bike for 6 yr old boy [Archive]

speedlever

10-16-05, 11:25 AM

I've been watching my LBS for a good used 20" bike with gears for my 6 yr old son. His single speed bike is too slow to keep up. Except for a couple of well-used 20"ers, one was pretty stiff shifting and the other pretty rusty, we've come up empty in our search. They were going for ~$80 and I declined the purchase.

I just got the Performance catalog and see they have a 7-speed 20"er on sale for 1/2 price ($100). It's listed as an '05 K2 ZED 20" Junior Mountain Bike. Anyone have any experience with this bike?

I hate to buy a new bike for a 6 year old since they grow so fast. But for $100, this might be worthwhile if it's "worthy." ;-)

I don't have a Perfomance store very close by.. the closest one is about 60 miles away.

Whatcha think?

DiRt DeViL

10-17-05, 06:07 AM

Don't want to dissapoint you but you're looking for a 80 buck bike in the wrong place. Most LBS don't carry 20" bikes because they're far more expensive than a "similar" department store bike.

I part time on a shop and 20" and 24" are barely purchased because of the price. Gets expensive when you purchase a $200 20" bike and the kid quickly outgrows it, then you get another ~400 24" bike and in no time you're buying a 26" bike.

Manufacturers that I know that make 20" bikes are: Trek, Fisher, Giant, Diamondback

Get a bike from Xmart or Tos R... and let the kid enjoy the ride, you'll have enough time to save and get a decent bike later on.

speedlever

10-17-05, 06:30 AM

DD,

Thanks for your thoughts. I looked at the WalMart bikes and just couldn't bring myself to buy one of those tanks. I was hoping to find a decent used Trek, etc. that he could use. But they have been surprisingly hard to find in my area.

I was hoping that a 20"er from a Bicycle shop like Performance would be a major step up from the mass merchandiser. If that $200 retail - sale price of $100 was realistic, I thought it had a chance of being a decent bike. On their web site, they show the $100 bike as discontinued and not available.

They've got another one on sale for $140 - the Performance K-2000x - 20" Kid's bike. It's a 21 speed bike... but may be a stinker too. I dunno.

From what I've seen at LBSs, the decent 20"ers run around $280 or so... and I'm just not gonna put that much into a bike he'll have for maybe a year.

DnvrFox

10-17-05, 07:01 AM

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=20749&subcategory_ID=3030

is no longer available

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=20748&subcategory_ID=3030

is.

http://www.performancebike.com/product_images/150/30_7031.jpg

I would think you would be way ahead getting a Performance Bike on sale over a Wallyworld bike.

speedlever

10-17-05, 07:49 AM

DnvrFox,

That 2nd link you posted is for a single-speed bike. I really wanna get him some gears. Here is a bit higher priced option. It's the one I mentioned in the last part of my previous post.
http://tinyurl.com/dqm7q

I thought about taking a chance and ordering online and using one of those 20% coupons... but then they tack on a $35 oversize shipping charge. I would do better to drive 60 miles to check it out (if they have it in stock at their Chapel Hill, NC store.. which is the closest one to me).

I would think you would be way ahead getting a Performance Bike on sale over a Wallyworld bike.

Yeah.. I sorta thought the same about Performance bike vs Wallyworld. But DD above seems to think otherwise. So I was hoping to find someone online here who actually tried it out.

DnvrFox

10-17-05, 08:07 AM

DnvrFox,

That 2nd link you posted is for a single-speed bike. I really wanna get him some gears. Here is a bit higher priced option. It's the one I mentioned in the last part of my previous post.
http://tinyurl.com/dqm7q

I thought about taking a chance and ordering online and using one of those 20% coupons... but then they tack on a $35 oversize shipping charge. I would do better to drive 60 miles to check it out (if they have it in stock at their Chapel Hill, NC store.. which is the closest one to me).

Yeah.. I sorta thought the same about Performance bike vs Wallyworld. But DD above seems to think otherwise. So I was hoping to find someone online here who actually tried it out.

Sorry, my "kids" are 40 and 37! Been awhile.

speedlever

10-17-05, 08:21 AM

Sorry, my "kids" are 40 and 37! Been awhile.

What? No grandkids yet? ;)

DnvrFox

10-17-05, 08:29 AM

What? No grandkids yet? ;)

Not in the cards.

