Should You Buy A Kids’ Bicycle Online Or In-Store?

Buying a bike for your child can be a rite of passage, a special treat, and really, just a ton of fun. Now, there are more places to purchase a bike for your child than ever before. 

You can find a bicycle at mass-market stores, bike shops, or sporting goods stores- and those are just the brick-and-mortar options. E-commerce has opened up a whole new world of bike-buying possibilities.

Which do you choose? Do you head to a mass-market store, visit your local bike shop, or do you start browsing from the comfort of your couch and buy bicycles online?

This guide will take you through the ups and downs of buying a bike online or in-store, so you can find the best bike for your child. 

Pros:

• Price – Buying a bike is certainly an investment in your child’s play, health, and happiness. Typically, between $60 and $130, mass-market stores offer the lowest prices for kids’ bikes. 
  

Cons:

• Quality – Because there’s such a high demand for bikes from mass-market stores, manufacturers have to play a high volume/low-cost game. To keep prices low and produce bikes in mass for retailers, bike companies take quality shortcuts to make bicycles cheaply as possible. 
  
  
• Poor Design – To reduce the costs of productions, mass-market bike manufacturers tend to cut corners on two key aspects of a bike—design and materials. This leads to bikes that are far too heavy for your child to manage and a ride that’s clunky and unenjoyable.
  
  
• Not Well Assembled –  Most bikes sold from big-name retailers are poorly assembled and will often fail a basic bike inspection. In most cases, these bikes are assembled by untrained personnel who rarely use the proper tools, leading to unsafe setup. 
  
  
• Safety – Typically, mass-market bike manufacturers don’t invest in their R&D departments for children’s bikes. That means safety innovation is a low priority. Apply that approach to the car industry—there wouldn’t be life-saving features like airbags, seatbelts, or even windshield wipers in every vehicle.
  
  
• No Guidance – When you arrive at the bike aisle in a mass-market store, you may be overwhelmed. There are so many kinds, shapes, and sizes of bikes, making it hard to determine which is right for your child. Mass-market stores don’t employ bike specialists. There’s no one in the aisle that can authoritatively explain why one bike is better than another, recommend features, or to help you with sizing.  

Going to a Bike Shop for Your Child’s New Bike

Your neighborhood bike shop may be the hub for your community’s cycling enthusiasts that can educate you on every bike in the shop. However, bike shops today have limited options for kids’ bikes and even less knowledge on the ones not sold in their store.

Pros: 

• A Well-Trained Staff – Bike shops pride themselves on knowing their products inside-and-out. When you talk to a staff member, they’re deeply familiar with the shop’s bikes and each brand.
  
  
• Quality – One of the most distinguishing factors between independent bike shops and mass-market stores? Quality. A bike store is well-stocked on bicycles that are built from premium materials. That does put the price range higher, at about $200-$400, but you’re certainly getting your money’s worth.   

Cons:

• Limited Selection – Independent bike shops tend to be on the smaller side. This forces a bike business to be more selective about which bikes or bike parts they stock. That leaves less room for variety, especially when it comes to kids’ bikes.
  
  
• Overly Specialized Staff – The staff at local bike shops certainly know their stuff about bikes, but they enjoy selling high-end models for the sake of the sport. That’s why sometimes, a too-knowledgeable bike shop staff can be intimidating and lead to confusion for parents. 

Purchasing a Kids Bike Online

To find the best place to buy bikes online for your child, you need to find a retailer with extensive knowledge about kids’ bikes, prioritizes safety and fun, and can help answer all your questions about finding the perfect bike. You’ll find all of those things at Guardian Bikes!

• Kids’ Bike Experts Always at Hand – When you’re choosing a bike for your child, you may have questions about size, design, and riding style, specific to your child’s age and experience. Guardian Bike’s team of sales associates are thoroughly trained in every aspect of safety and design. At Guardian Bikes, we make sure that your purchase experience is excellent from start to finish through our online shop.
  
  
• Test Rides Made Easy – One of the appeals of an in-person bike experience? The test ride. Now imagine if that test ride came to you.
  
  Here’s how it’s done at Guardian Bikes:
  

1. The bike is delivered right to your door in just a few days after purchase.
2. Your child can ride the bike for up to 100 days.
3. If it’s not the perfect fit, you can get your money back and donate your bike to a local charity or child in need. This non-traditional return process, our Guardian Gives program, was established because we believe every child deserves a safe bike.

• Each Guardian Bike comes with our patented SureStop Brake System. The SureStop Brake System reduces stopping distance and helps to prevent bike accidents, including head-over-handlebar falls and front-wheel skidding completely. This patented hand brake system is also safer than the typical coaster brake.
  
  
• Kids’ bikes should be built for kids! That means a lightweight frame, high-quality materials for a smooth, fun, and safe ride. This should leave you with peace of mind knowing that your children’s bike is safe from the brakes to the handlebars and everything in between! 

A Better Bike and A Safer Ride with Guardian Bikes

Bikes are a childhood essential, but so is safety. That’s why every Guardian Bike is designed to prevent accidents and injuries, and also for fun. Parents can rest easy, while their children have tons of fun. Learn more today about how Guardian Bikes can help you find your child’s new favorite bike!

Sources: Broudy, Berne. “5 Things You Should Know Before Buying a Walmart Bike.” Bicycling, 14 Mar. 2019, www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a20025856/5-things-you-should-know-before-buying-a-walmart-bike/.