Roadbike for a child

cats pyjamas

My 10 year old is asking for a bike to go out cycling with me. I would like to get him something fairly decent but not too expensive (in case he doesn't take to it). We live in a relatively flat area so I wont put him off by dragging him up the Sally Gap just yet.

I have seen a few different types online - Ammaco, Boardman, Giant but not many other options.

I dont see any kids on roadbikes around here - looking at the cycling demographic thread seems to confirm that not as many kids cycle like I did when younger. This can also lead to a shortage of second hand roadbikes for kids (not much on Adverts/Donedeal)

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

dermabrasion

There are some good bikes which are in XS or XXS sizes. These are 46 or 48 cm which is just doable for this age group, and they are real bikes as opposed to very heavy steel with poor components that are marketed at kids around th €270-€400. The dilemma is whether you go cheap and they end up loving it and then you have a poor bike needing an upgrade, or the complete opposite where an expensive bike is in the shed.
Orbea are worth looking at have a deadly small sizes. Planet x and Canyon also have small sizes. These are great bikes which you can easily re-sell. My 11 year old son rode in races on a Giant Defy 5 48cm bike which received a couple of upgrades as he got into it. It was €400 to buy at the time.
Be aware that there are kids at races on serious bikes, deep section wheels, aero helmet, full carbon spec at races.

cats pyjamas

Thanks for the reply.

Thats my dilemma - spend the money on a good bike that may not be used or a cheap bike that may need to be upgraded!

Interesting about the kids races - dont know anything about them myself but dont think my kid is competitive enough to race (he could surprise me yet). Does the expensive kit make a difference at that age or is it more about ability?

dermabrasion

No, it makes no difference at all. Their speed is around 27K max so the aero stuff is complete nonsense. Heavy stuff does matter as they are so small themselves. But the biggest thing IMHO is reliability and re-sellabilty. So, I think it is worth buying a bike with brand recognition that you can re-sell at reasonable price. These will also be the brands with Shimano tiagra or 105 setups which will work.
But be aware of the racing rules on youth racing. They have specific gear ratios. Basically, if you buy a 52/39 it is not a kids bike. The under 12 setup is a 46-14 (I think), so if you ask the shop to put a cyclocross set up on it instead of a standard, you will be fine.

cats pyjamas

Sound, thank you.