jeepin784

Like the title says I'm looking for some advice chosing a road bike for my 11 year old daughter. We are keeping it at $500 or less just to see how she does and then we can upgrade down the road. I'm looking at 2 options right now. One option is a 2016 or 2017 Trek Lexa WSD that has been a rental for 1 year at $400 pretty basic entry level the 2nd option is a 2007 Trek Pilot 1.2 WSD for hopefully around 250, this bike has carbon fork, seat post, and at least some 105 components and appears to be well maintained. If you were in my shoes which would you choose or if neither what would you suggest? I know the standard answer is usually "save up and buy a better bike" but for my own reasons (one of which is she's paying for half)I'm staying in the budget I've set. Both bikes fit her about the same and are comfortable. Thanks in advance for the advice.

f4rrest

I got my kids kid-sized road bikes, and they were barely used before they grew out of them.

There's still one hanging in the garage I need to sell or donate.

Also, in retrospect, road bikes with drop bars were less comfortable and less fun for them to ride.

Lightweight hybrid or flat bar road bike would have been less expensive and more comfortable.

Also, don't get hung up on girls must ride wsd bikes. There's a good chance they can fit a non-wsd bike.

jeepin784

Yea I wasn't specifically looking for a WSD bike but it just happened to be what I found. She has her Mountain Bike that she rides a lot but it really bothered her when she was getting smoked on the bike course last year during the kids Triathlon by most of the other kids. I definitely decided against the youth bikes for the exact reason you said. I would love to find her a 44cm but have had zero luck without dropping $800 plus on a brand new bike. Several of her friends who are about her size ride 47's just fine so that's what we're going with.

f4rrest

I didn't recommend a MTB or BMX, too heavy with slow squishy tires. Not fun to keep up.

If she's into triathlon, then drop bars make sense.

I found both the kids road bikes on CL and eBay.

The felt was $700 with 9sp 105. 24 inch road wheels. My son was absolutely thrilled, having watched contador win the TDF. He also got an aero helmet and full team kit on eBay.

The other was a cross bike with 26 inch road wheels, $400 on eBay. I'm guessing it's similar to a 44cm frame. Both boys enjoyed this one as they grew into it as pre teens. I still have it, but they're bigger than me now.

atitagain

Is an 11 year old going to ride the roads with traffic ? versatility to ride mups or trails or roads when safe make a hybrid a better choice for first bike .

jeepin784

Yeah she does the kids triathlon every year and wants to try and do more next year she is already a competitive swimmer and runs cross country so I guess it's a natural progression to add the bike in as well! Thanks for the advice

f4rrest

Does she need a small aero helmet? Still have it.

Ramona_W

Is there a bike co-op or similar nearby where you might be able to find a bike in your price range without having to deal with some CL nonsense?

And wow! Kids' triathlon, competitive swimmer, and cross country at 11. When I was her age, I was mostly trying to talk my folks into letting me stay up later and trying to get the boy on the other side of the classroom to notice me.

jeepin784

She will be riding roads with traffic and paved roads within the state park with less traffic but still some. She has a mountain bike if she wants to ride trails/ paths.

wipekitty

Which Lexa model are you considering? I ask because the newer bike might retain its resale value for a bit longer, assuming that your daughter doesn't crash. If you can get a good deal on a 2016/17 now, you may be able to sell it for just a bit less than what you paid once it is time for an upgrade and a larger frame.

CliffordK

I think it depends a lot on the kid.

A little more was explained later, and I think this girl will probably get good use out of a small road bike. Plus, getting a small adult bike, it should last her several years.

I certainly got good use out of my little 24" road bike, and have found memories of it, plus the bikes that came after it.

But, I bought a 24" & 650c bikes for my nephew, and I think they saw a lot more sun and rain than road.

I think a lot depends on the family. Does the kid ride solo? If not, does the kid have someone to ride with? How important is cycling? Where?

With my nephew, my brother seems to have given up on riding, and the nephew is pretty much left on his own... except that he can't ride anywhere, so he doesn't ride much. Plus, he seems to be plagued with flats

In this case, with trathalons and etc... WONDERFUL....
Be careful, the next bike will be a Carbon Fiber TT bike

jeepin784

I believe Lexa 2

CliffordK

As far as the question:
2016 Lexa 2 WSD, $400-ish
2007 Trek Pilot 1.2 WSD, $250-ish

I'd probably choose the cheaper bike. Both look like they should be good bikes for a kid.

One thing you might consider is which bike needs the most upgrades. It is easy to chew up in excess of $100 or so for new tires, pedals, seat, etc.

If both bikes haven't had a full tune-up for some time, it would be a good Father/Daughter project to do a winter tear-down, lubing, and rebuilding of whichever bike you get.

Oh, and leave some money in the pot for building that inevitable triathlon bike with carbon-everything, and aerobars

pacalolo

My daughter who is 11 rides this and loves it: https://www.diamondback.com/kids-bikes/road/podium-24. I bought it from another father here on BikeForum.

jeepin784

So far the plan is that I will ride with her, hopefully it will keep both of us engaged. I've only got a few rides in on my new bike which was my first road bike also but I'm hooked!The main reason I bought one was that I knew she wanted one so I bought it to keep up with her and I really didn't enjoy riding my hybrid at all. We do have a permanent campsite that is right next door to the state park which has a nice quiet road that is about a 6.5 mile loop plus where we live at in the country has some pretty quiet roads. We live in a community (Door County Wisconsin) that is fortunate enough to have a pretty good cycling culture with opportunities to do some longer rides (Century just yesterday) She also has other friends who ride quite a bit, and some other families that she tags along with if I can't go.

Elvo

What do I win?

https://www.amazon.com/2017-Raleigh-.../dp/B074ZNM644

mstateglfr 

https://www.diamondback.com/podium-650

650 wheel size to allow for a little more growth