Bike for 13 year old boy

[gfolchick]

My DS13 is outgrowing his bike (heck, he's taller than me now!). The rest of the family, aka those who will not outgrow their current bikes, all have Trek bikes. Is there a less expensive company you can recommend but one that is still durable? He rides his bike the most of any of us currently, and mostly on paved roads, but some trail riding too. This one will need to last a few years until he stops growing and then we can put the money into a better bike.

TIA

 

[Dopey420]

I recommend that you get a bike from a bike shop, not a retail store like Walmart. The retail stores have contract employees that buiild the bikes and they are paid by the bike. They build them as fast as possible, using power tools. Power tools should not be used to build bikes. Retail store bikes also are made of the cheapest materials. Every new retail bike I have seen needed to be taken to a real bike shop to be tuned up or fixed, and that will cost you enough that you could have bought a bike shop bicycle. When the cheap bike breaks, you can only take it to a bike shop, Walmart does not have bike mechanics on staff. Then you will be paying bike shop prices to fix a junk bike. It makes no sense.

Avoid these brands:
Huffy, Murray, Schwinn, GT

If you are going to do ANY trail riding, you have to get a bike shop bike. I would never let my children ride a retail bike on a trail, because mechanical failure on the trail means injury, and then you are out in the woods.

Most bike shops offer lower level bikes that are still high quality, but reasonably priced. I don't recommend buying bikes online unless you are a bike tech and can do the adjustments that will be necessary. Bike shops also give free tuneups, which you will need, because the brake and gear cables will stretch some in the first 30 days.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I agree with the above poster. Get the bike from a reputable bike shop. They may also have quality used bikes available.

 

[princesspwrhr]

Avoid these brands:
Huffy, Murray, Schwinn, GT

I partially disagree with this statement. For a teen who rides a lot, yes avoid Huffy and Murray, those are best for 3-9yos who are still trashing their bikes by crashing and learning how to do fun or stupid things. They can last - we've had 2 Huffy's that have been passed down through my 3 daughters who aren't inclined to do any BMX type stunts, but who all decided that bailing from the bike by jumping when they were learning to ride was a good idea and subsequently scratched it, we've had to replace rims and tires, but they were just for learning, so aesthetics weren't important.

However, my husband and I have each had our Schwinn Hybrids for 13 years and they are great. It's the signature line and we did get them at a bike shop, but at the time this particular line was also at Galyans/Dicks Sporting Goods. The bike shop just had the better price (slightly). Anyways, we've never had any problems with them either mechanically or for comfort. They have been used hard, they have been stored and they are now in moderate use, both on and off road.

Look on Craigslist. My now 14yo was in a similar position. She needed a bigger bike but she's not at the point we want to sink money into a really good one. We got really lucky and managed to score a decent bike for $75. The guy had had it for a year and his college age daughter had only ridden it twice. My only issue with it is that it is _heavy_ (relatively speaking). It must weigh twice what mine does. But it's a solid bike for her to grow out of and I didn't pay a price that makes me cringe when she wipes out or flies over the handlebars and it skids across the ground or down the side of the hill.

 

[gfolchick]

Thanks for the replies. I ended up checking our garage and lo and behold, DS bike IS a Trek too. It must have been the bike before that wasn't, but we have purchased all of our bikes from a bike shop in the past (but the one we used has since closed). I guess once the kiddos are back in school next week I can start looking around for one at other shops around our region.

 

[Hannathy]

We went the get a cheap bike from Walmart for the bridging couple of years. it has been very good, no problems. was a bit less than $100 and put together fine. And he rides it a lot.

Got his Boy Scout cycling badge with it and that is quite a few miles! Including a 50 mile ride and several 25 mile rides plus other rides.

 

[Dopey420]

However, my husband and I have each had our Schwinn Hybrids for 13 years and they are great. It's the signature line and we did get them at a bike shop, but at the time this particular line was also at Galyans/Dicks Sporting Goods. The bike shop just had the better price (slightly). Anyways, we've never had any problems with them either mechanically or for comfort. They have been used hard, they have been stored and they are now in moderate use, both on and off road.

Schwinn was bought out by Huffy in 2001 and now the lower models are for sale in Walmart.

 

[princesspwrhr]

Schwinn was bought out by Huffy in 2001 and now the lower models are for sale in Walmart.

So you're saying we got in before they got bad. lol I haven't been in a walmart in 6 years so I am not familiar with their stock. My daughters friend boys keep nagging me to get her a better bike, but it will wait till she's at least 16 and pretty much done growing. No car for you, you get a nice bike.