MOOKs and Christmas gifts

[lucy83]

So our older daughter will be 13 in Jan. She really needs a new bike, so we went to our local bike place. Turns out the best bike for her is a womens bike, that she will probably never grow out of. It's a $400 trek mountain bike. We would probably do a combo Christmas/birthday gift. Does this seem like too much to spend on a kids bike? FWIW I am still riding my bike my parents got me in hogh school, probably similarly priced back then.

[pierogigirl]

If you can afford it it's not too much, IMO. Will she appreciate the bike and take care of it? Does she really want a bike? If yes, and you can afford it, go for it.

[lucy83]

Nov 14, 2015 14:56:56 GMT -5 pierogigirl said:

If you can afford it it's not too much, IMO. Will she appreciate the bike and take care of it? Does she really want a bike? If yes, and you can afford it, go for it.

We can afford it, she probably wouldn't get much else. She seems pretty excited. The hardest thing for me is she is only at our house part-time, so it won't get as much use as if she lived here full time. We are usually the type of people who will spend more for better quality.

[cjeanette]

Since she won't grow out of it I don't think so. Better than something cheaper that will need to be replaced.

I bought my kid a friggin $400 parlor for her doll last xmas though. So consider the source.

[6fsn]

Is she into mountain biking? Or is this a tool around to friends and the library? $400 sounds like a lot and I'd definitely hit another bike store and even someplace like Dick's before shelling out the cash.

[lucy83]

Nov 14, 2015 15:16:50 GMT -5 6fsn said:

Is she into mountain biking? Or is this a tool around to friends and the library? $400 sounds like a lot and I'd definitely hit another bike store and even someplace like Dick's before shelling out the cash.

It's a tool around town, trail bike. But we live in a super hilly town. It is an aluminum frame, so fairly light weight.

[aprilsails]

My parents bought me an adult sized bike at the age of 13 and I used it for over a decade. They told me that it would be the last bike they would buy for me and that I had to take care of it. It was also a trail bike and worked great. It was a great gift and I think it's a good age for it since it will give her more autonomy to get around with friends.

[anna7602]

I would get it. It seems like a bike will get a lot of use in general and more so if this specific model will last her through high school.

I can't remember, but I'm pretty sure that is not much more than we paid for the bike seat we used for DD to ride on DH's bike all through Kindergarten and much of first grade.

[mainelyfoolish]

Does your family go on bike rides together or is this just something she rides alone or with friends? If you can reasonably expect your DD to use the bike a lot in the coming years and she won't outgrow it, then I don't think $400 is excessive. But if I had been given a pricey bike at that age, it would have been a waste, because high school is about the time I stopped riding my bike because I was too wrapped up in school, homework, and extra curricular activities.

[lucy83]

Nov 14, 2015 16:52:31 GMT -5 mainelyfoolish said:

Does your family go on bike rides together or is this just something she rides alone or with friends? If you can reasonably expect your DD to use the bike a lot in the coming years and she won't outgrow it, then I don't think $400 is excessive. But if I had been given a pricey bike at that age, it would have been a waste, because high school is about the time I stopped riding my bike because I was too wrapped up in school, homework, and extra curricular activities.

We do bike ride together, or they ride and I run on the trails. I do think she would get use of it. We have a trail head about 3 blocks from our house as well.

[auntie]

If it's a good bike, it'll be the one she takes to college.

[bunch]

I'd do it. I still have a my HS bike and I only wish it had cost $400. Mine is a piece of junk.

[qcinoct]

I think that's a great price for a Trek, and a Trek will last a while for her. I wholeheartedly support spending that kind of money for long lasting, physical type things.