Huffy Boys Alpine 24-Inch Bike Review

Well, I got this bike last summer (2008) and I rode it only a few times. I like biking but after riding this clumsy bike, I didn't feel like it. First of all the frame is REALLY heavy. The wheels are small (24-inch). It takes forever to accelerate with this one. OK, it is a mountain bike, so if you are going to use it off-road and looking for a cheap bike this my be alright. But for city use, I recommend you to stay away from it.

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Product Description:
Enjoy an invigorating trail ride without breaking the bank with the Huffy Alpine men's 24-inch mountain bike. Built around an oversized ATB steel frame and a DX-4200 ASR suspension fork, the bike is ultra-versatile, letting you cruise smoothly through the forest or on the pavement. The Enzo twist shifters, meanwhile, make it easy to change between the 18 gears, with steel linear pull brakes providing reliable braking power. Other details include a quick-release seat post, a padded saddle, rust-proof aluminum alloy rims, and bar ends. Huffy bikes carry a lifetime warranty on the frame and a six-month warranty on all components.
Assembly of the Bike:
This bike comes mostly assembled. Minor assembly is required before the bike can be used.
Amazon.com Bicycle Buying Guide

Finding the Right Bike
To really enjoy cycling, it's important to find a bicycle that works for you. Here are some things to keep in mind when you're in the market for a new bike:
The Right Ride
In general, bikes are broken down into three major categories:

Road and Racing Bikes--As a general rule, road and racing are built for speed and longer distances on paved surfaces. Thinner tires, lightweight 29-inch (700c) wheels, and drop bars that allow for a more aerodynamic position are the norm. Most road bikes, regardless of price, offer many gears for tackling both hilly and flat terrain.
Mountain Bikes--With their larger tires, hill-friendly gearing, and upright position, mountain bikes are very popular for all types of riding, both on pavement and off. Mountain bikes that are designed specifically for rugged trail use typically feature a suspension fork. Some may have rear suspension, as well. A quick change of the tires on any mountain bike--even one that you use regularly on trails--adds to its versatility and makes it a worthy street machine.
Comfort/Cruiser Bikes--For tooling around on bike paths, light trails, or for cruising a quiet beach-side lane, comfort/cruiser bikes are the ticket. With a super-relaxed riding position, padded seats, and limited or no gearing, these bikes are made for enjoying the scenery and having fun with the family.

The Right Price
A bike's price boils down to three essentials: frame materials, bike weight, and component quality and durability.

Entry-level--You'll find a wide range of comfort and cruiser bikes in this category, as well as some lower-end mountain bikes and road bikes. Most will have steel frames and components that are designed to last for several years with frequent use.
Mid-range--Bikes in this range may feature a lighter aluminum frame with mid-range components that keep performing after miles of use. If you're looking for a quality bike that is relatively lightweight and will stand up to abuse, this is the "sweet spot." Most serious commuter and touring bikes fall into this category, as do mid-range mountain bikes with a decent front suspension.
High-end--Racers and serious enthusiasts who expect lightweight, high-performance components will want to stick to this category. For road bikes, exotic frame materials (carbon fiber, titanium) and ultralightweight components can add thousands to the price tag. Mountain bikes in this class often feature advanced front and rear suspension technology, as well as components designed to handle lots of rugged trail action.

The Right Size
Fit is crucial for comfort, control, and proper power and endurance on a bike. Here are some basic bike fit tips:

Stand-over Height--To find out if a bike's overall height fits your body, measure your inseam. Next, determine how much clearance you'll need between your crotch and the top tube of the bike. For a mountain bike, you'll want three to five inches of clearance. A road bike should offer between one and two inches of clearance, while a commuter bike should have two to four inches. Compare the stand-over height for a given bike to your measurements (inseam + clearance) to determine the right bike height.
Top Tube Length--You can measure your torso to get a good estimate of proper top tube length. First, make a fist and extend your arm. Measure from the center of your fist to the end of your collarbone (the part that intersects your shoulder). Next, measure your torso by placing a book against your crotch with the spine facing up. Measure from the spine to the bottom of your throat (the spot between your collarbones). Finally, add the two measurements (arm length + torso length), divide the number in half, and subtract six inches. This is your approximate top tube length. Compare this number to a bike's posted top tube length. You can allow for about two inches longer or shorter, as most bikes can be adjusted via stem length/height and saddle fore/aft position to make fine adjustments to the fit.
Bikes for Women--Proportionally, women tend to have a shorter torso and longer legs than men. Bike makers design women's bikes that offer a shorter top tube and many comfort/cruiser bikes built for women may also provide more stand-over clearance.

The Right Accessories
When you make a bike purchase, don't forget these crucial add-ons:

Helmet (this is a must!)
Seat pack
Lock
Hydration pack, or water bottle and bottle cage
Spare tubes
Portable bike pump
Gloves

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Nirve Hello Kitty Special Edition Retro Kitty Girls' Cruiser Bike (20-Inch Wheels) Review

I bought this bike for my 7-year old daughter as a Christmas Present.I have to say that it looked absolutely fabulous when assembled.It even came with touch-up paint in the two colors just incase there were any transportation dings (there was not).I added a flower basket to the handlebars, some streamers to the handles, and some heavy duty training wheels to complete the picture.Everyone who saw the bike remarked how perfect it looked (almost like PeeWee's bike).I am giving it 4-stars instead of 5 only because the assembly instructions that came with the bike are somewhat difficult.I am a senior engineer and very mechanically inclined and had a little difficulty assembling things in the right order to prevent myself from not having to remove and replace parts again and again.In all the assembly took about 2-hours.The manual does not refer specifically to this model but rather models that are both bigger and smaller than this one in different sections of the manual - so the assembler must figure out on their own how to interpolate and complete some of the steps from each of the various sections.Not hard - but a little more time consuming that I was expecting.I can definitely see how someone who is not handy with tools might take the whole box to a bike shop and pay for them to assemble the bike.

