Probably just about to take the plunge and get my eldest a Creig 26. I’ve looked at Beinn 26s, but decided that with tire upgrade it would be £400 which is obviously over half way to the £700 for a Creig. Also looked at frog bikes which would end up being £330 ish once it has good off road tires on it, and I suspect won’t keep it’s second hand value as well as an Islabike.

I know the Creig is a lot of money for a ‘kids’ bike – but my reasoning is our eldest is riding well and will get a lot out of it, our youngests, whio is also doing well, will also get it and then we’ll probably still sell it for more than £400.

Anyway, enough of the self justification…

Are there any other good kids mountain bikes out there I should be looking at?

Thanks.

Having looked about I really don’t think there is a anything better as a dedicated kids bike without going into very very silly money.

700 quid might by you quite a lot of small framed second hand mountain bike though. And £850 will get you this http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOO26INTR/on-one-inbred-26-sram-x5-mountain-bike – I know a lot of kids who’s first proper bike was a 14″ Inbred.

I couldn’t justify the price of a Creig 24, so have spent a long time and quite a lot of money building a rather bespoke 24″ wheeler. It’ll be finished this week and it will be lovely and quite bling (actually very bling in places), but I probably should have just waved a credit card at Isla in the first place and saved a lot of time 😉

How about a used ladies-specific HT. Teen2 has a nice XS Giant Talon. Any 14″ frame decent HT will be fine, though.

Thanks for responses. What’s putting me off a small adult bike is our eldest is only 9, (10 in the Summer,) and even small adult bikes seem to come in quite weighty, unless you spend a shed load.

My eldest is just 9 (but smallish) and he’s only just going from 20″ to 24″. You see so many kids at races on bikes that are really too big for them – most of them manage, but it is hard work for them and their positions are never ideal. I don’t think it promotes the best bike handling either.

So you’re right in that fit and weight are the critical factors. Creig 26 is 24 lbs – careful second hand buy might get you something around that weight, but it’d be hard to match it new.

Thanks for replies. You are dead right about size, but my eldest is basically now too big for his Beinn 24 and has had a go on a Creig 26 which he looks good on.

I would certainly go second hand and look at changing parts where need be.
My son is 9 and rides a carbon fibre giant xtc extra small. 1 by 9, fox forks, hope breaks, Stan’s with hope pro 3.
Weighs in at 20lbs.
It cost me £800
Better than any islabike.

Sounds great, but also sounds a very time and place thing to get a bike like that.

my eldest rides a commencal , they do xs sizes and there direct outlet has some cheaper older models (26″ version) even with shipping there reasonable,

linky

http://www.commencal-store.co.uk/Default.asp

but my eldest is basically now too big for his Beinn 24

Is your youngest ready to use the Beinn 24 yet?
If not, do you want to sell it to me, or swap it for a Beinn 20 large, either temporarily or permanently?

I’m following this thread with interest. We’ve had 4 Islabikes and they’ve been excellent, but I’ve come to a grinding halt now as the next stage seems to be a Creig 24.
I’m finding it really difficult to persuade myself to part with £600 for something with Avid brakes. I despise Avid brakes. If they’ve made that bad an error speccing the brakes then what else have they mucked up on the bike?

The other thing is that £600 should surely be getting into the territory where there are loads of alternatives out there. But I can’t find any of them. The only things I can see are either dirt cheap Specialiseds or hideously heavy jump bikes.

What alternatives are there in the 24″ wheel camp?

My boys have had about six Islabikes between them. When my eldest outgrew his Beinn 24 I decided to build him a ‘proper’ mountain bike. I bought a 14″ Scott women’s hardtail frame and built it up from there. Trying to keep it as light as possible on a budget. Fitted a slammed 40mm stem (upside down), and flat bars to keep the bars as low as possible. When he outgrows this I can move the parts across to a larger frame. Also much easier to change/replace parts as they break or wear out than with a lot of the Islabikes specific parts. Cheaper than a Craig 26 too.

