Bike for 13 year old- recommendations

dinneenp

Hi,

My son will be 13 soon, he's 160cm tall, 72cm inside leg so thinking an adult sized bike. Santa is going to get him a bike for Xmas, main use around the local roads. I'm looking locally, but won't rule out online if it's a lot cheaper.

I'm thinking a hybrid- lighter than the massive mtb bikes, less effort to ride (tyres). No need for disc brakes.

Any recommendations, good deals out there atm?

Thanks.

Trigger Happy

I can't recommend a specific bike but we did recently get our 12 year old a new bike for his birthday. The big lesson learned for me was that the type of bike I thought he would want was very different to what he did actually want. So if at all possible get a feel for what it is that he wants. Maybe take him to a few bike shops and see what is on offer - see what floats his boat.

Before ordering be sure that they either have the bike in stock or can guarantee it will be delivered before christmas...some lead times are long.

slegs

You can get very cheap bikes out there but many are very poor quality, heavy and made of steel etc (rust).

Halfords sell many of these cheap bikes but would highly recommend the Boardman brand in Halfords. My teen boys have these bikes and love them.

They arent cheap but are very high quality with parts that you get in more expensive brands.

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/boardman/

As previous poster said they may be looking for a particular type of bike but a hybrid is a very practical for most needs.

This is the one my kids have

https://www.halfords.ie/bikes/hybrid-bikes/boardman-hyb-8.6-mens-hybrid-bike-2021---silver---s-m-l-frames-366198.html

dinneenp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119931248#Comment_119931248

It's going to be a surprise so can't go looking with him...

As a young lad, he probably would like SHOCKS etc. whereas I'm thinking practical. Is that the same as your experience?

Trigger Happy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119931596#Comment_119931596

Our lad was more interested in color, weight, saddle comfort and how hard/easy it was to use the gears.

Oddly enough he had just a passing interest in shocks and diskbrakes. I would not have predicted that!

fat bloke

What kinds of bikes are his mates riding? Cos that's probably what he'll want. Any young lad in our school is riding an entry level mountain bike 400-500 quid worth I reckon.

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119931940#Comment_119931940

This exactly. Vast majority of bikes cycled into my school are generic 'mountain bikes'. Hard tail, entry level, never taken on a trail, used to knock around town with their mates.

He probably won't thank you for buying him a bike that makes him stand out from his mates 🤣

8valve

Giant, Trek and Forme all do decent entry level Mountain bikes in the 600-700 range.

For that, you'll get quick release alloy wheels, disc brakes, aluminium frame and a basic front fork suspension unit, with reliable entry level Shimano shifters and derailleurs, so they tick all the boxes for teenage, peer-driven, street-cred.

They're all either 27.5'' or 29'' wheels; you can always add tarmac tyres at a later stage to ''hybrid-ise'' them, as many of our customers do, for road/greenway/general flootering use.

Plenty of availability too.

dinneenp

I remember when I was a young lad, Santa got me a sensible racer- full mudguards, fairly upright positioning, grey, maybe a back rack for my school bag. My friend got a flashy racer, red, no accessories.

Jealous, I was....

8valve

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119935845#Comment_119935845

I can relate.

Christmas 1984...in the local Raleigh dealers with my parents, fully expecting to leave with a Raleigh Record Sprint, in its ultra-80s-cool black and gold finery.

Ended up with a yoke that was basically a farm gate with wheels added.

It weighed as much as a battleship.

Still not over it.

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119937025#Comment_119937025

"Saddle's like sittin' on a razer blade..."

loyatemu

just make sure to get a decent lock with it, the amount of posts in the local FB group along the lines of "my son's bike has been stolen" accompanied by a photo of a fairly expensive Giant or Cube bike; and you just know it was left either unlocked or locked with a crappy cable lock.

TBH I wouldn't spend €700 on a bike for a 13 year old, not just because of the high likelihood of theft - he's probably got a fair bit of growing left to do. Consider Decathlon - their bikes are perfectly decent and at a reasonable price.

8valve

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119943214#Comment_119943214

lol