# Newbie- Bike advice for Boys 4 and 5-Redline, Giant, Hotrock,Trek16 or 20????



## momma2boys (Jan 23, 2016)

Hi,
My two have been on balance bike untill Poppa brought home a Huffy off the street. Yes I know this will not fly.  But they are riding the crap out of it even though neither can touch the ground! So I need to get "real" bikes for them. I have been reading your forums and searching the web but this is the advice I really need!

First bike shop tells me to go ahead and put my extra tall almost 4 (38 inches high, about 35lbs beanpole but Daredevil) on a Trek 20.

Second shop says put 4yr on 16" and brother (5yrs 42 inches and 45 LBS) on Specialized Hotrock 20. 

Third shop says they are nuts throw em both on 16"s. My boys have no fear.
I think my soon to be four should be on a 16-he just does'nt have the weight, but my 5 year old 16 or 20?
I'm cruising Craigslist and I've got a
Giant Animator 16
Giant 20 VFR,
Redline Rival,
Trek Jet 20,
Trek MT 16
GT expert 2.0,
and a Hotrock 16
to choose from. So does anyone have opinions on these. Ive been taking a crash course in Bikes but this is not easy! And I sure would appreciate some help!:madman:
Im swayed towards the Redline Rival for my older boy. Is this too much bike?
Thanks for any insight you might have


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## fatcamper (Dec 17, 2009)

I don't have kids, nor do I spend much time around children. I've never worked in the bike industry or helped fit anybody to a bike. That being said, kids grow really quickly, so in your position, I would probably go with the larger bike as long as it wasn't a huge safety issue. This will keep you from buying two new bikes in a year because they outgrew their old ones. In terms of picking the bike, I would just set the budget, give the kids the options in that budget/size, and let them pick based on color/name/time of day/whatever it is kids use to make decisions.


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## rangeriderdave (Aug 29, 2008)

Used id the way to go ,you could most likely sell ones they out grow for close to what pay for them. There is family form here,you might post there too.


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## momma2boys (Jan 23, 2016)

rangeriderdave said:


> Used id the way to go ,you could most likely sell ones they out grow for close to what pay for them. There is family form here,you might post there too.


Thank You. New person Mistake :eekster: I will repost in Family. thank you for your response!


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

The only word of warning I can give is beware of the weights of those bikes. I originally had my 4 year-old (at the time) riding a steel 16" that weighed well over 30 lbs - not the kid - just the bike. It is unbelievable how much those things can weigh, and we force these little kids to ride them.

While carbon doesn't make sense from a pricing perspective, at least ensure you are getting a relatively lightweight ALU frame.


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## JoSlo (Apr 16, 2015)

Clearly bikes or Spawn cycles make awesome low weight bikes for young ones. My daughter is on a spawn and we go on pretty long rides on trails together.


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## dbatomf (Jan 27, 2016)

What is wrong with the huffy? I went cheap and spent a couple extra bucks 1) putting flat bars which requires quill + stem + handlebars but was total about $40 2) upgrading the brake levers $10 3) resin pedals with bearings $8 4) new rear cog 22T $7. The beauty is that all of these parts can go with them to the next bike or be sold for about what I paid for them new. with this setup my 6yo daughter is in a nice more aggressive position, and can power up hills without stopping. 

Furthermore I can change out the front ring to a 32T if we want to go ride trails. I also did the 32T front and 22T rear for my 3yo and he could ride up long hills without fussing. 

Weight is not an issue. The only issue would be wheels and tires but at this point it doesn't seem to matter. If I were choosing between the bikes you have listed I would look at the geometry and determine which one was the least beach cruiser.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Fitting kids online is even more impossible than fitting adults.

It's nice to fudge a little big for a kids' bike and let them grow into it. Means you don't have to buy as many bikes. But that depends on how confident the kids are on the bike in the first place. If they're really confident riders, then it's way easier to fudge a bit big. They grow so fast, too, that if you're shopping for a bike in wintertime, buy it big, there's a good chance it'll fit great by summer.

I occasionally get folks who come into the shop looking for a FIRST BIKE for an 8 YEAR old. Kid is SUPER hesitant, of course, but absolutely needs training wheels (or a balance bike) since they've lived 8 YEARS without being exposed to bicycles. BUT, the kid is also on a 24" bike, and by then, most lbs brands have done away with training wheels and instead have suspension, front and rear hand brakes, and at least a rear derailleur, if not a front one, too. Many of those can't fit training wheels at all. Kid totally needs a singlespeed with training wheels, anyway, because all those controls are overwhelming for them. Also can't send them out for a test ride, so kid is bummed. 

