Bike for a new secondary school student

[TFP_SA]

Low to mid priced bike for a new secondary school student - daily commute of about 1 mile.
I wondered if anyone had any ideas on this? He has a 1 mile daily commute. Might use it for a few other local journeys of similar distance. All on road or path, maybe some of them a little bit muddy in winter.

I quite liked the idea of buying Halfords Carerra mountain or hybrid bike, but they're at least £300 brand new [I don't have sufficient mechanical expertise to trust myself buying secondhand] which I thought a bit steep... he's 5'3" [aged 11 and a half], I tried him on a medium [adult] framed bike, it was too big really, even with the seat all the way down, but I'm loathe to spend the above on a small sized one which, I thought, he might grow out of within a couple of years? I wasn't keen on the look of the cheaper 'Apollo' brand. I appreciate that other brands and shops exist though we do live a few hundred metres from a Halfords.

Thanks

 

[vickster]

Decathlon have pretty cheap bikes. Apollo bikes are fine for this sort of use, friend of mine has done many hundreds of miles on hers with minimal maintenance, including 60 miles London to Brighton
For a 1 mile commute, and no other use, I’m not sure I’d bother..can he walk?
Or find a £50 used rigid fork vintage mountain bike and have it serviced by a bike shop? Won’t lose any value when he grows out of it.

 

[mustang1]

I think it's important to get the right size bike even if you have to sell it after a short time. It's not just for comfort but safety as well.

If I had to be brand new and Halfords, then I reckon it has to be Carrera. BUT if your boy is only keeping it for a couple of years then Apollo might prove to be ok? I just saw this other brand on Halfords: Indi. That's £140.

But really, if you can stretch to Carrera then that's a great choice. Or do what Vickster mentioned above and go pre-owned and get a bike shop service.

Unfortunately bikes are just expensive these days.

 

[MichaelW2]

You should equip the daily commuter with bolt on mudguards and rack, so look for a bike with threaded eyelets. Other kit includes lights , lock and some good kevlar banded tyres for extra protection. The commuter standard of Schwalbe Marathon are hard to beat. The Marathon Plus may be too much.

I can usually pickup a classic steel, non suspension MTB from a decent brand at the car boot sale for £50.
Budget bike from reputable shops :
Freespirit Tracker 26 Inch Wheel Rigid Mountain Bike

 

[TFP_SA]

I think it's important to get the right size bike even if you have to sell it after a short time. It's not just for comfort but safety as well.

If I had to be brand new and Halfords, then I reckon it has to be Carrera. BUT if your boy is only keeping it for a couple of years then Apollo might prove to be ok? I just saw this other brand on Halfords: Indi. That's £140.

But really, if you can stretch to Carrera then that's a great choice. Or do what Vickster mentioned above and go pre-owned and get a bike shop service.

Unfortunately bikes are just expensive these days.

Thanks. If I were to get him a 'small' framed adult bike, do you think he'd be able to sensibly ride it at 6' plus, for the above short commute? He looks to be on track to reach a fair height. I could stomach coughing up say £300+ for a 5- or 7-year bike, even if he didn't end up riding it much.

He's currently riding the bike I got him for his 8th birthday, hardly ridden in part due to Covid, I wonder if he might start to feel a bit embarrassed by it soon [no sign as yet].

 

[Sharky]

For a 1 mile commute, and no other use, I’m not sure I’d bother..can he walk?

My thoughts as well. When I was at secondary, I had a 1 mile walk that took me 15mins and when I was running late, I ran and got there in less than 10 mins. Also mention, that from the age of 10, I was a very keen cyclist, but even I could not justify cycling to work and leaving my precious, to me, bike in the rusty old bike sheds.

But get him a bike for non school usage.

 

[fossyant]

Probably much less faff to walk the mile - takes what, 20 minutes, 15 if you get a move on.

My son's had a Carrera Vengeance MTB since 10/11 - went for a small adult's at age 11/12 and it still fits him fine now - he's 21. It all still works, but Dad looks after it. Very rarely used now though - car mad.