The generalist

Sorry, going to friends before back to us – youngest has just gone on to a 20 large.

And I’d go for a Beinn 24 – our eldest rides blue and sections of red easily on his

Any of the Chinese direct carbon companies make small enough 26″ frames?

Might blow half the budget on the frame, but maybe you have enough spares to build out the bike and keep it reasonable?

Last year OnOne promised me they would make a 14″ carbon frame – probably a Whippet – but I’ve not seen it advertised yet.

To say nothing of the Baby Fatty…

My 2 9 & 11 are on ‘proper’ MTB’s now. Youngest is on a BeOne 14″ and the eldest just got rid of a Scandal 14″ in favour of an Identiti Krisis 4X. Both using Shimano XT 9 speed & Shimano disc brakes, light & reliable.

Plenty of small 14″ frames out there, also with the addition of a pair of decent Rockshox Rebas you can get the suspension working correctly for them.

We’ve had a few Isla Bikes but I wasn’t convinced by the spec on the Creig.

Just dropped a wedge on a Creig 24 for our 8yo. We’re also serial Islabike buyers as we like them and they’ve been great for our two. Resale is good too. I’ve done some research and the other off the peg 24″ don’t come close in terms of weight and spec. I haven’t also the time to build one with my wife rather ill at the moment.

My son went through three rigid forked Islabikes before we bought him a Creig 26 when he was 11 years old.

He’d done a lot on the rigid bikes, and they are fantastically capable, but having seen him grimace and heard him complain about aching forearms on a biking holiday in Samoens, I decided it was time to invest in an Islabike with suspension (I honestly don’t believe he was angling for it).

I think it’s a fabulous bike, with all the things Islabikes are renowned for: suitably sized frame, sensible diameter handlebars and grips, brake levers for small hands, and a suspension fork that works for a child built like a stick insect.

When my daughter reached a similar age we bought her a Specialized Hardrock Sport and while it looks the part and cost half as much, it’s half the bike if I’m honest.

My son happily rides his bike and it will allow him to do things his rigid bike wouldn’t. I reckon its low weight also allows him to climb hills other heavier bikes with suspension forks wouldn’t, and that the child friendly hydraulic disc brakes allow him to descend things other bikes wouldn’t.

If you have a child who likes biking and can afford it, I’d thoroughly recommend the Creig 26.

We have Beinn 26, with manitou mars forks.
Yes, the geometry is nice. Yes it has narrow bars and narrow saddle. Yes it is light. It cost near £300 to build up second hand.

But the Trek 13.5″ WSD we have is as light, with same geometry (actually shorter TT byy a few mm). Allowing for the retro bike sourced xtr and X-fly forks that it wears, it cost £200.

And the xs Cannondale F900sl that mrs_oab rides is longer in TT, but is much lighter. It cost £225, dripping in Hope, XT and Deore.

And the Specialized 13″ womens (in manly dark blue) we just bought with Fox Talas, Mavic Crossmax and x7 was just £250, and although high at the front, is a great ‘shape’ of geometry.

Isla bikes are good, but some care when buying and I am not convinced the price they ask is worth it (or many new bikes come to think of it). As with so many MTb things, it is not the damping of the forks or this years BNG that limits the ride, it is the (young) rider.

I have just had the same dilemma. I was flipping between an Isla Bike and an Orbea MX team + RST first air solo then realised that it still had poor V Brakes. So I decided the Creig 24 was the way forward… I just couldn’t find a decent alternative.

Now for Harry who is 7, I have a different conundrum… I can see alternatives to a Creig 26 as I have a parts bin that can come into play.

I was thinking that a 4X frame like the NukeProof Snap would work – but concerned that the top tube may be a bit long. But its TT is a few mml longer than the Whyte 401.

Any reasons why not to use a 4X frame as the base for a kids bike?

matt_outandabout – Member
We have Beinn 26, with manitou mars forks.