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Product Description:
Encourage your little girl to ride in style with the Retro Kitty 20-inch cruiser bike from Nirve. A fun 20-inch version of Nirve's popular full-size Hello Kitty cruiser, the bike is equipped with such features as a proprietary Galaxie frame, Hello Kitty treaded tires, and a front ringing bell. The double-spring saddle and cruiser-style handlebars, meanwhile, are designed for all-day comfort. Perhaps the sweetest feature, however, is the bike's retro color and shape, which call to mind the classic kids' bikes of the '50s and '60s. The Retro Kitty, which also includes a welded cartridge kickstand, is intended for girls between the ages of 6 and 10.

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Nirve Island Flower Women's/Girl's 24-Inch Single Speed Cruiser Bike (Coral Teal) Review

Great price for this bike.Couldn't find this size in stores.Came very quickly.It was a birthday present for my daughter and she loves it - so do all her friends.

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Product Description:
Whether you're meandering around your beach community or looking for a stylish neighborhood ride, the Nirve Island Flower women's/girl's single-speed cruiser bike is an excellent choice. A scaled-down version of the standard Island Flower that's ideal for smaller and/or younger riders, this bike sports such features as a proprietary 15-inch carbon-steel Galaxie frame and smooth-rolling, polished-aluminum 24-inch wheels with stainless spokes. The flame-embossed double spring saddle and cruiser-style handlebars, meanwhile, let you ride in comfort every day of the week. And riders will love the stylish whitewall tires, which put the finishing touch on the coral-teal-colored frame. Other details include coaster brakes, full-length flare tip fenders, a forged chrome crank, a steel chain guard, a quick-adjust seat clamp, and a welded cartridge kickstand. The Island Flower carries a five-year warranty on the steel frame and a one-year warranty on the components.

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GMC Denali Girls' 24-Inch Road Bike Review

This is the only road bike we found designed for 9-12 year old girls.With one limitation, this is a great transition from a 20" child's bike.

Our oldest daughter was outgrowing her 20" child's bike.Both of her parents are traditional road bikers as compared to cheap mountain bike riders.She wanted gears and a freewheel, and we determined 24" was the desired wheel size.Bike shops and the Trek monster only offer mountain bikes as the next size up after a 20" child's bike.The geometry options were terrible.They forced the young riders to be too stretched out in length.It may not be as bad for larger boys, but definitely incorrect for smaller girls.Additionally, these mountain bikes have value added marketing destroying any other potential.Shocks are added which add weight and bulk, making them hard to maneuver.The shocks are ridiculous since few children are heavy enough to activate them.The bulk, weight, and poor geometry hinder the ability of young children to ride the common 24" bikes.In short, most bikes for this age group are built to sell and not to ride.

Then we finally found two options.LL Bean offered a mountain bike specifically designed for 9-12 year old girls.This was a fine choice although we preferred traditional drop handlebars and road geometry and gears.This Denali 24" girls bike is perfect.The 19" bar height allows a safe stop and start.While it comes with lower end Shimano grip shifters, they work smoothly and are appropriate given the aggressive pricing of this bike.The frame is a nice 7005 aluminum and the other fine components offer a decent weight.

I wrote Terry bikes to suggest they consider this age group as potential future customers, but Terry never responded.

Our daughter is a small 9 year old weighing only 51 pounds.She is also on the shorter side of girls her age.It took only a day for her to get familiar with the handling and shifting.She is riding faster and longer distances than she ever could with the 20" child's bike and we are enjoying our times together.I fully expect this bike to last her for many years.

The only negative was the brakes.The traditional brake levers, under the drop bars, are too low and need a wider hand to reach than our daughter has.The brakes took too much strength to pull given the grip width and position.The solution was easy.We added inline break levers on the top bar.This was not ideal given the bar shifters are in the same location we wanted the new brake levers.I needed to move the shifters inwards to make room but in the end, the new brake levers works.If Danali would consider adding the shifters as standard, this bike would be perfect out of the box.

In summary, we are grateful to Denali as a bike manufacturer for considering this age transition as important for creating long term riders.This is a great bike for 9-12 year old girls and was a great price on Amazon.I wish our local bike shops would consider carrying this type of product.

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Product Description:
Sized for the smaller rider, the GMC Denali girl's 24-inch road bike is perfect for kids who are still growing or who are stature-challenged but still want a high-quality ride. The frame size is 16 inches, while the stand-over height is 21 inches, giving it all the strength, durability, and style of the full-size Denali but in a proportional size. More significantly, it's outfitted with a full array of elite alloy components, including a sturdy triple-chaining alloy crank set, precision brakes, easy-to-grip handlebars, and smooth- rolling wheels.
Hill climbing is made easier thanks to the sturdy crank set and trusty Shimano TZ40 derailleurs, which round out the drive train, while the Shimano Revo 21- speed twist shifters provide precise, hassle-free shifts. Other details include a lightweight 36-spoke wheel set with V-profile rims, Kenda tires with color accent trims, and a lifetime warranty on the frame and fork.

Get 11% OFF

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