Cycling UK Forum

It all depends whether you see a bike as a toy/plaything or as potentially a means of transport for the child which enables them to join in family cycling activities. You could go touring on an Islabike, not sure you could on a Halfords/Decathlon bike, as good as they may be. An Islabike may be overkill, of course, depends on the family and the child. But an Islabike is a do anything bike for a kid.

If I could buy a reasonably priced good quality bike for a five year old, I would do.
The rubbish we saw in Halfords the other day, was just that. Rubbish.

If I could find a reasonably priced good quality bike for a five year old secondhand, I would buy it.
If I could find one at the dump, I would whisk it away.

Trouble is, where we are, they don't seem to be available.

Found one locally.
Off to pick it up tomorrow evening if it's still available.
Ten quid.

If he can't get on with it, we've lost nowt.
If it's a success, we're onto a winner and we'll buy a good 'un.

Mick....get the youngster going on the balance bike. Plymouth Hoe is a good place, been there with my brother's family.
Kids......all the same, yet no 2 alike....some need something small to start with, so they can "bully" it a bit...as you already have a balance bike, why not start with that?
Is that secondhand bike 20" wheel? Its oversize steel frame and fork, you weren't hoping it was lighter than your Mercian, were you?
I would say the crank is more than half the length of the seat tube, and the BB is high to get ground clearance for the pedal. So if the saddle is set so the kid can touch the ground, he will be pedalling with his knees up around his ears.
Even if he can reach the brake levers, he won't be able to stop with horrible cheap sidepulls.....the long drop kills the leverage.
The Halfords bike you linked is more frog than prince, but at least its small, its not stupid oversize tubes, it has short cranks, and vee brakes, even though they are pressed steel, they stand half a chance of working.

Our daughter got a bike for Christmas 2 years ago. it was the smallest size possible, and was pink and had cupcakes on it. she loved it. She grew out of it this year and we bought her a bigger bike this summer (jumped from a 12" wheel to a 16" one). We took her to the bike shop and she picked the one she wanted. It was a choice between spiderman and a pink one with a dolly. She got a Raleigh Molli. I'm not to fussed yet, she loves riding it and the bike is not holding her back. My only point of insistence was she got one that had proper rims, not awful painted jobbies, so she can at least stop. Her next bike when she grows out of this one (I'm guessing around the age of 7), I am going to start steering her towards proper bikes but at the moment she's really happy with the one she has.

This seems to be well thought out as a bike for young children.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/16-cop-troop ... nformation

I nearly forgot...
My sister bought her 5 yr old son the Halfords ultimate boys spiderman 14 bike.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... reId=10001

He's off the stabilisers and loving it.
Single geared, caliper brakes (he's had no problem stopping it that I've seen) and looks like it'll take a 5yr olds abuse.
All these recommendations would depend on your grandsons size though. Not all kids are the same.

531colin wrote:Mick....get the youngster going on the balance bike. Plymouth Hoe is a good place, been there with my brother's family.

He has a balance bike and I doubt he's had a go on it more than once since we bought it Christmas before last.

It's a long story why not, and now they've moved to Cornwall from Manchester, I hope to be able to get him on two wheels. He's a bit big for the balance bike and we'll sell it as it's in brand new condition.

531colin wrote:Is that secondhand bike 20" wheel? Its oversize steel frame and fork, you weren't hoping it was lighter than your Mercian, were you?

I'm not even sure he can pedal though I'm told he would ride the trikes in Reception class at the school he was at.

I will see this bike in an hour or two. It's up in Pensilva - about 20mins drive from here. If it's definitely WRONG for him, I won't buy it, but if there's a hope of a tiny bit of use and the hope of him actually succeeding in riding it unaided, I'll hand over a tenner. Where they're living, they have a large FLAT garden with a big lawn. Imagine that! Flat land in Cornwall! He can pedal around the lawn with me running(?) behind and see how he gets on. There's a lane down to a neighbouring farm next to the house, so that would be the next step

Stand by for news!

Hi,
Makes sense to buy a second hand one not all kids will get the bug and at their age they are easily bored, do the parents ride.

I see dozens of tots to 24" wheeled bikes at the local recycling centre, and a lot look new and abandoned and most to rot in the garden.
Every time I see a brand spanking new un-ridden (maybe once) bike I feel sad that someone's paid £70 + and the joy is short lived.

Yes its rubbish but how long before they outgrow or go off the bike........................
My 2nd skip trainer cost £20 and I reckon it covered 100 miles if that from new and cost £170 + at Halfords............ho hum....

I've just bought this bike for my grandson who is nearly 2. I intend to remove the cranks, bottom bracket, chain, chain guard and front brake and lever so that he can use it as a balance bike with just a rear brake. When he gots the hang of it I can put all the removed bits back and hopefully he will just ride it away! Any thoughts?

I don't think a 2 year old will reach the brake levers

The levers are adjustable but at the expense of reducing the brake shoe clearance. I suspect the brakes are not brilliant and the wheels are painted steel so not sure how effective they will be - but at least he won't be riding it on the road, and will only ride it under adult supervision.

I went out to Pensilva and paid my tenner.
TBH, it was a close call whether I would buy it or not, but I thought it was worth a punt.

It needs much TLC and I'll make my mind up about it later. If I feel it's wrong, we can sell it on and maybe make a profit!

Grandson wouldn't be the first child to learn to ride a bike which was too big/small/unsuitable. No doubt many of us learned to ride on a hand-me-down. I remember one lad in Wigan learning to ride a bike with a cross-bar and he had to pedal with one leg through the triangle coz he couldn't reach the pedals from the top!

Anyway, we'll see.

Hi,
Put a tag-a-long on one from your stable and tie him to it, tell him if he doesn't pedal you will both fall

Even a kiddy cycle trailer......................

Just spent an hour having a fettle with the £10 bike.

It's surprisingly ok and seems solidly built with no technical faults.

Jobs done:
1. Removed the saddle and seatpost, greased the post and changed the mounting position of the seat clamp to get it lower and further forward. Replaced and tightened.

2. Oiled the chain. Note that I said, "oiled".

3. Trued up the wheels. The rear one had a bit of a wobble and was interfering with the brakes. Also put a bit more air into the tyres.

4. Rotated the 'bars a little to move the grips nearer and altered the angle of the brake levers to suit.

5. Went for a ride on it!

A. The gearing seems excessively high. Chainring is 44t and freewheel is 18t. Tyres are 20" so that make the gear 48".

B. The cranks are 40mm long, but the saddle is only 250mm (at its lowest setting) above the top of the pedal stroke due to the height of the BB being 300mm off the ground. Yes, I could raise the saddle, but I reckon it needs to be this low for now.

Any comments on these last points A and B please?
Are these figures normal?