Suggestion for first childs pedal bike - CNOC 14 too big :(

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Suggestion for first childs pedal bike - CNOC 14 too big :(

34 posts & 19 voices | Started 4 months ago by plasser | Latest reply from plasser

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plasser - Member

Hi,

I've just seen few threads on here about bikes for kids and Islabikes etc, and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for me.

The young lady in question is three years eight months, has been riding a balance bike for over a year (and is quite proficient) and is keen to get some pedals.

I've heard people rave about Islabikes, and I would buy her a CNOC 14 today, except their height chart specifies a minimum inside leg of 38cm despite it being aimed at ages 3+, and the inside leg in question is a mere 34cm.

Can anyone recommend a good quality nice looking (ie not gaudy pink with streamers, etc) child's bike, which might fit a smaller than average (but not that small) 3-year-old.

I've had a quick look at the Specialized kids bikes but they don't have a handy sizing chart like the Islabikes website, and their smallest girls bike seems to come in "any colour as long as it's pink".

Posted 4 months ago #
aracer - Member

I'll have a proper look later, but it's certainly possible to go smaller than spec. on a Cnoc 14 by using a different seatpost / saddle setup. The standard setup won't drop right down to the seatpost clamp, and the lowest it will go is what the specs are based on. If you already have a Rothan, then you can do what I did and get a cheap seatpost to take that saddle and cut it down to go as low as possible in the frame, which will probably gain you enough.

Posted 4 months ago #
uwe-r - Member

We got the nipper a Ridgback for his fourth birthday. Excellent quality and a good price, worth a look.

Posted 4 months ago #
nosedive - Member

I started my boy on a dawes blowfish 12. he was 3 then, he is 5 now and it's getting too small. Its a great bike, nice and light, ally frame.

It's coming up for sale soon, let me know if you are interested (based in sheffield). Bike is silver, deliberately gender neutral.

Posted 4 months ago #
AlexSimon - Member

If it was me, I'd buy the CNOC and keep going with the balance bike until it fitted.

She may cope with the large fit, but I know my 3yo boy was swapping between the two (that was a CNOC 16) for a bit because he was so capable on the balance bike.

It was really only the fact that his older brother had pedals that eventually motivated him to swap.

Posted 4 months ago #
StirlingCrispin - Member

I'd buy the CNOC and keep going with the balance bike until it fitted.

Me too.

You can always fit stabilisers if the young lady wishes to pedal.

Posted 4 months ago #
Stuuey - Member

My two had 12 inch pedal bikes from 4-5. The 14s were just too big and they are taller than avg. Strength to use the brakes is something else to watch out for.

Posted 4 months ago #
aracer - Member

My two had 12 inch pedal bikes from 4-5. The 14s were just too big and they are taller than avg. Strength to use the brakes is something else to watch out for.

I didn't think mini-aracer was that much bigger than average, and he had the 14 when he was 3 (with said seatpost mod so he could get his feet on the floor). Spent quite a bit of time riding with stabilisers in the end - despite being ace on the balance bike - but riding without at just over 3.5, and on a handed down 16 at just over 4! Strength for brakes is one major reason to go for an Islabike - I have to stop him from doing skids.

Posted 4 months ago #
takisawa2 - Member

I'll drop the post on my lads to check if you like, but my youngest was still 3 & quite small when he started.

Posted 4 months ago #
Stuuey - Member

Maybe I didn't shop around enough I certainly didn't try islabikes.

Posted 4 months ago #
fuzzhead - Member

my eldest started on a 12" Mongoose mini-bmx type thing when he was 2.5. Used it until he was 4 when we got him a 14"er. mini-fuzz No2 has just started off on said Mongoose, aged 2.5.

The Spesh kids bike seem to have a low standover, judging by the ones my kids have thrown a leg over. Phone up a Spesh concept store/Spesh dealer and ask them to measure for you?

Posted 4 months ago #
andyfla - Member

I found that my boy was at the top end of the Rothan before he was the right size for the cnoc - poss keep on it until the summer and then swap - there is no rush ...

Posted 4 months ago #
reggiegasket - Member

I ran a Cnoc14 but used a one-piece saddle/setapost from a mini bmx to lower the seat height, as aracer says. Worked for my 3yr until she was 4.5. Now moved on to a Cnoc16.

Posted 4 months ago #
Tasso - Member

Recently bought a spesh hotrock 12 for our lad who was three last October. After a few short rides with stabilisers we removed them and only two or three tries later he's now pedalling quite strongly but struggles to get it moving on his own.

It has a coaster back pedal brake and he's quite proficient at skids already - quite a natural thing to do it seems. The front caliper brake he doesn't really get yet and I expect he would have struggled with two hand operated brakes.

The only downside is that the coaster drags for some reason and so a bit of fettling on my part is required.

As for fit, well he's not going to be lanky with the parents he has and to reach the floor properly he would have needed a bit trimming off the post. A few months later and he fits fine - but the limiting factor seems to be the saddle to pedal distance - his legs don't really extend into a nice straight line with teh saddle right down.

It's light'ish but not exactly featherweight.

He's still swapping between his small Puky balance bike, a scooter and the 12" Spesh.

Saw a lad on a Cnoc 14 at FOD a few weeks ago and I don't think it's actually much bigger. A bit like comparing a small 26" MTB to a 29er.

Posted 4 months ago #
Tasso - Member

Hotrock12 boys

Oh and the colours they do the Hotrock in are nice spesh red or a deep metallic blue - both nice.

Posted 4 months ago #
plasser - Member

Thanks for all the replies. I'd be interested to know how low the seat will go on the CNOC 14 (with mod if required). Her current bike is a Likeabike, not a Rothan.