This is what I hate most working at a bike shop. That disappointment from the kid, and knowing in the back of my head that the parents dropped the ball by waiting so long.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

clhnsn55 said:


> ...
> 
> Weight is not an issue.
> 
> ...


Did you mean "weight is not an issue" with the Huffy in your example, or "weight is not an issue" in general with kids' bikes?


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## dbatomf (Jan 27, 2016)

phlegm said:


> Did you mean "weight is not an issue" with the Huffy in your example, or "weight is not an issue" in general with kids' bikes?


With my kids on bikes with proper gear ratios it hasn't been an issue. Gears are cheap and easy to swap esp on the rear wheel. Yes with stock gears kids bikes are a nightmare with about one pedal rev per block.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

clhnsn55 said:


> With my kids on bikes with proper gear ratios it hasn't been an issue. Gears are cheap and easy to swap esp on the rear wheel. Yes with stock gears kids bikes are a nightmare with about one pedal rev per block.


Sure, that's reasonable. I do also have concerns about the absolute weight. We'll put a 50-lb kid on a 32 lb bike, and wonder why they struggle in some spots. Gearing is absolutely a help as you suggest, but imagine if we had to hammer uphill on a 70 lb bike as adults.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

I agree that kids that young need to be on a single speed. I started my son on a simple single speed Huffy off of Craigslist and then sold it for the same as what I paid for it. Gears just add complexity and kids can have an issue with reaching the shifters or twisting the grips. You can upgrade once they are ready, they'll outgrow their bikes real quick. 

I did take him out on some trails a couple of times. Only issue was once when he got going too fast and took his feet off the pedals; the bike had coaster brakes! Fortunately, he managed to stay on the trail and out of the trees.


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## dbatomf (Jan 27, 2016)

phlegm said:


> Sure, that's reasonable. I do also have concerns about the absolute weight. We'll put a 50-lb kid on a 32 lb bike, and wonder why they struggle in some spots. Gearing is absolutely a help as you suggest, but imagine if we had to hammer uphill on a 70 lb bike as adults.


Very true. I think weight is an unavoidable issue for most people however. That is unless you have the money to dedicate to purchasing higher end bikes every few years. Even with a light bike if the gearing is to high a kid will not reach a high enough speed to spin at a decent cadence (I'm not talking Froome cadence).

For around $7-10 for a new rear cog and possibly another $12-15 for a front ring it was the better option for me. It beats spending hundreds more to get a high end bike.

As a side note, every one who comments on my daughters bike says how cool it is probably due to the aggressive position (flat bars).


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## momma2boys (Jan 23, 2016)

"What is wrong with the huffy? I went cheap and spent a couple extra bucks 1) putting flat bars which requires quill + stem + handlebars but was total about $40 2) upgrading the brake levers $10 3) resin pedals with bearings $8 4) new rear cog 22T $7. The beauty is that all of these parts can go with them to the next bike or be sold for about what I paid for them new. with this setup my 6yo daughter is in a nice more aggressive position, and can power up hills without stopping. " 

I did not mean to offend. I tend to research (over research) Because my children are tall and skinny and ergonomics were a concern I was researching for the best lightest possible used bike for them . In my online reviews Hotrocks are recomended for little riders as are islabikes, priority, spawn some redline and cleary! So far most of those bikes are hard to find. I was able to get my elder a used Hotrock. Its a 20 so I might have bought too much bike for him. we will have to see. If so its going into the garage and he will get a 16". I am looking at a 12 Hotrock maybe for my soon to be four. He will probably only ride it for a minute but because he has low core strength im thinking maybe get him the tiny bike let him build up some skill and then move him into a 16 like his brother.Thank you all for your time and responses.


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## dbatomf (Jan 27, 2016)

momma2boys said:


> "What is wrong with the huffy? I went cheap and spent a couple extra bucks 1) putting flat bars which requires quill + stem + handlebars but was total about $40 2) upgrading the brake levers $10 3) resin pedals with bearings $8 4) new rear cog 22T $7. The beauty is that all of these parts can go with them to the next bike or be sold for about what I paid for them new. with this setup my 6yo daughter is in a nice more aggressive position, and can power up hills without stopping. "
> 
> I did not mean to offend. I tend to research (over research) Because my children are tall and skinny and ergonomics were a concern I was researching for the best lightest possible used bike for them . In my online reviews Hotrocks are recomended for little riders as are islabikes, priority, spawn some redline and cleary! So far most of those bikes are hard to find. I was able to get my elder a used Hotrock. Its a 20 so I might have bought too much bike for him. we will have to see. If so its going into the garage and he will get a 16". I am looking at a 12 Hotrock maybe for my soon to be four. He will probably only ride it for a minute but because he has low core strength im thinking maybe get him the tiny bike let him build up some skill and then move him into a 16 like his brother.Thank you all for your time and responses.


