Which bike for a new kid?

[celia123]

Hi all! I'm in the market for a nice bike for my little sister. She's 15 years old and am interested in getting into the biking scene. She really enjoys riding but her $100 bike from target just isn't cutting it anymore. So wanna buy a better bike for her as her birthday gift.
I've just looked into this bike. Am I on the right track? Is it nice bike for girls? I honestly have no idea what's out there.

 

[BHOFM]

That is a sweet looking bike, but no details? She is going to grow some more so
don't spend a lot on the bike she is going to out grow in a year or two.

There are some nice dept store bikes for about the same price you might check
out.

Is it for road or off road or just for riding?

Just a quick look I found this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Schwinn-Women-s-Aluminum-Comp/10660677#Specifications

 

[celia123]

So a cheap one might be the way to go? thanks. I'll keep on searching.

 

[davereo]

I would suggest that if you have some extra funds available that you make a Birthday date with your sister. You can take her out to the LBS and for about 100 dollars more than the bike you posted you could get her onto a good entry level hybrib bike that she selects herself. You will get her onto a bike that fits her properly and establish a relationship with the LBS. I am a fan of purchasing things online when they are for myself and I know what I am getting. Amazon has a good return policy if the bike you buy is not suited to your sisters needs.

Here are some of the problems you may encounter if your buy this bike online.

Assembly,damaged during shipment, missing parts, your sister dislikes the bike, the bike is the wrong size.
If you need to return the bike you will need to disassemble and package the bike back up in the original shipping carton. You then will have to transport the cartoned bike to UPS or some other frieght carrier and pay around forty dollars to ship it back.

Check your LBS you may be surprised at what you find.

 

[SierraSlim]

[COLOR= #0000ff]Celia,[/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]What a nice big sister you are, to want to do this for her! [/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]I don't know enough about bikes to make a specific suggestion, but I think the idea of taking her to a LBS, if you can afford that, is a great one. People's wants and needs vary so widely, and even when you think you know them, they surprise you with what they really have an eye for. (I would have bet you my right arm that my daughter wouldn't choose a pink bike in her 30s.... and I'd be walking around armless, lol.)[/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]Maybe you could talk to the LBS ahead of time, tell them your sister's general size and your price range, and ask them to have a few bikes handy that fit those criteria. They could adjust the bikes and fit her to them, and she could then choose the one that wants to go home with her.[/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]Any way you do it, you're a great sister.[/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]Sierra [/COLOR]

 

[oldbobcat]

Check your LBS you may be surprised at what you find.

Decent bike shop bikes start at around $300, but you get what you pay for, and that includes shipping, assembly, and free advice and help with any warranty issues. A Trek 820 or 3500 would be a bike your sister could take to college. The Amazon bike looks pretty decent, but where's the support?

And in my experience, discount store Schwinns are a big disappointment. The ones from Wal-Mart break and the ones from Costco require tubes with long Schraeder valve stems, which nobody has in stock. Somebody in the design department clearly had his head in the clouds.