Cike

10-19-05, 03:07 PM

This past weekend, I shelled out $175 for a Diamondback for my 8 year old daughter. It's a really great bike for her. I would have been more hesitant to pay so much except I have two younger sons (and a younger daughter in a couple of weeks) that will be able to use this bike when she out grows it. Fortunately, my daughter's favorite color is blue, so its very "shareable" when the younger ones get older.

C

speedlever

10-19-05, 04:04 PM

Sounds like you have planned ahead!

My 6 yr old is the youngest of 5, so there's no one to pass a new 20"er to. We stopped by the LBS today and he test sat on a 24" Trek. He could tiptoe the ground... but it was $250. I hope to check out the Performance bike mentioned above when I have the occasion to be near one of their stores. Meanwhile, I keep my eyes out for a good used 20" for him.

Portis

10-19-05, 04:59 PM

I picked up this bike (http://www.giant-bicycle.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?year=2003&model=10578) for my just turned 7 yr old on ebay. I gave $45 for it plus $35 for shipping. The bike was in near new condition and it is an awesome deal for only $80. It was $200 new. Ebay is a good place to look.

http://www.giant-bicycle.com/images/_upload_us/bikes/models/zooms/2003/MTX-125-MA.jpg

BTW, this 20" bike is lighter than the 16" "Schwinn" that he had before.

v1nce

10-19-05, 05:26 PM

@ Speedlever,.. hmm maybe it is a dumb idea but how about a second hand 3 speed Raleigh Twenty...? They are great (if not super fast when you leave them stock) bikes that your son could (seriously!) ride for another 30 or more years. You may think i am crazy ha ha, but just check my page (signature) or do a google search on Raleigh Twenties. Many smaller people and kids as well as adults ride them, including Sheldon Brown.... (pretty much one of the most knowledgeable and respected on-line bike experts in the world).

Also if you do modify them they can be crazy fast. I am not a great biker but i am "dropping" MTB ers and even racing folks all the time. Not because it gives me kicks just because i always love to go fast. One more bonus of the Twenty: They are very much in demand so if it doesn't work out you could almost def. sell it for the same price.

Good Luck!

DiRt DeViL

10-19-05, 05:42 PM

One of my riding friends son has that Giant, not very light but it's sturdy and stands up to punishment. My friend kid is hard on his stuff and the bike is still going strong.

Check eBay or the classifieds you never know when a deal will pop up.

I remember 2 years ago when I was looking for my son's first geared bike. He was riding a Mini BMX bike and was racing XC on the kids league. Gears weren't required but seemed to help a lot the kids that had them so we went out looking. I found nothing worth the expense under the $200 mark, I bought a Diamonback Octane 24 for $220. The kid had trouble with the gripshifters and most of the parts sucked, eventually I replaced most of the cheap stuff with LX components and the bike went from 220 to about 600 in no time, I even swaped the fork for a "better" one.

If your kid will ride it and you can go thru the expense I'll say go for it, you'll enjoy riding with your kid and he'll have a ton of fun.

This are my kid bikes

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a315/DiRt_DeViL/Bike%20Pics/PC220013.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a315/DiRt_DeViL/Bike%20Pics/P9120001.jpg

He has been racing XC since he was 6 and now is getting into the road.

speedlever

10-19-05, 07:55 PM

speedlever

10-19-05, 07:56 PM

v1nce,

I really think he'll want something a bit more contemporary looking than that Twenty! Interesting idea though...

speedlever

10-19-05, 08:01 PM

DD,

Your kids have some nice looking bikes.

The kid had trouble with the gripshifters and most of the parts sucked
the bike went from 220 to about 600 in no time

... and there's the rub! I think a 24 will last him a lot longer than a 20 would at his growth point right now. I might be willing to pump in a couple hundred on a decent 24... but not on a 20.

An interesting project (for me!) would be to find a decent frame and build him a bike. That might make a nice winter project. (what am I saying????)!! Heheheh. That would probably cost more than just getting him a new one! (but the education would be great!)

Fibber

10-19-05, 09:29 PM

Speedy,

My friends daughter (we go riding occasionally) has the Giant MTX 125 shown above. It has 20" wheels, 7 speeds. Jim bought it for his daughter used at one of the LBS for something around $150 two+ years ago. It is a fine bike for a child, but I thought that the price was a bit steep at the time, and went another route (yard sale Pacific bike, 20" wheels, 5 speed for $10...).

