Hi,
I'm looking to buy a bike for my daughter aged 7 in and around Brisbane. Currently she rides a 20" bike and I expect to buy the same size. I have had a look online and any bike with gears is between 400-500 mark. Merida, Trek, Giant and Mongoose, which is slightly cheaper.
Any recommendations on the bikes, I don't know a lot about them. We usually use it for riding on bike tracks.
Thanks
i thought, gears may be easier, as her ride to school is a uphill. The older one is a used one i got from a friend and was good to get her to be a confident rider. Now, i just want something, which has no niggles and works perfectly for our longer family rides.
If you must have gears I recommend an internal gear hub. My kids have had difficulty with shifting gears on derailleur gear bikes at that age, they found the internal gear hubs (and coaster brake) easier at that age.
How confident is she riding?
Now she's quite confident.
Yeah i saw that, but as it was talking about bikes from kmart etc, which i dont intend to buy i mentioned the brands i considered.
Second hand. Plenty available due to kids outgrowing.
Unless you are riding hills, just get a single speed bmx. Spend a little more on the next size up.
The current is used bike that a friend gave. I just wanted to buy her a brand new bike.
Wait for her to grow to the next size. There is no value in buying new in that bracket.
If she's a competent rider, get her a bike with gears. It will make a world of difference and allow her to go on more complicated rides. Speaking from experience. Neighbour also didn't do this and regretted it.
I think it'd be worth seeing if she would fit on to a small 24" wheel bike - future proofing for a little while!
i.e. you could slam the seat down on these:
https://www.99bikes.com.au/merida-matts-j24-girls-10-5in-pin…
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Scott-Radical-240-24-inch-bike-R…
ya, i've been thinking about it too, but she isnt very tall..so so may last longer on the 20" one too.
Something from Liv which I learned was an offshoot of Giant.
I recently bought one off FB marketplace for $200 used but in really good condition. 7 Speed with front suspension.
Are gears necessary?
If she hasn't outgrown her current bike, why do you need a new one?