[Mrs CW]

Hi ladies,
I wonder if my friends here can help me......

DS is getting a bike for Christmas.  It'll be his first bike, he's not really been interested in any form of wheels much before now except his scooter, so it'll need stabilisers, and I've worked out that I think he'll need a 14" wheel. 
We have a good bike shop locally, but they only have two models his size and they're quite expensive.  Nearly all the bikes I can find online, where they are cheapest, are 'character' bikes or have lots of bits and bobs added.  He doesn't like Ben 10, Transformers, Star wars, or Power Rangers.  I can't seem to find a bike that isn't covered in designs and stuff that he doesn't really like. 

our budget is about £80, definitely no more than £100.  I'm not entirely sure the bike won't be a flash in the pan, so we don't want to spend loads.

Can anyone recommend a good bike suitable for a child who hasn't ridden much before, which is just fairly plain?

thanks
Claire x

 

[Ceri.]

How about ....

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3321205/Trail/searchtext%3EBICYCLE.htm

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3322091/Trail/searchtext%3EBICYCLE.htm

http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us/Bikes-and-Rideons/Bikes/Boys/14-Boys-Dirt-Jumper-Bike(0076537)

http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us/Bikes-and-Rideons/Bikes/Boys/14-Boys-Monster-Jam-Bike(0076520)

Then somewhere like Ebay for 'decals' millions of them for anything he likes at the time!

This post contains an unconfirmed link/information and readers are reminded that FertilityFriends.co.uk or its owners are not responsible for the content of external internet sites

 

[Ceri.]

  Toys r us site not working but they have 2 14" bikes which look good too

 

[~ S ~]

Hello

H has a Ridgeback MX16 bike which is pretty plain. It's blue with 'Ridgeback' written on the frame in a bright colour. It was about £105 I think but that was about 18m ago. I just googled and they do it as a MX14 which looks like it comes with a chain guard and stabilisers We've been really pleased with it and he learnt to ride without ever using stabilisers in the matter of a couple of hours over a few days

Our good friends who are well into cycling - the chap cycles 10m to work and back each day and does triathlons I know they did quite a bit of research I remember and their children have Dawes Blowfish bikes. I did a quick google for you and they come in about £90

I would def recommended a proper specialist brand cycle rather than some character thing as they are often heavy and cumberson and little ones struggle to learn to ride them.....was true here and I know of many others too

S x

ps - have you measured him up? I'm only thinking as I'm sure we got H's for his 5th birthday and as you know he's pretty small for his age but we were recommended a 16" from a specialist bike shop. Not quite sure what the parameters are mind you as dh organised it all

http://www.ukbikesdepot.com/products.php?plid=m14b0s14p5005

http://www.ukbikesdepot.com/products.php?plid=m14b0s13p2299

http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B2724.html

http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B2725.html

 

[jane1604]

Got DD a Raleigh bike in Toys r us with stabilisers its 14" or her 3rd birthday I think we only paid about £50


Is M quite small? DD has been on hers since she was 3 (now 4yrs 4mths). With the stabilisers on the seat is at its highest. Shes had a few attempts without stabilisers and did need to lower seat a wee bit. I had hoped it would last her till hes 6ish but I cant see it lasting longer.  You might find you cant get 16" with stabilisers on though but I think you can buy them separate.

 

[keemjay]

would you not consider a balance bike to get him started off if you think it might be a flash in the pan..once they get the hang of it they can whizz along just as fast as the sccoters! remember you will always have DD to pass down to so IMO its worth spending a little more as it gets twice its worth in use. i regret not buying a balance bike for DD as could have easily passed down to DS..we lopped the pedals off a normal bike to make a balance bike but it was always a little on the tall side for her so she didnt get the hang of it for ages..once she did she was off! if i'd bought a small proper balance bike I'd have it now for DS who is gagging for one but is too small for our home made version...
if you do decide to go staright to normal bike i'd say the same rules apply to not getting bogged down by price as it will always get a 2nd use..Islabikes are v good and you can part exchange them back when you back and upgarde to bigger size

kj x

 

[~ S ~]

Since spotting one of these a few weeks back in a local cycle shop, I am desperate to get one for the boys

http://www.theoldbicycleshowroom.co.uk/pashley-pickle-traditional-childrens-tricycle-960-p.asp

 

[stumpy]

Hi There I just picked up a bike for £12 in tescos from £50!!! there had boys ones too so might be worth a look on line!!
Happy Shopping!!
Sarah

 

[sparkly jewel]

my son who is 8 but very small is getting a bike for christmas from his grandparents .  We ended up getting it in halfords .  On their website it tells you hat size bike your child will need there is a little chart thingy but we went and tried several out.

I had a bit of a problem in that he wanted a proper big boys bike with gears def no character like a lot of his friends but it was reaaly hard to get one with gears that wasn't too big for him.  They were very helpful in there and will check it over and put it together for us just got to collect it sat ( if the snow lets us )

We had them put the seat as low as it would go and they even took the back reflector off to make the seat lower   - he is not going to be going out in the dark on it.
Some of the bike frames were quite cumbersome and heavy looking.

Previous to this we got a first bike for him with stabilisers from toys r us which he has had since he was about four again it went down really tiny and he still rides it now .

I'm sure you will but just make sure you get a good well fitted safety helmet.  My son looks so tiny on his new bike and a safety helmet is a must

Ours was 100 pounds reduced from 150 and is fairly plain just blue really.

Happy bike hunting

 

[sparkly jewel]

to add just looked at the website and it is an apollo gradient and it was 259.99 pounds now reduced to 99.99    - so pleased with our bargain

 

[Siobhan1]

DS has this one

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_500909_langId_-1_categoryId_165602

/links

 

[Mrs CW]

Thanks everyone.

S that Dawes looks perfect, I had read about Dawes bikes before so it's good to have a recommendation.  The price is about right too, we got a really good deal in the sales on a little pale blue bumble bee bike from halfords for his little sister, (hard to find one for girls that isn't pink or purple with all the crazy tassles and stuff - not that she minds so much), so we have a bit more to spend on him.  M really doesn't go for all the decor and characters but that bike looks cool without them.

He is really still pretty small for his age  - only 106cm aged just 5.  And given he hasn't really cycled much before, our local bike shop said he could have 16 or 14" but better to go cautious and lower.  The bikes he tends to climb on and have a go of, which belong to his friends, are mostly 14".

That's helpful that the site link gives an inside leg measurement for the Dawes bike - will have to get my tape measure out and get measuring!

I'd been trawling through Halfords and Amazon etc and some other specialist sites, but was struggling to find one that wasn't covered in branding or characters, they're just not his thing.

Sparkly yes of course he'll be getting a good helmet too 

Yay! I think Christmas could be sorted 

Claire x

PS S that tricycle looks cute - you HAVE to get one 

 

[Charlies-Mum]

Since spotting one of these a few weeks back in a local cycle shop, I am desperate to get one for the boys

http://www.theoldbicycleshowroom.co.uk/pashley-pickle-traditional-childrens-tricycle-960-p.asp

OMG sod the kids - I want one!!!!