Hi All,
Looking for some recommendation and things to consider whilst buying bikes for adults and young kids. Mostly for riding along the parks and treks (not expecting to take it to mountains and rough terrains).
I've looked at Kmart and Anaconda stores only but confused if they the right place to buy for occasional bike riding or need to consider any other stores/factor (e.g. light wight, gear vs no gear, etc)
Overall looking for 2 adult bike (men and women) and two kids (9 and 6 yr old)
are there many "non-geared" version out in the market for adults? i grew up with simple pedal bike with no gears and feels that more enjoyable than geared ones riding on normal treks or parks.
Plenty of 'fixies' still available, but I've seen a few 3 - 5 speed. A good bike shop will have some.
I laugh when I see parents on trail bikes, big heavy tyres, and 21-speed gear sets, barely moving while they wait for the kids to keep up.
Not fixies, single speed. A fixie has one gear, but has no freewheel meaning you can’t coast. You’d have a hard time finding a 5 speed bike nowadays. The bottom of the ring is 6.
Gears are good for hills. If you only plan on riding flat areas the a single speed bike will reduce cost and complexity.
Please dont ruin cycling for yourself by buying it from kmart.
Bicycles tend to hold their value in Australia, if you cant afford a new one, get a second hand one. And think if it as an investment. If you treat your bicycle well you can sell it for pretty much the same amount.
With kmart and similar bikes you start hating cycling and they dont have any resale value either.
I would suggest getting a reputabke brand bike. Merida ja Giant usually offer the most value.
thats very helpful - thanks for that!
what price range am i looking at? conscious that novelty may wear off soon once kids learn to balance and bike after few years.
For brand name new, kids bikes will be $300-400. Adults expect $5-600 for the basic models. Second hand can pick up a great bike for $150.
Edit: Anaconda Fluid bikes are OK, but their RRP is a bit high and the normal sale or member prices are more realistic if he value.
duplicate
Get either a second hand giant/merida/avanti/trek/cannondale hybrid from 2-3 years ago and you'd be set. Else one brand new. The Cannondale Quick series is a good start, however due to covid all bikeshops are running low on stock unfortunately.
Some anaconda bikes aren't bad either, just make sure you spend at least $450 on the bike, as after the retail markup the parts are still going to last.
Please do not buy from Kmart. Built down to a price, definitely won’t enhance a riding experience.
Browse the local classifieds, scumtree, faceache etc. you’ll be able to pick up a decent brand name bike for a couple of hundred and if necessary the one shop will be happy to service it for you - although if you are handy with YouTube and a set of Allen keys servicing yourself isn’t hard.
Kids grow out of bikes quick so you can pick up an underused bike easily. Pick a hybrid for yourself.
There isn’t a lot to go wrong with bikes, especially brand name models, just pick something that hasn’t been used much and hasn’t been left in the rain.
any particular type or brand you'd recommend for kids?
BYK are a specialist in kids bikes, but all the major brands make them. Giant, Merida, Avanti, specialised, trek to name a few.
Get a single gear BMX with 20” wheels for the 6yo. Get a 24” wheel bike for the 9yo. These are a dime a dozen on gumtree. I’ve bought near new giant and Avanti bikes for under $100 for my kids.
Great buys around on ebay and gumtree, look for a standard 'mountain bike'
$100-300 gets you 2nd hand one that wont fall apart, has afew gears. Make sure no rust and its got no damage.
Avoid anything claiming racing, fat tyres, thin tyres, fixies, single gear, retros, vintages
Kmart bikes arnt that bad, as a full grown male ive ridden a small girls bike with no problems.
They do leave alot to be desired but work well for casual riders
You should check out your local bike shop (as opposed to Kmart, Anaconda, Aldi, etc). They will be able to pick out suitable bikes for you and your family and answer any questions you may have.
It's easier to get your bike serviced (most bike shops include one free service in your first year of ownership) and it's also easier to sort out any warranty issues you may have with the bikes.
The bike shop will also have all the accessories you may need, such as bike pumps, helmets, multi-tools, spare inner tubes, water bottles and cages, lights, etc.
The bike shop will be happy to teach you how to fix a puncture too (or change the inner tube) - good luck getting that help from Kmart, Anaconda or Aldi!
Lots of bike shops are low in stock right now. The lockdown has got lots of people buying new ones. This also means getting a bargain is less likely on a new basic bike. High end stuff might still be avaaible but that’s well into 4 figure territory.
i have an aero carbon bianchi with electronic di2 components, i love it. its the oldest bike manufacturer and its made in italy instead of china. other great ones are specialized, bmc, penirello, trek, cannondale, etc…
What exactly has an aero carbon di2 bike got to do with beginner path rides?
For the adults, to consider:
- Thinner tyres are easier to push; sounds like you don't need off-road tyres and bike set-up.
- You could get by with only 5-speed gears.
For the children:
- They will grow out of the bike in a year or two; it is probably more important that they get one that they will like to ride and not lose interest.
- I'd let them choose their own bikes, but not get out of control price-wise.
If you have a bike shop nearby, look to do a bulk-purchase deal.