Originally Posted by apclassic9
So, I think the wieght issue boils down to what the parent wants to lug around - the little kids don't care.
Agreed, certainly when I was a kid, I didn't care how much the bike weighed, as long as I could ride it, and it was reliable. Alas, the mart bike I had never was though, the gears were trashed after about a week, and brake failure was to be expected sometimes.
Also, it's the old "lightweight, affordable, strong. Pick two." saying, even though I am not a parent, I can absolutely understand someone not wanting to spend much on a kids bike, knowing that kids generally ride their bikes very hard indeed, and then will outgrow that particular bike in a couple of years anyway.