Loads of How-To’s online though main work is scraping away the grass… if you have a backhoe on a tractor this is easy though. (if not its a lot of work)… you could easily start off just making a flat track .. some turns with berms (its only a couple of feet wide at most… so if you an’t get OH off on the bike perhaps they can dig together ???

As he progresses they can create small jumps and other cool features

Hmm. After re-measure – height is 139cm (about 4’6 1/2) – more 26″ size. But inside leg measurement is only 61.5 cm max. My guesstimate inside leg from measuring his trousers was completely out! So – inside leg is more 24″ size but height is more 26″ size. I guess he’s still on the cusp basically. So a small frame 26 maybe as mentioned before.

Edit last post – inside leg seemed out so we’ve done it again (properly!) – 67.5 cm which is more like it. So small 26 size then.

Ok – so Islabike Beinn 26 small is exactly the right size for him and last a couple of years, maybe a bit more – light so easy to learn to ride on. Question is, would he be able to ride up a steep grassy hill with lumps and bumps and molehills on it? After learning to ride that is. Don’t really want to get a heavy-ish mountain bike for him to learn to ride on. Although we would up the budget if there was a lightweight mountain bike with good suspension, the right size. Decided to start new thread on Islabike experiences on this terrain!

Edit last post – inside leg seemed out so we’ve done it again (properly!) – 67.5 cm which is more like it. So small 26 size then.

That makes a huge difference 😀
You’re pushing a XS adult frame …
Weeksy posted his lads just got a Whyte T403 (in fact we rode with them the day he got it)

would he be able to ride up a steep grassy hill with lumps and bumps and molehills on it?

Front sus won’t make much difference going up … (depending on the lumps) …. it can be a big help on stuff with roots/rocks on a trial though where it helps to just keep moving (but so are bigger wheels) but on an out and out climb it is more hinderance than help and that’s where you’d usually lock the suspension and it’s just extra weight. This is then dependent on the suspension actually working with a kids weight … which most (nearly all) are simply not designed to do…

After learning to ride that is.

I think you just need somewhere other than a lumpy field to learn….
My 7 yr old can “ride” my adult medium round a car park or over a flat field…. (but no way would he ride down a lumpy field except by luck)

Anyway … why not try a weekend hire ??? You could go to Grizedale or Kielder for example….

Thanks! There’s quiet tarmac road near the old cricket ground near here we were going to use for learning. I did look up the Whyte T403 after seeing it mentioned 🙂 Seems hard to find. We just decided to go with the lightest bike we could find to do the job and one that was the right size for him and would last a couple of years and the Islabike Beinn 26 seems to do the job. If he does get interested in racing or trails rather than just pootling around, we can think about selling and upgrading or something. Partner thinks the hybrid is a good option until he knows what he likes.

Just wanted to say thanks for all the great advice and bike tips – a lot of the bikes mentioned look great – it’s a minefield! We started out looking at the Islabikes and came full circle.