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Christmas

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Original poster

Please share your wisdom re bikes for 7 yo boys - running out of time and panicking!

21 replies

TheHoHoHouseofMirth · 07/12/2011 21:43

I am supposed to be choosing DS1, who is almost 7, a mountain bike for Christmas but the more research I do, the more confused I am. I do know he needs a 20" bike (we have sat him on some) but I am so confused by brands.

I understand that Islabike, Specialized or Kona all make the best bikes but our budget will just not stretch to any of them. I need to spend as little as possible but do not want to make a false economy by buying a bike that is too heavy or stiff to operate. He will use for the short journey to/from school, going to the park and we also live near Richmond Park and we hope to cycle as a family there once DH & I also get bikes.

I can't find any online expert reviews for mid-range to budget bikes, only for the £250+ ones.

I have looked at the Halford's Carrera Blast which at £160 is at the top of what we could afford but it gets good reviews and is aluminium so should be light. But is it likely to be significantly better than a £80 bike?

Any words of wisdom or experiences you can share with me please?

OP posts:

TysTheSeasonToBeJolly · 07/12/2011 21:45

Main tip I have..... Don't buy a Toys R Us bike.
We are getting our 3 year old ds's bike from a local bike shop and they said that toys r us bikes have plastic ballbearings and most good bike shops use metal ballbearings. Could be a load of rubbish but that is my only tip

QueenMaeve · 07/12/2011 21:48

the one at Halfords looks fine to me. I never spent big money on bikes for them at that age. Our eldest is 10 and only got a more expensive one recently. Any we've bought have been around the £100 mark and most of them have been passed down to the next one (4 boys here)

Original poster

TheHoHoHouseofMirth · 07/12/2011 21:52

QueenMave do you happen to know which brands or models of bikes your children have had?

OP posts:

SantaffetaClaus · 07/12/2011 21:52

DS ( 8) is getting this bike for Christmas. His previous bike didn't have gears and he wants gears.

We spent ages looking, but at the end of the day, he wanted "a green bike with gears", so thats what he is getting.

We opted for free delivery and it arrived within 2 days.

Takver · 07/12/2011 21:58

You can generally get Specialised 20" bikes in good condition very reasonably on ebay (around the £100 mark a few months back when I was looking for dd). You might have to bid on a few before getting one at a decent price, especially at this time of year, but you'll get a much lighter weight easier bike for him to ride.

OTOH if you aren't likely to do any long rides with him, and he's just going to be knocking around with his mates outside, then the halfords one would be fine I would have thought.

(Sadly you're unlikely to get an Islabike bargain on ebay - I sold dd's previous one for the same amount that I'd bought it for 2 years earlier - and that seems to be pretty standard!)

bigTillyMincepie · 07/12/2011 22:02

My DC have always had Decathlon bikes (apart from the Puky which was DD;'s first bike) They have been great - mountain-bike-ish with gears, pretty solid, never had any problems with them. They also service/mend them at the shop.

Original poster

TheHoHoHouseofMirth · 07/12/2011 22:14

Takver I've been looking on eBay but there's not much around within a reasonable collection distance, although I am watching a Kona Shred at the moment.

OP posts:

dobby2001 · 07/12/2011 22:15

Many of the cheaper bikes - and some not so cheap but from big names, look snazzy but weigh a tonne and have stiff braking mechanisms for kids. This makes them hard to rid up hills for for sustained periods and potentially unsafe if the child cannot operate the brakes quickly as they are struggling to reach them. There was a great article on the best kids bikes a few days ago in my email inbox.. goes off to search... here it is, hope it helps
www.bikeradar.com/news/article/best-kids-bikes-as-picked-by-them-32544

joanofarchitrave · 07/12/2011 22:18

We have always been happiest with using our new-bike budget to buy second-hand from a decent bike shop with all the advice thrown in. The Halfords bike ds had was a pain, frankly, although it sold OK. It was so heavy.

gilmoregirl · 07/12/2011 22:34

My tip would be to avoid raleigh bikes. I bought one for DS as his first bike as I thought it was a "good" brand (was the only one I can remember from when I was little...)

The bike is RUBBISH. it is just so heavy and the seat is made of rock hard plastic so if DS rides it for any length of time he complains about having a sore bum. There is no way he can ride it up a hill.

He needs a bigger bike now but I have no idea what to look for so will be reading this thread with interest.

Good luck - hope you get something good in time for christmas!"

lostlady · 07/12/2011 22:36

I got a great bargain "proper" bike for dd on sportsdirect for £100 less than anywhere else, not a mountain bike, but worth a look?

Original poster

TheHoHoHouseofMirth · 08/12/2011 16:57

lostlady has your DD started riding the bike yet?

OP posts:

Takver · 08/12/2011 18:31

With ebay, have you asked other sellers whether they will send the bike by courier? It only cost me £13 to send dd's bike that I sold (obviously you do have to go to the grief of getting hold of a bike box and then taking the pedals off etc) but of course you sell for more!

For buying a bigger bike I found quite a few sellers advertised as 'collection only' but were willing to courier when asked.

Original poster

TheHoHoHouseofMirth · 08/12/2011 18:42

That's a good idea but to but there just seems to be very few second hand bikes around full stop. I am currently trying to work out why no one has yet bid on the Kona...

OP posts:

lljkk · 08/12/2011 19:03

My experience of Ebay selling is that a lot of people hover over good price items and don't bid until late in the auction; you cannot know how many are watching.

Islabikes Beinn 20s are going for under 180 quid excluding delivery at the moment (here's one for under 135), and will have 3rd hand value (you can probably resell later on Ebay for at least 50% net of that 180). It'd be worth the stretch if you could find that money.

Have you looked at BikeRadar reviews for other 20" wheel bikes?

lljkk · 08/12/2011 19:04

oops, just realised someone else already linked to the Bikeradar article (doh).

buggyRunner · 08/12/2011 19:24

my friend wrote www.bikeradar.com/news/article/best-kids-bikes-as-picked-by-them-32544 this article- he is well in the know

Original poster

TheHoHoHouseofMirth · 08/12/2011 21:03

lljk there were practically no large Beinn 20s on eBay last time I looked so I'd kind of given up but thanks, there are now a few and at least 2 local-ish to us. I think I'll see what eBay and Gumtree throw up in the next few days and if no luck I'll probably order the Carerra.

OP posts:

lostlady · 08/12/2011 21:12

No, it's for Christmas. I liked the look of it cos it had the shimano gears and stuff and got good reviews. Hope it is good!

PomBearAtTheGatesOfDoom · 09/12/2011 00:13

Halford's are advertising a sale starting tomorrow on children's bikes - might be worth a look to see if one you want is reduced.

lljkk · 09/12/2011 06:02

There are maybe 6 Beinn 20 larges on Ebay at the moment. Whereabouts are you, roughly, OP? I'll keep an eye out for you, if you like, if a 20 large comes up on a good BIN price. They do pop up and down like yoyos.

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