[Amom]

I am trying to figure out which bike to buy for my huge almost 4 year old. He flies through the regular BMX park course on his Strider (I have no idea how with those Eva wheels), and will take it on any trail we let him, over rocks, roots, etc. Jumps don't phase him and falling due to lack of traction doesn't bother him. We bought the extra long seatpost but he looks pretty big on it. Realistically, he is just ready for a real big boy bike...

So I know nothing about bikes. I am a mom who never learned to ride as a kid. My husband is willing to buy a good bike if I can pick one. We are relocating to an area that happens to have amazing mountain biking, lift served trails, and bike parks. I think my son, given his current love for the bike and personality, will only get more into it. I want him on something relatively safe and high quality that will keep up with him... And not too heavy in case I get stuck carrying it.

So I am eyeing...

The Spawn Banshee
Spawn Cycles Banshee | Spawn Cycles - Born to Ride

and

The Cleary Bikes Hedgehog
Hedgehog - Super Cream - 16" Singlespeed Bike | Cleary Bikes

The hedgehog is 2 pounds more but is about $100 cheaper and is made in the US. There seems to be a lot of love from people for the banshee but all I have seen on Cleary is an article, I think it was on bikerumor SOC14: Well Engineered Bikes for Children From Cleary. I would prefer the Hedgehog be a different color, but function is more important.

My worry is that my son might outgrow this bike in a year. He is already 43" tall. How long (tall) can or should a kid ride the banshee or a 16" bike in general? Does the Hedgehog look like a bike that can handle a real trail if the rider has the skills?

Am I even considering the right questions? I don't even know what to ask.

Thanks for any help. Even general comments on the bike specs would be helpful. I will be taking biking and mountain biking lessons at a LBS after we get settled in. Maybe I have a shot with keeping up with him someday!

 

[evandy]

Hmmm, the Cleary bike looks interesting! Based on what I see on their website, however, they're a new company and won't be shipping until August for the Hedgehog... are you comfortable waiting that long? Also, I would recommend contacting them to find out if that rear wheel has a coaster brake. I can see front/rear levers, so hopefully you're good, but most kids bikes are required, by law, to be sold with a coaster in the US (ugh).

Regarding the Banshee... we're on our second Spawn bike now (A Gremlin/Furi, passed down to daughter #2 and replaced with a Banshee for daughter #1). They are absolutely fantastic bikes, and have been great for our girls... who are very SMALL for their age (5-10% in height). The 4.5 year old is just big enough for the banshee... sounds like that won't be an issue for your son, though!

If he's coming off a strider, I think you're likely to be fine on a 16" bike for a while... and you don't want him struggling with something way too big for him as he's learning. One of the nice things about the good kids bikes is that they hold their resale value pretty well... when he does outgrow it, you should be able to sell it on.

 

[Amom]

August is a bit longer than I wanted to wait. I was hoping July.

My son is over 95% for height and might be made of lead. . I just don't want to something that is already too small I guess. If I can resell it after then it isn't so bad. Jumping from a 12" to a 16" is already a lot... Along with figuring out breaks and pedals.

I am leaning Spawn because it seems to have a pretty good reputation and Cleary is so new.

 

[Amom]

Ok. I have thought about it and I really want to get it in June and not later than July, so that means a Banshee will probably be coming to live in our new home (assuming I can figure out if resale value is ok). Would still love to figure out the maximum height that it fits, but I think it looks like a good bike.

Anything that makes me feel better about spending this much would also be welcome.

...and a huge thanks to evandy for the great points that pretty much made this decision for me. I wou rather a bike that is a little too small to learn on that something too big that make him hate it! I also don't want a coaster brake because he stands on the strider footrests to coast downhill and I think a coaster brake might teach bad habits that won't help for his next bike. I don't know from personal experience, but coaster brake just doesn't seem like a good idea.

 

[BullSCit]

I would seriously think about getting a 20" biked instead, as the 16" bike will be small soon. I wrote the original Spawn Banshee review a couple years ago, and I love that bike, and am about ready for my son to start riding it (he is 3.5 and about 41" tall). But when my daughter was probably around 44-45", I started her on her current 20" wheeled bike. It was big for her, but she really wanted to ride her new big girl bike with gears.

I have to thoroughly applaud Spawn's efforts to get a freewheel and 2 v-brakes onto a small bike (my son right now rides the Spawn 14" wheel bike), but adding gears to the bike is just a big of a deal too. So if I was in your shoes, I would buy the 20" wheeled bike. It may be big at first (especially coming from a Stider), but he will get used to it. You also have to figure, your son could grow a couple inches this summer.

It won't be bad for him to be on the 16", but it has a ceiling in terms of performance and size. If you are wanting to do trails and not have to get off every hill to give him a push or having to go really slow on downhills because they are spinning out, go with the 20". I know the second my son is big enough to ride the 20" bike, he'll be on it.

 

[Amom]

Thanks so much for the reply. Hmm... if he grows a couple inches this summer, which he probably will, that could be an issue. He is already over 43". The embarrassing thing is that since I don't know how to ride, I don't know how to teach him him how to use gears... I hope my LBS classes get me there soon. I really should have learned a long time ago.

