I'm looking around for a new bike for DD who will be 7 this summer, but is rather small for her age so still on a 16 inch. She needs to go up to a 20 inch bike and there seems to be a mix of geared bikes and single-gear bikes available.
She hasn't used gears before and I'm wondering if they are worth it for a 7 year old or do they just tend to select the middle gear and leave it there? Obviously I know the benefits of gears in general, but just not sure whether a child that age would actually use them? Her current bike has no gears and a covered chain and I do really enjoy the lack of maintenance required. We mostly cycle on paved paths and do have some hills. She's never had any trouble with the hills but a bigger bike will be heavier I suppose.
We cycle a lot as a family - it is our main method of transport, including for the kids, so our bikes are not just toys.