Bicycle for a 9 year old ?

chico bill

chico bill

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OK, I have not paid attention to a place to buy a bicycle for a child but my 8-year old step daughter seems to want one for her upcoming 9th birthday.
Obviously I don't want to buy a nice one because I am sure it won't take long for it to be stolen once she takes it to her grandmother's neighboorhood.
And I am sure, as sad as that will be, she will learn a valuable lesson if that does happen.

Other than La Sirena where are bicycles sold new on the North Coast ? I have 3 weeks to look
 
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ctrob

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Nov 9, 2006
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Also, just West of Playa Dorada going towards Puerto Plata on North side of road is a Second Hand shop - I've seen a bunch of bikes out front. Not new, but you might get lucky.
 
S

Seamonkey

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If you're in the Sosua area, there are many places in Sosua Abajo and Charamicos....also Pappatera.
 
D

Derfish

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chico bill said:
OK, I have not paid attention to a place to buy a bicycle for a child but my 8-year old step daughter seems to want one for her upcoming 9th birthday.
Obviously I don't want to buy a nice one because I am sure it won't take long for it to be stolen once she takes it to her grandmother's neighboorhood.
And I am sure, as sad as that will be, she will learn a valuable lesson if that does happen.

Other than La Sirena where are bicycles sold new on the North Coast ? I have 3 weeks to look
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Why buy her a bicycle when next year at 10 she will be old enuff to ride a motorcycle? But beyond that from the roundabout in Puerto Plata heading down toward the malecon there is a bike shop on the right hand side. 4200 is what we paid for a bike for a 6 year old.
Der Fish
 
Xavier_Onassis

Xavier_Onassis

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The size is important. A bike with 20 inch wheels would be ideal of the kid's legs were long enough.
And she could ride it for another five or six years. I'd get a lock as well: learning how to prevent stuff from getting swiped is also important.
 
chico bill

chico bill

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Xavier_Onassis said:
The size is important. A bike with 20 inch wheels would be ideal of the kid's legs were long enough.
And she could ride it for another five or six years. I'd get a lock as well: learning how to prevent stuff from getting swiped is also important.
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She's small. I don't think locks are important to the profesional thieves on the North Coast
 
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josh2203

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chico bill said:
Well seems locks only stop honest people, real thieves will cut it or carry off the bike
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There could be hardened locks available (at least you can get one online), but you are right that pro thieves might not consider them a big obstacle. Even where I come from, bikes are stolen, a good number daily... They either have the tools to break even the best cable locks, or they have the tools to disassemble the parts of the bicycle that are attached to the lock...

That?s however not really the point, as if you don?t buy the lock, you are setting the example that the bike and your present doesn?t have value, if they steal it, you don?t care nor should your step-daughter care, any presents you can just throw away... Things might always get stolen, but that doesn?t mean that you should not do what you can to prevent it.
 
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london777

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Dec 22, 2005
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bob saunders said:
Try the Bici Shop at Malecon esq Padre Castellanos ( puerto plata) ph 809-261-3675
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This place is very expensive. It has specialist stuff for cycling fanatics. I tried to buy a cheap pump for my kid's bike and needed a degree in space technology to operate the one they offered me.
 
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london777

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There is a bicycle shop (sales and repairs) on Camino Real, about halfway between the main Tienda Jimenez and Puente de la Guinea (roughly opposite Ban Reservas).
 
Cdn_Gringo

Cdn_Gringo

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It's a bike for a 9 year old. Buy the cheapest bike you can find. 9 year olds don't look after their things, will outgrow the bike in a year or so and really don't appreciate the difference between a cheap bike and an expensive one.

The cost is whatever it is at where ever you find a suitable bike on the day you plan to buy it. A dedicated bike shop will probably be more expensive than a chain store. You can always check out Price Club online then see if someone with a membership will pick it up for you if you see something of interest.

Don't forget the LoJack system for the bike... Even a POS will be gone the first time it is left in the open with no one watching it.
 
chico bill

chico bill

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Cdn_Gringo said:
It's a bike for a 9 year old. Buy the cheapest bike you can find. 9 year olds don't look after their things, will outgrow the bike in a year or so and really don't appreciate the difference between a cheap bike and an expensive one.

The cost is whatever it is at where ever you find a suitable bike on the day you plan to buy it. A dedicated bike shop will probably be more expensive than a chain store. You can always check out Price Club online then see if someone with a membership will pick it up for you if you see something of interest.

Don't forget the LoJack system for the bike... Even a POS will be gone the first time it is left in the open with no one watching it.
Click to expand...

Lo Jack for a bike ?- that service cost more than a bike and needs a power source and place to be hidden. I'll buy a cheap lock and chain it to the dog house.
He likes thieves - tasty
 
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london777

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Cdn_Gringo said:
It's a bike for a 9 year old. Buy the cheapest bike you can find. 9 year olds don't look after their things, will outgrow the bike in a year or so and really don't appreciate the difference between a cheap bike and an expensive one.
Click to expand...
That was my strategy when nagged to buy a bike for Christmas for my partner's six-year-old. I bought one (presumably Chinese) in La Sirena for 3500 pesos. He has never ridden it. It is stored in our galeria and kept clean and oiled, yet eighteen months later it is unusable, presumably through saline condensation. We live near the Malecon.

So I agree buy cheap, but buy a used quality bike rather than a new cheap one. At least it can be repaired if something breaks.
 
Xavier_Onassis

Xavier_Onassis

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Honest people do not steal even unlocked bikes. Anyone who steals anything is dishonest.
No one is so hungry they will steal a bike, as bikes are known by all to be inedible.
But a lock will stop an amateur thief, and the DR has far more amateurs than professionals.
It will slow down any thief to some degree. A Hydrogen lock will render the bike rather immobile, and an additional chain would render it ever harder to steal> The goal is not to make it impossible to steal, just more unstealable that other less well protected bikes in the vicinity.
 
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