SashaSolitaire

I have an 8-year old who loves to bicycle and is currently riding a cruiser doing 20 - 30 miles per ride on all types of terrain. She also participated in a few rides with me and my wife (18 - 30 miles). We all feel that she is hobbled by her current bike, a cruiser, and would like to get her a proper road bike. The local bike shop has the Felt FR 5W in a 43" size in the mid $1K range, which they can fit her to. More details of the bike here"

https://feltbicycles.com/collections...ance-road-bike

I think that this is pretty good starter bike (carbon frame, 105 power train). Thoughts from anyone who had this bike on whether this is a good bike for the next 5 - 6 years as my daughter grows?

TIA

Cyclist0108

I have 3 kids and as much as I enjoy spending money on bikes, that is a lot to spend on a bike that a kid will quickly grow out of.

For comparison, someone posted this, which with the 30% off coupon, is a great deal for what might not be a significantly worse bike.

If money is no object, I am sure the Felt will be great.

One advantage of getting an actual kid's bike" is the smaller wheels. The inexpensive alternative has 24" wheels, which might result in a more proportionate fit.

CliffordK

Hmmm... $1000 to $2000 is a lot of money to spend on a bike for an 8 year old.

How tall is she? How tall are the parents?

I've just gone with the road bike thing with my nephew. Unfortunately he hasn't been riding as much as I had hoped. And he might have been happier on a MTB or cyclocross bike.

Anyway, I got him a 24" wheel bike at age 8. Then a 650c bike at age 10. And, now at age 12, he has outgrown both of those and is ready for a full sized bike, and I fear he could outgrow that by age 18.

I didn't realize that Felt was making a 43cm bike with 700c wheels. It sounds like really odd geometry on the bike with nearly a 50cm effective top tube (and hopefully being built with a 50mm or so handlebar stem).

I think I would still steer towards a simple Aluminum frame kid's bike with 650c wheels.

I found the Fuji Ace 650c was probably small enough for my nephew when he was 8 due to its construction, but would have endured with a longer useful life for a growing kid.

The Fuji Ace was very cheaply constructed, but there are other brands of 650c bikes (NOT TIME TRIAL BIKES) that would likely have been better, and can be picked up used if you hunt.

The biggest limitation I had was a very limited selection of 24" (520 ISO) and 650c tires. For the 650c, I went with the Gatorskins which are available.

There would be some advantage if you can have common wheels/tires/tubes for all your family bikes for road repairs.

Anyway, if you wish to try the Felt, at least take her to the store and let her try it out. See how well it fits, and that she can ride it. But, I'd only go full carbon fiber if you are already getting into kid's racing.

CliffordK

That Diamondback 24" looks very nice, and with BRIFTERS?

Of course, kid's hands may or may not be strong enough for the brifters. But, I'm not sure the paddle shifters on the Fuji Ace were any better.

I posted a couple of links to 650c bikes in this thread. Some have finished (and you could look for new bikes). But, it might be worth looking at.

https://www.bikeforums.net/fitting-y...zing-help.html

Hmmm... The two Treks and Cannondales don't really have kid's geometry.

But, the Little Giant and the Felt F95 (which haven't sold yet) would be worth considering.

motosonic

If you can google a discount code for Diamondback, they have a corporate discount program where there are killer deals on some really nice bikes. I ride one of the Team Rally Podium bikes and it's ever bit as light, responsive and comfortable as the Wilier it replaced. Like others have said, $1500 is a lot to spend if you consider that bile will be grown out of quickly.. but, if money isn't an option, then it's a good choice!

rms13

That's what I thought until I saw that Strider has a $900 carbon balance bike for toddlers:

https://www.striderbikes.com/ST-R


I'm not in the business of telling others how to spend their money because we're all in different financial situations. But the main point is that she may grow out of it quickly and it's going to be hard to recoup a lot of money selling a used 43cm bike

CliffordK

Don't want to scar your toddler for life with a sub-par balance bike.

There may well be some market for used 43cm bikes for shorter women. Although, many adults steer towards smaller wheel bikes (as they can get get one that fits just right without considering growing).

Still, the bike will be able to be resold, but likely a substantial markdown if the bike was originally purchased new.

