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What brands / shops are worth looking at for good value and good quality cycling kit for kids?
Little Miss Sinatra (nearly 11) needs to improve her biking wardrobe without me busting the bank.
Following. Ours have One Industries summer tops that I found on eBay for £7, and are getting Endura long-sleeved jerseys for Christmas (on sale at Tredz right now).
Decathlon & Go Outdoors would probably a good place to start.
Polaris have a 'kids' area on their website, but I've not looked at it. There stuff is normally quite reasonable - although look out for sales; there's always one round the corner.
I bought my nephews Hi Viz jackets for riding at night...
https://www.provizsports.com/en-gb/reflect360-kids-outdoor-jacket.html?___store=en_gb
At 11 it can be worth checking adult XS or XXS sizes in sales. Our 12 year old has had some nice stuff quite cheaply.
For road / general use, we rate Polaris and Hup (Kids Racing) for the boy, as well as XS women's Castelli gear (perhaps only useful if you can get handed down kit from a pro rider!) which fits an athletic 9yo boy or skinny 11yo girl nearly perfectly! Polaris do some excellent junior bib-shorts which are worn on virtually every ride, layered with leg warmers, baggy shorts etc. depending on the conditions. The boy also has a Polaris packable waterproof which we got for a fiver in a sale and has done thousands of miles on him since we bought it. We also have some Sports Direct long sleeved base layers in a super-snug fit (I think they are football ones, branded "Sondoco") and these are worn on nearly every ride for 6 months of the year and are great at keeping the chill out.
For MTB specific, Fox's junior range is nicely made, but expensive if you're paying full ticket price, but nowadays the kids just wear full lycra for most riding as, frankly, it's much more practical for most riding than flappy pajamas. (sorry for the troll at MTB fashion!)
Never had any decathlon stuff (no stores local to us) and the Aldi mitts we bought before the summer wore in holes and fell apart in a couple of months. They were cheap, but I suppose you get what you pay for.
Decathlon childs cycling jersey for £5 🙂 https://www.decathlon.co.uk/300-junior-short-sleeve-cycling-jersey-orange-id_8354137.html mini-natrix loves it
There wee some cheap Sombrio Jerseys and Shorts on wiggle and JE James a couple of weeks ago. They are good if a little bright. My 2 love them though.
MX places are good for long sleeve moto type jerseys.
DHB kids shorts have a good pad.
Regatta sale section is good for cheap jackets you don't mind getting trashed.
Dakine make good kids gloves that are easy to get on.
Shoes and pads can get expensive...
Got most of my lad's stuff on Sport Pursuit. And a decent enough riding shirt in SportsDirect.
Apart from that Madison stuff is good. (biketart)
+1 for the Fox and Madison kids stuff, not super cheap but everything we buy will go through at least 2 additional siblings and cousins so we'll get our moneys worth.
Maloja make some proper lovely kids kit, but its another step up again pricewise.
There wee some cheap Sombrio Jerseys and Shorts on wiggle and JE James a couple of weeks ago. They are good if a little bright. My 2 love them though.
I bought one... 2 yrs too big and had to stretch the neck so he can get it on and still tight elsewhere. He won't wear it as he says its still uncomfortable... (though that's what he say's... not the same thing) he'd prefer wearing his Fox even when it's wet through.
I got one or myself as well which is also pretty tight for a L but not so tight as the kids sizing.