is typically seen at the box stores. But are the Schwinns, Diamondbacks, or Giant bikes worth the extra money for this age group? They do have some pretty sweet models for under $140.

[Alex Franke]

We've decided that my 4 year old daughter get to buy a bicycle with her part of the tax rebate and put the rest in savings.

We went to Toysrus and sized her to a 16in bike, but I refuse to make anymore purchases based on a Disney princess or Dora being smeared across it. I know some of you have kids around this age, any advice? I'd like to get something a bit nicer than what is typically seen at the box stores. But are the Schwinns, Diamondbacks, or Giant bikes worth the extra money for this age group? They do have some pretty sweet models for under $140.

Tap a neighbor or friend for a used bike, and you might not have to pay a dime. The family down the street gave their son's outgrown bike to my 3 yr old earlier this year. When he's out grown it we'll "pay it forward" and give it to the next kid. In fact we'll want to give it away if it's just taking up space. ..

I can't imagine paying over $100 for a bike that small!

BTW, totally agree about the branding -- we try not to get anything that branded, but it's sometimes impossible. e.g. The only backback we could find for our son was either dora's male counterpart (forgot his name) or Lightning McQueen... That's always bugged me...

Oh and to answer your question more directly, in my experience it doesn't really matter how good the bike is as long as it works. It'll get banged up a bit anyway, and as long as it rolls smoothly and has brakes, your little girl will be able to learn on it.

[Pappy]

My thought from the title was, "How close is he?" I have my granddaughters first bike in my yard. Need to find a little girl that needs one.

[Tom Slick]

If you want something that is quality but no advertising hype check out a regular bike shop.
This specialized MSRP is $160, retail should be less

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=32264

[gjat]

Based on growing up with 5 siblings and only getting used bikes, and raising two daughters, and more than 12 neices and nephews, I have never heard or seen of a beginner's bike wearing out or falling apart before the kid has outgrown it. As far as the "branding" goes, I don't care as long as I'm not paying extra for it. Spend the $$ on a nice bike when the kid is 7 or 8 and will be riding it rough and alot.

[Ed62]

A used bike and a can of spray paint goes a long way to making a kid that age happy. 'Nuff said.

Ed

[Copper]

We got our daughter's at a Trek store near us. They have a trade-in deal. So when she outgrows hers, we can bring it in and get some money (I don't recall how much) towards a new bike. They also have a few used bikes for sale (likely trade-ins). I'm not sure if independent dealers of Trek bikes will do the same thing or not. If you have a Trek store near you, it might be worth checking out.

[germdoc]

Having had 4 kids--2 of whom are not kids anymore--I know a thing or 2 about buying bikes. I currently have 5 in my garage.

I'd rec. a Schwinn for the first bike. As they get older, I think Giant has the best bang for the buck. I'd stick with trail or hybrid bikes and avoid any trendy designs, i.e., if you wouldn't want to ride a bike that looked like that, don't buy it.

[gsmittle]

Good advice from all of the above. Also, don't buy a too-big bike so the kid will "grow into it." While it's too big, it's too hard to control and just about impossible to stop.

g.

[Thom2]

When my daughter was about that age, her first bike was a Wally World special .. on clearance $32 out the door. When she outgrew that, it still looked like brand new and we gave it to a coworker of the wife for his daughter. I replaced it with a $10 bike, that looked like brand new, from an elderly gentleman in the neighborhood that was buying up kids bikes at auctions and selling them for measley money.

Girl's bikes in very nice shape are VERY easy to find at auctions and yard sales etc. Boys bikes not so easy as they typically ride them a lot more and abuse them a lot more.

I personally wouldn't spend any more than $50 on a bike for a kid that age, but that's just me. My daughter is now 11 and I would now consider buying her a decent bike, but it will still be a Wally World special. I just don't see her wearing out even a cheap bike before she outgrows it.

[JSUPreston]

Both of my boys have been getting Wally World bikes. They tend to outgrow them quickly and treat them rough (especially the rear tire) before the mechanicals wear out. Because of that, I won't spend the money on a better bike until they quit growing so fast and can/will actually take care of them.

[crokett]

If you are at all mechanically inclined you can go to your local dump/landfill wherever and most likely score either a) a bike that works as is or b)enough parts to build one. While I was growing up all my bikes were built by me. Now every time I take the trash to the dump I see a few bikes sitting there waitig for a new home.

Also check consignment shops/thrift stores or yard sales.

[radhak]

Craigslist (or similar) for a usable bike, many free.

IMHO, even $50 is too much for a 4-year-old. She's gonna outgrow it before you know it, particularly at that young age. My older one used hers for just a year, but thankfully her younger sister could use it.

And frankly, for such a brief time, even a 'branded' one would do, so don't sweat too much about what's the color or such. you could always use a spray can.

[germdoc]

Many bike stores sell used bikes on consignment, so that's another option.

[JeffG78]

You might also try the local police auctions. My BIL and his son (my nephew) are cops in different cities and they both say that every few months they have hundreds and hundreds of bikes as well as everything else you can imagine up for auction. I was told that anything stolen from a store and later recovered, winds up at auction since there is no easy way of figuring out exactly what store each item came from. I haven't ever gone to one myself, but they say that there are some great deals to be had.

Other than auctions, I would think local garage sales or CL would be a good place to start. My first bike went through all three of my older sisters prior to me getting it. It was a Huffy "convertible" that had a bolt-on boy's bar. The bike was indestructible. My sisters treated it well, but since I was the final user, I was a little rougher on it. Even then, it outlasted my abuse and was eventually sold at a garage sale.

I see no reason to get a 4-year old a new bike unless you have younger children that can use it next.