OK 13 year old wants a geared bike with suspension for Christmas. I've got a budget of £300 give or take a few ££.

Been looking at this

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductMobileDisplay?catalogId=10151&storeId=10001&productId=1263121&langId=-1&categoryId=165499

Any good?

Looks good, have you looked in Decathlon, they do some good bikes in there for good prices. 

 http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mountain-bikes/hardtail  try here, always buy mine from Chain reaction cycles, Halfords own brand are not great , CRC have a sale on so you can get a £500 bike for £337 much better quality

I will look at those sites tonight when I'm home from work. I'm leaning towards Halfords simply because they will store it until Christmas and build it as well. I'm not averse to building a bike but would rather not have the hassle near Christmas.

If you order online all you will have to do is straighten the handle bars and put the pedals on. It will be built so to speak. Both my kids have Halfords bikes as the equivalent Treks were way more

Take a look at the Edinburgh Cycles own brand Revolution bikes. Got one for my daughter a year or so ago and have been very impressed with it. Well made ally frame, decent component set and a cracking price

I have the older version of the hellcat. Great bike for what I paid for it, always liked Carrera bikes. When the time comes to change again it will be another Carrera for me and I've never had a issue with my local Halfords either.

I know with kids and bikes that it is all about the image over practicality (Raleigh Choppers??), but where and how will he be riding the bike?

 

A cheap bike with suspension is usually real heavy and the fine print usually still says something like 'not designed to be subjected to any undue stress'.

So while he thinks it is what he wants the reality is that the excessive weight, high drag from the fat, cheap tyres will make riding the bike a real chore for his young muscles.

It is quite probable the experience will turn him off riding a bike for life.

 

The specs for the bike you are looking at says it weighs 15.2 kg. which is really heavy.

 

I have not experienced Halfords for over 30 years but if it is anything like I remember  then we have similar shops here and I always seem to end up at friends places who have bought similar, fettling the bikes and adjusting over-tightened bearings so they turn with reasonably smoothness.

 

If you can get to a proper bike shop with your son then you might end paying a bit more, but you should get better advice, it will be correctly sized, you will be able to see what your money buys you. Simple test is to compare weights by lifting it, or better still let your son try lifting it and he will be party to the selection process and perhaps appreciate it more?

A good bike that has been looked after will even have some resale value when he outgrows it?

 

Went through it all myself years back with my kids and bmx was all the rage.

 

It would be good if the shop allows you son to ride and compare bikes with and without suspension, he would be much better off without it in the price bracket you are looking at.

 

Good luck with it all, more complicated and fraught than buying a new car

Edited 12 November, 20169 yr by Gerrycan