Buying A Bike Can Be As Much Fun As Riding One
By Donna Gordon Blankinship
Everyone remembers their first bike: riding with the wind blowing through your hair and tasting the freedom of the open road.
Getting your first two-wheeler can be one of the most exciting memories of childhood. The experience can be fun for parents as well if they gather some basic information before they go shopping.
Important things to know include: how to fit a bike to your child, what features to look for and what to avoid, how to buy a bike that can be handed down to younger children, how to buy a used bike and what to know about safety and helmets.
Proper bicycle fit is one of the most crucial safety elements.
“I think the most important thing that parents need to realize is that they should never buy a bike for their kids to grow into,” said Lisa Rogers, public information director at the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center in Seattle. “Oversized bikes are especially dangerous for kids.”
Marty Pluth, general manager of Gregg’s Greenlake, said his salespeople put a premium on proper bike size. A child should be able to sit on the seat with hands on the handlebar and rest the balls of her feet on the ground. Straddling the center bar, the child should be able to keep both feet on the ground with about 1 inch clearance above the bar.
“If I were buying a bike, I would buy a good bike store bike, make sure a kid takes good care of it and when the child grows out of the bike, turn around and resell it to a neighbor for half what you paid for it,” Pluth said said.
Dan Case, manager of Bicycles West in Renton, said he fits bikes to children so they will be OK for a few years. For example, a 4- or 5-year-old can start on a 16-inch bike with training wheels. The second summer, they’ll be ready to ride without training wheels and the third summer it will be a little small for them.
Case said it’s very important to bring your child into the bike store for a fitting. If you want to make the bike a surprise, Case suggested coming into the store for another reason and ask to a salesman to secretly size your child up while you’re both in the store. You can return later and buy a bike.
Both bike store managers said first bikes should have one speed and coaster brakes, not handbrakes. Case recommended against too many “bells and whistles” on first bikes because they can be distracting for kids just learning to ride. The second bike can have a single handbrake just to get them used to handbrakes, but should also have coaster brakes.
Case said his salespeople recommend parents wait until girls are 8 or 9 and boys are 10 before buying a bike with handbrakes. Children need a lot of coordination and hand strength to use handbrakes, both store managers said.
Prices for bike store bicycles start at about $80 for a bike with a 12-inch wheel that is mostly a substitute for a tricycle for 2- to 3-year olds. Most kids start with a 16-inch bike with coaster brakes and training wheels and prices ranging from $90 to $120. Twenty-inch bikes with single speeds range from $110 to $200. Entry level mountain bikes with 5 or 10 speeds start at $175. Both store managers said you can expect to find similar prices at most bike shops.
Pluth recommended buying a bike that will last long enough to hand down to a second child or resell to a neighbor. Avoid "bells and whistles" and plastic parts and take good care of the bike you buy. Bikes should not be left in the rain, chains should be oiled occasionally with proper bike oil and bikes should be taken to a mechanic once a year for a safety check.
Both store managers acknowledged that parents can save some money initially by buying a discount store bike, which start at about $30 to $40 less than bike store bikes. But at discount stores you won’t get a bike shop fitting, the warranty won’t last more than a few months, the bikes probably won’t last as long and they won’t have as high a resale value.
Case said parents who know their child “wrecks everything they own” will usually buy more inexpensive bikes for their kids. If your kids are approximately two years apart, your family is perfect for passing bikes along from one child to the next, Case added.
One recommended way to save money is to buy a used bike. Before you buy used, however, bring the bike and the child to your neighborhood bike shop for a safety check. A salesprtdon also will tell you if she thinks you’re getting a good deal, Pluth said.
Safety should be the underlying theme for all bike purchases.
Rogers said increased helmet use is evident in the decrease in people with bike related injuries being admitted to Harborview. Rogers, Pluth and Case emphasized that the best way to get your kids to wear helmets is for adults to wear them.
“We stress the important of parents wearing helmets, not only to be a role model but for your own safety,” Rogers said.
Safety-tested helmets for kids range from $30 to $40 and can be refitted with new inside pads for a growing head for $10 to $12.
Information is the key to making a safe bike purchase, all three agreed.
“Probably your best source of information is to go into two or three shops and see who can give you the best information and the best service,” Pluth said.