Originally Posted by
Tony P.
I'm in the process of buying a 20" bike for my soon-to-be 7 year old grandson. My dilemma is over whether to get a bike with gears. I assumed gears were better than no gears (except for the weight) but I visited my LBS & was surprised to find most 20" bikes sold are single speed.
I'd appreciate hearing from those with children riding 20" bikes to find out if gears are a benefit.
BTW, the two bikes under consideration are a Specialized Hotrock 20" 7-speed or the Specialized Riprock 20" coaster.
Kids bikes are going to be left out in the rain, dropped on whichever side is nearest the ground, crashed into things and generally abused far beyond anything you'd do to your own bike. They're kids - thats what they do. Hand brakes are good, but not essential, and gears are just something to get damaged. Our kids' bikes were all rehabbed dumpster divers, or from Goodwill stores/CL, and as they outgrew them or the accumulated damage became incompatible with continued use, we gave them away or junked them. When the first one came to me and said "Dad I want to get a road bike" was the first time I considered a "real bike", because I knew they had reached the point where their bike was more than just the thing they picked up and dropped as needed, but something that they would look after