Interesting, tell me more. Did the suspension forks adversely affect the geometry much? Just had an email from Islabikes saying they wouldn’t put suspension on a Beinn 24 as the suspension forks are much longer.

I’m loathe to drop £650 on a Creig with rubbish Avid brakes if I can pay £350 for a Beinn and then put a suspension fork on it

‘salright. It is only 80mm of travel, and shortish axle-crown. Air fork, run with about 10psi in it IIRC. Plush.


Carron Valley by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

Carron Valley by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

IMGP3691 by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

Same lad & brother on the Trek

R0017127 by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

Comrie Croft by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

The specialized under an older version of the same lad..



The day Ben discovered he likes berms… by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

Hi All, similar question from me. My son currently has a Giant XTC Jr 20 and the seat is at the max now. We have tried him on a 24 inch and is ok with seat lifted a bit. I am looking at a speacilized hot rock xc, another giant, felt 24 or a cube 240. Weight is pretty important and trying to find bike weights is like knitting fog. I have shown him the Islabike beinn and just does not like it and not enough gears !! I have tried to explain that less gears does not really matter but 11 year olds know best. Are choices above ok or should I start looking at a XS adult? Budget is about 350 as I am going to sell his current giant as it is in really good condition. Any thoughts please

The jump from 20 to 26″ wheels is massive.
Middle_OAB just before Christmas on his 24″ wheels:

The day Ben discovered he likes berms… by matt_outandabout, on Flickr
Middle_OAB last week on his new 26″ – and the 24″ looks small on him now…

Personally, I know the kids like to be involved in choosing bikes, but I have simply turned up with a bike and told them it is theirs….

Kendal, if your still looking I am selling my sons Creig 26. Based in Lancaster, you are more than welcome to pop over if your nearby for a test ride and to see if its suitable for your eldest.

If you’re building a franken bike for your kids, great stuff.. nothing better than that!

BUT, watch out for crank lengths.. don’t be putting your small child on your old 175mm cranks and expect their knees to thank you for it!

Thanks for the offer Andy, but it arrived a week too late! Bugger!!!

Andy, how much for the Crieg?

Lancaster is viable for pick up for me

Marvin

When we were in that position we looked at all the alternatives you’ve mentioned but were recommended by almost everybody, (including shop staff who stocked the bikes you’ve listed,) to get an Islabike, which is what we did. The main reasoning behind this was that the forks on all of them are useless – you’d get more usable suspension putting a big tyre at low pressure on an Islabike, and the weight.

Having said all that a mates lad has just got one of these:

http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/mountain/youth-mtb/core-24

which is still noticably heavier than our beinn 24 but does have a fork that works for little riders; he was certainly having fun on it at Newcastleton on Sunday. You’d need to stretch your budget though.

When we moved to 26″ wheels we bought a Decathlon Rockrider 8.1 for £550
Then I changed the fork spring to a soft.
It’s really good.

When the Craig 26″ was £550 with Rebas it was a bargain, but I couldn’t justify the new price.

Marvin, have a look at Orbea MX 24 Team.
Same sort of weight as Beinn 24, rigid fork and 1×10 Deore. Nice bike!

It’s pretty hard to find ‘the right bike’ for kids when they start to need an adult MTB but in a small size. My son, who is now nearly 12, moved up from a Beinn 24 to a Beinn 26s and then last year to an XS Rockhopper. With a shorter stem and narrow flat bars the riding position is pretty good (very similar to the Beinn 26s apart from the front end being much higher). The main issue is the forks – even with a soft spring the Dart 3s give little travel and have no small bump sensitivity, and that’s because at 5 stone he’s just too light for them. I’m about to try some Rebas, but I think they’ll need to run at about 40psi!

I’m hoping that we’re now into swapping stems and bars, and then finally a reframe as he gets older… that’s my excuse for buying the Rebas anyway. A benefit of running a 26er is that you have a much wider choice of tyres.