40 Cent

Or why can't I get a reasonably priced road bike for my kid?

I realize trek and felt have kid versions of their road bikes, but $600 is a bit steep for my 8-year old. I just built his 10-year old brother a road bike with an old 48cm frame and 700c wheels, and most of the parts I got for next to nothing from friends and off craigslist, and now he has a pretty fast, lightweight bike. Now I'm finding it hard to find an even smaller frame and inexpensive 650c wheels for the 8-year old.

Why is it heavy, slow, clunky knobby-wheeled things have cornered the kids market? My kids have gone on 40-mile rides on the road? We don't need knobby wheels.

If anyone knows a place to get small inexpensive or used road frames and 650c wheels, please let me know.

Frustrated in Brooklyn.

Bantam

Even a Sora groupo is not that cheap. The bike is not priced based on the size of the frame.

ericcox

If you figure it out, let me know.

El Diablo Rojo

The big reason you find bikes that are heavy knobby tired and cheap for kids is because most kids (not all but most) beat the livin' hell out their bikes. They roll up and drop them, they jump them they crash them. Most parents know this and buy appropriately. For the few out there that have kids who are mature enough to ride and respect a lightweight bike Felt and Trek make bikes. They don't make many of them so the price is high. The quandrey of course is that most of us can't/won't spend 600 bucks for a bike for our kids, know they are going to grow out of it quickly or decide after a month that this isn't their thing. I worked at a shop in Austin that catered to 'family' bikes and 99% of the parents who came in wanted a bike their kid couldn't destroy.

Ray Dockrey

There is no market for that age/size and road bikes. Besides, what makes you think that just because it is smaller it should be cheaper?

timmhaan

the knobby tired bikes can be had for like $60 bucks. compare that to $600 dollars for a little road bike. The gap is too wide.

derath

scour the used market? Someone out there is willing to buy one. I got my daughter a Trek Mystic for xmas this year. It is I think in the $125 range new. For a 12in wheel bicycle. I got it in literally pristine condition on craigslist for $25. The family were all avid cyclists (husband and wife race tandems). So they bought the "best" for their kids. And I made out.

-D

Doctor Who

Whenever I look through the NYC Craigslist, I always see tons of good small bikes for sale.

Buying used is nearly always preferable to buying new, ESPECIALLY for a growing kid.

40 Cent

That's my point. I know for road bikes, $600 is entry level, but high-end kids bikes are less than half that. There's a bit of a black hole in the market. When I was little (35 years ago) there were more bikes for kids that were fit for the road: narrower tires, thinner tubing. Before even getting to the subject of component groups or frame material, I'd like to see a kids bike that's slightly more efficient on pavement than 99% of the bikes out there, but haven't found it.

But if anyone knows a source for used inexpensive frames and 650c wheels, let me know.

lenexatokcmo

Seems like this was something the old Schwinn was always good at. I remember lots of kids with 10spd Schwinns and similar bikes in my neighborhood - don't see much of that anymore. Of course the components were a heck of a lot cheaper back then.

AnthonyG

The single feature that makes modern road bikes more expensive than flat bar bikes is the combined brake/shifter units (Brifters). Even Sora brifters aren't cheap and Tiagra brifters and above are realy quite expensive.

Keep looking for parts/bikes on eBay/Craiglist. I see 650c wheels/tyres/forks going for good prices on eBay. I think that Bikes Direct have 650c wheeled bikes for not that much. Also for an 8 year old I would be looking at the 24" wheeled models when you come across them.

Regards, Anthony

El Diablo Rojo

Here is a trick, go buy a 24'' (wheel size) mt bike, Raleigh makes a nice one for under 2 bills. Put drop bars and Sora shifters on it. Swap out the knobbies for high pressure slicks and you have a road bike that a kid can learn on. If you want to go cheaper put bar end shifters on it. Yes this isn't ideal but it will be better than the alternatives.

40 Cent

Thanks, Anthony. I have been keeping an eye on ebay and Craigslist. There's definitely parts out there, just not nearly as abundant as 700c, and many 650c wheels target the triathlon market, read expensive. I'll check out 24" wheels, too.
Glenn

40 Cent

El Diablo,

This will likely be where I start -- as a temporary solution until I can collect enough parts for the real thing. Of course, by then, he'll be big enough for the next size up. Oh well.

Thank you.

marqueemoon

Like others have said the market just isn't there. ^ Sounds like a good project to do together though.