I am looking for a lightweight, 24" MTB for my daughter. She is 10 years old and approx 4ft tall at the moment. Don't mind paying good money for the right bike. I have seen specialised do a 24" full sus rig and don't mind if its a hardtail either. It needs to be a real mtb, light and well made with good components.

Has anyone bought a decent 24" bike lately, it needs triple chainrings, ie not a 24" jump bike. Any advice greatly appreciated.

We had both the Specialized FS and the FSR for our girls, they are lightweight and first class bikes. They also have a good resale value when she grows out of them

Tracey

Scott do a good range for kids with 24" wheels

have a look at the felt 24" its a cracking wee hard tail.
http://www.feltbicycles.com/United-Kingdom/2010-Product-Catalog/Mountain/Q-Series/Q24.aspx

Got my son a spec' 24" think it was in the region of £200. Worth every penny !

I've just bought a new bike for my eight year old niece from Islabikes. It's light, has decent components and she loves it. I've been told they have a good re-sale / trade-in value too.

Spec Hotrock. Our son's got the FS version – only because we got it on here second hand – would't have paid the new price. The the sus does work well. Problem is it's been so well used & now needs all the sus bearings changed. Hard tail would be lower maint!

Trek MT220, my sons' is still running after 4 years of abuse – from Aston Hill through Chicksands to Glentress – and now doing basic street duties.

Specialized hot rock 24" here, nice bike daughter loved it, just awaiting my son growing into it now.

I'd go for an Isla Beinn, 26" wheels, light and dependable, if you wanted you could even fit some suspension forks.

I would second the Isla Bikes recommendation.

i have just splashed out on a santa cruz juliana for my son (it comes in xtra small) so was the only "proper"bike that i could get that fitted him

+1 for Islabikes

My 10 year old is nearer 5 foot so I went for a 26 inch wheel Beinn Small. Looks not unlike a slightly scaled down version of my 29er. The sizing charts were spot on and although the bike is rigid forked it is lighter than the 20 inch Kona she moved up from which has a front fork that doesn't move much but weighs a ton. She finds it a lot easier to ride and they get excellent reviews in the mags with one recent review suggesting that the larger framed Beinn was worth a look for some adults and a lot better as a starter bike than most other 300ukp bikes.

I am minded get my 6 year old an Islabike as well rather than passing the Kona on to him.