· There are some bikes for kids that have quality and durability. Unlike the flimsy mild-steel bikes you'll find at Wal-Mart and Sears, the frames on our bikes are fully welded and made from beefy hi-tensile and cromoly steel. Rather than using easily broken plastic bushings in its moving parts, the bottom brackets and hubs on our bikes use steel ball bearings. The steel rims on department store bikes dent at the slightest impact, so our bikes use wheels made from far-stronger aluminum alloys. Of course, the little buggers outgrow 'em, so...you parents are going to have to use your experience there on what you balance in your mind to do. I cannot speak from experience.
· There are some places that actually will offer you a trade-in policy for bikes you buy from them as your kid outgrows the bike. I've heard of one internet company that will give you 50% of what you paid for your original bike to apply toward the new bike. Wish that worked for me :-)
· Kids bikes are measured by their wheel diameter:
16" bikes Fits 4 to 6 year olds. Comes standard with coaster brakes (stops when you pedal backward) and adjustable training wheels. Raleigh's MXR Mini and Lil' Honey are durable enough to outlast even the most ambitious kid. Are you worried about weaning your child off of training wheels? A favorite piece of advice: promise them a kickstand once they get rid of the training wheels. It works every time.
20" bikes Fits 6 to 10 year olds. 20" bikes offer the greatest range of variability when it comes to how they're equipped. You can still get simple single-speed bikes with coaster brakes and training wheels. They'll come with a hand brake for the rear wheel, too, so your child can start getting used to the concept of hand brakes without having to rely on them. Raleigh's MXR and Jazzi are two examples. Most kids are athletic and aggressive enough to handle our 20" mountain bikes. You lose the training wheels and coaster brakes, and in their place you get front and rear hand brakes and 6 speeds. No bike is tougher or better looking than the Specialized Hot Rock. Kids love feeling like they're riding a bike just like an adult mountain bike.
24" bikes Fits 10 to 14 year olds. These bikes are adult mountain bikes shrunk to fit kids. You'll get 21 speeds, and a frame and wheelset tough enough to handle serious off-road riding.
· What about BMX and freestyle bikes? These are the bikes your kids see all over the X-Games and on Mountain Dew commercials on TV. BMX bikes are made to be raced on short dirt tracks with repetitive jumps and tight turns. They come with one speed and a rear brake only. They're made to go fast and to be able to handle the abuse they take on the sharp berms of BMX tracks. The Specialized Fatboy Hemi BMX bikes are among the most popular bikes at BMX tracks all across the country. Freestyle bikes, also known to kids as "dirt-jumping" bikes, are built for doing tricks. Their most recognizable features are axle pegs on the front and rear wheels, and the brake cable detanglers that allow kids to turn the handlebars around without binding the brake cables. Freestyle bikes come with 48-spoke wheels and oversized frames to handle the most extreme pounding kids can heap on them. The Specialized Fatboy Vegas bikes are also pretty popular as freestyle bikes.