 

[PaulSB]

I agree walking is a much better solution. A bike for one mile will be more of a hindrance than a help. What happens on the days he has extra stuff to carry in? No 11 year old is going to want a rack. Probably wouldn't want mudguards etc. either. In bad weather he's more exposed to the elements on a bike than walking.

The #1 point against a bike though is give him a fortnight and he'll want to saunter along the road with his new mates.

Save yourself money, maintenance time and grief.

 

[TFP_SA]

Thanks very much, this body of reply has really exceeded my expectations.

I think I've left it long enough to establish that he's rarely if ever going to have to carry *too* much into school - apparently all textbooks are shared resources, kept behind in the classrooms.

I completely agree that he won't always want to ride [though I think he might often - the route isn't one that many other kids take, with no stopping-off points of any interest], and point taken re: the weather... but set against this: (a) my wife is obsessed with buying things and really got it into her head that this is something he needs; and (b) this is actually a delayed birthday present from his birthday back in May [2022, thankfully] when I promised him a bike for school.

Really the Apollo [or any old japoly, really] would be more than adequate, I'm sure - we'd just be paying the extra for a little bit more comfort and possibly snob value.

 

[mustang1]

Thanks. If I were to get him a 'small' framed adult bike, do you think he'd be able to sensibly ride it at 6' plus, for the above short commute? He looks to be on track to reach a fair height. I could stomach coughing up say £300+ for a 5- or 7-year bike, even if he didn't end up riding it much.

He's currently riding the bike I got him for his 8th birthday, hardly ridden in part due to Covid, I wonder if he might start to feel a bit embarrassed by it soon [no sign as yet].

Bike sizing is a really personal thing and I'm very particular about it so I don't want to give any advise that could be wrong There's a bike size guide/calculator on Halfords though; it may give you an indication? But nothing beats actually test riding a bike though.

I agree with the others wrt it being a 1 mile commute and walking would be better. A bike could prove to be too much hassle but then I read your other post about a delayed birthday present and something like your wife would like for it to be purchased too.

A bit of a pickle this one isn't it?

 

[TFP_SA]

I just checked, it’s actually 1.4 miles on foot, 31 minutes on foot according to Google maps.

 

[cyberknight]

Another vote for walking,my eldest meets a mate on the way

 

[All uphill]

Apologies to people who have read my usual reply before.

Is there a bicycle recycling project near you?

If so they may sell you a repaired and guaranteed used bike for your son for around £100.

Our local project runs a scheme where people can attend regularly to do up a bike, and when it is completed they can keep it. Brilliant!

 

[wafter]

FWIW I'd be looking at used hybrids and either biting the bullet to inspect / maintain it yourself or trying to find someone independent locally to do it for you.

Unfortunately bikes are sodding expensive and money is evidently a significant concern (as it is for many of us). You mention £300 as being pricey but tbh given today's market I'm surprised you can even get anything worth having for that money new.

Bottom line is something decent is going to cost you and he's likely to grow out of it fairly quickly. Used bikes are typically a lot cheaper than new and the market's seeing a bit of a slump currently..

My money would be on something unpretentious and basic - a used hybrid of some description; probably ally as all the budget stuff is. See how he gets on with it, use it as a learning experience and sell it on for close to what you paid for it if he grows out of it / wants something better / doesn't get on with it.

I reckon the sort of stuff you're looking at new for £300 could probably be had for less than a ton if you keep an eye on the usual places.

A few after a quick trawl on FB muppetplace:

Apollo Envoy for £80
Ridgeback velocity for £100
A decent looking Carrera for £100
Giant CRS for £100
A no-name, matt-black roadi-ish offering with budget Stis for £80
Specialized Vita for £150 (maybe ladies but not obviously so)
A Boardman Team for £220

 

[Reynard]

+1 for looking at a used rigid steel MTB - @All uphill has suggested a good place to start looking.

Kids trash other kids' stuff (DAMHIKT) and nice things are usually a good target to be ruined / disassembled / nicked etc. If the bike looks square rather than cool, it'll be left alone - basically, anything without suspension.

The important bit is not how it looks, but whether it's in good mechanical order.

Mightn't a decent folding scooter be a better bet? A sort of halfway house as it were? And then it can be folded down and stuffed in his locker, rather than leaving a bike to the vagaries of whatever storage might be available.