Advice please - what to look for buying 2nd hand kids bike

[kiwimumof2boys]

Posting here for higher traffic - I'm looking at a bike for DS (6) that a lady is selling via facebook.
I am totally clueless about kids bikes and the like, DH would normally would go but he is away at the moment.
Apart from the obvious (Good brakes, tyres, minimal rust etc) have any bike savvy MN-etters got any tips? on what to check for?

It shouldn't be too heavy. Most cheap kids bikes are really heavy.
Go somewhere like Evans Cycles as the people in there are very helpful.

Do Evans cycles sell second hand bikes?

Check for wobbly pedals, I mean the bit in between the pedals that goes through the frame. If it's wobbly then it's probably corroded or damaged inside.
Also look at the chain carefully, it should be fairly tight with no rust.

Make sure you can adjust the height of the saddle smoothly and the handlebars, if they are adjustable
The metal rim on the wheel (the bit against the tyre) should be smooth, if there are dents they might push against the tyre and keep causing damage. It's also a good sign the bike has had some hard use

When you check the brakes think about the size/strength of kids hands. Would your DS be able to pull them/reach them.

Brakes are invariably cheap to fix - it usually comes down to needing a new set of pads and / or a new set of cables, both of which are inexpensive, even once you've factored in bike shop labour (or you can teach yourself from YouTube). I'd recommend getting any bike you buy taken to a shop for a basic service (some even do free 'health checks') as there are some things that can't easily be spotted by the uninitiated.

Other things that are rather harder to fix are

• sizing - there are various sizing charts available online, but the general rule is that they should be able to just touch both toes on the floor when sat on the saddle, and that they should be able to fully extend their leg when the pedal is at its lowest position. Of course, with kids growing, this can be more of a challenge, but that's the ideal and anything else will make cycling much harder.
• weight - children's bikes have a nasty tendency to be disproportionately heavy

Have you had a look at Isla Bikes? They're very well made, and hold their value second hand, so while they are a bit pricey you will get that money back later on when you resell.

Ignore most of Sasuke's 'advice'.

The bit between the pedals is called a bottom bracket. It it's corroded down there then it won't move. It'll be corroded in.

A loose or rusty chain is easy to fix or cheap to replace. There isn't really any reason it would be loose other than it being too long.

Flat spots on the rim won't damage the tyre. They can also be bent back out with an adjustable spanner fairly easily.

Do check the seatpost moves up and down. That's the bit that holds the saddle. If it's stuck in then the bike's got a fairly limited size range.

Look for a bike with V brakes not horse shoe brakes.

I would walk away from any 'themed' bike. Weight is important and these bikes usually weigh a ton. Nor would I get one with any suspension. It's worthless on these bikes.

Isla are great, as are Wee Ride or Halford's Apollo bikes. It can all get a bit pricey though!

Is the bike for sale online? Post a link or a make / model for more advice.

I wouldn't ignore advice about the bottom bracket. We have had to replace them on a couple of second hand bikes we have bought. Easy with the right tools but otherwise would need a bike shop. By the time you have replaced tyres, bracket, chain and cables you may as well buy a new bike unless you have got a very good 2nd hand frame very cheaply.

I had to chuck a bike out once because the bearings were gone in the bottom bracket and the repair would cost more than the bike. Main symptoms were wobbly pedals and the chain kept coming off

Do Evans cycles sell second hand bikes?

No, neither do most bike shops, far too much hassle with province and checking they aren't stolen, or have stolen components.

Halfords will do a free bike check, though they'll probably try and sell you stuff - get there asap as it'll be getting busy.

General condition of a bike is some indicator as to whether it's been looked after, though it could well have been hardly touched. Do check wheels are straight, no bald patches on tyres, and brake pads aren't worn (if it has them).
Weight is very important, your child should be able to easily pick it up and manoeuvrer it.

Yes Tiggles. You'd need a crank extractor (assuming it's a straight taper bottom bracket) a large adjustable spanner and a splined bracket removal tool. Even with the right tools it can be a bit of a pig of a job if the shell needs facing. There old bottom bracket can also need a bit of 'persuasion' with a big hammer and penetrating fluid to come out.

That has nothing to do with corrosion of the bottom bracket shell.

It's always, in my experience, dead bearings that lead to requiring a new bottom bracket (or a rounded taper on the arms). That leads to a grinding when pedaling as opposed to the wobbling mentioned.

Cables are £1 each. Maybe £1.50. Tyres around a tenner. Chain the same.

"very good 2nd hand frame very cheaply."

We just sold a Islabike Beinn for £175. The bits you mentioned are consumables.

The bits you mentioned are consumables. I get that. My DH builds bikes. I cycle a lot, each of my bikes cost more than my last car. And whilst those parts are consumables most people don't want to have to spend money replacing them especially on a kids bike they are presumably buying second hand as they don't have enough cash to buy a new one, and will be grown out of in a year. Whilst the parts are 'cheap' if you have to pay someone else to replace them it could easily add another £50 to the cost of the bike maybe more which probably negates the reason for buying it 2nd hand.
There is a difference between buying a kids bike for cycling - my DSs bomb around the red mountain bike routes, and buying a kids bike for using 'in the garden' or 'up and down the road as a toy'.

Sorry to bang in, bugger you say you sold an Islabike Beinn for £175? That seems very cheap! We bought one (a Beinn 20) about 10 months ago for £205 and considered it a bargain. Most were going at £260 and higher at the time. So I'm wondering, where did you sell? We bought on ebay, I'm now wondering if there are cheaper places to buy. We're not looking to buy right now, but I'm sure DS WILL outgrow his bike eventually...

I've just bought DD3 (7) a second hand mountain bike for Xmas for £60. It's a ridgeback andcserns pretty bomb proof.

I got it from a charity which reconditions bikes as part of its therapy for people - it might be worth checking if there is a similar charity in your area.

They checked that dd3 could reach and use the brakes effectively - you would probably need to take your child along just to check bike fits. You don't need to spend vadt sums of money at this stage but it's important your child is comfortable and in control of the bike whether it's from Argos or Isla.

We looked at Isla bikes but even second hand they are out of our league. I'd probably wait until my children were in their teens before investing in a good one (and even then it would still be second hand)

We sold it through a mountainbike forum DH wastes hours on uses* (and I do occasionally). They tend to move stuff around between them for maybe a little under market price as it's a nice community and a fair percentage of them know each other in real life.

Those forums do sell to 'outsiders' but usually show preference to someone with a longer posting history.

Isla / Frog etc are an extreme end of the market. You certainly don't have to spend that much to get a good child's bike. We did as we ride a lot. Going off for a long days ride every 2-3 weeks plus plenty of use inbetween.

*it's his MN!

Sorry to derail slightly but I have been following this with interest as we're currently looking for a decent 2nd hand bike for dd's 3rd birthday.

A man in Evans recommended buying a handle which you can attach to the back of the bike. It'd be for using on the walk to the park etc (busy road, younger dc in buggy etc). He said they just click on and off. Has anyone used one? Any good? Where would you get one from? Also, do they fit all bikes?

I've never seen one which clicks on and off but you can get something like this.

I don't see how you'd be able to hold a 3 year old upright, especially with one hand whilst pushing a buggy.

Don't buy a bike with stabilisers, especially for a 3 year old. Balance is the tricky part and pedalling's easy. If you don't have a balance bike then ask a bike shop to "remove the cranks and bottom bracket so it become's a balance bike". They'll know exactly what you mean and it'll cost very little. When your child's mastered scooting, have the pedals (and other bits) put back on.

If they already have a balance bike and can scoot then get them to push the bike to the park.