Recreational & Family - Recommendations for a 24" girls bike? Fun and Competition...

Hi. I am in the market for a 24" bike for my daughter. It's not just for cruising around the neighborhood, but also for beginner triathlons, which she has started participating in. Not too much rough terrain going on yet. It seems that most of the 24" bikes that I am coming across are mountain bikes, with the exception of some true road bikes (which she is not ready for) and the Trek FX (which my wallet might not be ready for!). I've looked at Trek, Giant, Diamondback and Schwinn. My head is starting to spin. I suppose I could get one of the mountain bikes and switch tires for the triathlons. The guys at the bike shop suggested that we may be able to squeak by with a 26", but I don't think that's necessary. Anway, she's a regular active kid - I don't want to be too extravagant, but I do want her to have good gear. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Michele :)

http://www.fujibikes.com/Kids/Road/Ace24.aspx maybe?

It would really depend on how old she is and how tall she is.

24" bikes are almost a useless category. They typically fit kids for 1-2 years. Many times a small-framed 26" bike is better. IMO, the 26" bike is lighter, better-built, and generally has better components on it.

If she's tall enough, I would consider looking for 650c road bikes. I just sold a used Trek WSD bike that was a 43cm w/650c wheels. I'm sure there are more out there.

Of course, we don't know how old/tall she is, so everything right now is speculation...

That's the rub - she's 7 but, last we measured, around 54 inches. Quite tall. I'm going to take a look at the 26" bikes, too. She seemed pretty comfortable on the 26" at the bike shop. It doesn't make sense to spend $400 on a bike that's going to last her 1-2 years. On the other hand, she's still pretty uncoordinated (think giraffe). Thanks!

That's the rub - she's 7 but, last we measured, around 54 inches. Quite tall. I'm going to take a look at the 26" bikes, too. She seemed pretty comfortable on the 26" at the bike shop. It doesn't make sense to spend $400 on a bike that's going to last her 1-2 years. On the other hand, she's still pretty uncoordinated (think giraffe). Thanks!

It sounds like she could probably ride a 43cm women's road bike with 650C wheels, then. Or a 12-14" MTB with 26" wheels.

My 7 yr old grand-daughter has a nice Giant. 24" wheels, Al frame, steel fork, 21 sp. The stand-over height is about 23". This would go well on the road with 1.5" slick tires. The only deficiency - twist grip shifters are tough to work with small hands. If it had Rapid-Fires it would be perfect.

This is very similar to my situation last year. My 7-yr old was taking interest in triathlons but wasn't ready for a true road bike (still isn't). The solution for me was the Specialized Hot Rock 24 Street. You won't find the Street variant in stock often but it's out there. This is the girls version: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=45777&eid=4360&menuItemId=9270

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?655651-Trek-KDR-1000-kids-road-bike