I work at a small outdoor learning centre in Pembrokeshire and for the last few years we've had a fleet of bikes that we use with most of our school groups.
We originally had Giant Boulders and more recently have used Specialized Hardrocks.
I'm hoping to get some funding for a new fleet soon and I thought I might pick the STW collective mind for bikes I might not have thought of myself.
Problems I have encountered which there may or may not be solutions to...
a) rear mechs getting bent/bashed or rear dropouts snapping.
b)V brakes needing constant attention, especially in the winter.
c)too many gears! Kids don't need 3 chainrings, a smallish single ring would be more suitable.
Obviously there is no shortcut when it comes to maintenance and safety but any ideas that would reduce the tweaking needed every week would be much appreciated.
Budget is also an issue, if buying at trade prices we can't really go above £150 a bike...tricky!
So...single ring? disc brakes, but not fiddly, cheap cable ones? 7 or 8 speed at the back? small frames that can fit a wide selection of 9 to 12 year old sized children.
Anyone got any good ideas beyond the usual level entry bike by Spec/Giant/Kona/Trek etc?
Thanks.
