Best bike for kids

[Ljones]

Hi all. I’m pretty new to all this cycling malarkey however my 7 year old would like a bike so we can go out together.
Can someone please ade us with some information please.
I have seen 2 bikes that look okay but I don’t have a clue what’s better.
This is one from Halfords with front suspension

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/kids-bik ... 00534.html

This is one from go outdoors front suspension with disc brakes

https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/16185419/p ... e-16185419

Both are aluminium frames

Any help or guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Jdsk]

Welcome.

I'd look at a new or preloved Islabike:
https://www.islabikes.co.uk/pages/childrens-bikes

Recent discussion:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=146838

Jonathan

[Ljones]

Thanks for the reply.
They are slightly more money than we were looking to spend.
Thanks again

[Grumpy-Grandad]

Hi all. I’m pretty new to all this cycling malarkey however my 7 year old would like a bike so we can go out together.
Can someone please ade us with some information please.
I have seen 2 bikes that look okay but I don’t have a clue what’s better.
This is one from Halfords with front suspension

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/kids-bik ... 00534.html


Any help or guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

We bought one of these for our 10 year old grandson a couple of months ago and he really likes it. It seems well made and robust enough too.

[Bonefishblues]

Thanks for the reply.
They are slightly more money than we were looking to spend.
Thanks again

You should be OK second hand. They really are a smart buy, but if you do want to buy new, look at bikes that have rigid, not suspension forks - they add weight for a younger child, and are pretty ineffective.

[Stradageek]

+1 for buying second hand but in all cases pick the bike up, the lightest bike is usually the best.

Eschew any suspension, it adds weight and serves no useful purpose.

Make sure the brake levers are small and light to pull, very little hands will be using these, same for gear changers if there are any. At age 7 you don't really need many gears unless you're planning a cycle tour?

[Ljones]

Hi all. I’m pretty new to all this cycling malarkey however my 7 year old would like a bike so we can go out together.
Can someone please ade us with some information please.
I have seen 2 bikes that look okay but I don’t have a clue what’s better.
This is one from Halfords with front suspension

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/kids-bik ... 00534.html


Any help or guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

We bought one of these for our 10 year old grandson a couple of months ago and he really likes it. It seems well made and robust enough too.

Thanks for the reply.
I’m guessing this maybe slightly too big if your 10 year old grandson has it. I see a massive difference between companies depending on wheel size. One company they fit second company they don’t.
But thanks for the information

[Ljones]

Thanks for the replies people.

It’s interesting to hear you say that suspension isn’t really worth it. We ride across fields etc so my thinking was it would help him a little hence me looking at front suspension and the go outdoors bike relic24. It also has one set of gears (right hand) and disc brakes. Hence I’m looking at it but would still listen to other suggestions. Looking around 250 300 pound mark.

[honesty]

We've been getting Frog bikes for my daughter since she was small. They are brilliant, hold their value if not to knackered up, and can be a good buy second hand. I'd definitely recommend them.

[Jdsk]

Looking around 250 300 pound mark.

My local Gumtree has seven Islabikes under £300.

...

If you're buying at Halfords NB Cycling UK discount.

Jonathan

[Ljones]

Looking around 250 300 pound mark.

My local Gumtree has seven Islabikes under £300.

...

If you're buying at Halfords NB Cycling UK discount.

Jonathan

John what’s this discount your on about please

[Jdsk]

Looking around 250 300 pound mark.

If you're buying at Halfords NB Cycling UK discount.

... what’s this discount your on about please

https://www.cyclinguk.org/member-benefi ... s-halfords

Jonathan

[JohnI]

We've been getting Frog bikes for my daughter since she was small. They are brilliant, hold their value if not to knackered up, and can be a good buy second hand. I'd definitely recommend them.

My daughter's on her second Frog and she loves it. Both have been their standard hybrid with a rigid front fork, but this one came with a spare set of knobbly tyres. With those fitted it becomes a half-decent bike for off-road riding, at least on non-technical trails.

I wouldn't go for anything resembling a proper mountain bike unless she was really into 'serious' technical stuff at trail centres and suchlike. Apart from the suspension issue, I think it makes sense for kids to just have a single chainring for simplicity apart from anything else. Of course most adult MTBs are like that now anyway, so many of the the kids' versions are behind the times.

[pjclinch]

It’s interesting to hear you say that suspension isn’t really worth it. We ride across fields etc so my thinking was it would help him a little hence me looking at front suspension and the go outdoors bike relic24. It also has one set of gears (right hand) and disc brakes. Hence I’m looking at it but would still listen to other suggestions. Looking around 250 300 pound mark.

Suspension is potentially very useful but there are caveats. Particularly, doing it well costs Real Money while doing it cheaply adds to weight for little gain. Also, with a fairly light load (e.g., a child) a typical suspension fork won't actually deflect much so riding across a field (which while bumpy compared to a road, isn't actually that rough) you won't get much out of it.

I coach basic mountain biking at a junior cycling club, and the kids with no-suspension bikes don't have any obvious issues.

There's less to go wrong, and the bike is lighter. Unless you're hitting proper bumps at speed most children get all the suspension they need from decent tyres at a an appropriate pressure.

What is worth paying for on a bike for a wee one is light weight and components like brake levers and cranks that are scaled for smaller hands and shorter legs. Other than that, as a rule of thumb the more "features" it has the worse it is at any given price.

Pete.

[Tangled Metal]

Our 8 yo is on his second frog bought new. Frog website had a few secondhand ones. Our reason for frog bikes is because they're built with the same ethos as islabikes but without the high price tag. Plus secondhand are often cheaper.

20" wheeled one came with road and off road tyres plus inner tubes. The 24" one he has now didn't. I thought it should have and really think I should ask about it, it's got hybrid tyres on so good for on n and off road to some degree. Rigid fork too. Front suspension adds too much weight that will impact kid's enjoyment more than not having it. Weight affects enjoyment at 7/8yo more.

At 7yo they're close or at the 20 to 24" wheel changeover point. Our son got his 24" wheeled frog bike this spring but he's almost tall enough for a 26" one. He had the height of a 9/10 year old though, currently the height of a kid 2 years older.

I can only say that low weight is very important as is child specific brake levers that can be adjusted for small hands (a screw locks it so the levers don't fully open too far I believe).