This summer, at the same shop, I was able to get my 9 yr old daughter the next one up in the series, the MTX 225. It has 24" wheels, 21 speeds. It was also used, the asking price was $150, but they let it go for $135, or about $100 below the price of new. Maybe not a teriffic deal, but I see how much she enjoys riding it, and it suddenly becomes worth every penny.

Steve

schernoff

10-20-05, 03:40 AM

Speedy, the 24 might last him longer, but will it fit him now? I'm looking for a bike for my 11-year-old son, and he's just now into a 24, so unless your son is very big for his age, a 24 will probably be too big for him.

On the other hand, once I do find him a new bike I'll have a Haro (I think it's a 21) sitting in the garage that's in good shape ... bought it new about 3 years ago, and it was barely ridden the first 2 years. If you're interested, I'll post some pics ...

speedlever

10-20-05, 04:38 AM

As I mentioned above, he tried a 24" Trek tht he could tiptoe... but he really need the seat raised for proper leg extension when pedaling... so yeah, the 24 would still be a stretch for him. Kids grow so fast at this age that it's hard to predict how long it would take for him to grow into a 24... and then grow out of it. I just know the 20 will have a short life.

v1nce

10-20-05, 05:31 AM

Yeah i understand about the contemporary thing, but i'd like to think mine (the after pictures) doesn't look so 'old' or such...:

Hmm, have you asked him what kind of bike he wants himself? Does he want something fast and light, or something chunky and off road, or BMX style or something that will just be simple/always work or,...? I know he is a young kid, but kids never ceases to amaze me (in a positive way) with some of their preferences. Perhaps you could show him some pictures of diff. bikes?

Portis

10-20-05, 06:20 AM

Ranger,

That Giant would work great for him. It only has to last a year or so.. and I'd gladly shell out $80 for something like that in decent shape.

I've never been much of an Ebay fan... mostly due to never having dealt with it... plus not wanting to have a PayPal account... plus not wanting to worry about dishonest sellers. Is PayPal the only acceptable payment method on Ebay?

I used to be an Ebay skeptic years ago. Then I finally went for it. Smartest thing i ever did. I have saved tons of money and also made quite a bit by selling. I have probably had somewhere near 500 transactions and haven't had any bad deals.

Paypal is also good. I use it all of the time and it works perfectly. The only thing i don't like about it is the fee to receive money but oh well...

DiRt DeViL

10-20-05, 07:35 AM

Speedy, if your kid can tip toe a 24" get it. Make some adjustments to shorten the cockpit and you'll be in business. On my case I had to lower the saddle all the way down and install a 0mm stem, it looks like a dirt bike stem that if you want it I can give it to you.

The kids grow so fast that IMO the 24" will be the best bet and will last a while. In my case the 24" mtb has 3 years with him and it's going strong after the upgrades. Maybe next year I'll get him a XS 26" bike for his racing.

The best IMO are:

Kona Hula (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/product_detail.aspx?productid=341&parentid=253)

Specialized Hot Rock FSR (http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?sid=06HotrockBoys)

Specialized Hot Rock (http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=12297)

There're other good alternatives from Trek, Fisher, Haro, Diamondback but if you're serious and want to get your kid a great ride these are the ones to get.

schernoff

10-20-05, 07:56 AM

Dirt Devil,

I'm interested in your recommendations. My son is turning 11, and just got into cycling - the Haro mtb we bought him a couple years ago finally made it out of the garage, and now he's out in the fields doing jumps. So now I'm looking for something sturdier that will hold up to the way he's using it. My LBS was talking about the Kona Stuff 24 - do you know anything about it, or do you have experience w/ Kona bikes in general? I'm a roadie, so I know next to nothing about mountain bikes and what to look for for off-road use.

Thanks!

DiRt DeViL

10-20-05, 09:12 AM

schernoff,

As a matter of fact I do own a Kona, a Unit (singlespeed).

The Kona Stuff or Stuff 2-4 are dirt jumping bikes. I checked the specs and it was low end Shimano stuff and disk brakes, seems to be a very sturdy bike but jumping and dh are not my thing. Kona bikes have a great reputation and are back with an excellent warranty.

Stuff 2-4 (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/product_detail.aspx?productid=322&parentid=253)

Suff (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/product_detail.aspx?productid=319&parentid=253)

If your kid is tall enough maybe the XS Stuff will be a better choice and will not outgrow it so quickly.

