# bike recommendations for a 6-7 year old



## Andy69 (Jun 14, 2008)

Girl69 is going to be 7 in Feb. Her current bike is one of those 20" Disney princess bikes and it's way too small and according to her is for 4 year olds.

She doesn't ride much and has never learned to ride without training wheels. I tried to take them off, move them up, etc but her confidence level isn't there. I'm trying not to push too hard because I don't want her to hate bikes because of a bad experience, but her interest level isn't to the point where she can get enough practice. She doesn't have any little friends in the neighborhood so there is no peer pressure. I told her we'll get a new bike but that big girl bikes don't come with training wheels.

Anyway, that's not really the point of the post. Basically, what's a good bike for a 7 year old? I'm looking for one that will last a while and I'm willing to pay decent money. I'm not going anywhere near Wally - we're going to the LBS where I get my bike worked on.


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## crazyc (Jun 5, 2008)

I got my son one of Trek's MT 200 series. They have multiple holes in the crank arms
to adjust the crank lengtth. The handle bars have adjustable reach. The top tube is low
so there is allot of room to raise or lower the seat. The 200 series has 24" wheels.
Also the brake levers are adjustable for reach. It's a solid bike. I think the girls bike
comes in pink but if thats not her style the boys bike would work.


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

IMHO, having rasised a couple of kids, buy:

A bike in whatever color that catches her eye when, yes, you walk her through Walmart or some other big box store or your local bike swap event. Then give it a once over to make sure it works ok. 

"Quality" not a factor for a kid's bike. It has to stay in one piece, but any cheap pretty bike that you've checked out and tweaked will fit that bill. Don't buy with the strategy that quality makes one iota of difference - it doesn't, only color and size do. Get her a "new" one when it's too small. Trade with your friends, sell it on Craig's list, etc.

Don't over think this stuff with a kid.

She's only 6/7, don't worry if she's not riding on her own, that's pretty young, and who cares? Like you already know, the ONLY mistake you can make is that she has a negative experience. Waiting a year or two until she's psychologically and pysically able to ride is not a mistake, it is the correct thing to do. 

Get it small enough so she can reach the ground with her feet to scoot. The best way for kids to get off of training wheels imho - unless you just wait until they're mature enough to want to persevere as you push them on teh grass until they can get their balance.

I might just add "kid's bikes" to the top 10 things commonly overthought by cyclists (chain lube is holding steady at #1).


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## locustfist (Feb 21, 2009)

I got my daughter a Kona Hula (pink) right before she turned 7. Got it on Craig's List.

Right now they have the Kula KONAWORLD

She turns 9 next month and still loves it...and still has room to grow into it.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

I bought my kids when they turned 7 was Walmart bikes, and those bikes lasted till they outgrew them, one of them is still working after be left outside for 7 years in rain and snow. The other lasted 9 years and I had to cannibalized it to keep the newer one going, but that was because of crashes I needed replacement parts for not wear and tear. Then I gave the repaired bike to a neighbor kid and she's riding it to this day 4 years after I gave to her. Kids will two things; one, crash and destroy bikes; and two, out grow them. So if you go to an LBS because Walmart or Target is not your style then get the lowest costing bike you can find.


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## j.carney.tx (Jun 15, 2011)

If she's still on training wheels, consider a Strider-type bike. She'll learn balance FIRST, can then transition to pedaling later. They don't have pedals, at all, so will need another bike later, but then she'll actually be able to ride it.


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## notquitethere (Aug 26, 2011)

I bought my 7 yo boy a GT Stomper. You can say quality doesn't matter, but at the school bike rodeo last week, I saw a ton of kids on cheap walmart bikes that were struggling and not enjoying it, My son loves his bike, rides 4 or so times a week as long as we have daylight. He was on a cheaper bike until we got his 20" and he liked it and managed to learn how to ride without training wheels but he was immediately more comfortable on the nicer bike and rides it 10x as much.
He even had a fairly bad crash moving at about 15mph during a family event at a local bike rally. Enough to crack his helmet and have a scrape the size of my hand on his back. The next day he was begging to go replace his helmet. Got him his new helmet and he was back out in the cul-de-sac, riding in the rain, shouting "this is so awesome" at the top of his lungs. I attribute his enjoyment of the sport to providing him with quality equipment.

PS when he was done, he wiped his entire bike down with a rag so nothing would rust.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

notquitethere said:


> i bought my 7 yo boy a gt stomper. You can say quality doesn't matter, but at the school bike rodeo last week, i saw a ton of kids on cheap walmart bikes that were struggling and not enjoying it, my son loves his bike, rides 4 or so times a week as long as we have daylight. He was on a cheaper bike until we got his 20" and he liked it and managed to learn how to ride without training wheels but he was immediately more comfortable on the nicer bike and rides it 10x as much.
> He even had a fairly bad crash moving at about 15mph during a family event at a local bike rally. Enough to crack his helmet and have a scrape the size of my hand on his back. The next day he was begging to go replace his helmet. Got him his new helmet and he was back out in the cul-de-sac, riding in the rain, shouting "this is so awesome" at the top of his lungs. I attribute his enjoyment of the sport to providing him with quality equipment.
> 
> Ps when he was done, he wiped his entire bike down with a rag so nothing would rust.


imlmao!!!


