Bike for a 10 year old boy

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Thomas_Holding
Thomas_Holding Posts: 380 Forumite
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in Public transport & cycling
Are halfords any good? They don't publish the weight of their bikes which is a bit dubious.
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  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
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    Avoid a bike with rear suspension -- it's heavy and inefficient. The only exception is if you're spending over £1000 and the bike will be mostly used for downhill racing.

    Otherwise, think about what type of bike would be most suitable -- a BMX, mountain bike, or road bike...?

    What is the bike going to be used for -- just riding round the local streets, for treks through the forest, for longer rides on the road...?

    What kind of budget do you have?

    I don't know what bikes are on the market, but maybe those questions will help someone find the "right" bike for you... :)
  • Nebulous2
    Nebulous2 Posts: 5,116 Forumite
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    It's a bit like buying a bike for adults. There are a range of options and prices, depending on usage and budgets.



    There is a market for lighter bikes, proportioned for children, but they are dearer. Islabikes is one example. They sell pretty well secondhand, so you can get some of the money back.



    Frog bikes are another option. Last time I looked they were slightly cheaper than Islabikes.
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,098 Forumite
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    Halfrauds are fine if you don't mind your bike being assembled by a teenage with minimal training-it's amazing how often they put the forks on the wrong way around. Start with your local bike shop, please. Or use a local charity organisation that sells refurbed bikes. You'll get a much more durable and well-assembled machine.
    At all costs avoid the very cheap junk imported at rock-bottom prices.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • fewgroats
    fewgroats Posts: 774 Forumite
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    Why can't people write things grammatically correct? Unless they really want to exchange their kid for a bike. Even saying "bike suitable for a 10 year old boy" would be better. :mad:
    Advent Challenge: Money made: £0. Days to Christmas: 59.
  • MEM62
    MEM62 Posts: 4,752 Forumite
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    edited 29 October 2018 at 11:11AM
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    fewgroats wrote: »
    Why can't people write things grammatically correct? Unless they really want to exchange their kid for a bike. Even saying "bike suitable for a 10 year old boy" would be better. :mad:

    I am not sure. Perhaps for some ours is a second language, in which case grammar is always a challenge or perhaps they did not benefit from our education system as well as others. I could even be as simple as the fact that it is not as important to them as it is to you. Either way, you have posted your question in the wrong place. This is the Public Transport and Cycling Board. You need to find the Grammar Forum where I am sure there will be lots of experts able to answer your question. :D
  • davenport151
    davenport151 Posts: 647 Forumite
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    I second macman.
    I would stick with a local bike shop rather than Halfords. Or a refurbished bike.
    Back on the trains again!



  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
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    fewgroats wrote: »
    Why can't people write things grammatically correct?


    You mean, "Why can't people write things that are grammatically correct?" ;)
  • Thomas_Holding
    Thomas_Holding Posts: 380 Forumite
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    macman wrote: »
    Halfrauds are fine if you don't mind your bike being assembled by a teenage with minimal training-it's amazing how often they put the forks on the wrong way around. Start with your local bike shop, please. Or use a local charity organisation that sells refurbed bikes. You'll get a much more durable and well-assembled machine.
    At all costs avoid the very cheap junk imported at rock-bottom prices.

    Thank you for that, I looked at my local bike shop and it was £310 versus £130 at Halfords. I don't really understand what the difference is, I don't mind paying more I just need to know what I get for the £180 difference. (My wife is not sure that it is worth it).
  • Nebulous2
    Nebulous2 Posts: 5,116 Forumite
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    Thomas_Holding wrote: »
    Thank you for that, I looked at my local bike shop and it was £310 versus £130 at Halfords. I don't really understand what the difference is, I don't mind paying more I just need to know what I get for the £180 difference. (My wife is not sure that it is worth it).

    Post up the brand and model of the bikes and someone will offer a critique of them. Islabikes dominate with the younger members of our cycling club, but they tend to use them a lot and have parents who have become acclimatised to spending a lot on bikes.

    Look at eBay and you'll see islabikes fetch quite a bit more than those Halfords prices once they have been outgrown.

    How often it will be used and what for will also matter. I wouldn't want to spend a lot of money on a bike which will regularly be abandoned at a play park for instance.
  • MX5huggy
    MX5huggy Posts: 6,854 Forumite
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    We need to know what bikes the LBS is selling. They could just be selling the same as Halfords at twice the price, they probably aren’t.

    Your paying for 3 things weight or lack of it, quality and fit. Halfords have a bike on there for £180 that they tell me weighs 17.5kg that’s a little over half my 9 year olds body weight. His islabike weights just over 8kg. For comparison my own bike weighs about 9kg or 10% of my body weight the Halfords bike would be the equivalent of me having a 45kg bike and while I might be able to ride it for a bit it wouldn’t be any fun and I’d give up way before I’d covered 20miles plus.

    I’ve just got him a new one (second hand) it cost me £300 (would be £650 new, it’s the road bike one) I may have paid a little over the odds but I live in the sticks and could not collect, in 6 years time after 2 kids have grown out of it I expect to get£200 or so back on it so £50 per child’s bike, it’s cheap!

    But bike riding is something we do it’s not just a bike to ride to the park and leave out in the garden for weeks on end.
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