Good bicycles for kids

I've scanned through and not seen much about this - when I was a kid in
the 1960s, my father bought me a very nice English-made 3/4 sized
bicycle. I rode it for years, then my sister and two godchildren rode
it - and it still wasn't worn out.

However, I now have a 8-y-o niece and an a 6-y-o nephew and we are all
appalled at the dismal quality and configuration - as well as the weight
- of the commonly available kid's bikes. Does anyone make anything like
what I had as a child? I think it was called a touring frame with
non-dropped handlebars and it had a 3 speed gear ... we'd dearly like to
get the kids bicycles they can enjoy riding instead of the trashy
heavyweights that seem to be standard stock these days. Not a mountain
bike, not a bike for stunts, etc. just the kind of bike a kid can ride
for a few miles on.

:
: However, I now have a 8-y-o niece and an a 6-y-o nephew and we are all
: appalled at the dismal quality and configuration - as well as the weight
: - of the commonly available kid's bikes. Does anyone make anything like
: what I had as a child? I think it was called a touring frame with
: non-dropped handlebars and it had a 3 speed gear ... we'd dearly like to
: get the kids bicycles they can enjoy riding instead of the trashy
: heavyweights that seem to be standard stock these days. Not a mountain
: bike, not a bike for stunts, etc. just the kind of bike a kid can ride
: for a few miles on.

Where are you located?

Pat in TX
:
:

I'm in Atlanta, my folks are in SC and the kids live in the DC area. My
father will happily order from just about anywhere in the CONUS if he
can find appropriate bikes for the kids.

Pat wrote:
:
: However, I now have a 8-y-o niece and an a 6-y-o nephew and we are all
: appalled at the dismal quality and configuration - as well as the weight
: - of the commonly available kid's bikes. Does anyone make anything like
: what I had as a child? I think it was called a touring frame with
: non-dropped handlebars and it had a 3 speed gear ... we'd dearly like to
: get the kids bicycles they can enjoy riding instead of the trashy
: heavyweights that seem to be standard stock these days. Not a mountain
: bike, not a bike for stunts, etc. just the kind of bike a kid can ride
: for a few miles on.

Where are you located?

Pat in TX
:
:

You need to be conscious of the fact that kids have a need to conform when
it comes to something as personal as a bicycle. Yes, the quality of what's
out there may not seem up to par with what you or I had as a kid, but in the
end, if you get the kid a great quality bicycle that all the other kids
laugh at, you're going to lose anyway.

When my kids were pre-teenagers, the movie ET came out and started the BMX
craze. Up until then, one was riding my old Schwinn Orange Crate and the
other, my old Schwinn Lemon Peeler. For a while, they were the absolute
coolest kids on the block. The day after they saw the movie, neither would
ride those old heaps anymore. Eventually, they each saved enough money to
plunk down most of the $400 for their new Supergoose 20" bikes that, in my
opinion, were made like garbage. But at least the kids rode again. I went
through very similar situations with electronic gadgets, sports, equipment,
etc. with them over the next several years. Today, they're smarter and more
practical about their purchases, but at the time, they needed to fit in.

More recently, I ran a bicycle recycling project in my community and
supervised about 40 kid volunteers per year. I taught them all about what
makes a quality bike and showed them the difference over and over.
Fortunately, the kids in this neighborhood come from families that can well
afford the best bikes out there. In the end, though, these kids all ran
after the X-Games bikes or those death trap full-suspension mountain bikes
from K-Mart. I felt like I had been preaching to a wall. But the truth is,
when you're a teenager, it's not about doing the right thing -- it's about
doing the cool thing, in spite of knowing better.

Your niece and nephew will fast outgrow anything you buy them at this age.
I say go to a bike shop (not a department store) and let them pick out what
appeals to them, as long as it's within your budget. If it's a decent shop,
they won't let you buy something dangerous.

"vwpalmer" wrote in message
...
I've scanned through and not seen much about this - when I was a kid in
the 1960s, my father bought me a very nice English-made 3/4 sized
bicycle. I rode it for years, then my sister and two godchildren rode
it - and it still wasn't worn out.

However, I now have a 8-y-o niece and an a 6-y-o nephew and we are all
appalled at the dismal quality and configuration - as well as the weight
- of the commonly available kid's bikes. Does anyone make anything like
what I had as a child? I think it was called a touring frame with
non-dropped handlebars and it had a 3 speed gear ... we'd dearly like to
get the kids bicycles they can enjoy riding instead of the trashy
heavyweights that seem to be standard stock these days. Not a mountain
bike, not a bike for stunts, etc. just the kind of bike a kid can ride
for a few miles on.

"vwpalmer" : I'm in Atlanta, my folks are in SC and the kids live in the DC
area. My
: father will happily order from just about anywhere in the CONUS if he
: can find appropriate bikes for the kids.

That's a start. From what you wrote previously, I thought you must be in the
United Kingdom. if you don't want junk for a kid's bike, you need to visit
some local bike shops and talk to the guys that run the shops. Think of it
as gathering information from the pro's. They know what's available. I
bought a bike that is a semi-recumbent for a kid. It gets stares and "Nice
ride!" yells from neighborhood kids, too.
http://www.evoxcycle.com/Html/modeles_en.html

I got it at a great discount at a Galyan's store (which has now been bought
out by Dick's Sporting Goods here in Texas).

