How Do I Buy the Right Bike for My Child? so Many Choices, so Many Questions
by christopher dinsmore/the virginian-pilot | martin smith- rodden photos/the virginian-pilot
Buying a bicycle for your child as a holiday gift? The choices can be bewildering.
There are 12- , 16- , 20- and 24-inch wheels. There are cruisers, all-terrain bikes, the new choppers and BMX bikes. Actually, there are three kinds of BMX bikes.
Most parents dont have any idea what their kids want in a bike, says Brian Mowry, owner of Scat Bikes in Portsmouth.
Then theres the choice of where to buy the mass merchants, such as Wal-Mart, sporting goods stores or local bike shops. You can pay as little as $30 for an unassembled toddler bike with 12-inch wheels at Target or as much as $450 for a lightweight BMX racing machine, designer cruiser or serious entry-level mountain bike.
It may seem a daunting task, but buying a bike is not that complicated if you know what youre looking for
Luckily for you, Virginian-Pilot reporter Christopher Dinsmore has done the work for you. Dinsmore spoke with bike shop owners and store managers. He studied cruisers and BMXs, all to give you a step- by-step guide on buying a bike for your child.
It all begins on Page E4.
STYLE
which bicycle is a better choice?
KEY QUESTION TO CONSIDER: What type of activities will the bike be used for, and where will it be ridden?
The key question is where and how your child is going to ride the bike. Look at what his or her friends are riding. Older boys are more attracted to BMX bikes and cruisers. Older girls gravitate toward cruisers and geared comfort or all-terrain bikes.
BMX: Comes in racing bikes, dirt-jumping bikes and trick or freestyle bikes.
A lot of boys want the axle pegs and the bars that are going to spin around, Brian Mowry, owner of Scat Bikes in Portsmouth, said of the traits that distinguish a freestyle bike, designed for doing tricks on the flats or on ramps. They want to emulate what they see on the X Games to a lesser degree.
If your child is really into biking, he or she may want a bike endorsed by one of the stars of freestyle or dirt-jumping, such as freestyle rider Dave Mirra or jumper Ryan Nyquist. Both are sponsored by bike maker Haro.
CRUISER: Brands such as Nirve and Electra refreshed the humble cruiser with innovative graphics. Other bike makers have jumped on the bandwagon.
Cruisers are perfect for tooling around the neighborhood or down the Boardwalk for a few miles. Longer rides or rides in hilly areas would be difficult.
The latest offshoot of the cruiser is the chopper-style bike like the Schwinn Sting-Ray Street. It features low seats, high handlebars and styling cues from motorcycle choppers.
CRUISER
Model: Schwinn 20 Sting Ray Street
Price: $299.99
Style: Single-speed, hand brake, 20-inch wheels
The good: Designed by Orange County Choppers, also comes in 16 with training wheels
The bad: Sluggish handling, uncomfortable position for long rides, hand brake only
Whos it for? Ideal for bad-boy wannabes ages 7 to 10.
Courtesy Contes Bicycle & Fitness Equipment
STARTER
Model: Trek Surfer Girl
Price: $119.99
Features: Single-speed, coaster brake, 12 wheels
The good: With its brother bike the Grommet, a well-designed starter bike
The bad: Will be outgrown quickly
Ideal for: Any 3-year-old
Courtesy All About Bikes
STARTER
Model: Electra Mini Rod
Cost: $149.99
Style: Single-speed, coaster brake, 16-inch wheels and training wheels
The good: Outrageous style for your tyke
The bad: Huh? The price?
Ideal for: Style-conscious parents
Courtesy Contes Bicycle & Fitness Equipment
BMX
Model: Haro F2
$199.99
Features: Single-speed, hand brakes, compact frame, 20 wheels, axle pegs
The good: Affordable trick bike
The bad: Ability to perform tricks that make Mom wince
Ideal for: Kids 7 to 10 years old who want a durable play bike
courtesy Scat Bikes
CRUISER
Model: Diamondback Della Cruz
Price: $219.99
Features: Single-speed, coaster brake, 26-inch adult-size wheels
The good: Cruising around the hood or down the Boardwalk; oodles of style
The bad: No good in hills, no speed demon
Ideal for: Teenage girls (or, in the other colors, boys)
courtesy Freewheelin Bike Shop
TRICYCLE
Model: Trek Trikester
Price: $119.99
The good: Heavy-duty, all-terrain monster that will last forever
The bad: Heavy
Ideal for: Any 2-year-old with younger siblings
courtesy All About Bikes
PRICE
Where to buy: bike shop or mass merchant?
