Clinton1 Posted November 29, 2012 Share My little girl currently rides a hand-me-down bike which is a 12" one. The single hand brake on the front wheel is shot so it limits her riding. She enjoys it though so I am considering a new bike for Christmas. I am at a total loss when it comes to kid's bikes but have been doing some reading. It seems a 16" would best suit her. There is debate over whether coaster brakes or v-brakes are better. I am not too fussed either way but opinions would be welcomed. I have half an eye on the cheapy Game/Toys R Us/Sportsmans Warehouse specials like the Raleigh Lil Honey and the other eye on bikes like the Titan Calypso 16". Most discussions tend to revolve around looking for the lightest bike (not much different to us big folk). Now without knowing for sure the Titan should be lighter as it is alloy whereas the Raleigh is steel. But then the Titan has front suspension which many say is unnecessary and will add to the weight. The decision is hard to make as there are no components to look at and the like as you would on a bike for ourselves. Is it really worthwhile spending R1600 on the Titan when a bike like the Raleigh can be had for around R700? The main reason for putting it out there was some of you may have first hand experience but any opinions on this topic are welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackie Posted November 29, 2012 Share Based on my own personnel experience:I bought my son a 16" Avalanche bike, no front suspension, with "pedal back" brakes, heavy as hell, when he eventually rode it, he was 5, loved it, cost me a grand, but outgrew it rather quickly, so to a degree not too much value for money. He quickly out grew the bike and when I realized how much he loved it I got him an expensive Mongoose Rockadile 20" bike with front suspension and good components, I have since pimped the bike with nice light stem, post bars grips etc, and he gets full value of the bike so worth the extra moola.He learnt to ride on a JD Bug from the age of 3, this turned out to be the best cycling related purchase of my life, a lightie on a JD Bug to learn IMO is the best thing.That all been said, I have just bought my 4 year old daughter a 12" girly bike, or rather father Christams purchased said bike, for R450 from Makro, my logic is that she will get value out of the bike and when she is a bit older I will cork for a proper bike. Small kids do not care less about weight and nor does it matter in my opinion, so forget the weight issue, front suspension, means even less to a lightie, when young your wrists are your suspension, and roasties from lack of suspension are purely there for show and bragging rights.Get a cheapie 12" bike with training wheels for your girl, she will have confidence quickly without the nervousness of trying to ride a bike that is potentially too big for her, 450 is not too much, let her have a crack at that for a while and then invest in something better.Weight, suspension and components mean sweet bugger all to kids, the most important thing to your daughter by a country mile, will be that it is pink! MTBc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackie Posted November 29, 2012 Share and that feeling when you see when your child ride a bike for the first time, with a massive grin on their face is one of parenthoods greatest pleasures, enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clinton1 Posted November 29, 2012 Share Mackie, the thing is she has the 12" bike already so it was more about looking to upgrade. As mentioned the current bike is a hand me down from her brother and she is aware of the brakes not working, which is obviously less than ideal. When we were asking about Father Christmas she has asked for a whole stack of things, with some bizarre ones like wanting a jumping castle, but when looking through a catalogue today she spotted the bikes and said she wanted Father Christmas to get her a new bike with brakes that worked... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Brunsdon Posted November 29, 2012 Share I will get to the point Clint, don't waste your money on cheap. I got my son a Schwin for R1100 a few months back and he loves it. Its a 12" and he is 5. Buy the right bike for your child, don't let them grow into it else you will have a situation where they don't want to cycle. MORNING EDIT: Correction, 16" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clinton1 Posted November 29, 2012 Share Confused now as you guys are talking 12" for four and five year olds yet online they refer to 16" being ideal for 4 to 7yr olds? 12" they say for 3 to 5yr olds, so there is some overlap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cycling Addict Posted November 30, 2012 Share Found this somewhere Childs Height Bike Wheel Size66 - 86cm 12 Inches86 - 105cm 16 Inches105 - 120cm 18 Inches120 - 145cm 20 Inches145 - 159cm 24 Inches MTBc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted November 30, 2012 Share some kids are just big for their ages, which is why some have outgrown bikes and others haven't. That aside, though, get the bike with the best frame spec you can. Rigid preferably, as the forks at that level suuuuuuuuuck and will just weigh the bike down. Wheels don't matter at this point. In terms of parts though, may I suggest a different approach. Get a decentish bike, but with v brakes. Then source a good set of v brakes from somewhere, and put those on instead. Those can move across to the different bikes as she grows, and will be leaps and bounds better than the brakes that come standard on kiddies bikes. Edited November 30, 2012 by cptmayhem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Brunsdon Posted November 30, 2012 Share Confused now as you guys are talking 12" for four and five year olds yet online they refer to 16" being ideal for 4 to 7yr olds? 12" they say for 3 to 5yr olds, so there is some overlap. Sorry Clint, it was the Johnnie in me posting last night - my LBS confirmed this morning that it was a 16" I bought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandui Posted November 30, 2012 Share Found this Momsen bike which Father Xmas will be delivering for our 6 year old. Weighs under 10kg and has scope to last a while as she grows. The 7 Speed is a grand cheaper, but I reckon having 27 gears will stand her in good stead once she learns how to use them properly.Pity it doesn't come in pink, but it's still a pretty cool looking machine. Daddy likes it as much as Father Xmas.20 inch and it costs 4999 North Pole Snowflakes. Edited November 30, 2012 by kandui Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rock Posted November 30, 2012 Share i know its pricey but Spez's hotrock it great http://www.bicycling.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Specialized_Hotrock12CoasterBoys.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinnekop Posted November 30, 2012 Share Went for a normal run-of-the-mill R750 Avalance size 16" for my 4 year old. At that age it is all about the riding and none about the bike. Color and logos are important.You can buy the nice stuff the moment they hit teens as that will be the time they have an idea of what they want. The 16" will be too small within the next 2 years...... My 2c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonder Woman Posted November 30, 2012 Share Things I've learnt working in a bike shop, don't buy too big as the kid then can't handle the bike. Make sure they can pull the brakes, sometimes they are very hard which leaves the kid frustrated. I wouldn't spend too much yet at this age they throw the bikes around and really abuse them so get something that can take the abuse. Get a bike with gears, even if heavy they at least then can ride the hills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Brunsdon Posted November 30, 2012 Share I went for the Schwin as it has back pedal brakes. This is important for a child as they are still too young to use lever brakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ouzo Posted November 30, 2012 Share my folks bought my 4 year old nephew a titan. Awesome little bike. Great gear on it and well built. His parent bought him a Raleigh BMX and in comparison to the Titan its really crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clinton1 Posted November 30, 2012 Share I agree with the comments stating that at that age it is more about appearance than functionality. For this reason I have scrapped the idea of the R1.6k Titan and am considering a R860 Avalanche Zoid and R699 Raleigh Lil Honey instead. I'm almost certain the basket and tassles will be more of a hit than the possibly higher spec components of the Titan and the possibly lighter frame (but it does have front suspension which I agree is a little unnecessary). I also like the mix of front v-brake and back pedal brakes on these cheaper options. The decision between the two will probably boil down to appearance. The more pink and more girly one probably getting the nod. As it is she decorates her current 12" with flowers and the like all the time. The basket will no doubt be perfect for taking the teddy bear for a ride. I also prefer the air tyres to the solid ones. Suppose the latter does mean less maintenance though but she loves working on her bike while I work on mine so extra maintenance might be good for teaching... The only downside of all of these is that they are damn heavy! Suppose the Titan frame would be lighter but then negated by the front suspension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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