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Gina W
My husband says we should get a lighter weight bike for my daughter but I think that would be even more likely to fall over. Is there a brand of bike that has a low center of gravity or something similar that would make it easier to learn to ride? She's 6 and has a rather heavy "Cool Ride" by Dynacraft.
Answer
Your husband is right - a lighter bike would be easier to balance on: less weight = less work to balance. With a heavy bike she has to balance her weight plus the bike. Unfortunately though, they don't really make lightweight bikes for kids - they all seem to be horribly heavy.
A low center of gravity might help a bit, but you're not going to find a bike like that - all the weight goes into the structure, and anyway, the heaviest thing she's balancing is herself - the bike is only a minor part of the weight.
What you may want to do is get a 'balance bike'. These bikes train the child to balance - they have no pedals and the kid runs the bike along. The idea is to get the child to pick his/her feet up and start to learn to balance. After that, you can buy her a regular bike and she'll already have the balancing skill.
Your husband is right - a lighter bike would be easier to balance on: less weight = less work to balance. With a heavy bike she has to balance her weight plus the bike. Unfortunately though, they don't really make lightweight bikes for kids - they all seem to be horribly heavy.
A low center of gravity might help a bit, but you're not going to find a bike like that - all the weight goes into the structure, and anyway, the heaviest thing she's balancing is herself - the bike is only a minor part of the weight.
What you may want to do is get a 'balance bike'. These bikes train the child to balance - they have no pedals and the kid runs the bike along. The idea is to get the child to pick his/her feet up and start to learn to balance. After that, you can buy her a regular bike and she'll already have the balancing skill.
What is a good bicycle for a beginning cyclist?
justwonder
Currently in my early 40's. I haven't spent much time riding a bike since I was a kid, though I have used the Lifecycle at the gym many times. Now I have moved to a place where there are a lot of outdoor trails and I want to get into outdoor cycling. But I don't want to spend a lot of money for a fancy bike right away, since I'm still a beginner.
What is a good entry-level bike that I should look for. What price range are we talking? 300? 500?
Thanks.
Forgot to add, I'll be looking at men's bikes.
;-)
Answer
Avoid buying a bike at a place like Wal-Mart. Often the bikes are put together incorrectly, are unsafe, and they are so-o-o heavy and uncomfortable. In addition, they often have very few sizes, if any beyond child and adult, and fit is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING with any bicycle. While these bikes are cheap, the quality also absolutely sucks. (Try picking one of those babies up, then compare it to a bike from an actual bike shop!)
Next: what kind of riding do you want to do? All paved bike paths, on the road, on trails? If you want to do any trail riding, you want a mountain bike. If you are going to only ride on paved paths or roads, you will want a hybrid or road bike.
Find a local bike shop and talk to a sales person about the kind of riding you want to do and your budget. Actually, go to a few shops that sell different brands. Test ride a few different bikes and see what feels good. Different brands all have slightly different geometries. Some good brands to look for include Specialized, Trek, Giant, Gary Fisher (mountain bikes only), Jamis, Cannondale, Bianchi and Fuji. Schwinn is even back in the market making some decent stuff, but only if you buy it from a bike shop, not a big chain store! Jamis bikes are not as widely available as some of these other brands but are often the best priced for what you get.
For just starting out you can find a bike for under $500. Generally avoid anything under $350 unless it is on sale. If you buy after the 2007 models come out, you can probably get a 2006 model on sale this fall.
A road bike (with drop bars and everything) will probably be out of your price range--they generally start up around $600+ since they are not as popular with recreational cyclists. But if you are going to ride on pavement, you can find a 700c wheel hybrid, or "flat bar" road bike in the $500 range. If you are going to be riding off road, stick to the name brands, but you can get an entry level bike in the $400-$500 range.
Avoid buying a bike at a place like Wal-Mart. Often the bikes are put together incorrectly, are unsafe, and they are so-o-o heavy and uncomfortable. In addition, they often have very few sizes, if any beyond child and adult, and fit is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING with any bicycle. While these bikes are cheap, the quality also absolutely sucks. (Try picking one of those babies up, then compare it to a bike from an actual bike shop!)
Next: what kind of riding do you want to do? All paved bike paths, on the road, on trails? If you want to do any trail riding, you want a mountain bike. If you are going to only ride on paved paths or roads, you will want a hybrid or road bike.
Find a local bike shop and talk to a sales person about the kind of riding you want to do and your budget. Actually, go to a few shops that sell different brands. Test ride a few different bikes and see what feels good. Different brands all have slightly different geometries. Some good brands to look for include Specialized, Trek, Giant, Gary Fisher (mountain bikes only), Jamis, Cannondale, Bianchi and Fuji. Schwinn is even back in the market making some decent stuff, but only if you buy it from a bike shop, not a big chain store! Jamis bikes are not as widely available as some of these other brands but are often the best priced for what you get.
For just starting out you can find a bike for under $500. Generally avoid anything under $350 unless it is on sale. If you buy after the 2007 models come out, you can probably get a 2006 model on sale this fall.
A road bike (with drop bars and everything) will probably be out of your price range--they generally start up around $600+ since they are not as popular with recreational cyclists. But if you are going to ride on pavement, you can find a 700c wheel hybrid, or "flat bar" road bike in the $500 range. If you are going to be riding off road, stick to the name brands, but you can get an entry level bike in the $400-$500 range.
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Title Post: What's the best bicycle for my kids to learn to ride without training wheels?
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