NormanF

SashaSolitaire

Thanks for the comments, everyone. We tried the 24" bikes and found that her knees are fouling up with the handle bars (tried Giant, Trek and Diamondback). She is 54" long, and has longer legs compared to her peers. We tried out the 43" size in the bike shop, and the only issue with the bike was that the brake levers were about an inch or two beyond her full reach, i.e., she could press the brake levers but not down to their fullest extent. The bike shop said that with a shorter stem, they can alleviate that issue. She had no problems getting on or off the bike, and sliding to the top tube from the saddle as she braked to a full stop.

My hope is that this is a bicycle she can grow into over the next 4 - 6 years. We also have an younger daughter (currently 5) who loves bicycling as well, and can pass this bicycle to her down the road. To answer other questions, I am 5'10" and my wife is 5'7". Both sides (paternal and maternal) have grandfathers who are 6'2" and taller. I personally have a Felt F4SL (2009) which is still going strong, and I admit to having a soft corner for Felt. The other thing is that my older daughter wants to come "biking" with me (her way of saying she covets my bicycle :-)). The bike shop is giving a discount (will make the bike around $1K), and is throwing in a free fitting (I know that in the bigger scheme of things neither is too much of a markdown, but we like supporting local businesses whenever we can).

SashaSolitaire

This is an interesting take, Norman. I have not seen these before. Does anyone have any experience with these mini velos? What do you think?

mstateglfr 

8 year old?

putting the entire wasting money argument aside because its yours to burn if you so choose, the bigger concern to me would be it fitting properly.

Why not spend a ton on a bike that fits properly and move on from there as she grows?
Below are 24" road bikes with more proper geometry. 73d HTA and STA on the frog, for example.

If you want to go wild- that Isla has Ultegra shifting and disc brakes. youth tri in the summers and youth CX in the fall!

https://www.frogbikes.com/lightweigh...g-road-67.aspx
https://www.islabikes.com/product/kids-bikes/luath-24/

I cant imagine tossing either of my daughters on a 700c road bike at 8 years old. Between the frame geometry, wheel size, and component sizing...just seems unnecessary when there are incredible options for less money.

Even if 24" frames are too small(questionable at 4'6"), a 650 bike will again give more ideal geometry and overall size. But hey- the bike shop wants to take a 60cm stem and shorten it 1-2 inches so its now a 20mm to 40mm stem. Brilliant idea- go with them for the fitting too.

Cyclist0108

He says the 24" wheels result in something that is currently too small.

With two kids, it makes it easier (assuming the younger one doesn't get pissed off with hand-me-downs, like mine did).

An 8 year old doing 30 mile rides is fairly exceptional. It is probably worth encouraging her with an investment in quality equipment.

If I may be permitted one little bit of parental advice: Let her pick it out.

SashaSolitaire

Absolutely, the fit is the most important aspect. Based on what our LBS had in stock, this is the one with the best fit. Both the options you listed are very interesting. I will look them up and try figuring out her measurements and fit online for these sizes.

SashaSolitaire

Scott

Yes, I am personally thrilled with her enthusiasm, and this is my way of encouraging that drive. She feels bogged down with her current bike, and feels (which I believe) that she can do much better with a more appropriate bicycle. Hence my thoughts about getting her a road bike. I know that she is young, but she is a very good rider, and a mature one too. She came on a 30 mile ride in upstate NY (the Roe Jan Ramble), where most of the ride is on roads (and some where the speed limit was 55MPH). She handled the ride with such aplomb and care that I was bursting with pride. She's very athletic, but does not care about other sports as much as she loves cycling. I will definitely present her with the options the members have presented here, and will let her weigh in too. After all, this will be her bicycle and we want her to be comfortable with any choice she makes.

Cyclist0108

If she could fit a small one of these, this is a great deal:

https://www.rei.com/product/892430/c...es-ard-14-bike

or XS, this is probably comparable to the Fuji:

https://www.rei.com/product/106310/c...2w-womens-bike

SashaSolitaire

Thank you, Scott. The choices are overwhelming :-). And our younger one appreciates all the hand-me-downs. She got her sister's earlier bike to learn on and already has her eyes on the cruiser we are planning to replace.

mstateglfr 

An 8 year old riding 30mi or roads without a second thought or challenge is impressive.
Heck my 6th grade daughter will want to stop a couple times to take breaks on a 30mi paved rail trail ride.

