What on earth do you buy a young mtb rider these days. My Boy is 5ft 3″ and will be 13 in July. Not a great choice if any for a small light weight frame. I knew I should have bought one of those small Cube frames from Germany but I procrastinated to much. Everything new is 27.5 hardly any 26″ wheeled bikes. Hardrock disc from specialised and Merida do a disc version. He’s not shown must interest in riding until recently and his 24″ wheeled bike looks ridiculously small all of a sudden. So I want something reasonably light with discs, cable are fine, I’m thinking 16″ frame with 26″ wheels. Do you think he’d handle 27.5 wheels OK? Budget about £400. If he keeps his interest I’ll upgrade as necessary and get him something better later on.

Got my 12 yr old a 2015 Cube Acid 27.5 with a 16 inch frame at Christmas. He is same height and he loves it. Not quite in your budget but shows that 27.5 will work and there are some bargains about.

Have been looking at a Specialised Pitch 650B for him.

I feel your frustration. I have recently been in the same boat looking for a suitable MTB for my daughter. She’s also 5’3″ and needs a light(ish) 26er at a decent price. When we looked in the shops £500 wouldn’t have bough something I felt was light enough in a 650b. I also felt the bigger wheels would have been too big.

I picked up the last one of these in 16″, an air fork from Bike24, and some wheels from On-One (now out of stock). I only needed a few other bits and pieces as my spares box donated the rest. Overall I spent ~£425, and I would like to think that it’ll be a more appropriate bike for her size and strength than the +30lbs 650b monster we were considering for more money. Not fully built yet (as we’re doing it together with her doing all the spannering), but it’s looking nice.

The frame and forks together weigh a little over 3kg, which is very decent for the money spent. I’d encourage you to keep looking for a light-weight frame. Possibly second hand?

I was considering one of these before I found the Windspeed.

I bought a Giant Talon 1W ladies HT in XS. Very light, good spec, now discontinued. Look for a used one? This was for a 11yo boy. He likes the pink detailing but has now grown out of the frame 🙁

Build one? My boys are now 12 and 14, and on 26″ wheels (which my youngest has been riding since age 9) we have so far built:

12.5″ rockhopper
15″ rockhopper
14″ on one scandal
15.5″ cove handjob
15.5″ cove stiffee
16″ ragley mmmmbob

The stiffee is now my 14 year olds (getting small) and used to be mine. The handjob is my 12 year olds. Both boys like the rockhoppers and coves. Didn’t like the on one as the top tube is long. Ragley was not popular either, oldest choose to have my old stiffee instead.

Especially the little rockhoppers turned out really light and cheap. Get some old roval wheels and light air forks.

I now ride a 650b bird zero, and both my sons love it. Youngest is about the same height as your son and liked it. Again, it seems short.

My boys will be riding 26″ for a while to come, as dad will pass on his 16.5″ stanton frame next, gives us an excuse to upgrade. Kids also like building the bikes and choosing bits.

Simone

This is the 15″ (I think old ladies frame with shorter top tube) rockhopper when first built few years ago.

Came in under your budget.

But what he would really want it one of these…. (Youngest sons Alps bike, knolly endorphin)

Or one of these…(oldest sons Alps bike, scott voltage fr)

Both over your budget I seem to remember though, but again both built from frame only secondhand purchase.

Try it!