Conference noted::bicycle

    Great question, I have to buy my daughter a new bike during the next
    month. She currently has a kids bike from Child's World which was fine
    for the riding she was doing. She is going to be 9 in July and I wanted
    to get her either a Mt bike or a Hybred. Now back as a kid I can
    remember thinking 3 speeds was great on my stingray but like .0 I don;t
    want to spend 200+ on a bike that will only last 2 years and is
    probably more than we need.
    
    My preference would be a bike with only has rear changer to make it
    easier to learn (I bearly use the front on my MT bike) and not terribly
    expensive since I don't think it will get the torture I put my bike
    through. 
    
    Any ideas would be great
    
    Alan
                                

    Well...there's always the department store bikes.  They're 
    reasonably cheap so that if they out grow it, it wouldn't 
    hurt as much.  The only draw back is that they are really 
    (I mean REALLY) heavy.  I was at Wal-mart the other day and
    picked one up, and I could swear that it was close to twice
    the weight of my mtn bike!  Then, there's always used bikes...

     One other drawback to dept. store bike are they they're really,
    really, junk...
    
     Another option is to pick a Want Ad and surf through it (if you're not
    opposed to 2nd hand). They're are the folks who did sink
    $200.00-$300.00 into their kids bikes and are now looking to dump them
    for the same reasons you stated. 
    
     Chip

    Well, a dept store bike will only last two years so it sounds like
    there's a match between durability and intended use.  Just make sure
    it fits the kids.  Most dept store sales persons have no concept
    of fit.
    
    As for the weight, kids have limitless energy so that hardly matters.
    
    ed

    Alot of what you buy when you get "bike-shop" bike is longevity
    and ease of maintenance.  Often, department store bikes even have
    the chain rings _riveted_ on.  That tells you that it is designed
    for limited usage or limited life (or both).  
    
    When a "non-biker" type is looking to me for help on choosing a bike,
    I always have to make sure that I am not projecting the things that
    _I_ value in a bike onto what would suit _their_ needs, expectations,
    and budget.
    
    It sounds like a department store bike for +/- $100 is the way to go.
    
    
    r�

    
    
    A good chromoly frame and fork is going to start at $200-$250 even
    on sale. 
    Everthing said so far ( buy cheap and last a couple of years till they
    grow -or-  take your time and buy a good used bike) makes good sense. 
    
    One more take on the situation:
    You mention 26" wheels, so I suppose that you are looking at ATB's.
    If so, consider that frame geometries are moving towards the smaller
    frame/long seatpost mindset. Even with a 34" inseam (6' tall), I ride
    a 20" frame bike. Extrapolating backwards, a 14" bike should be able to 
    EASILY accomodate a person up to 5'6"... perhaps a 14" bike would 
    last longer than you originally thought (i.e. If you expect them to 
    grow to 6' by age 16, then you may be correct. If you expect them to 
    grow to 5'8" or 5'10" , then this may be the last bike you ever have 
    to buy them ). 
    The reasons generally given for the smaller frame geometries are: 
    1) the frame is smaller and therefore stronger, 2) riding trails
    often requires more mounts/dismounts and it is easier to get on/off,
    3) less bodily damage (if you know what I mean) if you come off the 
    saddle.
    It is also generally thought that the more you ride on the road, 
    the more your ATB should fit you like a road bike. 
    If you size up their riding, you may discover that a 14" bike 
    will last longer than you think. 
    Another benefit of a good chromoly bike would be resale value.
    A dept store bike will be worth NOTHING in a couple of years. 
    An original $250 chromoly bike in good condition should still be worth
    $125. If your kids take care of the bikes, you end up spending as
    little as you would have if you had bought the dept store bikes.
    
    
    doug
        
    
    

    RE:.-1:  In the bike shop juvenile market there are lots of 24" and 26"
    wheeled "road bikes" the 26" is different from the ATB 26" I think it's
    a 650B vs 650A or 650C vs 650B or some such silliness.
    
    These also are quite durable, tend to be heavier than the road bikes
    we have become accustomed to and though they are of higher quality
    than dept store bikes they are low volume and often made cheaper
    than the correspondingly priced 27" wheeled bicycle.
    
    ed

    Thanks for all your advice!
    /Phil

    I saw a bike this weekend but I was in to much of a hurry to look
    close, but it only a a rear changer with 6 gears (Shimano) and center
    pull brakes. I think it had the same Shimano derailer components as
    the department type bikes. 
    
    If I get a chance I will post a price and more info here.
    
    Alan

re:                      <<< Note 2572.9 by NQOPS::THIBODEAU >>>

thanks!

    BTW, when speaking about bicycle frame size being 14", what is 
    being meausred?  The tube under the seat, right?  So it's the 
    length of that tube from its top to where it meets the round bulbous 
    thingie, or to the middle of that thingie?
    
    Thanks.

    I took my daughter to Toys r US the other day to check out their 
    bikes.  The so called 24" bicycles were too small and the so 
    called 26" ones were too big (both with seats adjusted 
    accordingly).  I measured the distance of the tube under the seat 
    of the 26" one and it was 15.5 inches to where it meets the round thing.

    ?Phil

    The size is from the center or top of the toptube at the seat tube to
    the center of the bottom bracket (perhaps called "round thing") and is
    commonly labeled as "center to center" or "Center to top."  Open frame
    bikes (commonly called "girl's bikes) require guesswork.
    
    ed

    My 9 (soon to be 10) year old daughter is now the proud owner of a 
    Raliegh C-30.  This is a "cross" or hybrid style bike, 15 gears, 14.5 
    inch frame, 700 sized tires. With kickstand and bottle cage extra, 
    plus sales tax, I'm $279 poorer.

    Hopefully this will be the last one we have to buy her! 
    Hopefully she'll start riding with me!
    
    
    Thanks for you help!
    -Phil

    I did check some bikes down at Goodals and a Giant with just rear
    derailer was in the low 200's and with the front derailer was about
    250. They both had Shimano xtr (something like that) and center pull
    brakes.
    
    Alan

>    Alot of what you buy when you get "bike-shop" bike is longevity
>    and ease of maintenance.  Often, department store bikes even have
>    the chain rings _riveted_ on.  That tells you that it is designed
>    for limited usage or limited life (or both).  

the bike i rode prior to the one I have now was a 10 speed that had the chain
rings riveted on; i got it as a graduation present from elementary school;
yeah, i think it was designed with a limited life (i think it was bought at a
toy store), but i certainly got pretty good use out of it; during my sophomore
year at college all of the rivets that attached the high gear to the low gear
on the front chain ring rusted through, and i was left with a 5 speed that only
had high gears, in the not-so-flat town of ithaca, ny; believe it or not, i
still stuck with the bike for another 2 years until i bought a 21 speed
mountain bike during my senior year

not quite sure why i'm bothering to relate this story; guess i'm just in a mood
for babbling

- rich

p.s. if anybody has an old kids bike that they think is "worthless", one thing
you might want to consider doing is donating it to charity; i found someone in
ithaca that was collecting old bikes to fix up and give to underpriveledged
kids; my bike wasn't worth anything to me, but this guy was certainly happy to
take it