Bike under $500

[Anonymous]

Is Guardian a good bike for 22”-24” size bikes? DS already has his first 2 wheeler that he is growing out of. Are there other good companies to look at for a bike that’s not too heavy?

[Anonymous]

Just get one at Walmart or one someone is giving away. They grow out of them quickly.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know enough about bike conditions to buy second hand. We bought the last two bikes from Walmart and Target and they are way too heavy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just get one at Walmart or one someone is giving away. They grow out of them quickly.

Don’t get a Walmart bike if you love your child. Those bikes are heavy, poorly made, and poorly assembled. They are accidents waiting to happen.

Kids do outgrow bikes quickly so it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of money. Instead, buy high quality used bikes from bike shops or FB marketplace. Leave your name with the bike shops that you’re looking for a used kids bike and they’ll call you if someone needs to trade in a kid’s bike. You can also get good deals on new bikes in the Fall.

Good reliable brands include Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, Giant, and REI Co-op brands. Look for an aluminum or alloy frame, it will be lighter. Avoid the gimmicky options like front and rear suspensions or lots of gearing. Your kid is not shifting gears until they get older. These things are non-functional and add weight.

[Anonymous]

Guardian has an odd braking system - it's a single lever that stops both front and back wheels. It stops fast. It's unfortunate you can't try one out in a store because it's not for everyone. In any case, I would want my kid to learn how to operate normal brakes. FWIW, I've seen many Guardian bikes on Buy Nothing. Maybe start there. We got a great Specialized bike for under $500 when it was on sale at Maverick in Leesburg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just get one at Walmart or one someone is giving away. They grow out of them quickly.

Don’t get a Walmart bike if you love your child. Those bikes are heavy, poorly made, and poorly assembled. They are accidents waiting to happen.

Kids do outgrow bikes quickly so it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of money. Instead, buy high quality used bikes from bike shops or FB marketplace. Leave your name with the bike shops that you’re looking for a used kids bike and they’ll call you if someone needs to trade in a kid’s bike. You can also get good deals on new bikes in the Fall.

Good reliable brands include Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, Giant, and REI Co-op brands. Look for an aluminum or alloy frame, it will be lighter. Avoid the gimmicky options like front and rear suspensions or lots of gearing. Your kid is not shifting gears until they get older. These things are non-functional and add weight.

Thanks. We did check Marketplace, REi and used but there isn’t anything in our size and price range. I haven’t left my name but I will do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just get one at Walmart or one someone is giving away. They grow out of them quickly.

Don’t get a Walmart bike if you love your child. Those bikes are heavy, poorly made, and poorly assembled. They are accidents waiting to happen.

Kids do outgrow bikes quickly so it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of money. Instead, buy high quality used bikes from bike shops or FB marketplace. Leave your name with the bike shops that you’re looking for a used kids bike and they’ll call you if someone needs to trade in a kid’s bike. You can also get good deals on new bikes in the Fall.

Good reliable brands include Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, Giant, and REI Co-op brands. Look for an aluminum or alloy frame, it will be lighter. Avoid the gimmicky options like front and rear suspensions or lots of gearing. Your kid is not shifting gears until they get older. These things are non-functional and add weight.

Oh please. No wonder kids are growing up so messed up. I doubt the OP’s kid is going to be entering a triathlon. Unless there’s physically something wrong with the kid, a slightly heavier bike is fine for riding around the neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just get one at Walmart or one someone is giving away. They grow out of them quickly.

Don’t get a Walmart bike if you love your child. Those bikes are heavy, poorly made, and poorly assembled. They are accidents waiting to happen.

Kids do outgrow bikes quickly so it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of money. Instead, buy high quality used bikes from bike shops or FB marketplace. Leave your name with the bike shops that you’re looking for a used kids bike and they’ll call you if someone needs to trade in a kid’s bike. You can also get good deals on new bikes in the Fall.

