First bike?

lauren&matt

DD's big Christmas gift will be a "real" bike. (*sob* I can't believe she's nearly old enough for a bicycle!!) Is there a preferred brand... or one that stands out over the others? I wouldn't mind buying a decent bike as little sister will surely use it as well. 

I'm eyeing this one

https://www.amazon.com/Huffy-12-Inch-Princess-Shimmer-Glitter/dp/B006WZBH9U/ref=sr_1_1?s=cycling&ie=UTF8&qid=1347764322&sr=1-1&keywords=bicycle

Thanks! 

ldcoffel

We got one similar for DD at for her 3rd bday. It's a really good size and we've had no problems.

 https://www.amazon.com/Huffy-10-inch-Bike-Cinderella/dp/B0070A7M8G/ref=sr_1_9?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1347820190&sr=1-9&keywords=Huffy+12+in+princess

AgrippaRidesAgain

Unless your DD is really, really short, I'd look at 16 inch bikes.  DS is in the 30th percentile for height and fit on a 16 inch bike with no problems when we got him his for his 4th birthday.  Remember that they shouldn't be able to touch the ground when they're sitting on the seat.  It's the ability to straddle the frame that you look for.

This is an awesome price for the girl's version of what we got DS:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Specialized-Hotrock-16-Girls-Bike-/300778060239?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4607c4f9cf

It's an aluminum frame, so it's significantly lighter than most of the bikes you'll find in a toy store (made from steel).  DS went from a Strider balance bike (7 lbs) to his big bike, so we wanted to make sure that he wouldn't be overwhelmed by the weight, since he himself is only 33 lbs.  A lot of the steel bikes can be nearly 25 lbs.

lauren&matt

AgrippaRidesAgain:

Unless your DD is really, really short, I'd look at 16 inch bikes.  DS is in the 30th percentile for height and fit on a 16 inch bike with no problems when we got him his for his 4th birthday.  Remember that they shouldn't be able to touch the ground when they're sitting on the seat.  It's the ability to straddle the frame that you look for.

This is an awesome price for the girl's version of what we got DS:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Specialized-Hotrock-16-Girls-Bike-/300778060239?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4607c4f9cf

It's an aluminum frame, so it's significantly lighter than most of the bikes you'll find in a toy store (made from steel).  DS went from a Strider balance bike (7 lbs) to his big bike, so we wanted to make sure that he wouldn't be overwhelmed by the weight, since he himself is only 33 lbs.  A lot of the steel bikes can be nearly 25 lbs.

Thanks for your input! She weighs just 32 lbs and is 40" tall.  She is also coming from a Strider Balance Bike.... I'll look into this one, thanks!!

I was wondering about size. 16" might be perfect!!

lmdbww

lauren&matt:

AgrippaRidesAgain:

Unless your DD is really, really short, I'd look at 16 inch bikes.  DS is in the 30th percentile for height and fit on a 16 inch bike with no problems when we got him his for his 4th birthday.  Remember that they shouldn't be able to touch the ground when they're sitting on the seat.  It's the ability to straddle the frame that you look for.

This is an awesome price for the girl's version of what we got DS:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Specialized-Hotrock-16-Girls-Bike-/300778060239?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4607c4f9cf

It's an aluminum frame, so it's significantly lighter than most of the bikes you'll find in a toy store (made from steel).  DS went from a Strider balance bike (7 lbs) to his big bike, so we wanted to make sure that he wouldn't be overwhelmed by the weight, since he himself is only 33 lbs.  A lot of the steel bikes can be nearly 25 lbs.

Thanks for your input! She weighs just 32 lbs and is 40" tall.  She is also coming from a Strider Balance Bike.... I'll look into this one, thanks!!

I was wondering about size. 16" might be perfect!!

This is interesting because we had DD measured for one for her 4th birthday (she was about 30 lbs and 38") and she still measured into a 12".  A 14" was too heavy to pedal for her and a 16 was just way to big.

Kelli7025

lauren&matt:

AgrippaRidesAgain:

Unless your DD is really, really short, I'd look at 16 inch bikes.  DS is in the 30th percentile for height and fit on a 16 inch bike with no problems when we got him his for his 4th birthday.  Remember that they shouldn't be able to touch the ground when they're sitting on the seat.  It's the ability to straddle the frame that you look for.

This is an awesome price for the girl's version of what we got DS:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Specialized-Hotrock-16-Girls-Bike-/300778060239?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4607c4f9cf

It's an aluminum frame, so it's significantly lighter than most of the bikes you'll find in a toy store (made from steel).  DS went from a Strider balance bike (7 lbs) to his big bike, so we wanted to make sure that he wouldn't be overwhelmed by the weight, since he himself is only 33 lbs.  A lot of the steel bikes can be nearly 25 lbs.

Thanks for your input! She weighs just 32 lbs and is 40" tall.  She is also coming from a Strider Balance Bike.... I'll look into this one, thanks!!

I was wondering about size. 16" might be perfect!!

 Strider bikes are probably the greatest thing ever, but don't make the mistake of keeping the training wheels on the new bike. I am a nanny for 2 kids (5 and 3 years old) and they both had Striders and transitioned to regular 2 wheel bikes at the same time. The 3 year old was dead set on no training wheels and he literally learned how to ride and pedal in 1 day. It was easy and painless. The 5 year old would not even sit on her bike without the training wheels, but all that did was cancel out all the balance practice she had on the Strider. She had a hard time transitioning to riding without training wheels. 

My other recommendation is if your DD has a hard time getting used to her new bike, just take the pedals off for a few days so she can get used to the feel of a new bike while still balancing and riding like its her Strider.