dupjr

My son is ready for a better bike, he rides his walmart NEXT 8.5 miles with me everyday and he's pretty worn out when we get home. The bike is pretty worn out too! His birthday is coming up and I think he deserves a better ride, I have it narrowed down to the Specialized Hotrock or the Diamondback Octane, I just can't test ride them to feel the differences and he just loves whatever new bike he is on. I know I save $100 going with the Diamondback, but how much quality and durability do I sacrifice? I'm not worried about him growing out of it and having to get rid it because I have another son who will be waiting to inherit it. Thanks!

NormDeplume

I don't know the answer, but I'm in the same quandary right now. I'm also thinking about the Performance Bike's Holeshot, which is even a little cheaper than the Diamondback. We've test-ridden a Hotrock, but the other two would have to be bought untested and that worries me.

mulveyr 

Both my kids have 24" HotRocks ( the MTB, not the street versions ). They've been almost indestructable. My son and I have toured with his - he put 1100 miles on it last year. I've been extremely pleased with the durability - he is NOT gentle with bikes. I've only had to do standard maintenance on his - cables and housing. He bent a derailler hanger, but that was $12 to replace.

It's a nice bike for the price, especially if you want something for unpaved bike trails.

1standgoal

My thinking is that usually you get what you pay for. So for 2 kids, get the more expensive one. I got my daughter a single speed 20" - so there is cost saving if extra gears are not needed.

dupjr

I had looked at your thread, I didn't want to hijack it because I wasn't considering a performance bike, but I am thinking the hotrock is designed as a kids bike that has gears, while the Diamondback is a bmx with gears thrown on. Also, the diamondback can be had for less than $200 on amazon.

dupjr

That is what I was thinking pretty much verbatim, I just didn't want to post here and get a majority opinion of "you could have saved $170 and got just as good of a bike." I don't mind paying for quality since the kid can ride and seems to look forward to it, the hills just kill him and that NEXT Surge is 7 months old and looks like it's at least 2 years old. Thanks

NormDeplume

My worry exactly.

1standgoal

Sure, if you know the gears are needed, decision is easier (wasn't obvious from the first post). If the extra cost is not an issue, considering how much he rides and good reviews from the people here, I'd get Specialized.

harrier

I have gone through this a few times now, with my kids and the neighbors, and have learned a few things that I hope help:

1. Kids bikes have all the parts of adult bikes, but cost half or less. This means even a $300 24" MTB has lots of crap parts. For example, the FD on a Specialized Hotrock has a retail price of less than $10!
2. No kids bike under $400 has reasonable components, so it is always a compromise - the front shocks are junk, grip shifters are hard to use.

You have to assess what kind of riding you are actually doing. If you are doing street/trail rides then ignore this post. My kids and I ride our mountain bikes on a mountain, and the Hotrock as shipped is not up to the task. The Octane is underspec'd as well - its shock bottoms out, it has cheap brakes, and it is hard to upgrade.

My advice:

Option 1 - Craigslist. Buy a 2-year old Hotrock or Marin (kids outgrow them FAST). There are plenty. Replace the FD and get trigger shifters. Everyone seems to want to buy new, but there are 24" bikes for sale that have been ridden 10-20 times!
Option 2 - New. Ibex and Trek have had better components than Specialized. But if you are keen on specialized, get your LBS to put in triggers and a new FD before delivery. Yes, some folks love the Hotrock, but I live on Mt Tam, the purported origin of MTB, and I know at least 6 kids who got Hotrock bikes and had issues with the components.

I like the Hotrock, and I recognize the economic constraints that lead to bad components. But I would at least consider buying used and spending the money on upgrading. Your kids will be MUCH happier.

1standgoal

Can you elaborate on these?