This kid seriously wants a big boy bike and has really wanted one since last fall. I think he will ride anything we give him. How bad is it to try something too big?

I wonder how different in terms of distance to the ground the Banshee and 20" are. 20 just seems so big, especially coming from a 12" strider.

 

[Amom]

How heavy is the 20" in real life?

 

[BullSCit]

The only fear of having too big of wheels and the bike being a little taller is what happens when they come to a stop and can't get their feet down in time, something your son had no problem with at all on the Strider. The other problem is that not all 20" wheeled bikes are the same size. So you may want to try and find one that is on the smaller side. I'm not sure which brand makes a smaller bike, but my daughter rides a Specialized Hard Rock now (they didn't have the Spawn 20" bikes when I bought it), and it was a little smaller than the Gary Fisher Pre-Caliber 20" wheeled bike we borrowed from a neighbor. So might be best to go to the local bike shops and see which one fits him best. Maybe someone with a Spawn can chirp in on it's sizing, as it looks to bes a good bike.

My daughter picked up gears pretty quickly. Especially with a 1x10 system, so she didn't have to worry about shifting up front. Just have to let them feel what is spinning too fast or too slow with their legs, and what to do to make it better.

Where you are moving to, sounds like where I live (Park City, UT), with great trails, ski resorts bike systems and several bike parks, and there are several places that you can get lessons, so I am sure you location will too.

 

[BullSCit]

How heavy is the 20" in real life?

The Specialized bike we got her was heavily modified by the original owner, and then I modified it even more, so our bike is not a good judge of weight for a 20" bike. We ride a lot (3-4 times a week), and then my son will use it after my daughter has outgrown it and then my brother's son will be after that, and my other brother's daughter after that, so I have somewhat used that to justify spending around a grand on the bike.

 

[Amom]

Where you are moving to, sounds like where I live (Park City, UT), with great trails, ski resorts bike systems and several bike parks, and there are several places that you can get lessons, so I am sure you location will too.

You are making me feel a lot better about the 20". He is eating way more than usual this week, so I think another growth spurt is coming too...

Worse comes to worse, if he needs help with the gears, I am sure I can find someone nearby who has a better idea how to help than I do.

Thanks so much for all of the help. Maybe this time next year I will be able to ride as well as my then-4 year old. A girl can dream, plus I am highly motivated.

 

[Amom]

Can anyone with a Spawn Savage weigh in on whether it is on the bigger or smaller side for a 20" bike? The website says it is 20 pounds.

 

[evandy]

I can't speak to the 16" vs 20" side... my girls aren't NEAR ready for that transition yet... I would think that at 20" you start having a lot more options (especially used). You note you are moving somewhere with lots of biking; check out craigslist and see if there are some 20" bikes that might do. If they're too big, then you know you need the 16, and have a 20" ready to go. If not, then you have a bike for your son.

 

[IdahoLee]

I actually disagree strongly with suggestions about getting the 20" bike for a kid this young. It is a huge mistake that will set your kid's riding ability back quite a bit.

Here is a post that I wrote that gives my reasons why. I figured that I would start another thread so that I was not completely derailing your thread.

How to buy a bike for your kid.

 

[Amom]

Very helpful new thread. Thanks!

 

[IdahoLee]

I will be curious to see what you end up with.

 

[Amom]

I am changing my mind a lot today but I am leaning towards buying a Banshee, even if he only gets a year out of it, and then getting him the next bike when he is ready for it... Whether that is a Savage or other bike I will know better then. He is really big so a Banshee will fit him no problem and I hope I can resell it when the time comes without too much loss. I do like the simplicity of the Cleary Bikes, that they are made in the US, and the price point... But I don't want to make him wait until August for a bike when I should really have bought one last year when he was happy cruising the pump track as 2 year old.

I have consistently found the Pitboss tempting, but it has skinnier wheels, which I think might be an issue when he goes on trails with my husband. Maybe it doesn't matter so much at this age...?

Besides the Banshee is a great bike. I won't be able to keep up with him anyway. By the time he gets the next one, I will have a better shot at keeping up with him and I will be more informed.

 

[IdahoLee]

The skinny wheels matter less when you are little. You can also easily replace them if you need. The Pitboss is a really nice bike, and the lightest on the list. Considered the best non-mini BMX training bike out there by many. Also, don't let the single brake scare you. That brake goes a long way for little kids. Can't go wrong with any of the ones on that list though.

 

[evandy]

You could always check out islabikes... They have a coaster, but otherwise look pretty awesome.

 

[Amom]

The islabikes look nice but I see more trails, rocks, and roots in our future. He is a kid who likes to jump and I doubt that will go away. Seems like the islabikes are more for touring, but I don't really know.

It is solidly between the Spawn and Pitboss. I think the Spawn Banshee might have the edge for now.

 

[evandy]

You'll not see me arguing too hard against the Spawn bikes... They're awesome and I have two for my girls. Just wanted to point out some other options.