Originally Posted by
sofakng
They also have a few adult bikes I was looking at... More specifically the Raleigh Talus 3.0 for $299 (close-out) model and the Raleigh Venture for $330. They also had a Specialized Expedition but for $440 it's above my price range.
How do the Raleigh Venture and Raleigh Talus 3.0 compare to the Trek 820? Are there better and/or worth buying?
If the Raleighs are aluminum framed, probably a better buy than the steel framed Trek, also may come with better drivetrain and shifters.
When people come to our Trek shop and ask about kids bikes, I let them know that we offer trade-in, and excellent service, but that the service is largely moot on a coaster brake single speed kid bike. And while I would suggest you buy the adult bikes from a bikeshop, a dept. store kids' bikes usuallly hold together until your kid outgrows them. So I never try to dissuade anyone from considering a usually much cheaper dept. store kids bike. Unless it has rim brakes and shifting; also stay away from suspension bikes at dept stores. Quality is quality and a kids bike from a bike shop is definitely better, but how much per dollar is up in the air.