Evaluate how well a Child's Bike meets your needs and compares to competing products
If you've completed step one you've identified what you need in a child's bike and you've learned about the different features of children's bikes. While you were doing your research, you probably started the process of determining which features - and thus which type of child's bike - will best meet your needs. Now you are going to continue that process, but in greater detail.
In this step you will
evaluate the children's bikes available on the market to determine how well they meet your personal needs and establish, by a process of elimination, an initial short-list of contenders. Then you will compare these short-listed children's bikes to find out which ones stand out from the competition.
Evaluate how well a Child's Bike meets your needs
Your priority at this point in your evaluation is to find the available children's bikes in the market that best meet your needs. You can save a lot of time during this activity by quickly eliminating any child's bikes that are unsuitable because they don't meet your key requirements. For example, if you have a limited budget for this purchase then you can ignore any children's bikes that clearly exceed your price limit.
While you might want to buy your child a bike that she or he will enjoy, you don't have to spend a lot of money to get a quality bicycle. Many children's bikes are sold by national companies that mass-produce bikes to be cheap. While it is up to you to check the workmanship of the bike your child might be interested in, the bike might work just fine. However, the best place to look for a bike will be a local bike shop. If you don't know a lot about bikes, then the customer service representatives will be able to help answer any questions you have.
Tip: If you are shopping at a bike shop with your child and she or he wants a bike that won't work for him, the clerk will be able to explain to your child the reasons why the bike isn't ideal.
If your child is into BMX bikes, tricks, jumping, and even wants to enter certain competitions, you should be sure that she or he receives professional training. A child who has not had a couple of years on a bicycle before doing anything extreme, may not be ready to control a bike off of a ramp, for example. BMX and dirt jumping biking can be an exhilarating sport for your child, but should be something your child needs to be ready for. Additionally, your child should have all the safety equipment necessary before practicing.
Check over a bike at a bike shop or store to make sure it is sturdy and safe enough. You don't have to be an expert to do this. Pick the bike up and check to see if it is solidly put together. Hold the tire between your legs and twist the handlebars. They should not move. Next, make sure the front fork has been assembled correctly and has no movements at the joints. Then, check the hubs and tires. The wheel should spin straight without wobbling. And, the hub (where the wheel joins the fork) should not move from side to side. Finally, the wheels should spin smoothly without making any noise (from the small ball bearings inside the wheel's centre).
Tip: Have your child test ride the bike. Does he or she like the feel? Is it the proper size (child's knees do not touch the handlebars and he or she can stand on the ground with flat feet)? Is the seat comfortable? How does it handle? If your child can test different bikes in the cycle shop's lot, then you can test out helmet sizes and shapes at the same time. Plus, your child will feel like he or she has played a major role in choosing the right bike for him or her.
When you were considering your requirements in a children's bike it's likely that you singled out certain factors such as bicycle type, size, controls and cost as being of major significance. As with so many other products, the more features offered, the higher the price.
Buyz123 has created a checklist containing examples of major features; you can work from this checklist when evaluating how well various children's bikes meet your personal needs:
Features Checklist
Type
- Sidewalk bikes - for toddlers, steel, aluminium, push along, foot powered
- Like-a-Bikes - wooden, learning bikes, foot powered
- Tricycle - trikes, aluminium, steel, pedals on front wheel
- Road bikes - different sizes, youth, boys, girls, with or without suspension, tandem bikes available
- Mountain bikes - different sizes, front or full suspension, common with v-brakes
- BMX bikes - bicycle motor cross, racing, freestyle, jumping, enduro
- Cruisers - retro beach cruiser model, comfort & style oriented, made for parks, beaches, pavement
Construction
- Steel - most common, cheapest, chrome plated parts available
- Aluminum - frame and rims, lightweight, more expensive
- Alloys & Carbon Composites - lightweight, durable, expensive
- Chrome-Molly - generally BMX bikes made of chromium & molybdenum, becoming more common
- Titanium - not practical, super durable, lightweight, very expensive
Size
- Kid's sizes - measured by wheel diameter, not seat tube measurements, important to check stand over height for comfortable size
- 12” (30.5cm) - toddler orientated
- 14” (36cm) - ages 3 to 5 (can be a rarer size to find)
- 16” (41cm) - ages 4 to 6
- 20” (51cm) - ages 7 to 8
- 24” (61cm) - ages 9 to teenager
- 26” (66cm) - adult size bike
Control Systems
- Gears - 6 speed, 7 speed, 10 speed models, single speed is common for kids bikes
- Pedals - plastic, metal, aluminium, pronged with reflectors
- Rear derailleur - most found on 20” (51cm) bikes (not BMX) and above, 24” (61cm) and above also have front derailleur
- Rims - steel or alloy (best)
- Brakes - v-handle, coaster brakes, kid's under five shouldn't use hand brakes
- Training wheels - removable, adjustable, plastic wheels or hard rubber wheels with aluminium support bars most common
- Gears - not necessary for kid's below age 7, grip shifters best
- Handlebars - with safety foam, plastic or rubber grips, aluminium or steel, allow up to 13.8” (35cm) adjustment