Really cool that she likes cycling and really great that you are in a position to encourage and foster that interest.

Totally an outside perspective here, but a shop that encourages a 4'6" 8 year old to ride a 700c women's road bike is something that I would be skeptical of. And when they suggest swapping a 60cm stem out for something shorter to offset the 1-2" of reach issue, that takes the skepticism and ramps it up big time. Seriously, thats possibly only a 10cm stem if 2" of reach needs to be removed. So that isnt possible. More compact reach bars would help, for what its worth.

Anyways, just really wanted to mention that its cool an 8 year old girl is into cycling this much.

SashaSolitaire

Thanks. As I mentioned, would like to support the LBS, but was a little uncomfortable myself when she could not press the brakes completely. I thought that it could be a learning issue, and she could eventually overcome it with a little practice. And hence my post to the forum. I am a long-time lurker and come by every day. More of an absorber of the collective wisdom here than a contributor. Thanks to you and everyone here for presenting me with so many opinions and options. Have some homework to do now :-)

rms13

Braking is another consideration. My wife is 5'2 and has smaller hands and she can not brake with full power on any brifters with her hands on the hoods. She can brake from drops but she isn't comfortable riding there all of the time. I'm sure your daughter has probably test rode already so this may not be an issue for her but make sure she can get enough leverage to brake at full power from hoods

CliffordK

Shimano has some method to adjust how far the brifters stick out.

With the older ones, there was a wedge that was inserted, I think. The newer ones may do the same with an adjustment screw. Look it up for your model of brakes.

SashaSolitaire

Thanks, RMS, a very valid point and an important one to consider . As I alluded to, she tried one position and could not get to press the brake levers all the way. We will have to make sure that she test rides in all the positions, flat tops, hoods and the drops to ensure that whichever bike she picks and whatever position she is on the handle bars, she can ride safely and come to a safe stop.

79pmooney

(I wrote this early this morning, referring to post #2 . My web connection gets really slow. esp Monday morning.)

My thoughts are a lot like wgscott's. A lot of money for a bike she will outgrow quickly. But if the money is there, wow! (And it sounds like your child is a bicycle prodigy. To want to give her that kind of support, cool.)

I am guessing she is just big enough for this bike now and that you will be able to "stretch" it some with a longer stem and longer, probably more setback seatpost to keep her on it a little longer.

This bike will set her apart from her peers big time. Something to consider. I grew up as a quiet kid who got teased a lot, I was a slower developer than your daughter and while I got my first bike at 7, didn't really get into riding until 6th grade when I discovered that was my escape, my safe place. Summer before 8th grade spent my savings on a Peugeot UO-8 and bikes have been an integral part of my life since.

I see as perhaps the biggest danger that your daughter will move to a different phase in a few years but that you will have trouble accepting that after investing so much in this. (And I mean effort and best intentions more than the money.) She's a kid. Maybe she's supposed to be the next Beryl Burton but the odds are better that right now, this works for her and is fun and in two years she will be into something else and in 4 years, boys. And in 12 years? Who knows. Certainly not 99.9% of the 8 yos out there.

Ben

CliffordK

Another way to look at it is to buy a bike that your younger daughter will grow into in 1 to 2 years.

Thus, buy the 650c bike now, then get the next size up of "adult" bike in 2 years.

SashaSolitaire

Absolutely, Ben. Who knows how children will evolve as time goes by, and what piques their interest? Cycling is my "escape" time too, and she keeps hearing me wax lyrical about my ride time. My boss's 14 year old is her heroine. The 14 year old (now 18) has done Seattle-SFO, Across-USA (Virginia Beach to SFO), and cross-country France/Italy rides during summers since she was 12 years and our daughter wants to emulate her.

I am tending more towards the 650c now, after hearing all the comments on the board. Something she can invest in (a good encouragement for saving up her money) as she progresses and realizes that cycling is her "thing".

SashaSolitaire

Thanks, Clifford. See my response to 79pmooney :-)