Anyone know about bikes for teens?

[AndEmilyCampbellDancing]

Last time I had this unenviable task I popped into local shop, told nice man my budget and they sorted teen with bike. Now that shop has nothing below £600.

Can anyone recommend a mountain bike for under £350 for a teen? I know prices have gone up but 2 years ago there were loads £250 and under.

What will your teenager use the bike for? Unless the teenager is actually into mountain biking, I wouldn't get a mountain bike for a start. If it's a transport/leisure bike to be ridden on mostly paved surfaces (or nothing more extreme than packed mud or gravel trails), cheap suspension and big tyres just slow you down for no reason.

To know what size you need, you should start by measuring your teenager, their full height and standover height (floor to crotch), which should give you a basic idea of wheel size and/or frame size. Older teenagers will need adult bikes (and bigger bikes are more expensive, which will account for part of the reason that these new bikes you're looking at cost more than the presumably smaller one you bought two years ago). But you'll still ideally need to try the bike out to make sure it fits properly.

Second hand is very likely to get you the best value for money. There is a global bike shortage at the moment and has been for the duration of the pandemic, so even in the second-hand market things are a bit crazy. I would still recommend trying to buy second hand if you can because it's usually possible to get a much better quality bike for the same price as a crap new one.

I would go for second hand with that budget and look for a decent brand. If you go for new you will end up with a really heavy, poor spec, bike that is no fun to ride. Your budget will still be tight though. I have just done exactly that and bought my son a 2nd hand Scott bike for £300 and put it straight in for a service and safety check which raised a few minor issues and cost me another £70. I am happy with the outcome and my son has a great bike that we could probably sell for what we paid for it once he has outgrown it. You will have to be on the ball looking out for bikes though. They go v fast. Also be careful who you buy from, you don't want to end up with a stolen one.

If you can wait a month or so, hire centres often sell off their fleet at the end of the summer.