Daily Rider on H Street NE! This is the kind of bike they sell. Well. those and the crazy, elongated bikes that seat a whole family of five. They are helpful and nice and have a great service department.

OK, so what's a beach bike?

If your child lives in hilly place, she will need to change speeds.

I highly recommend the Specialized brand of bikes.
They are lighter than others of comparable price but are solidly built, and have speeds. You can go to the bike shop off the Crescent trail and Connecticut, they're very good and she will be able to try out bikes on the trail.

Do not buy her a beach cruiser to ride in a hilly neighborhood. That makes absolutely no sense.

Cruisers are hard to ride. A mountain bike seems like a better fit. My sister-in-law insisted on getting cruisers for her girls because she liked their style. I am not entirely surprised that her girls do not like riding their bikes very often because it's hard to ride to a Cruiser.

Anonymous wrote:We bought our son an Electra from Spokes. They have 24 in models.

Did they have 7 speed?

We bought our son an Electra from Spokes. They have 24 in models.

we've bought from here and have been happy. We couldn't find a 24 inch 7 speed local. Most cruisers were 26 and too big

http://www.bikebuyers.com/rover247splady-photos.htm

CityBikes in Chevy Chase MD has a lot of beach cruisers in stock. Incl in aqua Which is exactly what I had as a teen!

Here are the cruisers from Spokes, Etc. http://spokesetc.com/m/product-list/bikes-1000/?rb_ct=1021 They have great customer service.

That style of bike is called a cruiser. All the bike shops in the Arlington area carry them. I'm sure they have them near you too. Just call and ask about cruisers.

OP, I would like to try the bike in the shop, but having trouble finding a shop that sells this kind of bike! any recs?

Don't order a bike online unless you know what you're doing.

Go to a reputable bike shop near you (NOT! NOT! NOT! a Sports Authority or a WalMart or whatever) and talk to them about the best bike for your daughter. Have her try a few bikes out, get advice about sizing and the best bike for her purposes.

Yes, you'll pay extra, but you'll get a better bike that's more suited to her riding style, which means a bike that'll actually get ridden instead of left in the corner of the garage gathering dust. Plus most bike shops offer a free initial tuneup, as well as a relationship for the life of the bike for future tuneups, repairs, etc.

thanks for the post. I need to get my son a bike. I love the look of the sixthreezero bikes, and the prices are reasonable, reviews are great. it looks like you order them online, so not sure how you'd check out the ride first.

OP here . . .

anyone have any experience with sixthreezero or critical cycles?

http://www.sixthreezero.com/pages/evryjourney

https://www.criticalcycles.com/collections/city-bikes/products/beaumont-7-speed-step-thru-city-bike?variant=15299986692

We're buying our 12 yr old DD a new bike for her birthday. She wants an aqua beach bike. We want to buy a good bike that will last her for at least a few years. We live in a very hilly neighborhood and so the bike shouldn't be too heavy (no actual riding on the beach anticipated . . .)

We want her to be able to try the bike & ensure a good fit. Where to go? Prefer Lower MoCo/NW but will travel farther afield if necessary . . .