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## bike981 (Sep 14, 2010)

+1 on the local sports swap. There's always a supply of kids bikes at these things in my experience, some junk but many quite good. Make sure to give the bike a good looking-over, though -- it will have been (ab)used by kids, after all.


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## Tommy Walker (Aug 14, 2009)

Go ahead and spoil her, get her the Pinerrello FPZero

CICLI PINARELLO S.p.A.

Just kidding. I always found bikes for my kids to grow into, since they grow so fast. It's quite an experience teaching them to ride without training wheels. Peer pressure helps a lot. I have precious video of my daughter learning to ride, falling and then me crashing because I was riding and filming at the same time.


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## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

j.carney.tx said:


> If she's still on training wheels, consider a Strider-type bike. She'll learn balance FIRST, can then transition to pedaling later. They don't have pedals, at all, so will need another bike later, but then she'll actually be able to ride it.


That's what I think too. My granddaughter will be seven this month and still has no concept of balance on her bike with training wheels.

I'll probably get her a Strider bike to use briefly to learn balance. Then her little sister could use it too.

By the way, Striders are around $100 and a new model with more range of adjustment is around $130. However if you want a Specialized version of the same thing, you'll be looking at $175-$180. Funny how much that logo costs!


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

Gilana said:


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huh?...what?


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## SBH1973 (Nov 21, 2002)

Here you go:


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

my grand daughter will be 3 1/2 months old this Christmas.......I'm already shopping for her first bike!


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

Keep iin mind kids out grow bikes much faster than they can wear them out. Check Craig's List. I got my daugher a mint condition Trek MT220 for $125. She will likely ride it for two years and then I will upgrade her to something a little bigger. The Trek will hold it's value as it is...a good bike.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

Trek actually has a trade in program on kids bikes, were you aware of that?


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## Tommy Walker (Aug 14, 2009)

Touch0Gray said:


> Trek actually has a trade in program on kids bikes, were you aware of that?


Does Trek make good kids bikes?


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

hey, up to 50% of your purchase price back credited to the new purchase adds to the QUALITY

and I like Trek


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

I was lucky to have two girls, about the same size (for their respective ages) about 3 years apart. Our typical cycle was:

Buy a nice clean used kids bike at the bike swap - or have it given or sold to us cheap by a friend or acquaintance.

Older girl rides it for a couple of years, repeat above for her "new" bike.

Younger girl inherits the bike at that point or maybe the next summer. Repeat cycle.

Sell the still perfectly functioning, still very clean, bike for a very low price at the spring club bike swap or, more likely, just give it to a friend with younger kids. 

I still adhere to the philosophy I mentioned above: color and size are far more important to a kid than anything that we as parents would identify as "quality". This is assuming the bike works well, from pedaling to brakes. But working well isn't a very high standard for any bike to meet or exceed.

I've never met a kid that age who would choose a "quality" LBS bike over any old bike from Walmart or a bike swap that was painted with a color they liked.

Case in point my own experience: I, and most of my buddies had heavy, typical cruiser type bikes in the 60's: red frame, chrome fenders, fake gas tank type styling, maybe two speed bendix hub shifting, coaster brakes, etc. We loved those bikes and rode everywhere, every day. We had absolutely no respect or desire for the poor rich kid who had the (relatively) lightweight, army green Raleigh with hand brakes and a 3 speed internal hub. No doubt that Raleigh was much higher quality, worked better, and lasted longer. But all that was meaningless to us. Undermining my color theory, we probably wouldn't have liked it even if it were red! It was just not cool.

That's what kids like, just like us: colorful, shiny bikes. That's what motivates them to ride.


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## exracer (Jun 6, 2005)

> bike recommendations for a 6-7 year old


Moots custom titanium. 
Well, you asked.


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## stoked (Aug 6, 2004)

OP: Marin makes good light Al frame bikes for kids. Don't buy a steel X-mart bike. I was in toys r us last night and lifted a 16" wheel bike for 3-6 year olds and it weighed more than my MTB.


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## Cheerios (Sep 10, 2011)

Specialized Hotrocks SS
1. Convert the princess bike into strider bike. Free. And let her help wrench.
2. I.m on kid#5 now learning on smaller striders. First 20inch wheel bike is hands down the Specialized Hotrocks singlespeed/coaster brake version. Light weight aluminum frame for hills, and simple maintenance.
3. Might work a deal if you buy yourself a new bike too.


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