Recreational & Family - Kids 3 speed IGH

I'm looking for a 20" bike for my son. I would like to get him a 3 speed IGH drive train. The only bike I have found so far is the Schwinn Mini Mesa....does anyone have suggestions of other bikes?

When I was a kid many others kids (~7 years etc) had folding bikes. I was thinking one day I will go that route myself for my son. Grows with your child:

http://ca.dahon.com/bikes/1638/curve-d3

But then again, a single speed BMX might be hardier :).

Not a bad idea....only issue is that @ 4'4" my son is a bit too small for the recomended height, also, seems the center of gravity would be quite a bit higher, may be a bit of a challenge for for the little guys....thanks for the recommendation.

I like the three speed mini mesa too btw.. I think it may fair better than the Dahon in the hands of a little one. You made me think the IGH is a great idea for a little one's bike: cool factor + bang proof. Is this why you're speccing IGH?

Not so much the cool factor for the kids....more the bang proof and maintainable aspect.....I commute daily 12miles each way on a Civia Hyland with 8 speed Alfine IGH...it rocks for this application and very high coolness factor with my bike buddies.....I have two much older kids that I took thru the early years of maintaining their bikes.....no matter what you do, the twist grip derailleur systems need way too much maintenance...and what average 8 to 10 year old (ok, some really good MTB riders...) ever really uses 7 to 9 gears?

Sounds like a good idea -- my 7-y/o can't really twist his shifter effectively, and doesn't understand how "gearing" works, really. Maybe a 3-speed would make it a lot more clear.

One of the bikes we had when I was growing up was a smallish 3-speed...

My daughters both ride vintage 3 speed Raleigh bicycles... my youngest (11) rides a '73 Fireball and my oldest (13) rides a Saffron which is actually a 20 inch wheeled lady's bicycle.

They started riding these when they were 8 and 11 and while the Saffron will grow with my daughter my youngest will soon outgrow her Fireball and at the rate she is growing that may be sooner than she wants but I have a Raleigh folder waiting for her. :)

I think that as soon as a child can ride a folder this is a great option as it is a bike that is designed to accommodate a wider range of riders and will last them many years, if not into adulthood and beyond.

I ride several 20 inch wheeled bikes myself and love them.

With a limited number of IGH equipped kids bikes on this side of the pond it might not be a bad idea to have a wheel built around a 3 speed and fit that to an existing bicycle.

My daughter's Fireball...

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/fireball2010a.JPG

The Saffron...

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/saffron2010a.JPG

The Mini Mesa 3 spec's don't say but the zoomable pictures shows a Shimano SG-3C41 coaster brake 3-speed hub. IMO the coaster in addition to the two hand brakes is a good thing for children. There's a good coverage chain guard, some nice welded-on cable guides, a continuous cable housing run from the shifter to the hub, aluminum rims and even a front disc brake mount on the fork. With an IGH gears the kid can shift into low ratio at a standstill.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

I had not considered going the route of a vintage bike....I'll have to do a quick crawl thru Craig's List. Thanks for the suggestion. I love the Fireball!

I had not considered going the route of a vintage bike....I'll have to do a quick crawl thru Craig's List. Thanks for the suggestion. I love the Fireball!

Saved the bike from the dumpster... friends and I stripped, sanded, polished, and powder coated so that my youngest daughter could have her own English 3 speed and what she thinks is the most beautiful bike in the world. :)

The Saffron was in beautiful shape and I have upgraded the wheels and tyres and will probably be doing a few more things as this bike will be with my daughter for a very long time. She got the bike when she was 10 (she is now 13) and loves that this bike will be hers for as long as she wants it.