No offense taken. None at all. I would just suggest getting the bike that fits him. The great ratios can be changed very cheap as I described earlier. Just google "changing cog on single speed coaster brake".


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## jeffj (Jan 13, 2004)

I work in a shop, and get a fair number of these situations. My general finding is that there are not many 5 year olds that are big enough for a 20" bike. Even many normal sized 6 year olds are stretched out on 20 bikes. Seems we get a LOT of people shopping for a new bike for their 6 year old. Unfortunately, the jump between a 16" bike and a 20" bike is pretty significant.

There are some things you can do to help get a kid onto a 20" bike like moving the saddle forward, possibly cutting the seatpost if it doesn't go all the way down, shorter stem, cutting the bars, and rotating the bars back.

I have not seen the Islabikes but have heard they are a good choice for young riders. The shop I work at sells Specialized and Cannondale. They both make nice kids bikes. One of the newest offerings we just recently got in is a plus size 20" bike from Specialized call the Riprock that comes with 2.8" tires. I think that would be a very confident bike for a kid to learn to shred on. They are not cheap, but if you had two or three kids that could all have one passed down from one to the other, a bike like that could make sense. If it's just one kid, unless you have enough disposable, it doesn't make sense financially as the kid won't likely get that much use out of it before they outgrow it.

My suggestion to the OP would be that maybe get a decent bike for the oldest, with passing it down in mind. Then look for some pre-owned bikes for the youngers. Sell the bikes to someone else as your kids outgrow them, then put the money back into their bikes as they grow older and need larger bikes. It will be a bit of a juggling act, but you can make it a little easier financially that way.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

I see that some of the bikes in the OP's list were BMX bikes and some were more basic all-arounders. Some had coaster brakes, while some had only hand operated brakes as well, which is something that you definitely need to consider also. (I was comfortable putting my son on a bike w/o coaster brakes at 4 y/o, but even seen a lot of kids twice that age that still relied on them.) 

Choosing the 'right' size depends on so much more than just wheel size. Style of bike, intended use, and skill level of rider are also major considerations. For example, at 6, my son would use a 24" MTB, a 16" BMX for jumping/park riding, and a 20" BMX for racing. Now at 11, he's riding 26" MTBs and an 18" BMX for DJ/park. I personally think he learned a lot more about bike handling from riding small BMX bikes than he ever would've if he had spent most of his early days on oversized pseudo-"mountain" bikes, which tend to lend themselves better to sit-n-spin riding than jumping and tricks, etc.


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## TSpice (May 15, 2015)

While I am sure I would have loved a non-box store bike (Target, Wal-Mart, Toys 'R Us, etc) as a kid, knowing what I know now, and soon to have kids, I know why my parents didn't bother. 

I abused the holy hell out of my bikes. Ditch banging, hammering curbs, letting it sit out in the yard laying in the grass over night, going off big jumps and bouncing off the pavement; I mean, I was not friendly to that thing. By the time I outgrew the bikes (which was around every 2yrs), they rarely had paint left, the treads were bald, dents all over them, bars were usually bent, etc. I easily got our moneys worth out of those things as I rode it EVERYWHERE, but still, it was a $80 Wal-Mart bike. If you spent $300 on a Trek or whatever, it would have still looked like that, still needing replaced after 2 years, and wouldn't have given that different of an experience. Basically said, it would have been a waste of money. 

Now if you can guarantee your kids will take care of them (which you can't, they are kids) you may be able to retain some resale value, but its unlikely. I would almost wait until maybe they are 10-16 before thinking about getting a nicer bike. By that point they actually can understand the concept of "You get 1 chance at taking care of this bike, otherwise you aren't getting another one."


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Resale value was never a consideration to me. $300 isn't really much, and if my kid rides enough that he beats his bikes into the ground over a couple years, ithat's only a few $$ a week. I consider that money well spent. Isn't that the whole purpose in the first place?

A nice bike might not make much difference to some kids, but for mine, a big-box bike wouldn't have been safe considering the riding he was doing. You're also not likely to rack up a lot of race wins on a Huffy, nor will they hold up well and remain safe under constant hard riding. Again though, all depends on the kid (and the folks) and how much they're into it, as well as whether the parents even expose their kids to the type of riding that calls for a higher-end bike at a young age.


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