Bike Buying Advice Needed for a Tough Customer
- This topic has 26 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 1 month ago by
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Get something you can ride when he’s done with it! Then you can justify a nicer bike.
For the C&O – I personally find it a bit jarring especially on my wrists, etc. so I’d want something with either some basic suspension (heavy) or a nicer fork, maybe a more comfort oriented road/touring bike? Obviously it would have to be something that could take wider tires since they’ll help improve the ride too.
My vote would be for a ‘cross bike. Should be sturdy enough for a kid’s abuse and makes a good all ’rounder. You can put road tires on it and do longer distances or keep the CX tires on for rides like C&O. Buy used, sell used (CL being the preferred marketplace for this) to avoid loss due to depreciation. If he’s already 5’7 he should be well within the range to find some really good quality adult CX bikes and if you keep an eye open you may be able to find a deal. You can justify the cash outlay either with VVill’s approach :p or with the promise that you can sell it for a minor depreciation when he’s outgrown it. Do some measurements and get an idea of what size you’ll need then scout out CL.
Dittos to Kel, there are plenty of good online fit calculators; it would probably be best to check out as many as possible and get a feel for what will work for you. With a little research on the basic approaches and some time spent actually getting some measurements (don’t go by pants inseam; it should actually be measured), you should be able to get quite a good fit without having to pay for it, which I agree is not a great idea for a “moving target”. Certainly better than they were back in the day. When I was around 12 getting my first ten-speed, the fitting was “Here kid…can you stand over this bike? Great, that’s a fit!” I rode that bike into my twenties
Here are some other good fit calculators:
Colorado Cyclist – a mainstay, been around for a long time.
Competitive Cyclist – I like this one because it explains three different types of fit (via the “The Traditions of Road Riding and Our Three Styles of Road Fit” link on the page). If you go with a French fit it will allow for growth.What size are you looking at (what size is the one just outgrown)? In general terms, I’d tend to avoid drop bars for kids because they grow too fast & fine tuning the fit is hard. So that eliminates most of what’s marketed as “touring”. Trekking bars on a more upright frame are a possibility if you want more hand positions, or bar ends. I guess I’d start by thinking through the desired functionality. Are you going to make him carry stuff? (Rack?) How much? (Front rack?) Fenders? For the towpath, anything with tires over about an inch (like 32mm) is fine. But where else do you ride? For off road mountain trails, lean toward an MTB. For most of the local trails, skip the suspension and knobbies.
edit to add: just saw the height in your PS–you’re into adult bike territory, which really opens things up. I’d still hold to what I said about avoiding drop bars for someone at that age, unless they’re planning to race. I’d look at things like the Trek FX, Surly Troll, Jamis Coda, etc (disclaimer: referencing features & functionality, not necessarily the amount I’d spend on my kids bikes unless I got a sweet deal used
). Basically, the kind of bikes that would make decent commuters.@krazygl00 45280 wrote:
…the fitting was “Here kid…can you stand over this bike? Great, that’s a fit!” I rode that bike into my twenties
I’m still riding that bike
[QUOTE= I’d look at things like the Trek FX, Surly Troll, Jamis Coda, etc (disclaimer: referencing features & functionality, not necessarily the amount I’d spend on my kids bikes unless I got a sweet deal used
). Basically, the kind of bikes that would make decent commuters.I am a big fan of these ‘fit bikes’ as great beginner bike. They have the speed that a kid would want, and still can be rough and tumble with them without the weight. I have seen the FX’s on centuries and on the c&o all the time. Many of the high school kids use them. The CX bikes are great but are hard to find at a decent price, fit bikes are pretty common on Craigslist list.
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