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Specialized vs. Trek vs other options for 5.5 year old

Old 05-29-15, 06:16 AM
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kld182
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Specialized vs. Trek vs other options for 5.5 year old

My 5.5 year old just mastered riding her two wheel 16" Specialized Hotrock. It's been a great bike but she's too big for it now. We're struggling to find a used 20" Hotrock (and can't really afford new). She's a novice and riding just for fun on mostly flat paved trails/sidewalks. Are there some other good (lightweight) options we're missing? We want something lightweight so it's easy to maneuver (I can't find the weight difference between a Trek Mystic and Specialized Hotrock...if anyone knows I'd be really interested). Our local bike shops seem to sell more Treks than Specialized, therefore there are more used ones available. Thanks for advice/recommendations.
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Old 05-29-15, 08:02 AM
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dubes
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My daughter (7 1/2) has a Trek Mystic that she's had for a few years now (started with training wheels). I haven't weighed it, but it sure feels like a beast of a bike to me (also, the rear V-brake is cr*p, even after I adjusted it, but whatever). A friend of hers has the Specialized version, and to my hand the weights seemed pretty similar, i.e. they were both heavy. I guess it's too expensive to make a kid's bike out of aluminum.

As an aside, while I rushed my daughter onto the 20" wheels (i.e. we skipped the 16" wheels, which in hindsight was probably a mistake), she has another friend (8 years old, similar height and build) who is still riding her 16" wheel-ed bike. So your daughter can probably ride her current bike for a while longer, unless there are other reasons you want to move her to a new bike.

Mike
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Old 05-29-15, 08:18 AM
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kld182
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Thanks for the reply. I thought both bikes were made of aluminum and that they were some of the lightest kids bikes on the market? I've had trouble finding weights online, though. My daughter's current 16" Specialized Hotrock is too small, hence the need to move her up. (She is very tall for her age and the seat is already at its max height.)
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Old 05-29-15, 08:52 AM
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When my son was little, we bought him a Raleigh Rowdy and it worked fine until he outgrew it. A quick google search shows they still make them, and a girls' version called the Lily. (actually the current model is better for kids because it has a solid fork and rather than a heavy suspension fork the old Rowdy had. These bikes have mostly entry level components, so unfortunately, not as light as you might hope for. But they do have a single chainring, and 6 speed twist shift, which, IMO, makes sense for younger children as it is really intuitive.

If you can find a dealer, it looks like these bikes retail for about $260.
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Old 05-29-15, 08:56 AM
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TBH, I haven't put a magnet to the frame. I suspect the handlebars and maybe the seatpost are steel, too, the rear wheel weighs a good bit, etc., so maybe unfair for me to blame the weight solely on the frame.
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Old 05-29-15, 08:57 AM
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Originally Posted by MRT2
These bikes have mostly entry level components, so unfortunately, not as light as you might hope for.
Bingo!
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Old 05-29-15, 10:57 AM
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My 6 year old is enjoying her 20" Hotrock handed down from my 9-yr old. During the holiday weekend she did 10 miles one day, and then 15 mile on another day. This is a single speed version. I think it's worth it if you take her to trails for longer rides. My older one used it until she's 9.5. For short rides in the neighborhood it doesn't matter much.

Go to the bike shop and ask them to weigh both. You can also look into Giant.
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Old 05-29-15, 01:06 PM
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Thanks for all the replies. My daughter tested a Trek Mystic and Specialized Hotrock today. They were only a few ounces different in weight. She liked both. We're looking at a Trek MT20 tomorrow then we'll make a decision. Price is a big factor as she will probably outgrow it quickly (or want gears) and I don't think her little brothers will want a girly bike!

Does anyone know how the Trek MT20 compares to the current Trek Mystic in weight? The one we're looking at is in great condition and is a fraction of the price of the Mytic or Specialized.
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Old 05-30-15, 10:42 AM
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Old 05-30-15, 10:48 AM
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The weight of a child's bike isn't as important (a word for the ages) as it is for some other bike styles. My son, learned at about that age and remains, enforceably-enthusiastic (haha), about the sport. His first bike was a steel bike.
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Old 05-30-15, 06:27 PM
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Thanks again for the replies. We found a Trek MT20 today which is in excellent used condition. It felt lighter than the other two we looked at and my daughter felt comfortable handling it. Here's hoping it was a good choice and that she gets lots of use out of it!
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Old 05-30-15, 06:45 PM
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My 13 yr old is finally riding his lightest bike yet, my old commuter, 32#.
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