Kids Bikes

supergrass
supergrass Posts: 123
edited June 2014 in MTB buying advice
ive got an 8 year old daughter who needs a new bike

i went to my local big chain bike and was shocked by the weight. I dont want to spend a fortune as they grow so quick and the mrs will say no. I also Want to try her at my local trail centres so dont want something stupidly heavy.Anyone got any recommendations for a half decent 24inch wheel girls MTB looking at about 150 max

Comments

  • iwilldoit
    iwilldoit Posts: 710
    A lot of kids bikes are quite heavy, my son rides a Giant XTC JR 24" wheel, everything on seems alloy frame, bars, stem, seat post etc but it surprises me the weight, it was around £250 new and he rides red routes on it and wants to do a black, but he can't see the danger :)
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  • poah
    poah Posts: 3,369
    sadly unless you spend a fair wack then you'll end up with a heavy and TBH pretty crap bike. I got lewis a carrera blast 24 and it weights in around 29lb, i've got it down to 24.75 lb now but the wheels are over 2kg and the tyres on some kids bikes can weight around 800-900g so that takes its toll on their cycling.
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  • chrisw333
    chrisw333 Posts: 695
    Bear in mind if you buy an Islabike for £300, you will sell it for c£200 once you are done with it, so the cost of ownership is not as much as you think.

    If you buy an apollo for £150, it will be worthless in a couple of years time.

    Brands to consider for decent light (ish) weight bikes with proper kid friendly parts

    Islabike
    Specialized Hotrock
    Frogbike
    Orbea
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Kids bikes use mostly the same components as adults, so other than a small saving at wheels/tyres will weigh pretty much the same (minimal saving on the frame if any).

    Personally (if it fits) I'd look at a used Carrera Blast (little used ones can be found from £60) and using a small amount extra to get some weight out, they can be had very cheap and are a fairly well made/specced bike for the money.

    The Hotrocks I think are very poor value, cost more than a blast and are no better.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • chrisw333
    chrisw333 Posts: 695
    I could be wrong as it's a year or so since I looked at this (in great detail). But when I bought my lads bike the Hotrock was significantly lighter than the blast. In fact I was really dissapointed in the weight of the blast and the price was also more than I expected - I'm a fan of the vfm Halfords and Carrera usually offer.

    I think part of the problem was (at that time) it had disc brakes which I'm not sure are necessary on a bike of that type.

    I'm sure the Blast is still substantially better than some other offerings though, but it's a chunky beast.

    Regarding the Hotrock - when I looked it was light, well specced and comparable in price to other decent kids bikes available (I'm aware this isn't the case for a lot of Spec adult bikes these days). Resale price is also excellent, although not as good as the Islabike which are undoubtedly the best if you can afford them.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    The blast can be had with V's or Disc, cable disc brakes will add over 1.5lb to a bike so I'm not surprised a V-braked Hotrock felt lighter.

    Buying a good used bike will always save you a lot over buying new, and you can also afford a better bike.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.

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