Originally Posted by atbman
Kids can do astonishing distances with the right encouragement and experience.
As to what bike, cheaper bikes are heavier and have very little resale value when they grow out of them. Because they are heavier, children are more easily discouraged when they start to ride further. Any faults they have also show up more, because the components are lower quality, especially the gears.
I've been coaching youngsters from 5 upwards for about 10 years and when they get their first decent bike (and I guess in US terms, that's about the $200 mark) they really love them and it boosts their enthusiasm and wish to ride, which in turn boosts their fitness and so the virtuous circle goes.
Try the weight of the Walmart type bike against the better one and then compare it with her weight. You may get a nasty shock...
Unless your budget is really tight, spoil her - it will pay off in the long run
This really nails it, IMHO. We were given a cheap bike for my son, a department store two-wheeler, and the thing weighs more than my comuter bike (well...). We quickly moved on from that beast.
Something I hadn't considered about the weight issue is that the five pounds you save is a much greater portion of your child's overall weight while on the bike. Think of it this way: 40# child + 25# bike+ 65 #'s, take 5# off you've saved 7.7% of their riding weight. Apply that 7.7% to an adult's weight: 180# adult (me) + 30# bike= 210# * 1.07.7= 226#, or 16+ extra pounds riding weight (and yes, I know the algebra doesn't quite work). As well, I'm stronger in the legs (proportionately) than my son, so the extra weight is easier for me to carry. That said, I sure wouldn't want to carry the extra 16 pounds on a longer ride, and it really is noticeable when comparing bikes (my commuter feels like a brick compared to my 24# trail bike).
All that said, we will wait until he gets a little older, and onto two wheels full time (he's four and a half right now) before we spend the big money and get him a really good bike. That part of the equation, and how your child fits it, is up to you, of course
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