What 16″ Kids bike should I buy?
I think the best bet might honestly be a generic kid’s mountain bike made by one of the major manufacturers like Trek, Specialized, or Giant. They’re not overwhelmingly expensive, have good, responsive hand braking, are decently put together, and are tough enough to take a bit of a beating. They can be fitted with training wheels before you leave the shop if your kid doesn’t yet ride well. Have a look here for a few options from Trek — I used to sell these in college, and they’re a good bet IMO. My advice: go to a nice big local bike shop (not a chain store!) in your area that has more of a family than an effete racer vibe, and ask a salesperson to show you some options. I wouldn’t go for an old kid’s schwinn or something like that (as elisabeth suggests). These are stylish, but also very heavy, and they tend to have roller or pedal brakes that are harder to operate. And this doesn’t even real
