What do your kids ride?
- Thread starter kapitaal
- Start date
Knuckles
Lives under a bridge
What is he, like 9' tall........?
moorey
call me Mia
Hold out for a little 26er. This is my 7yo daughters bike. Cost me under $500 to build up, and weighs 9.6kg. She stepped up from her 20" without blinking, and this is 4kg lighter.
climberman
Likes Dirt
Cheers Moorey, I've been following your thread with interest.
Am keeping an eye out for a mini frame.
No rush here, birthday not until October.
I take it you just backfilled, cannibalised, and picked up the odd RB / FB / Ebay item?
Am keeping an eye out for a mini frame.
No rush here, birthday not until October.
I take it you just backfilled, cannibalised, and picked up the odd RB / FB / Ebay item?
barron
Likes Dirt
Any tips on finding frame?
Its a slow old scroll through ebay at present - looking fro an XS/14" for my 8yo daughter.
Also haven't got the forks yet but imagine it will be easier to find 100mm than 80mm and would like to reduce travel/height. Any tips on how to do this? I service my own Fox (open bath and FIT so have some knowledge of internals)
Thanks for the thread.
Its a slow old scroll through ebay at present - looking fro an XS/14" for my 8yo daughter.
Also haven't got the forks yet but imagine it will be easier to find 100mm than 80mm and would like to reduce travel/height. Any tips on how to do this? I service my own Fox (open bath and FIT so have some knowledge of internals)
Thanks for the thread.
moorey
call me Mia
Bang up a wanted ad on here, but yes, they are harder to find. I think I'm a victim of my own success. I've been telling people that a small Mtb is a better option than a heavy 24", and now they are snapped up as soon as they pop up. eBay and scumtree are still your best bet unfortunately.
Did you see my 7yo daughters recent build? 14" cube frame, cost $50 delivered with headset and post. Built up, sits at 9.25kg with heavy pedals and seat. Cost more like $500 though. She'd improved 10 fold since moving straight up from her 20".
I'll keep an eye out for a small rig for you.
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barron
Likes Dirt
Yep, saw it and it looks great. Agree that it seems your good advice is also making it harder to follow.
I'm not surprised your daughter has come on after stepping up, no doubt helped by having a solid mount. My daughter has started the complaints about a lack of gears, she's tall and ready to move on from the 20". I would like to support her current interest but not throw a clunky, heavy thing at her. Will keep on the search and be thankful for your assistance.
All that said, there have been plenty of times I have wanted to throw a clunky heavy thing at her so maybe I should take the chance while I have it!!
No Skid Marks
Blue Mountain Bikes Brooklyn/Lahar/Kowa/PO1NT Raci
26 was too kooky for my girlfriends kid and I got her a 24 she loved. If you can afford it, smaller wheels are more manageable for them, IME.
dibs on Moreys Cube.
moorey
call me Mia
The caveat for me, and most, I suspect, is 'afford'. Super light 24" wheels and tyres will cost a lot more than this entire build (which has carbon wheels and WC Sids). And then, they grow out of them so quickly, it's big money down the drain, and another bike. That's just my take on it.
No Skid Marks
Blue Mountain Bikes Brooklyn/Lahar/Kowa/PO1NT Raci
LOL, I didn't mention super light wheels. I think smaller wheels are more fun and will teach them bike skills easier, but whatever your kid is cool with and you can afford. This girl didn't enjoy 26 so I got her 24 and she liked it again. The 26 would have taught her bad skills with fear and crashes. I could take her to the skate park on the 24s. There's not much in it though, and you can always try 26 first as I did, they will use the 26 sooner or later, especially if it's tricker[from same dictionary as kooky]. She didn't have super light 26" wheels, but I think the gummy height of them made it all harder.
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moorey
call me Mia
sorry to misconstrue. My only experience with off the shelf is that they weigh a ton. Wheel weight for a young kid, seems the biggest factor.
As you were.
Lazmo
Old and hopeless
Our kids bikes are pretty much hand me downs, as we got more and more into riding mtb...
In the photo, left to right...
In the photo, left to right...