If he's into downhill or taking drops check the Stinky series.

Stinky 2-4 (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/product_detail.aspx?productid=319&parentid=253)

Stinky (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/product_detail.aspx?productid=313&parentid=253)

Other manufacturers have bikes similar, it's just a matter on desiding on which is your kid's riding style and go and get the appropiate bike.

speedlever

10-20-05, 05:14 PM

v1nce,

have you asked him what kind of bike he wants himself? Does he want something fast and light, or something chunky and off road, or BMX style or something that will just be simple/always work or,...?

Good thoughts all-in-all. I showed him some pics and he likes the look of the Giant... but he would like the look of many, I suspect. I showed him some pics of the Twenty.. but he didn't go for the ape-hangers. ;)

At this point, he wouldn't know the diff between fast/light heavy/clunky. He just does neighborhood riding... no racing/jumping, etc. I want to move him up from the single speed so he can better keep up with the family when we do a family ride in the 'hood or on a paved trail.

No hurry.. we can look while he rides his SS.

speedlever

10-20-05, 05:16 PM

Ranger,

I used to be an Ebay skeptic years ago. Then I finally went for it. Smartest thing i ever did. I have saved tons of money

Well, ignorance is bliss ya know.. and I'm quite blissful, thank yew very much. :) Maybe I need to move outta my comfort zone and reconsider.

speedlever

10-20-05, 05:25 PM

DD, (hope you don't mind the abbreviation)

if your kid can tip toe a 24" get it. Make some adjustments to shorten the cockpit and you'll be in business. On my case I had to lower the saddle all the way down and install a 0mm stem

Well, other than cost of a new bike being a negative, when he tiptoes the 24 from the saddle, his legs are not extended enough in the riding position. How would you resolve that? Just not worry about it 'til he grows into it? If I raise the saddle so he's in proper riding position, he'll fall over when he comes to a stop unless he gets off the saddle. Somehow that doesn't sound like an optimal solution.

OTOH, I may have better luck finding a good used 24 than a good used 20. Hmmmm.

BTW, in my profession, I know exactly what a cockpit is. However, when it comes to bikes, I'm not quite clear what a bicycle cockpit encompasses. Would you mind clarifying?

DiRt DeViL

10-20-05, 06:03 PM

No hurry.. we can look while he rides his SS.

You all can ride singlespeeds and that will solve the issue :)

bvfrompc

10-27-05, 02:14 PM

If you don't have:

Internet Access
A car newer than 4 years old
Cable or Satellite TV
A Cell Phone
A lawn to water
a TV that is newer than 5 years
or any other luxury

Please disregard the following advice:

Get the kid a decent bike that fits them now, and when they outgrow it, hand it down to some other kid that deserves a decent bike. And buy a new one for your kid, every year if thats how the kids grows, stop beeing so cheap with something that can be so good for your kid and in the scope of things is just a fraction of what so many are spending on other "important" things.

DiRt DeViL

10-27-05, 05:12 PM

DD, (hope you don't mind the abbreviation)

Well, other than cost of a new bike being a negative, when he tiptoes the 24 from the saddle, his legs are not extended enough in the riding position. How would you resolve that? Just not worry about it 'til he grows into it? If I raise the saddle so he's in proper riding position, he'll fall over when he comes to a stop unless he gets off the saddle. Somehow that doesn't sound like an optimal solution.

OTOH, I may have better luck finding a good used 24 than a good used 20. Hmmmm.

BTW, in my profession, I know exactly what a cockpit is. However, when it comes to bikes, I'm not quite clear what a bicycle cockpit encompasses. Would you mind clarifying?

Not at all.

You bring an excellent point, leg extension will not be optimal until the kid grows a little bit. Using my kid as example, he didn't had good leg extension until later on. He was concerned about being able to tiptoe when stoping and to me his piece of mind was more important.

Later on you could worry about KOPS and leg extension, they will not injure themselves by pedaling with inappropiate leg extension. Or you can spend extra money on shorter crank arms. On my son's bike I replaced the cranks also with shorter ones to improve his leg stroke.

The term cockpit is used for the area from the handlebar to the saddle. Usually you make adjustments like stem lenght, bar raise, bar sweep, saddle height, brake lever and shifter position, etc.