Good reliable brands include Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, Giant, and REI Co-op brands. Look for an aluminum or alloy frame, it will be lighter. Avoid the gimmicky options like front and rear suspensions or lots of gearing. Your kid is not shifting gears until they get older. These things are non-functional and add weight.

If you love your child? Good lord. I rode a secondhand Walmart bike to work for 3 years before I bought a $600 Trek. My kids don't need the same for a year or two before they grow out of it.

We bought a reasonably cheap used Trek on Facebook marketplace for one kid and put some time and money into fixing it up. The local used bike shop sells the same one for over twice as much. The other kid has a bike my mom got from a friend for $10 that I am sure is Walmart, and frankly more beat up than I would have gone for myself, but it's fine for a preschooler learning to ride.

So there are plenty of options that are under $500.

[Anonymous]

Walmart's fine. Totally adequate bikes like Huffy and BMX for a heck of a lot less than a froo-froo bike they can only use for a year or two before its outgrown. My kids bike a lot around the neighborhood with them. And the cheapness of the bike helps me not be too concerned when they ride through the mud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just get one at Walmart or one someone is giving away. They grow out of them quickly.

This. Cheapest one at Wally World that the kid likes.

BMX style are popular with kids, but once they get tall enough they usually prefer a mountain bike.

[Anonymous]

My garage is filled with bikes I’ve picked up curbside. You can spend any amount you’d like fixing it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just get one at Walmart or one someone is giving away. They grow out of them quickly.

Don’t get a Walmart bike if you love your child. Those bikes are heavy, poorly made, and poorly assembled. They are accidents waiting to happen.

Kids do outgrow bikes quickly so it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of money. Instead, buy high quality used bikes from bike shops or FB marketplace. Leave your name with the bike shops that you’re looking for a used kids bike and they’ll call you if someone needs to trade in a kid’s bike. You can also get good deals on new bikes in the Fall.

Good reliable brands include Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, Giant, and REI Co-op brands. Look for an aluminum or alloy frame, it will be lighter. Avoid the gimmicky options like front and rear suspensions or lots of gearing. Your kid is not shifting gears until they get older. These things are non-functional and add weight.

What? If a kids bike is too heavy for a kid, then there is something medically wrong with the kid and probably shouldn't be on a bike, due to brittle bones and whatnot.

I'm picturing "Mr. Glass" as a kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just get one at Walmart or one someone is giving away. They grow out of them quickly.

Don’t get a Walmart bike if you love your child. Those bikes are heavy, poorly made, and poorly assembled. They are accidents waiting to happen.

Kids do outgrow bikes quickly so it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of money. Instead, buy high quality used bikes from bike shops or FB marketplace. Leave your name with the bike shops that you’re looking for a used kids bike and they’ll call you if someone needs to trade in a kid’s bike. You can also get good deals on new bikes in the Fall.

Good reliable brands include Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, Giant, and REI Co-op brands. Look for an aluminum or alloy frame, it will be lighter. Avoid the gimmicky options like front and rear suspensions or lots of gearing. Your kid is not shifting gears until they get older. These things are non-functional and add weight.

What? If a kids bike is too heavy for a kid, then there is something medically wrong with the kid and probably shouldn't be on a bike, due to brittle bones and whatnot.

I'm picturing "Mr. Glass" as a kid.

I'm not that PP, but we have a heavy Walmart bike and it is such a pain for me to lift when we take the bike in the car somewhere. Can I do it, yes. But it's a pain and awkward to have to maneuver around the garage and car. In my defense, I'm 100 lbs and have a hernia.

[Anonymous]

My kids have been happy on Nishiki mountain bikes from Dicks Sporting Goods. Think they were around $300-$350. Good for tooling around and the occasional adventure race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know enough about bike conditions to buy second hand. We bought the last two bikes from Walmart and Target and they are way too heavy.

I mean, there are millions of kids successfully riding bikes from Walmart and Target, and I imagine their parents love them, even though they didn't get them a Cannondale or Trek bike.