Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am planning to give a bicycle to my daughter on her 9th birthday next month. She had one of the Barbie Costco bikes when she was 4 years old but never quite learnt bicycling since the bike with training wheels were quite wobbly. But I am sure that she will get the hang of bicycling soon if she tries it now.
I want to make sure that I do not make the same mistake of getting a WalMart / Costco bike that is new but not of good quality. I want to get a used well maintained bike of good quality for the same money. I expect it to last 4 years or so. I am not even sure how much I should spend. Maybe $200.
I would like your opinions on which specialty bike shops I should approach in order to buy that bike. What brand of bike should I get. I am In Greenville on the East side but can visit Spartanburg if need to. I am a bit leery of Craigslist
Lucky Bike on Poinsett Hwy - they refurbish "Bike Shop Quality" bikes. They don't have many of the smaller child bicycles, but they would probably have something for her age bracket. It might be worth calling first.
I was in the same situation as you about a year ago (needed a quality bike for my young daughter) - unfortunately, most local bike shops in the Upstate do not sell used bikes - you might be able to get an "end of the model year" discount on a new bike. My preferred LBS is Great Escape - the customer service is outstanding.
I browsed Craigslist for months until someone happened to be selling a gently used Gary Fisher kids bike - it was perfect and the price was fantastic (only $80) - though I did have to drive to Spartanburg to get it.
Lucky Bike on Poinsett Hwy - they refurbish "Bike Shop Quality" bikes. They don't have many of the smaller child bicycles, but they would probably have something for her age bracket. It might be worth calling first.
I was in the same situation as you about a year ago (needed a quality bike for my young daughter) - unfortunately, most local bike shops in the Upstate do not sell used bikes - you might be able to get an "end of the model year" discount on a new bike. My preferred LBS is Great Escape - the customer service is outstanding.
I browsed Craigslist for months until someone happened to be selling a gently used Gary Fisher kids bike - it was perfect and the price was fantastic (only $80) - though I did have to drive to Spartanburg to get it.
I highly recommend Craigslist.
I might just pop in to Great Escape. I used to remember it when it was a 5 and 10 cent Woolworth shop.
I am quite clueless on what bike I should get. What are the good brand names to get in children as well as adult categories. What is the minimum I should expect to spend for quality used bikes that will last a long time but not overspending on bikes.
I will look at Craigslist but want to make sure that I know what to look for. Any education would be useful.
You say that you want to get a bike for a 9 yr. old girl to learn on. And expect it to FIT her for four years?
That is asking for a lot. I raised four and was able to pass the learner bike down. The bike lived it just got too small real
quick.
Check out Gusto Cycles on Wade Hampton. They're across from the Greer Target. We bought a bike for our 8 year old daughter there. We were also looking to spend about $200, but we ended up buying her a brand new one at Gusto for $300. The brand is Haro. It is a very nice, solid, well made bike. We also went to Great Escape and Sunshine Cycle Shop. Gusto just had the best bike for the price we were willing to spend, and they were able to order a color she wanted. They were extremely helpful. Throughout our search, we also discovered she needed a bigger bike than what we originally thought. Hers will last her for quite a while, and it's holding up so well I imagine she'll be able to pass it down to her sister. Good luck with your search!
I might just pop in to Great Escape. I used to remember it when it was a 5 and 10 cent Woolworth shop.
At least go in and talk to them, they will help you find what you might be looking for, and you will have a starting point. I will second that their customer service is outstanding! My wife and I both bought trek 7 speed beach cruisers over a year ago and love them. I bought a floor model so it was a bit less, but I think it was $3-400. the other thing I like about them is they offer free "tune ups" for a year
I would suggest visiting more than one of the local bike shops. You will pick up a lot of information from each shop. We did purchase our bikes from Ride On on Woodruff Road, but we visited Great Escape, Sunshine, Gusto, and Carolina Triathlon. We learned a lot about many different brands of bikes, plus had the chance to see what each shop offered.
As for teaching a 9-year-old, I would suggest going to a place with a slope, taking the pedals off, lowering the seat, and letting her coast down the slope. This will teach her how to balance the bike with her body, and make learning to ride much easier.
I am planning to give a bicycle to my daughter on her 9th birthday next month. She had one of the Barbie Costco bikes when she was 4 years old but never quite learnt bicycling since the bike with training wheels were quite wobbly. But I am sure that she will get the hang of bicycling soon if she tries it now.
I want to make sure that I do not make the same mistake of getting a WalMart / Costco bike that is new but not of good quality. I want to get a used well maintained bike of good quality for the same money. I expect it to last 4 years or so. I am not even sure how much I should spend. Maybe $200.
I would like your opinions on which specialty bike shops I should approach in order to buy that bike. What brand of bike should I get. I am In Greenville on the East side but can visit Spartanburg if need to. I am a bit leery of Craigslist
Here in Lincoln, Nebraska bicycle theft is a huge problem. A lot of the bikes are stolen and left abandoned in another section of the city. Most of them that are recovered end up selling at an Auction conducted monthly by our police department. I suspect most cities over 50,000 population have similar programs. If you don't get carried away in a bidding war it is possible to get some nice bikes.
GL2
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
