How to choose a bike for child?

[Worrywart21]

My son has asked for a new bike as he has outgrown his.

I know the size I need but not sure what else to consider when choosing one. Any brands or features which are important?

Some have front suspension others have full suspension. V breaks etc. I don’t really have a clue where to start. we’re not a bike riding family so it’s just for him to play out on with his friends.

Any advice?

Bikes are measured on inside leg. If you go to Islabike or Frog websites they show you how to do it.

Best way is to take him to a bike shop (not Halfords) and see what he likes.

How old is he?

Think about the weight of the bike. A light bike - Islabike, frog, Hoy - is so much better to ride. It’d better to get a top bike secondhand than a new cheap bike. Kids bikes don’t get worn out. We’ve bought and sold Islabikes on ebay and been really pleased.

A good quality second hand bike that has been well looked after will be better than a cheap new bike. Go to a local bike shop (pref without your child!) to see what is available and ask them for advice. Many shops also sell second hand bikes, and there are “bike libraries” that refurb Preloved bikes and sell them on for very reasonable prices (I can recommend some in S and W Yorkshire).

Unless your child is a large teenager who is planning on riding off road, They won’t need suspension, it just add weight. V brakes are fairly standard. Go for the lightest bike you can.

Some bikes are measured on frame size, some by wheel size (Islabikes) and some by inside leg measurement.

Lots of people will recommend Islabikes and Frog bikes. Both excellent brands, but at a cost, which you are unlikely to appreciate if you are not a bike riding family!

Trek do a buy bike system, where they’ll buy bike your bike for 50% after 2 years or something.

The Bike Club let you lease Frog bikes.

Dawes, Ridgeback and Specialized are good.

How old is he?

Brake design is important - cheap bikes have brake mechanisms that are a lot more difficult to operate (they will be fine in the shop, in an indoor environment with plenty of grease and never having been exposed to weather, but that will vanish in the real world). Many 7-10 year olds wouldn't have the grip-strength to operate a cheap brake that isn't at its peak of maintenance quality.

Isla and frog bikes are excellent quality but a lot of what you are paying for is the cachet of the top brands. They do retain a lot of their value so if you spend £400 you can probably recoup £340ish selling it on ebay when he grows out of it. However you don't need to go for those main brands for the same quality. We got a very decent Ridgeback bike for not much more than half what we would have paid for the equivalent kind of bike by Frog or Isla.

I always said I wouldn't spend. £££ on a bike when dd is so young. Anyway my dh then comes home with a frog one think was £300 maybe, and I have to say it's sooo much better.
The handle bars are placed at a good measure from dd and she has just taken off with it instead of previous bikes that I can now see were obviously awkward for her.

The Bike Club lease Frog Bikes.

I am a big fan of Islabikes, but if you want to go more “own brand” than “top end”, look at Decathlon. They have knowledgable shop staff too.

There are FB pages for buying/selling Preloved Frog and Isla bike.

Another vote for Islabikes here. Expensive but good

We are on our third Islabike, all from the FB selling group. DD is on bike 2 and bike 1 (the balance bike) has resold to at least its fourth child. We tried DS on no 2 at the seller's house as it wasn't far and on a friend's bike for no 3.

We started on Isla bikes and now are on the last Frog before we go for an adult bike. We are a cycling family though. From first outlay we've probably spent £90 on each successive bike because the secondhand retail market is so good.