New bike for 7 year old - advice please

fincher

Hi,

I am looking at getting a new bike for my daughters 7th birthday and want to get a bike that will last her for a good few years. I went into a local Velo shop and he advised a Merida Dakar 624. Any thoughts or advice on this bike or alternatives would be much appreciated.

smacl

When looking at kids bike, I'd make sure the bike is very light, simple (e.g. no gears or 3 gears at that age), and sturdy. Avoid bikes adorned with loads of unnecessary junk, suspension, and loads of hard to use gears. My eight year old goes around on a second hand BMX that she loves and can take dogs abuse. I previously got an all singing all dancing piece of pink junk for my older girl (12) that is still sitting in the shed. She now has a second hand mountain bike, and grabs her mums Giant Hybrid whenever she gets a chance.

Isla bikes have a great rep for kids bikes, but I've never seen one first hand.

Lumen

If this is it, it's very very heavy and possibly a bit big.

There's nothing much you can do to mitigate the growing out of bikes, except buy second hand.

Islabikes are not cheap but are fantastic, very light with excellent brakes. We have three of them. My smallish six year old is on a Beinn 20 small, and his saddle is all the way down. Their size charts are pretty reliable.

Lumen

smacl wrote: »

When looking at kids bike, I'd make sure the bike is very light, simple (e.g. no gears or 3 gears at that age), and sturdy.

I think is depends on the intended use. Gears are very useful if the child is a bit weedy (mine are) and if there are any steep climbs planned. OTOH our Beinn 20 has 7 well-spaced speeds, but only 1-4 get any use. Gear 5 is enough to get well into hospitalisation-if-you-crash speeds.

edit: also, I agree that BMXs are worth considering. The decent ones are still cheap enough and not too heavy (9-10kg).

Surveyor11

Have seen one of Lumen's Islabikes outside my kids school, very nice and well specced but not cheap I would say - would be great for my fella as a next bike (he's 5 now) and would definitely keep it in mind - are they sold locally (Dublin?). Saw that Peugeot locked up this week outside the school as well, looks great!

Lumen

Surveyor11 wrote: »

Islabikes...would be great for my fella as a next bike (he's 5 now) and would definitely keep it in mind - are they sold locally (Dublin?)

Unfortunately not AFAIK.

aquanaut

Avoid all Apollo's - they start falling to bits within a month!

kincsem

Islabikes are high quality, just like small versions of adult bikes. You might need to order now to guarantee pre-Christmas delivery.

quenching

Have to agree with all the recommendations for Islabikes, we have 2 of them, having sold a third when the kids had outgrown it. They do appear expensive but actually work out as excellent value if looked after as you'll sell it secondhand very easily for a decent price, not something that you can do with many kids bikes. I agree with Lumen with regards to their size charts, they're spot on and the staff will double check the size when you're ordering. We have a Beinn 20 also and its great bike, light and well made, other kids say its a "seriously cool" bike, always a plus when kids are concerned.

Avoid a heavy bike like the plague, you try cycling a bike that weighs half as much as you do, its no fun at all and thats what bikes should be for kids. Bike shops have a strange tendency to recommend what they have in stock ;-)

boomdocker

^^^^^

listen to what those folks are saying...

My 5 yr old has an isla bike benin (20" wheels) - he's just growing out of it

the bike is half the weight of our neighbours bike (the same age), and I can say that my lad's progression is far in advance of the neighbour who is riding a cheapo, chinese 10kg+ heap of $hite

My 8yr old has a specialized hotrock, which in itself is a great little bike - but the islabike is even way ahead of that.

Buy one, you won't regret it and your child will have a great time on it

justo

Surveyor11 wrote: »

are they sold locally (Dublin?)!

For information,

I ordered a knoc 16" from Isla bikes on 23rd November over the phone. It arrived safe and sound today. You can track it by UPS along the way.

really good service but carriage was a little pricey at 30 squids.