Originally Posted by
Skipjacks
But its components will likely hold up better over time.
The cheaper bike will have a lower end drivetrain that is susceptible to premature wearing. Lower end bearings and bottom bracket, etc. They will all work fine out of the shop. They will all probably last a while. But eventually one of those parts will fail and need to be replaced. This is true of all bikes, but with lower end parts the failure will occur sooner.
If your kid is going to ride 200 miles a year....no contest. Get the cheap one. You'll be replacing small parts in 5 years, not 5 months.
+1
Even my $650 Trek FX needed new pedals in under 1000 miles. The bottom bracket was grinding after 1500 miles. The manufacturer has to cut corners somewhere and it usually translates to lower quality parts here and there.