Inexpensive 24" Girl's Bike?
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Inexpensive 24" Girl's Bike?
Hey Everyone,
My daughter's bday is coming up in June and I'd like to get her a new bike. She has a 20" Diamondback cruiser (Miss Della Cruise) that she learned how to ride on but hasn't ridden that much. It's now too small for her; she'll be 11 this year.
She still is a little uneasy on bikes and she's never used a bike with hand brakes or gears. I want it to be inexpensive because I honestly don't know if she'd going to use it a lot...I hope she will but we'll see...
She likes a cruiser style bike. It has to have gears because of hills the one speed just doesn't cut it.
I'm considering the following:
Schwinn Ladies Mifflin 24" Hybrid Bike- Magenta : Target
Micargi Rover 24" 7-Speed Women's Beach Cruiser Bicycle Pink -
I think the Micargi looks way cooler and is probably more her style. My concern is that they are both steel framed bikes so they probably weigh a ton.
Your thoughts?
Thanks!
Pete
My daughter's bday is coming up in June and I'd like to get her a new bike. She has a 20" Diamondback cruiser (Miss Della Cruise) that she learned how to ride on but hasn't ridden that much. It's now too small for her; she'll be 11 this year.
She still is a little uneasy on bikes and she's never used a bike with hand brakes or gears. I want it to be inexpensive because I honestly don't know if she'd going to use it a lot...I hope she will but we'll see...
She likes a cruiser style bike. It has to have gears because of hills the one speed just doesn't cut it.
I'm considering the following:
Schwinn Ladies Mifflin 24" Hybrid Bike- Magenta : Target
Micargi Rover 24" 7-Speed Women's Beach Cruiser Bicycle Pink -
I think the Micargi looks way cooler and is probably more her style. My concern is that they are both steel framed bikes so they probably weigh a ton.
Your thoughts?
Thanks!
Pete
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The Micargi Rover 24" 7-Speed Women's Beach Cruiser Bicycle Pink - looks to be a very fine bike for an 11 year old girl. Very fine indeed.......
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My preferred bicycle brand is.......WORKSMAN CYCLES
I dislike clipless pedals on any city bike since I feel they are unsafe.
Originally Posted by krazygluon
Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred, which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?
My preferred bicycle brand is.......WORKSMAN CYCLES
I dislike clipless pedals on any city bike since I feel they are unsafe.
Originally Posted by krazygluon
Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred, which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?
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How tall is she?
Are you a "roadie"?
There are a lot of fat tire (multi-speed?) used kids bikes for less than $50. And many kids don't care as long as the bike is new to them.
At least for road bikes, by age 11, many kids may be ready for small versions of 650c or 700c bikes. That may bump the price up a bit though. MTBs may be sized a bit smaller, so a 24" bike might be ok, but still look at 26" bikes.
Keep the weight in mind a bit. Many of the low end bikes are real beasts, and the fancier they look, the heavier they are.
Are you a "roadie"?
There are a lot of fat tire (multi-speed?) used kids bikes for less than $50. And many kids don't care as long as the bike is new to them.
At least for road bikes, by age 11, many kids may be ready for small versions of 650c or 700c bikes. That may bump the price up a bit though. MTBs may be sized a bit smaller, so a 24" bike might be ok, but still look at 26" bikes.
Keep the weight in mind a bit. Many of the low end bikes are real beasts, and the fancier they look, the heavier they are.
#4
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Depending on where you are and what variety is on Craigslist, 24" cruisers don't hold their value too much so you should be able to find something really nice for pretty cheap.
Keep in mind especially with Target/Walmart/low end bikes the big sweep of 7 gears in the back coupled with cheap components mean they are tough to adjust. My wife's Target Schwinn was a bear to adjust, but with patience I got it.
Keep in mind especially with Target/Walmart/low end bikes the big sweep of 7 gears in the back coupled with cheap components mean they are tough to adjust. My wife's Target Schwinn was a bear to adjust, but with patience I got it.
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My daughter would have been crazy for that Schwinn mixte frame. I can't quite figure out why they went with chocolate colored tires and trim on a hot pink frame. I'd think that white wall cruiser tires would have looked better and are easy to come by. The Shimano Tourney rear derailleur is functional and not that difficult to adjust but the low end grip shifts don't tend to hold up well. The good news is that if the shifter fails, you can still get 7-sp trigger shifters for about $20 which are more reliable.
When you say "hills" just how much hill are you talking about? A fairly heavy 7sp cruiser will be OK on moderately rolling hills but if the hills are steep or long, you may want to look at something like a mountain bike with hybrid tires. Used is a viable option but, unless you are buying from a bike shop or co-op that will give you some kind of warranty (most will give you 30 days where they will fix or trade in any bike that has safety or usability issues) it is buyer beware for hidden problems that can be big headaches.
When you say "hills" just how much hill are you talking about? A fairly heavy 7sp cruiser will be OK on moderately rolling hills but if the hills are steep or long, you may want to look at something like a mountain bike with hybrid tires. Used is a viable option but, unless you are buying from a bike shop or co-op that will give you some kind of warranty (most will give you 30 days where they will fix or trade in any bike that has safety or usability issues) it is buyer beware for hidden problems that can be big headaches.
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I think my niece is 11 now. I don't have any photos of her and the bike, but she fit Mom's Mixte quite well, with the seat nearly all the way down.
I would seriously consider looking for a bike that should fit from age 11 or 12 up to 16 to 18 (or forever).
I.E. consider a bike with 26", 650b/c, or 700c tires, and drop the seat all the way down. It is amazing how adaptable kids can be for bikes.
If course, the used 24" bikes are a dime a dozen.
I would seriously consider looking for a bike that should fit from age 11 or 12 up to 16 to 18 (or forever).
I.E. consider a bike with 26", 650b/c, or 700c tires, and drop the seat all the way down. It is amazing how adaptable kids can be for bikes.
If course, the used 24" bikes are a dime a dozen.
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let her pick it out
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