Choosing a decent bike for a growing 11yr old (151cm tall)

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oliosky

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Pretty sure V-brakes will work better than those garbage cable discs. Its a pretty colour though, and I know thats important...
 
Jpez

Jpez

Down on the left!
HamboCairns said:
Not disc braked. V-brakes are a fucking pain in the arse to maintain and take the wheel on and off.
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V brakes are easy as pie. Not sure where you get that from. Like the useless heavy suspension forks if they aren’t a super shredder they really don’t need cable disc brakes either. Just my opinion anyway.
I just bought my girl a polygon premier 20 and it’s a ripper little bike.
 
Labcanary

Labcanary

One potato, two potato, click
HamboCairns said:
Not disc braked. V-brakes are a fucking pain in the arse to maintain and take the wheel on and off.
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How so? I used to commute daily on shitty v-brake bikes I'd grab from hard rubbish and fix up. V-brakes worked just fine in all weather (back when I rode regardless of the weather) and didn't need replacing or adjusting too often.
Taking the wheel off is easy too - just unhook the noodle from the arm and don't forget to reattach after the wheel goes back on!
Edit: Mr 5 rips mega skids with v-brakes! They are plenty powerful enough for young 'uns. Disc brakes do look sweet though.
 
ozzybmx

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
To the normal non-cycling parent, resale or buying a kids MTB is inflated with shit disc brakes and a shit fork... now even comes with a covid multiplier.

EDIT: Its not just disc, the V-brakes on most kids bikes go the same way, crunchy levers with gritty cables and zero maintenance.
 
ozzybmx

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
A good time to drop this video ;)

My boys were 9 & 10 here, their Kona's were too small but they had new 27.5 bikes at home. We were travelling around on our 1st lap of Tassie and I grabbed 'shitters' for all of us as they were left on the camper bike rack while we visited forests and did walks.

These little bikes went to a mate of mine at a give away price, his kids rode them for 2 years, they then got moved on again and my mate bought me a carton as he sold them for more than he bought them from me.

The suspension forks did nothing when I had them.

Pair of lil shits are faster than me now and their skills are through the roof.

 
dirtdad

dirtdad

Wants to be special but is too shy
That Scott will be great. I had two 20" Scott scales. Rigid fork. Light as (for a kids bike). Both ran great. No issues.

Somewhat regretting the 24" I've got my eldest on now though. Only because I reckon he'll outgrow it soon, and hasn't been on it long. Maybe a 26 or xs 27.5 would have been better.
Lucky there's two more little shredders waiting in line for it when he's done...
 
H

HamboCairns

Thanks for all the bananas
I accept that children's coil forks are shit, but I did read that rotors can be modulated better than v brakes (and can be upgraded to hydraulic!)

Tubeless tyres are just me getting overly excited and wanting everyone to standardise on one 'keeping air in the tyre' method.
 
ozzybmx

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
Head to 99Bikes and try your kids on a few different smalls or X-smalls, you be surprised they tyre sized bike they may fit on.
Being bicycle minded, it may only be a stem swap to fit them on a bigger bike... but don't put them on a bike that is too big and will suppress their skills.

The guys at 99Bikes are very knowledgeable and a lot of them were employees of the shops that were going under because of 99Bikes in the first place.

Its an unwritten rule that you never do it to a LBS but 99Bikes have closed down so many family owned shops, its like trying on shit at Anaconda... zero fks given.

Yeah they still employ local people but they have a bigger backing than a family trying to keep their house.
 
H

HamboCairns

Thanks for all the bananas
ozzybmx said:
Head to 99Bikes and try your kids on a few different smalls or X-smalls, you be surprised they tyre sized bike they may fit on.
Being bicycle minded, it may only be a stem swap to fit them on a bigger bike... but don't put them on a bike that is too big and will suppress their skills.

The guys at 99Bikes are very knowledgeable and a lot of them were employees of the shops that were going under because of 99Bikes in the first place.

Its an unwritten rule that you never do it to a LBS but 99Bikes have closed down so many family owned shops, its like trying on shit at Anaconda... zero fks given.

Yeah they still employ local people but they have a bigger backing than a family trying to keep their house.
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I'll drive 1800 km and have them sit on a few bikes ;)
 
H

HamboCairns

Thanks for all the bananas
ozzybmx said:
Head to 99Bikes and try your kids on a few different smalls or X-smalls, you be surprised they tyre sized bike they may fit on.
Being bicycle minded, it may only be a stem swap to fit them on a bigger bike... but don't put them on a bike that is too big and will suppress their skills.

The guys at 99Bikes are very knowledgeable and a lot of them were employees of the shops that were going under because of 99Bikes in the first place.

Its an unwritten rule that you never do it to a LBS but 99Bikes have closed down so many family owned shops, its like trying on shit at Anaconda... zero fks given.

Yeah they still employ local people but they have a bigger backing than a family trying to keep their house.
Click to expand...
On a side note, I wonder why an IGA model of bike cooperative hasn't popped up yet.
 
Cardy George

Cardy George

Piercing rural members since 1981
oliosky said:
Skip to end: @HamboCairns You're overthinking it. Get your kids something they can ride on now that is vaguely decent. Don't fret on suspension spec or brake power, its inconsequential. As long as the bike runs, a kid stoked on MTB will skid the tires off a K-Mart shitter.
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100% this^^^^

FFS @HamboCairns 10000000000000% this^^^

Kids bikes are temporary at best. Unless you plan on going Nazi on their arse and not letting them mark them, you're never getting back what you spend on them.

The Vice Captain raced a hand me down Big W shitter until we knew he was committed, and then we spent $450 on a Small Trek 27.5 with a shitty fork and cable brakes. He's been on it 3 years and we should start looking at moving up to a Medium for the rest of his riding days.

The Little Sender is still on the same piece of crap Kmart hardtail with the miracle fork (it's a miracle it's still in one piece) that he first started racing on, and he gives not one solitary fuck about its fork or v brakes.

It looks like you're projecting your desires thru your kids. Don't waste your money, spend it on your bike instead.

P.s. unless those bikes have thru axles, you're also wrong with the v-brake thing. The Vice Captain's bike has old school 9mm quick releases and I've learnt to carry a 5mm Allen key whenever I have to take the wheels out because they NEVER go back the same and the disc rubs.

P.p.s Slime in a tube is a much cheaper alternative for keeping air in tyres.
 
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