Bike for 6 Year Old Girl under $200?

tassieeagle on 31/01/2017 - 11:42

Hey guys I need some help regarding buying a bike for my daughter's upcoming 6th birthday. She has been riding a cheap but effective big w bike for a couple of years but has outgrown it.

Ideally I would like to get her a half decent bike that will last until 10-12 and will also be handed down to her younger sisters as well so it needs to last. Budget: up to $200.

I haven't been into any bike shops yet but knowing local retail in tassie they will be massively overpriced so I'm probably looking at buying online or one of the big retail giants.

Also if people have thoughts about bike helmets I am all ears (she currently has a unicorn one from big w too).

Sports & Outdoors

Comments

  • Nugs on 31/01/2017 - 12:35

    why not big W again?

    unless they treat them like rubbish, it will last.

    our 3 kids each got a 20" kmart bmx style bike, which my youngest still rides 6 years later. only issue is a clunky back wheel because he does jumps on it. the girls bikes still ride well.

  • Euphemistic on 31/01/2017 - 12:47
    +3

    Not sure if $200 will get you into a bike shop branded or equivalent. They tend to be closer to $300 AFAIK.

    Second hand for the win. I've bought 2 24" 'bike shop brand' mountain bikes for under $100 for my kids, the second one was in almost new condition. There are heaps on Gumtree etc as kids grow out of them quickly and they get turned over by parents.

    You might find that the sizing doesn't quite work for between 6yo and 10-12yo. I bought 20" MTB style bikes at 6yo. They then grew into these and out of them. 24" lasted from approx 8yo to 11yo. My 11yo is now on a small frame 26" bike. I think my kids are a little on the tall side, but not much.

  • k-rokfm on 31/01/2017 - 12:48
    +1

    So you want a decent bike that will last 6 years and then to be passed onto someone else afterwards. What style of bike are you after? City bike/mountain bike etc? How often do you think they will ride it?

    IMO buy one of the Trek/Giants that are built to actually last like this:
    http://www.trekbikes.com/au/en_AU/bikes/collections/kids-mou…

    You will be paying well over your $200 budget, but seriously, for $200 you wont get a bike that will last 3 years let alone 6+

  • Xyzzy on 31/01/2017 - 12:52

    Reid Bicycles do reasonable bikes at reasonable prices.

    Try something like: https://www.reidcycles.com.au/girls-classic-vintage-20.html

  • RockyRaccoon on 31/01/2017 - 13:05

    A couple of things to consider.

    BTW I dont know all your circumstances, so I have assumed the age difference between the siblings are no more than 3 years and your daughters dont use the bike everyday for long rides. (I base this on your existing bike as being outgrown rather than worn out.)

    Like sandp above has said, I would go for the cheap Kmart/BigW/Target special. Why?

    1. Kids grow up and may need a newer bike to match their growth.
    2. You have to get your younger daughters a bike before the oldest grows out of the other one. So 2/3 yearly hand me downs is probably the best strategy
    3. Kids damage cycles, and unless you can repair them yourself or have access to a cheap mechanic (many neighbourhoods have them ) its going to cost you. eg 2 New tyres cost almost ½ of a cheap bike.
    4. Really the price difference of and under $200 bike from a bike shop and a $100 Kmart one is probably almost the same. Now if you went upwards like $250 - 300 you would probably get a better value, but between $100 at Kmart etc and $200 at a specialty bike store the quality isnt going to be much different (see reid cruiser quoted above for $179 looks very much like the Kmart $99 bike).
  • altomic on 31/01/2017 - 13:12

    I've got 3 daughters. 7,10,11.

    they all have bikes and ride to school (when it isn't too hot)

    my 7 year old wants this $99 kmart bike cruiser bike for her birthday in 3 weeks. I've checked it out. it is a reasonable bike. it will last her 3 or so years. she'll then upgrade to a larger bike as she grows.

    my 10 year old has a ladies shopping bike that I grabbed durring hard rubbish 8 months ago. she loves the style of it.

  • tassieeagle on 31/01/2017 - 13:45
    +1

    Thanks for the great advice guys. I should clarify it's not for riding to school or anything like that, just for fun at the bike park and in front of the house on the street (properly supervised of course).

    Rethinking my hand me down strategy based on advice from rockyraccoon you are correct, the bike probably will only be for 2-3 years before it gets handed to the next sibling.

    Next stop, gumtree and the stores you suggested. I'll let you know how I go :)

  • scotty on 31/01/2017 - 14:14

    I have a 12yo myself, and there's noway she would want to ride the bike she got when she's 6. I have also been hunting a new bike for her recently, and ended up just getting one from someone on Gumtree.

    • Euphemistic on 31/01/2017 - 19:36

      Not only would they not want to, but depending on growth spurts would be unlikely to fit. As I said above my some went form a 20" at 6yo to now a 26" at 11 with a 24" in between.

  • fenric on 31/01/2017 - 16:22

    This may sound a bit strange, but try your local city police auction. Every couple of months they auction lost/stolen items that were not claimed.
    The last one I went to (to get a bike for myself) they struggled to get rid of the kids bikes and ended up selling a set of 3 for less than $100.
    They have a viewing day in the week leading up to the auction so you can check them out up close and pick the ones you like.
    Heaps of other stuff like tools, jewellery and basically anything that can be nicked too :P

  • OZB Al on 01/02/2017 - 09:02

    I bought my daughter a bike from Torpedo7 last year which we are happy with, very light for the price and it looks like it will last. Of course they no longer sell the exact model but this, for $221.99 plus delivery looks good and is only slightly over your budget.

    • Euphemistic on 01/02/2017 - 09:17

      13.5kg isn't light, but I guess it's probably as good as a $350 Giant/Merida/Avanti etc. I suspect it would be too big for a 6yo in 24" wheels.

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