- Mine… Stumpjumper
- My wife’s… Merida 120
- My 17 y/o daughters… was my wife’s Merida 96
- Mine… Leader LD516H
- My 24 y/o daughters… was my wife’s Malvern Star
- My 13 y/o daughters… was her older sisters GT Avalanche 1.0
- Was my 13 y/o daughters bike, but now it’s her best mates… Apollo Cougar 24”
Attachments
fatboyonabike
Captain oblivious
3 Daughters...Ouch!
SummitFever
Eats Squid
Crests in 24" have been available for about a year. They are seriously light (~300g) each. They will set you back about $250 delivered to Aust. If I was building a 24" bike again I'd certainly be using them. Teamed up with some lightweight chinese hubs and DT Rev spokes you'd have a 1200g wheelset for under $500. That's a fair amount of money, but the Crests will sell when you no longer them. You'd easily get $50 each for them (maybe $100 each) as there is nothing else available. Re-use the hubs for some 26" wheels.
If your kid gets two years out of the wheels, then it'll probably cost you $100 a year for a 1200g wheelset. You will more than get your money's worth out of them.
If your kid gets two years out of the wheels, then it'll probably cost you $100 a year for a 1200g wheelset. You will more than get your money's worth out of them.
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Lazmo
Old and hopeless
Not ouch at all... we love 'em.
My 17 y/o is quite a good rider... she's been riding since she was tiny, and literally wore her first bikes tyres through to the canvas, on the sides, cornering flat out around our back deck.
Our two whippets are boys, they're awesome dogs and mad as all get out. They don't need bikes... as they can hit 60kays on their ownsome.
barron
Likes Dirt
the build has begun
This will be for my 7yo daughter. Giant Talon XS frame (Ebay) + Rockshox Judy (Gumtree).
Wheelset (Sunringle BlackFlag's), over engineered crank (Hussefelt) and brakes (Elixir 5's) will come from my shed. As will the cock pit.
The forks are heavy, but budget and options forced my hand.
Wheelset is pretty light so should make up for it, and forks ae easy upgrade down the track.
Crank is causing some concern - clearance on chainstay is pretty small without rings on, not sure how it will fit yet.
Headset is also a work in progress - not sure if I'll be able to keep the cups in the frame or need to replace the whole lot.
I've convinced the wife that once some purple grips and pedals go on it will TOTALLY be a girls bike. Daughter won't see it till complete but seems stoked that Dad's building her a bike. Dad's also pretty stoked to be building her a bike!
[
ATTACH=CONFIG]315973[/ATTACH]
Will keep you all posted.
This will be for my 7yo daughter. Giant Talon XS frame (Ebay) + Rockshox Judy (Gumtree).
Wheelset (Sunringle BlackFlag's), over engineered crank (Hussefelt) and brakes (Elixir 5's) will come from my shed. As will the cock pit.
The forks are heavy, but budget and options forced my hand.
Wheelset is pretty light so should make up for it, and forks ae easy upgrade down the track.
Crank is causing some concern - clearance on chainstay is pretty small without rings on, not sure how it will fit yet.
Headset is also a work in progress - not sure if I'll be able to keep the cups in the frame or need to replace the whole lot.
I've convinced the wife that once some purple grips and pedals go on it will TOTALLY be a girls bike. Daughter won't see it till complete but seems stoked that Dad's building her a bike. Dad's also pretty stoked to be building her a bike!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]315973[/ATTACH]
Will keep you all posted.
Attachments
moorey
call me Mia
Yeah, nice work. She's going to love it. The flags are a good option. My son runs them, and I have a spare set too. Totes look at the cranks and fork down the track. I paid $100 delivered for older model WC SIDS, under 1350g. Get the tightest practical tyres you can to save weight. I went for furious Freds, they are holding up tubeless, and about 350g each from memory. From first build, I shaved off over 2kg without really spending much.
steve jobs' pancreas
Eats Squid
Seems my boy is on the verge of out growing his GT Avalanche (small frame) and he has started to ride the Hecklersaurus
so now my middle daughter is riding the GT and it looks like I need anothery bike now for my youngest daughter (I mite start her on a Big W special, not sure how much of a MTBR she is gonna be, she's more of a girly girl than my middle daughter and my son)
so now my middle daughter is riding the GT and it looks like I need anothery bike now for my youngest daughter (I mite start her on a Big W special, not sure how much of a MTBR she is gonna be, she's more of a girly girl than my middle daughter and my son)