Hi Guys,
I would appreciate some advice on options for an entry level mountain bike for my son’s Christmas present. We live in a rural area and I imagine he will use it a couple of times a week. He’s not a big kid, probably 150cm tall.
Not really sure what features I should be focusing on…
I’m a complete novice regarding brands and stores to purchase from!
Cheers!
What's your budget?
For "entry level" you're looking around $500-700. Here's a website with bikes around that price.
Any of those bikes should be fine really. They'll be a lot better than your run of the mill $100 kmart bike as well.
I would suggest getting a cheap second hand one first up on Gumtree.
I would also check the following:
1) As your son is 150cm I would get a 26" as a 24" will be too small in 6 months time and my son about the same height is okay with a 26" and 24" is starting to get a bit small.
2) As @oscargamer said watch the weight as its a drag, but the lighter the dearer the bike, but it depends on how long he is going to ride for and how many hills are on the track.
3) Check out the gear change as some bikes are harder to change gears then others. The easiest are the thumb change than the twisting ones
4) Make sure it has the connector for a water bottle holder. You may need to buy the water bottle holder. You will need a new water bottle.
5) If you are going to go up and down allot of hills read up on whether caliper or disc brakes,
6) Watch the bike seat as it may need changing to a better one.
7) Ask other parents around the area what they have bough for their kids and what worked and what did not work.
And overall the price will be between $50 and $5K depending on how old or new it is what condition it is and if its a professional or recreational bike.
I would not recommend any of the common Kmart/BigW bikes as the bike needs to last and these have issues with weight and/or too hard of gear changes etc. They are good for kids growing up who need a new bike every few years.
here is a few i would go with.
Specialized Levo SL, Pivot Switchblade, Santa Cruz Heckler, Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo, Pivot Mach 4 SL XTR
Yes, I'm sure he'll enjoy any $10,000 bike.
That's the problem with not giving any idea of what you want, or a budget, I suppose.
oh sorry, I guess its all relative. if you make minimum wage I guess it would be expensive.
I got my son this bike and he can grow into it and use it for a long time.
buy once, cry once.
A $10,000 bike would also be very expensive on an average wage, or an above average wage.
I would go so far as to say that unless you are in the top 0.05% in terms of wealth, buying a $10,000 bike for a 12 year old child is financially irresponsible.
PS. the last trail/enduro frame I bought cracked after 1.6 years' use from alu fatigue. The 'buy once' idea does not apply to mountain bikes.
@[Deactivated]: A) he is telling you
B) the bike you bought must have been rubbish to crack after a year and a half.
How about going into your local bike shop?
You can ask them any questions you may have (probably more knowledgeable than most of us here on Ozbargain…), and you can go back for accessories and maintenance/repairs.
Speaking of accessories, don't forget you still need to buy a helmet and a floor pump as a bare minimum. Things like gloves and a multi-tool would be great too. I'm sure you can ask the shop to throw in the bottle cage(s) for free, otherwise you can get them cheap on Amazon or Ebay, we're talking like $10-20 for a pair of bottle cages…
As for what to look for in a mountain bike, I would say definitely pick one with disc brakes and front suspension.
Good luck!
Thanks for all your suggestions everyone!
The top end of my budget is $700.
I’m open to buying new/secondhand/online/bike store.
The comments here have given me a much better understanding of some important features to keep in mind…
- Weight
- Disc Brakes
- Bottle-holder
- Size ”
- Gear-changes
I guess I’ll start searching and see what is actually in stock before Christmas too.
Avanti is very good quality for your budget
Avanti is a good brand, but no different to Giant, Merida, Specialised and a goat of others.
Bicycle frames are largely made by two manufacturers so you’ll probably find your Avanti comes out of a Giant or Merida factory.
If you are looking at the budget/entry end of the market and he is 12yo I'd probably look at at smaller frame 26" mountain bike. 24" will be too small within a year, if not already.
Would suggest going to a bike store, and if it is a surprise measure his inner seem leg as guidance for what he can clear over the top bar and provide this to the sales person.
Entry price $250, you'll get something decent for regular riding around $500. Ideally stick to Shimano components where possible. Don't buy second hand.
My 12yo is on a small frame adult bike. Depending on growth spurts, he’ll get a couple more years out of it. It was a tad big when he got it at 11.
Getting stock for a new bike will be the big issues, otherwise all the big brands will have a very similar bike in that price range. Where one has an advantage in one part it will lose out to another brand in another part. Swings and roundabouts.
As for the second hand market, I watch it locally, probably too much. There doesn’t seem to be much available in your price range. It’s more originally $700, available for $2-400. Either that or over $1500. Prices are also steep due to demand.
As for features:
Discs definitely get discs. Much better in the wet. Hydraulic are much better than cable and if it comes down to it, choose a bike with hydraulic despite other shortcomings.
Weight isn’t an issue, it is what it is at your price point. Kmart bikes are stupid heavy, quality brands are OK.
Wheel size can be confusing, but 29” is preferable for hardtail.
Frame size for a 12yo would be either medium or small.
Gears are a minefield, but modern entry level stuff is still very good. If you have a choice a 3 chainring set up is preferable to 2.
Bottle cage is a $10 addition as most frame will have cage mounts, with the exception of ‘tight’ dual suspension frames that won’t fit a bottle.
Polygon
I got my 8yo son a 24" Giant mountain bike last year and while the bike was great, it quickly became too small for him. For your son, definitely don't get a 24", he's at an age where he can ride size small adult bikes and he'll get much more enjoyment out of them. Your budget is a bit on the lower side for a brand new bike, while we were looking, we considered Polygon and Byk, which are both pretty good local brands. However, we got lucky eventually and got him a second hand custom 15.5" Specialized Stumpjumper for $700. It's still a tad big for him even this year, but he's got very good control and loves taking it to Lysterfield, he rides better and is more confident than me on the single tracks actually.
Hi - I just picked up a bike for my 11yr old so have been looking at bikes for this age group recently. Agree with the comments on tyre size - 26" is optimal and those are standard on many of the youth specific bikes (24" will be too small). At this age you either want a 26" youth or an XS sized adult bike which will come with 27.5" tyres. Since you have a fixed upper budget of $700 you are probably not going to get a youth specific one as these seem to come in dual suspension models which will cost more.
99bikes have great prices if you join their Gold Club (only $30 with the sale). What about this one in an XS? Will come to $699.60 with the membership and you can order online and pickup at your nearest store:
https://www.99bikes.com.au/merida21-big-seven-20-teal-blue-l…
Are you looking to buy local or online or any particular shops?
Budget?
My advice, for what it's worth, get as light a bike as possible. Heavy heavy bikes are literally such a drag and can take 99% of the enjoyment away.