rooskie

I'm looking for a decent, lightweight bike for my 10 year old son. We live in the mountains, so gears are a must. I would like to spend no more than $200 if at all possible. Any recommendations?

Also, what size bike would you recommend? He is 53 inches tall (4ft. 5in.)

Viich

Used specialized hotrock street 24" is what I found - not bad at all. It is quite light, my 6yo handles it better than his 20" bike because it is so much lighter. Your son may be able to do one of the small 24" wheel road bikes if that's what you and he are interested in.

mel2012

Just in case you haven't made a buying decision yet, I'd recommend this Nishiki:
https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p...nshkmntbb24bjp

It's got a rigid fork and, if the weight is correct, is significantly lighter than almost any other new bikes you'll find in that price range. The Dawes Zombie would be another good option: Dawes Zombie Boys Bike - 24" | Chain Reaction Cycles

El Flaco

A used Hot Rock can always be found for $100 or under on Craigslist. If you're looking to buy new, there aren't a ton of options for ~$200 that aren't pretty junky. I got my kids Ibex bikes right around Xmas (not to be confused with Ibis) a couple of years ago and they've been great. They had a 50% off sale at the time, so they were about $200 each and a total bargain. They're not that cheap this year. Google Ibex youth bikes, look at the 440K

Pretty well spec'd out for the money, and geared for the mountains (I'm in Golden, CO).

This year picked up a Haro Flightline Two 26+ for my oldest kid (10 y.o.), which he loves. I did take the suntour fork off and put on a chinese carbon fork. Saved about 3 pounds. He doesn't weigh enough to break it (I hope). If you can swing it, it's a really nice bike for the money, and the plus tires are super forgiving for kids.

Mark Mandolin

Definitely research which high end bike you wish you could afford for your son and then look for a decent used one on Craigslist. I can't speak to the specific bike to buy but the method I use to get my kid a good bike. My son was balancing at three so I researched and found a few light bikes I wanted and jumped on a 16" Redline Pitboss which I gladly paid $200 (Canadian $) as at the time new were over $300. But the original owner paid $200 for that bike new several years ago. He did alright.
Now three years later boy still loves his Redline and not selling but a new Pitboss is $500 so when I sell it I'll get my $200 back
Similar scenario for his racing bmx bike also bought used on Craigslist.