Originally Posted by TejanoTrackie

I'm going to go out on a limb and disagree with just about everyone here. I think it's important for children to first learn how to use a geared bike to maintain a fairly constant cadence over varied terrain and conditions. Also, it is bad for muscle development to lug too big a gear uphill or into a headwind. This is why the racing associations impose gear limits on racers under the age of 18. I would also recommend that you get him clipless pedals and proper shoes so he can learn to pedal smoothly and use all his leg muscles to both push down and pull up on the pedals. Your son is old enough to learn how to use gears and hand brakes. Now, if you live near a bicycle track (velodrome), you could enroll him in a youth program, where he could learn how to ride a track bike properly.