Pat

I personally like these bikes for kids.

http://www.fisherbikes.com/bikes/series.asp?series=kids

In my oppinion, Gary Fisher makes well built, safe, and cool looking
bikes that appeal to everyone.

Myo

"NYRides" : You need to be conscious of the fact that kids have a need to
conform when
: it comes to something as personal as a bicycle. Yes, the quality of
what's
: out there may not seem up to par with what you or I had as a kid, but in
the
: end, if you get the kid a great quality bicycle that all the other kids
: laugh at, you're going to lose anyway.

Another thing is that if you buy a quality bike in the first place, it will
hold its value and sell for more when you do get rid of it. When my older
son was about 6, I paid $45 for a Schwinn 20" bike and later sold it for $25
a few years later. At that time, the common Sears bike cost about $20 and
in a year or so, were worth nothing for resale (because the components were
junk to begin with, the bikes wore out quickly). The Schwinn bikes had
ball-bearings in the bottom bracket whereas the Sears bikes had plastic
sleeves there. Once that plastic sleeve was worn through, the bike was
junk.

Pat in TX

They aren't allowed to watch television. This cures a lot of the
fad-stuff and they know, from watching how easily their mom and
grandfather ride, that their trendy bikes don't cut it. Furthermore,
sister has started riding to school with them 3 miles and they leave
their bikes and she rides home and then rides back in the afternoon to
meet them to ride home. They have already said they want a bike like
their Mom's (it's a 10 speed, but with the handlebars for sitting
upright?). I'll suggest that my dad take the kids to a bike shop in the
DC area when he is up there next, although a couple of makers names who
make good kids bikes would be a help, since Dad hasn't bought a child's
bicycle since the late 1960s
I have bad fibromyalgia and cannot tolerate riding a bicycle anymore,
but miss it badly - was a milbrat and had the aforementioned bike and
then a couple of Italian bikes bought on the other side of the pond

NYRides wrote:
You need to be conscious of the fact that kids have a need to conform when
it comes to something as personal as a bicycle. Yes, the quality of what's
out there may not seem up to par with what you or I had as a kid, but in the
end, if you get the kid a great quality bicycle that all the other kids
laugh at, you're going to lose anyway.

When my kids were pre-teenagers, the movie ET came out and started the BMX
craze. Up until then, one was riding my old Schwinn Orange Crate and the
other, my old Schwinn Lemon Peeler. For a while, they were the absolute
coolest kids on the block. The day after they saw the movie, neither would
ride those old heaps anymore. Eventually, they each saved enough money to
plunk down most of the $400 for their new Supergoose 20" bikes that, in my
opinion, were made like garbage. But at least the kids rode again. I went
through very similar situations with electronic gadgets, sports, equipment,
etc. with them over the next several years. Today, they're smarter and more
practical about their purchases, but at the time, they needed to fit in.

More recently, I ran a bicycle recycling project in my community and
supervised about 40 kid volunteers per year. I taught them all about what
makes a quality bike and showed them the difference over and over.
Fortunately, the kids in this neighborhood come from families that can well
afford the best bikes out there. In the end, though, these kids all ran
after the X-Games bikes or those death trap full-suspension mountain bikes
from K-Mart. I felt like I had been preaching to a wall. But the truth is,
when you're a teenager, it's not about doing the right thing -- it's about
doing the cool thing, in spite of knowing better.

Your niece and nephew will fast outgrow anything you buy them at this age.
I say go to a bike shop (not a department store) and let them pick out what
appeals to them, as long as it's within your budget. If it's a decent shop,
they won't let you buy something dangerous.

"vwpalmer" wrote in message
...

I've scanned through and not seen much about this - when I was a kid in
the 1960s, my father bought me a very nice English-made 3/4 sized
bicycle. I rode it for years, then my sister and two godchildren rode
it - and it still wasn't worn out.

However, I now have a 8-y-o niece and an a 6-y-o nephew and we are all
appalled at the dismal quality and configuration - as well as the weight
- of the commonly available kid's bikes. Does anyone make anything like
what I had as a child? I think it was called a touring frame with
non-dropped handlebars and it had a 3 speed gear ... we'd dearly like to
get the kids bicycles they can enjoy riding instead of the trashy
heavyweights that seem to be standard stock these days. Not a mountain
bike, not a bike for stunts, etc. just the kind of bike a kid can ride
for a few miles on.

Pat wrote:

I got it at a great discount at a Galyan's store (which
has now been
bought out by Dick's Sporting Goods here in Texas).

The local Galyan's has started a 50% off sale on all lines
which are not carried by Dick's. This includes all Galyan's
private label (need white crew socks anybody) and also bike
lines such as Haro. I picked up a nice pair of Ritchey SPD
pedals for 50% off. This has been going on for a couple of
weeks, so the bikes are probably picked over.

: The local Galyan's has started a 50% off sale on all lines
: which are not carried by Dick's. This includes all Galyan's
: private label (need white crew socks anybody) and also bike
: lines such as Haro. I picked up a nice pair of Ritchey SPD
: pedals for 50% off. This has been going on for a couple of
: weeks, so the bikes are probably picked over.

When our local store put those ads in the paper, they carefully did not
mention the bicycles section, so I figured it wouldn't be worthwhile to go
there. I just thought they were only selling the Galyan's branded clothes on
sale. My bad, evidently. I am sure they have converted over by now.....

Pat in TX