Recreational & Family - practical child's bicycle?

Are there any light-weight children's bicycles available? I have a K-Mart and a top-of-the-line bicycle store nearby, and the children's bicycles available at both stores are these amazingly heavy tanks. Many years ago I tried to help a then-six-year-old nephew ride one of these beasts, and it was impossible. I can't imagine my children being able to go very far on one now. The children are 6 and 5, and 47 inches and 46 inches tall, respectively. What's available for such children? TIA

Light kids bikes?

Does such a thing exists? Maybe a Mini BMX bike could be categorized as light but I doubt that's what you're looking for. From what I've seen in shops, department stores and the web there's not such a thing. Most of the kids bikes around are made of Al or Chro-Mo but the frame weight isn't the problem, is the rest. Manufacturers put the cheapest and heaviest components on them for different reasons longetivity being one of them IMO.

Suggest you email manufacturers for advice. Try Trek and Scott, they do some quite good ones, but are at the top end pricewise. A German firm called Puky do one which has been praised in Cycling Plus (UK) as very suitable for young kids. they've also rated one of the Mongoose range as pretty good.

At their ages, gears are not always a good idea, so go for single speed and be prepared to swap rear cogs to get gear which is most suitable for them. You can then change it again as they get stronger.

It also depends on your budget, but please go for the most expensive one you can afford

Puky link - http://www.puky.net/homepage/produkte/fahrraeder/uebersicht.htm

The only brand I've checked into is Trek. Although they are pricey, they have a line of bicycles that are adjustable and will, theoretically, grow, somewhat, with your child.

this looks like a winner and can grow with the kid. kinda pricey, but cool, too.
http://www.dahon.com/sweetpea.htm

Most kids bikes for kids of that age are a bit heavier due to the construction being designed to hold up to the abuse a majority of kids will give their new toy. If you buy a more name brand, you will usually get a lighter bike. I know Specialized lightens the tubes a bit to make it a bit more ridable for kids.

hi

20 and 24" wheel models at around 22-24lbs:
http://www.gitane.com/script/junior_UK.asp

You're not kidding, most Wal-Mart etc. kids bikes are TANKS! My daughters each rode one that easily outweighed any of my bikes.

I just bought my daughter a Gary Fisher Cosmo, which is by no means light but is a) lighter than her other (smaller) bike, b) well made, and c) has an actual cassette and halfway decent components. $250, but she dearly loves it - any pink bike with flames will be well-received by a 7-year-old girl :D

My 9 year old daughter checks out a Specialized,aluminum framed ,youth sized,road bike everytime we visit our local bike shop.Its hanging from the ceiling waiting for the first daddy with 700 bucks to take it home.Trek and all the other major players offer smaller sized lightweight bikes.Check out some websites and I bet you will be able to get a few bucks back in a few years when your kids outgrow an upper end,well built roadster.I plan on getting my 4'2" daughter this red Specialized.Her heart is set on it and should give her and me lots of fun and memories tooling along next to daddy on her own road bike.Remember,they're only kids once.

A couple of years ago I bought my youngest a trek mt track 220. And I've been 200% satisfied with it. She's ridden it hundreds of miles and the components have performed flawlessly. It was well worth the 200 dollars I paid for it.

This past Fall I picked up an excellent condition used Trek Mt Track 220 for my 9 yr old at my local dealer for the bargain price of $80. I agree with bikebuddha that it is well built, but again, this particular years model is on the heavy side. Within the past year or two they changed it over to aluminum, but prior to that, they were steel. The benefit of steel is strength and longevity, the downside being the extra few pounds.

Amazing but Wal-mart does have a servicable Mongoose BMX bike that would be a good choice for a six or seven year old IMO.

Redline Conquest 24 cyclocross bike. Maybe you can find a used one. My niece (9 y.o.) loves hers--rides it on- and off-road.

For a younger kid, some of the better BMX bikes are good. Schwinn used to make good kids bikes, but I don't know if they still do. Look for used ones--kids outgrow them all the time. I'd rather get a good used bike than a lousy new one from walmart.

Amazing but Wal-mart does have a servicable Mongoose BMX bike that would be a good choice for a six or seven year old IMO.

True but plan on rebuilding it. I thought the same thing, but when I checked out the bikes themselves I found components attached wrong, wheels seriously out of true, messed up shifting...IMO not safe.