26" Wheel Bike for 10 year old - PLEASE HELP!

philguy
philguy Posts: 20
edited August 2013 in Family & kids cycling forum
Hi to all

I'm really hoping someone out there can help me in my search for a good quality bike (Islabike Beinn etc) for a single parent struggling to match a tight budget with the above aspiration..!

My daughter is 10 - about 143cm tall, quite slim and light for her age. In her early years, she had a succession of cheap, secondhand, pretty heavy, no gear bikes that all served a purpose but for her 9th birthday I managed to find a secondhand MX20 that I could afford.

After her previous bikes, she's really loved having a lighter (although still relatively heavy - for her) bike with gears that she can really enjoy. However, she's (inconveniently and expensively! :roll: ) put on a growth spurt and now needs a much bigger bike. Frankly, she looks a bit ridiculous riding around on what now looks like a very small bike even with the seat post at its highest!

Her inside leg is c.62cm so perhaps even a very small adult bike with a 13" frame would be in the right sort of ballpark? I initially thought a 24" bike would be big enough but I now reckon a 26" one she's both ready for and can "grow up with", so to speak.

I'm having real difficulty finding a suitable bike (lightweight, geared, good components etc) for her. I've tried eBay, Gumtree, local bike shops and local ads - all to no avail so far. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas or perhaps even have a bike themselves that they or their child(ren) no longer need that would fit the bill...?

All suggestions/ideas/recommendations/bike offers very gratefully received.

Many many thanks to all who respond... :)

PS. I'm based in SW London but am also often in West Yorkshire

Comments

  • mec287
    mec287 Posts: 42
    Hi. My daughter is the same size and we've just bought her a Merida Juliet with a 14.5 inch frame. It's a brilliant bike and worth looking out for second hand (it might be a bit steep for your budget brand new, although it compares very well to some of the cheaper (i.e. Halfords) bikes in terms of price, but you're getting a much better bike (i've looked at both so this is a genuine opinion)). Cheers.
  • madtam
    madtam Posts: 141
    I think I might have been in touch previously with yourself.
    I have a Specialized Rockhopper with a 13" frame that has been superceded by a larger bike.
    Not sure if you are looking for a mountain bike or if a Black painted one would be acceptable to a young girl.
    If it was yourself then I am pretty sure I sent some pictures previously.
    I am located in West Yorks, so you could take a look at some time if you are interested.
    I really should get round to selling it at some point since it only gets ridden for a laugh these days as the children are all a bit too big for it and have their own bikes now.

    Let me know.