LittleMissMC has a Frog 62, the 24″ wheeled version. She’s a tallish 9 year old but it looks spot on size wise, subject to growth spurts I would expect it to see her through this year and hopefully to next summer.

For a couple of months she has been a bit moany about her hip hurting when riding, usually when she has struggled up a hill or pushed hard to catch her brother up. The bike position looks OK, if anything maybe a touch stretched/bent over but the bar is as high/close as it will go in stock set up.

We have done a few longer flat towpath rides the last week or two, and she has started complaining about sore hands and/or pins and needles in her fingers. Front tyre pressure has been dropped, better gloves have been purchased, but yesterday we had a full on teary tantrum about it after 4 miles, but after a lunch and a bit of encouragement she absolutely caned the second half of the ride and completed a 16 mile ride, with no further mention of fingers or hips.

Not sure if there is a bike issue or a child issue here. Anyone had any similar experiences or can offer advice? Anything I should be checking differently for bike fit with a younger one?

Just to state, I don’t push her to ride, she wants to ride, and was much happier 3-4 days ago on a 12 mile ride. She is always active but had done nothing sporty in between so I’m assuming she wasn’t still recovering from that previous ride.

Daughter’s 20 inch wheel 62?? is very stretched out compared to the same Isla and I’ve noticed this with others in the range too. Not sure if this would generate the symptoms you describe but I’ve replaced the stem on ours for something higher-rise.

A stem change was in my thoughts. What did you go for and where from – the stock one is very short and flat.

That or some diddy riser bars 😀

Spin the seatpost round so the layback is layfront…should resolve the stretched issue. I’ve done that on ‘mine’…

Is the saddle position correct? Pins and needles in the fingers could indicate she is being pushed forward by the saddle angle.

Pins and needles in hands – could be any number of things so keep an eye on it. I get it if I wear full finger gloves on drop bars (but not on flat bars or fingerless – odd), but saddle too far forwards (or as said tipped forwards) can weight the arms, or it could be nerve related. Might be worth getting some ergon type grips. But if it persists and the bike gig looks right, see someone about it.

Hip – I get that too, but I’m old (actually it’s in the muscle immediately below the hip joint). Normally it’s if I’ve been pushing too high a gear (does she use the gears?), but as I understand it tight muscles don’t help. A high saddle can cause rolling which doesn’t help. Also I assume her legs are nigh on identical in length – not everyone’s are. Again that’s heading for get it checked territory.

Of course you may just have got the hot chocolate / haribo to miles ratio wrong

I got one of these stems to raise the bars – available from various ebay sellers

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Satori-Alloy-MTB-Bike-Stem-25-4mm-x-80mm-Angle-40-Black-/201026048065

Is the hip thing just when on the bike or at other times too?

Saddle pointing to far up or down creating pressure points in groin area? Voild it be that 9 yr old is not exactly localising where the discomfort is?

Shouldn’t be tight muscles as she is ridiculously bendy from gymnastics. Suspect it’s the pushing too high a gear for the hip.

I’ll juggle the saddle a bit to see what we can do

Thanks for the ideas