- Springs - full suspension kid's mountain bikes, on some front suspension road bikes
Comfort & Suspension
- Saddle - various choices, some with springs, vinyl, leather, hard or soft
- Seat posts - steel, average 7.9” (20cm) adjustment and 0.9” (2.2cm) thick, to 13.8” (35cm) adjustment and 1.1” (2.7cm) thick
- Tires - 12” (30.5cm) models have 2.25” (5.7cm) thickness, 14” (36cm) models and up have 2.25” (5.7cm) to 3.5” (8.9cm) thickness dependent upon model
- Forks - steel, allow, mountain bikes with compressed air
Safety
- Helmet - toddler or kid's sizes, small, medium large, most important safety precaution
- Chainguards - double link
- Stem pad - main bar pad connecting seat to handlebars, more common on “boys” bikes
- Tire fenders - keeps rocks, mud, debris from flying upward
- Gloves - recommended for BMX dirtjumping bikes, kevlar available
- Knee pads, wrist guards, elbow pads, eyewear (goggles)
Accessories & Extra Features
- Wheel pegs - for tricks
- Adjustable seat stem, handlebars (included on most bikes)
- Steamers, removable tires
- Mirrors
- Reflectors
- Lights
- Cyclometers
- Wheel décor
- Bells, horns, battery-operated musical devices
Maintenance & Support
- Warranty of 1 to 3 years, in writing
- Check workmanship in store, tight wheels, handlebars
- Best bought in local bike shop
- Yearly maintenance, winter storage, toll free hotline
There are a lot of features listed here, and some of them may not be relevant to your particular requirements. So, work your way through the list and assess how each of these features impact on your kid's bike needs. You can then create a personalized checklist of the features you really require in a child's bike.
Once you have finished evaluating the children's bikes available for sale in the light of your personal needs and arrived at a short-list of 'possibles' you are ready to progress to the next stage. This involves comparing the children's bikes one-on-one in order to find those that really stand out.
Evaluate how well a Child's Bike compares with competing Children's Bikes
Comparing the items on your interim short-list, one to another, is an important part of the purchasing process - we all want to buy the best product we possibly can. So once you have established a short-list of child bikes that meet your needs it is time to evaluate how well they compare in fine detail. This way you can assemble a select list of children's bikes that stand out from the crowd.
Questions to ask yourself:
Which child's bike on my short-list offers the best value for money?
Which of these children's bikes best meet my needs?
Which of my short-listed child's bikes has the best warranty?
Which child's bike is the easiest to ride?
Which of the children's bikes seems of the highest quality?
Which short-listed child's bike has the best safety features?
Which child's bike do I like best?
By answering these simple questions, you are actually eliminating children's bikes that aren't absolutely right for you. This is an excellent time - if you haven't done so already - to evaluate how well your short-listed products measure up in the following areas: Physical Quality, Warranty Conditions and Accessories & Extras.
Physical Quality
Regardless of the method you use when purchasing the child's bike, you need to find an opportunity to examine the product to evaluate how well it is made, and to check that it is truly suitable for you and your purpose. This is the time to examine the quality of the materials, and how well the child's bike is put together. Check the assembly - is the bike solidly constructed? It's also important to examine the bike from the perspective of ease of use. How easily is the child's bike prepared for cleaning and maintenance? Are the controls easy to use? Make sure the bike fits your child physically, and that it is user-friendly - some kid's bikes look great on paper, but unexpected problems will show up when you finally get your hands on them.
Physical Inspection Checklist:
- Materials - quality, appearance
- Assembly - all parts held together securely, good quality fittings
- Solidly constructed - stable, no loose components
- Proper fit of removable parts - easy to remove and replace, fit snugly
- Controls - visible, easy to use, accessible, clearly labelled
- Size - appropriate for surroundings and purpose - fits user correctly
- Appearance - well finished, appropriate color, neat fittings etc
- Easy and comfortable to ride
Warranty Conditions
Similar products may be available with significantly different terms and conditions, and you want to get the best deal you can. Parts and labor are often covered under separate warranties, for different time periods; sometimes there can be a significant difference in the warranty offered with one model compared to that offered with the next model up. It is particularly important to investigate any conditions that might void a warranty, such as accidental damage.
Warranty Checklist:
- Duration - check the specifics
- Parts, Labor
- Exactly what is covered
- Exactly what is excluded
- Conditions or actions that may void the warranty
Accessories and Extras
When evaluating similar products, it is a good idea to include accessories in your assessment. You need to be clear about exactly what accessories are necessary to run the product to its full capacity, and whether these are included with the purchase. What other facilities are required - do you need a chain guard, for instance?
Accessories Checklist:
- Accessories - included or extra cost?
- Upgrades - will the product need upgrades, what are the costs?
- What else will your child need to fully utilize the bike?
Once you've worked through the Evaluation step you will have a final short-list of children's bikes that meet your needs and stand out from competing products on the market. It's time then to move on to the third and final step: Purchase.
Video Links
Buyz123.com Research Links:AccessoriesChildren's training wheelsReviewsReviews of boys and girls bikesReviews of kid's bikes