Bike for a reluctant 7 year old!

nbuuifx

We've spent a fair bit of time over the last few years teaching our daughter to ride a bike.

She is getting there, she can ride down hills without stabilizers and can just about ride on the flat but any slight incline and she loses balance.

Her bike has now gotten too small for her but I've been reluctant to buy a new one as she never seems that interested in actually riding it.

Some friends recently gave us their daughters old bike which they were going to scrap as the brakes were seized. I swapped the brakes from my daughters on to it and it now all works. However this one still looks a little small and it is still what I would call more of a toy bike.

So I've been looking at 2nd hand bikes, thinking that if I get her something that has better proportions and is better designed then she might find it easier to ride and she might be more willing to learn.

She is quite tall for her age so more like an average 8 year old.

The bike that keeps catching my eye is a Girls 20" Specialized Hotrock.

My worry is - is it going to be too complicated with gears etc to add in to the mix while learning to ride?

Any better suggestions?

nbuuifx

Also does a 20" bike sound right. According to the specialized chat I just found the 20" is listed as up to 7 years. Then 24" for 7-10 years.

I don't want to panic her by jumping up a few sizes but would she be better with the 24"?

nbuuifx

Thanks for the reply. We've spent much of the weekend getting my daughter to ride her bike! The road outside our house is flat, then goes up a hill, then goes flat up to the other end of the cul-de-sac. She can start at the top of the hill - ride all they way along the flat, turn in the road and then ride all the way back down to our house.

She just can't manage the hill at the moment - she loses speed then goes off to the side!

I'm planning on going for second hand, I know a bit about (and ask anything else on here!)- I have a trek road bike and a Boardman MTB - both of which I maintain and both of which I purchased second hand.

I don't know a lot about kids bikes though. I've put a few of these toy bikes together and cobbled the current one out of parts from her old bike. With something like the specialized do standard grips fit the handle bars? Only asking as most of the second hand ones I've looked at have worn grips - so would be worth changing them to freshen it up a bit.

Her current bike has 16" wheels and she does look a bit big on it but I don't think she'd like to be sat any higher as she needs to put both feet down to stop a tumble if she loses control.

nbuuifx

Sorry for the awful quality - it came from a video.

That is the current bike (16") do you agree it is far too small? (Seat can go up a long way yet)

I'm thinking 20" would be about right - I think she'd freak out at a 24".

I've seen a specialized hotrock for £50 secondhand.

964cup

Islabike Beinn 20 small. Light, geared, plenty of adjustment.

I confess that I have one I'm about to put in the classifieds, but the advice stands...

nbuuifx

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19717721#p19717721]964Cup[/url] wrote:

Islabike Beinn 20 small. Light, geared, plenty of adjustment.

I confess that I have one I'm about to put in the classifieds, but the advice stands...

I do like the Islabikes but they're a bit on the pricey side - bit more than I'd like to spend really.

nbuuifx

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19717693#p19717693]oxoman[/url] wrote:

Looks way to small in the pic, poor kids knees are under her chin somewhere. Riding like the picture shows hunched up can make it wobbly and unstable for the rider. Don't dismiss a 24" bike until you sit her on it, she looks to have longish legs so a smaller 20" bike may not be big a enough step up.

It is - I'd hate to ride a bike like that - but it has been such a long battle to get her to ride.

I think we have had a break through as she is asking to ride every night now and can ride the full length of the road, turn in the road and ride all the way back including the hill (once) - so I'd like to partially reward her effort and partially keep her going by moving on to the next bike.

At least with a second hand bike if it is a bit on the small side it will be a step up to gain confidence and then we can sell that on and move up to something else.

Thanks for the advice.

964cup

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718019#p19718019]nbuuifx[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19717721#p19717721]964Cup[/url] wrote:

Islabike Beinn 20 small. Light, geared, plenty of adjustment.

I confess that I have one I'm about to put in the classifieds, but the advice stands...

I do like the Islabikes but they're a bit on the pricey side - bit more than I'd like to spend really.

Used one FTW, then.

WRT sizing, it's a challenge when they're young. My son is very tall for a 7-year-old (hence the Beinn 20 small being for sale) but I moved him onto another 20" (a Frog cross-bike) because having seen other kids his age on 24s they looked a bit dwarfed by the bike. The Frog has a lot more seatpost, and stretches him out a bit, so the sizing seems to work. Frog's own size guide suggested that (with a 57cm cycling inside leg) he was 5cm too small in the leg for their 24" crosser. On the other hand, a friend's small-for-his-age 10 year old, who's only slightly taller than my son, was haring about on his mum's 26" MTB this summer - saddle well below bars and bike far too large to my eyes, but he seemed perfectly happy.

nbuuifx

I popped her down to halfords to have a site on some bikes.

The smallest 24" bike was a bit too big for her. If she was a super confident rider then I might have considered a 24" thinking that in 6months to a year it will probably be the right size. However with her only just starting - I think it will be too much. Even on tip toes she couldn't reach the floor without leaning it over.

The 20" seemed to be right. On the lowest setting her feet are easily flat on the floor, but on the highest seat position she can't reach the floor so a bit of room. I'd say the ideal spot was past half way on that bike though so she wouldn't get a full use out of it.

I think I'll go for a second hand 20" bike with the view to selling it again in 12-18 months and move her on to a 24" bike.

She has still be enjoying going out every night - only just got back tonight in time before dark so only got a few minutes out - but she managed a couple of complete laps of the road including going up the hills and even turning in the road.

nbuuifx

I missed out on the specialized.

Would a this Raleigh bike be any good? It is only £25. Looks basic enough without looking toy like.

Would it be any good for a start or would it most likely just be junk?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Raleigh-Palmino-girls-mountain-bike-/181889977301?hash=item2a597ccbd5

Thanks

nbuuifx

Thanks for all the advice.

We picked up a Carrera Luna 20" today. Absolutely mint condition, looks like it has hardly been used. The brake lines still have a sticker on as do the pedals! The family we got it from had bought it for their 9 year old daughter as she lacked confidence for the 24". She has only used it a few times to gain confidence. So it is unmarked. Bargain for basically as new condition!

It feels quite a bit lighter than her previous much smaller bike.

Hopefully she can really start to get going on this now.

nbuuifx

Thanks!

I took her to the local disused railway track this morning to get her practising on it. Ended up running by the side of her for 10km! She could just keep going!

She found it so much easier on a bike that fits her right! She has even let me put the seat at the correct height, which means she doesn't have the security of being able to put her feet down flat but she seems to do fine leaning the bike over.

She also got the hang of changing gears quite well too.

All in all a really successful 8 days! To go from not being able to ride at all to being able to just keep going has been amazing to watch.