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Best bike for adventurous 3.5 year old


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Hi all

I’m looking for some advice and recommendations about a good first peddle bike for my 3.5 year old.

He’s been tootling around on his 12” balance bike from about the age of two and really has it down pat. He’s done a 5km and 8km trail ride as well as a few mini pumps and mini flows and adores it. 
 

We were thinking of possibly getting him a second hand 16” of better quality to see how he likes it before forming out on a new one or possibly bigger one.

The one’s we’re looking at are:

A Frog (the red one)

Titan Hades (no pick)

Specialized Hotrock (Light blue)

I personally really like the Spec, but my husband doesn’t as it’s for a girl. Would that really be such a big deal?

 

Anyhow any advice or pointers would be very much appreciated.

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At 3 years and 3 months old I got my son a 16" Silverback, without training wheels. The bike is mountain bike ish. I found that they handle the bike better with a lower handle bar (and lower center of gravity). For starters, move the saddle forward and roll the handles back to shorten the reach.

The first pic is from August 2019, the day he got his new bike, the second pic is from December last year...

 

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My son is exactly the same age and also moving from a balance bike to pedal bike.

 

If he's a median height then the 16" bike is a little tricky, but you can help by getting him the lightest bike possible.

I think the frog is an aluminium frame, and if it is then that would be my pick.

The Spez is steel and no lighter than an Avalanche Bolt that you could pick up much cheaper.

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I would go Frog, light bikes for kids.

We could not get a Frog st the time and went Norco Sumaarai. Good build qaulity, bearings seem to spin for ever, but it is not Frog light. 

Edited by DJuice
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8 minutes ago, Sid the Sloth said:

This is true for all bike purchases ????

I thought you were going to sell them the cannondale, might be one size small for the 3.5 year old!

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Look for Isla or Frog bikes for kids. Avoid things like disc brakes and suspension. (Not just out of principle)

There was a spez hard rock the same size as Kittels Isla bike on holiday, the Spez was almost double the Isla bike weight. (this was for a 7 year old bike though). (Suspension, discs, steel frame, terrible wheels, a foot stand, reflectors, a chain guard, all adds weight the poor kids have to drag around.  

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From experience the kids grow out of their bikes very fast , I would not sweat the perfect decision as you will get another chance at bike choices in the not to distant future.

 

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3 hours ago, ACE Cycles said:

Absolutely agree ????

But 1kg on a bike makes little difference to a 90kg adult, but if you only weigh 20kg with a 60w FTP then 1kg is HUGE! 

The same can be said about me weighing 62 and the guys I ride with weighing 75+... haha

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3 hours ago, Milosh said:

From experience the kids grow out of their bikes very fast , I would not sweat the perfect decision as you will get another chance at bike choices in the not to distant future.

 

 

First three bikes were replaced at 13 to 15 month intervals ....

 

Might as well get the one in their choice of colour ... :whistling: 

 

 

Maritz chose his third bike based on the finish of the welds ....  I nudged him to take the other one, as I knew the specs were better ... nope, he went with the one that looked best for him, and had a BLAST on it !!  Traded it in 13 months later ....  I think sometimes we totally over think these purchases .... :whistling:

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18 hours ago, Sid the Sloth said:

The same can be said about me weighing 62 and the guys I ride with weighing 75+... haha

Thats very kind of you lying about my weight like that for me... or how much does that+ sign add...

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17 hours ago, ChrisF said:

 

First three bikes were replaced at 13 to 15 month intervals ....

 

Might as well get the one in their choice of colour ... :whistling: 

 

 

Maritz chose his third bike based on the finish of the welds ....  I nudged him to take the other one, as I knew the specs were better ... nope, he went with the one that looked best for him, and had a BLAST on it !!  Traded it in 13 months later ....  I think sometimes we totally over think these purchases .... :whistling:

I have seen kids put off riding their bikes but when they do get a decent ish bike they pretty far behind their peers. That has nothing to do with them, just bad equipment.

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3 hours ago, Pure Savage said:

I have seen kids put off riding their bikes but when they do get a decent ish bike they pretty far behind their peers. That has nothing to do with them, just bad equipment.

"it's not about the bike" - that Lance guy you were telling me about.

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