Originally Posted by
linberl
Yan, I'm curious - would you recommend a kids bike over the BF Osata? I'm going to get my niece a bike and thought she could use the Osata from middle school and on into college as it would fit in a dorm. I remember with my son having to buy kids bikes often as he grew like a bleeping weed, a 20" and 24" in middle school, then 26" in high school (because he wanted a road bike by then). The OP was asking about the Bantam and they are pricier than the Osata bikes.
I only have a sample of two kids to judge. Each of my kids have a 16" BMX bike, 18" triathlon bikes, 20" wheel kids MTB, and mini bike. So they pick whichever bike they want to use. In the neighborhood they normally use the 16" BMX bike since it is cheap and can be left outside. The 18" wheel tri bike is exclusively used for Tri's, both finished in 2nd place in their age category this year. The mini started out as their favorite. However the 20" MTB has worked out very well....I have gone mountain biking with both of them many times, and they are really good. I think that is their favorite bike, and it works well on the road with the 2.1" MTB tires or 1.25" slicks.
Honestly I am not looking to save money on kids bikes. I am looking to find the right bike for both kids, each bike has it's pluses and minuses. The 20" wheel MTB has worked out much better than expected. I think an angle adjustable stem is key to modify the fit as they grow.
I think the Osata can be a great choice, depending on the child and application.
Thanks,
Yan