KEY QUESTION TO CONSIDER: How much am I willing to pay for a bike that my child may use for only two years?
Bikes are cheaper at places like Toys R Us and Wal-Mart. The mass merchants outsell local bike shops 3-to-1. But a cheaper bike means more than less expensive.
MASS MERCHANT
Cost: Less than $200, many under $100.
Quality: Steel is cheaper, less durable. Key components are plastic; moving parts often rely on plastic bushings rather than ball bearings.
Extras: At Target, customers can return bikes within 90 days of purchase for free adjustments, said Loren Collins, sporting goods team leader at Targets Norfolk store. Bikes are assembled by technician from bike maker Huffy, and some offer lifetime warranties.
BIKE SHOP
Cost: Start at $100 and go up.
Quality: Tend to be lighter, use high-quality steel or even aluminum. They feature alloy wheels and more spokes for strength. Bikes should last through several kids.
Extras: Salespeople know bikes better . Employees can help select a bike that not only fits but also offers room to grow. Some shops offer trade-in policies.
SIZE
WHATS THE RIGHT FIT?
EXPERT ADVICE: If you dont see them riding it, its probably because the bike doesnt fit, says Daniel Dalton, sales associate at Contes Bicycle & Fitness in Virginia Beach.
Best approach: Bring your child. But, hey this is a gift, right? So
Measure: Childs height and inseam. Inseam means crotch to floor, not pant leg length. A bike shop should be able to fit your child to a bike with this information.
The goal: A child should be able to stand over the bikes top tube with both feet flat on the ground. Height is also important to be sure the child can reach the handlebars, though many childrens bikes can be adjusted for a childs reach.
HOW ARE BIKES SIZED?
EXPERT ADVICE: Children can learn to ride without training wheels more easily on their old, small bike rather than on a new one. Theyre familiar with it, says Roger Williams, service manager, All About Bikes in Chesapeake.
Unlike adult bikes, which have frames of varying sizes, kids bikes are sized by their wheels.
2- to 3-year-old: May be able to ride a 12-inch-wheel bike with training wheels, though a tricycle may be easier for learning to pedal.
4- to 6-year-old: Should fit 16-inch-wheel bikes, which are best for moving from training wheels to balancing on their own.
6- to 8-year-old: Most kids will be ready for a 20-inch-wheel bike, which will allow them to keep up with their parents on rides around the neighborhood or on bike paths. Be careful, though: There are compact or juvenile 20-inch bikes and standard 20-inch bikes. Bike style becomes an issue when you start looking at 20-inch-wheel bikes. Most smaller bikes are single-speed with a coaster brake, which you pedal backward to stop, or you can go with a BMX bike or even try a multispeed all-terrain bike.
9-year-old and up: Most kids can start fitting 24-inch and even 26-inch bikes, though 20-inch BMX bikes can fit adults.
SAFETY
STYLISH lids that KIDS will flip for
itS the law: Children 14 and under in Virginia Beach are required to wear a helmet.
Now that youve picked the bike, dont forget the helmet. Wearing one is the law for children 14 and under in Virginia Beach.
Why: Children account for 59 percent of all bicycle-related emergency room visits, and most of those are head injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which certifies bicycle helmets. Bike accidents are a leading cause of death among children, with the highest rate among 14-year-old boys, federal statistics show.
What they do : Wearing a helmet reduces the risk of head injury in a bike accident by 85 percent, according to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.
How to buy one: As with bikes, getting a helmet that fits is vital. If you buy it at a bike shop, ask the staff to help fit it on the childs head. And always replace a helmet after a significant crash.
Cost: $15 to $30 at mass merchants; about $30 at bike shops.
Reach Christopher Dinsmore at 446-2271 or chris.dinsmore@pilotonline.com