Boys Bike - 20 or 24 inch?
stevep3156
Posts: 37
Hi,
Looking to buy my son his first decent bike (with not much money...always the problem!!).
I've been to two shops so far, both have sized him up as just about fitting a 24inch. However, when sitting on it, it looks far too big & he can just touch the floor with his toes with the seat down as far as it will go .
The shop assistants have insisted this is fine & that he will grow into it. However, i'm not entirely comfortable with this, a 20inch may not last as long, but seems to me a safer bet.
Has anyone else had this dilemma, i.e. on the cusp of a larger size, but seemingly not quite there yet? If so, would you advise we stick to a smaller (but seemingly safer) size, or take the plunge & go for the larger size?
Many thanks in advance, & my apologies if this has been covered to death here, I have had a look online at size guides, & it seems both would fit him!
Cheers
Steve
Looking to buy my son his first decent bike (with not much money...always the problem!!).
I've been to two shops so far, both have sized him up as just about fitting a 24inch. However, when sitting on it, it looks far too big & he can just touch the floor with his toes with the seat down as far as it will go .
The shop assistants have insisted this is fine & that he will grow into it. However, i'm not entirely comfortable with this, a 20inch may not last as long, but seems to me a safer bet.
Has anyone else had this dilemma, i.e. on the cusp of a larger size, but seemingly not quite there yet? If so, would you advise we stick to a smaller (but seemingly safer) size, or take the plunge & go for the larger size?
Many thanks in advance, & my apologies if this has been covered to death here, I have had a look online at size guides, & it seems both would fit him!
Cheers
Steve
0
Posts
5 yr old Thing1 now prefers her saddle so that she can get decent leg extension. That means when in the saddle, she's on her toes or balls of her feet. At first, we had it lower but as her confidence built, so did her saddle height (well, it's more the rate at which her legs are growing that determines that - I feel like I'm raising it every week at the moment!) But yeah, she's asking for her saddle to get raised. "Daddy, it's too hard to pedal quickly, or up hills. I think I need my saddle higher again". :shock:
Lots of decent kid's bikes these days have a geo where, if the saddle is dropped, they're still not 'over' the wheels, they're more 'between' them. It makes balancing and handling what appears to be a big and heavy bike, a lot easier than it appears.
Weight is another issue too. As a general rule, lighter is better coz there isn't as much of them to wrangle a bike. However, longevity and price are also factors. You know what they say... light, strong, cheap - pick any two.
We had a similar issue going from a 16" wheel. My son had outgrown his 16" and I bought him a 20" hotrock. He *just* fitted it, but was stretched and he struggled for ages until he really fitted it. His confidence took a knock.
Now his skills are so good he can hop on a bike far too big for him and just cycle.
Size wise my boy on cusp of 20inch but because he quite accomplished he has managed to ride it no probs. Perhaps you should try larger size and save money longer term. Good luck with decision