Where to buy good quality kids' bikes?

[daileyad]

Okay budget gurus. Where should I go to buy good quality kids' bikes? My kids could both use a new one and they seem to need a 20" one. I would love to be able to get them something like a mountain bike that would last well. They have lots of shiny new ones at Walmart but I don't trust the quality. I thought I would take them to a used bike shop and get something good there but they seem to still want hundreds of $$ for the used ones! Is there some hidden resource I'm missing where I could get nice ones for $50-75 each?

 

[Bibbidi]

We bought our oldest dd (9) a new bike this spring. We looked at all the options, from very expensive, to very inexpensive. The ones at Walmart that I wanted to love were just not the right height for her. She was in between sizes and we couldn't make it work by adjusting the seat. We ended up getting her a bike from Trek for (gulp) $250. But this bike is a 20", with gears, and the way they arrange their seats, she could ride it--whereas she couldn't touch the ground on a Walmart 20". This means the bike should last her for many years to come--so we felt the investment was worth it--no more bikes to buy until she's an adult.

In the long run, we feel that we didn't really spend all that much more than if we had to buy a couple Walmart bikes along the way. We plan to get our other daughter a Trek bike next year.

 

[mrudman]

Okay budget gurus. Where should I go to buy good quality kids' bikes? My kids could both use a new one and they seem to need a 20" one. I would love to be able to get them something like a mountain bike that would last well. They have lots of shiny new ones at Walmart but I don't trust the quality. I thought I would take them to a used bike shop and get something good there but they seem to still want hundreds of $$ for the used ones! Is there some hidden resource I'm missing where I could get nice ones for $50-75 each?

I'd keep an eye out at garage sales. Can usually find some nice quality ones that kids have just outgrown.

When I was looking for a new one for older dd last year, I knew I wanted a good quality one, since I figured she'd be using it for several years before outgrowing it. I also was looking for a 20" bike, since she'd been using a 14" one. I took her to a local bike shop at the beginning of spring, and for the type I wanted, they were asking between $250-$300. They had a used one for sale, but it was still going to cost about $120.

So started looking around at garage sales in the area, and came across a 20" Trek that actually had been bought a few yrs before at this same bike shop. Came with all the original paperwork, which entitles me to free tune-ups for life. Ended up getting it for $55. Other than a few minor scuffs around where the brake lines rubbed, it was in great condition. And I ended up feeling much better about buying a used one anyway, so that I didn't have to worry about if she banged it up a little.

Then at the beginning of this year, younger dd was now ready for a new bike as well. Went out to the garage sales once again and ended up getting her a like-new 20" Schwinn for $45. So now hopefully I'm set for several years.

 

[Swimalie]

My parents got our son's at Performance Bike http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/SubCategory_10052_10551_400338_-1_400001_400001. My dad is a bit of a bike snob (being a triathlete) and did a ton of research on struts, tires, chains, even the training wheels (my son still uses his). The bike is 2 years old now and except for some paint chips where he has fallen, it looks brand new. Rides very smooth, too. It is a Performance brand. They are also great about standing behind their products. My sister's ex-boyfriend had a wind trainer that was making a lot of noise after a year. He went in a told them and they gave him a brand new, better one! If you join their "Team" you can get 10% back and get free stuff for everything you spend there, plus a free subscription to Bicycle Magazine

 

[Luvchefmic]

My DH & I got mountain bikes at walmart about 5 yrs ago trust the bikes there all good quality no problems and all

 

[daileyad]

Thanks for all the advice. I realized that my younger one could use the older one's old bike with a few parts to fix it up. So we are doing that to last her at least another year. So we are just going to get my older one a bike this year and spend a bit more. What brands should I be looking for? Trek seems to be good but I don't know if we'll find one in our price range. Any thoughts on diamondback or mongoose? I see those a lot.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Its outside in the garage and its dark out there (could be snakes I will gladly let you know what we have tomorrow morning...nope not going out there

 

[jessica52877]

I got DS 16" bike at a garage sale for $10. It was a Mongoose and in great shape!

Now that he needed a bigger one I went with another Mongoose from Walmart ($90). He tried out a few and the 20" Mongoose sat way higher (seat wise) then the huffy, he looked like a giant on the huffy yet couldn't reach the ground on the mongoose. DH and a hacksaw solved the problem! I love his bike and so does every kid in the neighborhood. I have no doubt that it will last a while and be worth the money I paid. He rode his little one hard and it held up well, looks no more used then the day I got it.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Its outside in the garage and its dark out there (could be snakes I will gladly let you know what we have tomorrow morning...nope not going out there

okay the bikes are not mountain bikes they're 12 speeds and the brand is Huffy....Wal~mart like I said was where we bought them and they are in great shape after many years of use

 

[mjkacmom]

You are not missing anything. To get a good bike, spend a few hundred on them new, or buy a used one for about 1/2. My kids have a mix of both - their grandparents are on a bike path, so the new ones stay there, and I have the used ones. We've also passed down bikes from kid to kid, and they have really held up well.

 

[semo233]

We have three Mongoose brand mountain bikes that we bought at WalMart. I find the quality of the bike is fine....sometimes the person who put it together is the problem. A simple tune up is periodically required, depending upon how often they are used and how rough they are ridden.