I'm loath to get a bike which my daughter will find out about but then won't be able to ride - at least not safely - but I would also rather avoid stabilisers for all the reasons given on the Islabikes website.

I guess my daughter is small compared to some three-year-old boys. She still wears some clothes labelled for two-year-olds, but she isn't noticeably short in her school group, despite being one of the younger ones in the year.

I called the a Specialized Concept Store who suggested the seats go pretty low on the Hotrock 16 so the reach on the frame is more of an issue. Then they do a Hotrock 12, but her Likeabike has 12" wheels, and the seat's been at maximum for a while on that.

Maybe I'll try her on a Specialized somewhere. I still really like the idea of the CNOC 14 but even the staff when I phoned said not to get it before she's tall enough as it would be a disappointment. Shame they don't stock them in stores anywhere.

Posted 4 months ago #
plasser - Member

@Tasso

They are nice. But why are red and blue "boys" colours, so girls just get lurid pink (again). Why differentiate at all, when otherwise the bikes are identical, and you could just give three colour options and let customers decide which they like.

Probably a debate for a different forum, but it bugs me, and it does put me off.

Posted 4 months ago #
enfht - Member

Puky

Posted 4 months ago #
ir_bandito - Member

got my lad a Cnoc14 for Christmas, he's a small 3 1/2
He likes it, but prefers his Scoot as he's confident on that, and I'm pressuring him to choose. He can balance on the Cnoc, and he's got to grips with the, frankly awesome, brakes, but he's not bothered by pedalling yet. Plenty of time yet.

Posted 4 months ago #
reggiegasket - Member

mine only got to grips with the Cnoc14 from about 4 onwards. She could ride it prior to that but tended to grab her balance bike instead.

Now she's 4.5 and flying on the Cnoc16. The 16 is more stable and turns better. The 14 is a bit twitchy on rougher surfaces.

Posted 4 months ago #
takisawa2 - Member

Just measured my lads Cnoc 14. 46cm ground to saddle, 36cm pedal to saddle, that's with the saddle as low as it will go. In shoes / trainers she would probably be fine once she's away. Don't go down the stabiliser route, its just another thing to be trained out of. If you'd have seen my lad on his balance bike...he was racing along, feet up most of the time. Really is the way to go. It took a few mins for him to take off on the Cnoc when hid older brother passed it on.

Posted 4 months ago #
mtbtomo - Member

aracer / reggie....can you clarify or photo the seatpost/saddle in question.

I have exactly the same problem, Rothan on the seatpost limit, but Cnoc 14 too big. He's on tiptoes. Its better than it was when we first got it but he still struggles to get a foot down when he comes to an abrupt halt.

Can't go back to the Rothan, cos we kidded him that the Cnoc was the Rothan with pedals fitted

Posted 4 months ago #
nosedive - Member

i just got my daughter a ridgeback honey, 14 inch wheels. she is only just 3 and it's about right for her. really pleased with the bike, particularly good brakes which even her little hands can work. pink as well, which was the main thing she wanted

Posted 4 months ago #
matthewjb - Member

not gaudy pink with streamers, etc)

Have you checked with your daughter? She may have other ideas.

My Daughter graduated from a Rothan to the CNOC. If you're near the limit on the Rothan then the CNOC should be OK.

Posted 4 months ago #
reggiegasket - Member

I've since sold the Cnoc14 so can't take any pics or measure anything, sorry.

But the seat/post I used is one like on this:

Posted 4 months ago #
richardk - Member

A vote for the Specialized here, served both my 2 kids from 3 to 5 years and came out looking as good as new. Having stabilisers doesn't seem to have harmed them - it seems like quantity of riding rather anything else made a difference.

Coaster brake is ace for young kids, really reliable and easy to use. Surprising how much speed they can get to on even small slopes.

The Hotrock 12 had good standover, and good adjustability on the seat height.

Sadly sold now - kids still miss it.

Posted 4 months ago #
aracer - Member

aracer / reggie....can you clarify or photo the seatpost/saddle in question.

I could give you a link to a picture of a Rothan, but it appears you have a real one of those you could look at. The seatposts are the same diameter, but the Rothan one as standard is too long to go right down unless you cut it down - which means you then have a Rothan without a full length post. Hence I got a cheap one the same size and cut down as necessary so it would go right down. If the Rothan is no longer in use then you don't need a saddle on that - I just put the Cnoc saddle on that so it could be used. For anybody without a Rothan, it's just like the saddle/post in reggie's piccie.

I make the saddle to pedals 38cm (hence the spec?), saddle to ground 48cm, which is because the seatpost won't go right down - either takisawa's came with a shorter post or he's cut it down, as that's what you'd get with the seat clamp right down on the seatpost clamp. I'm not messing around to check exactly, but by comparing the saddle on the Rothan (now in use by younger brother) I'd say you could get 5cm lower than my figures that way - hence 33cm seat to pedals, 43cm seat to floor, which should be enough for the OP.

Posted 4 months ago #
mtbtomo - Member

Thanks Reggie/Aracer.

The Rothan is in storage at the mo, waiting for little brother...

I might have to dig it out.....may be little brother won't need a saddle and aim straight for one of those trials bikes with no seat?

Posted 4 months ago #
takisawa2 - Member

Measured with it as low as it would go. Don't think I trimmed the post, remember doing it on one bike but don't think it was the Cnoc. Would add that there's probably another 25mm available if you swap to a post that's full dia all the way up. The std Cnoc post has a head thats a larger dia, so it won't go any lower.

IMAG0211 by pten2106, on Flickr

Posted 4 months ago #
aracer - Member

The Rothan is in storage at the mo, waiting for little brother...

I might have to dig it out.....may be little brother won't need a saddle and aim straight for one of those trials bikes with no seat?

You won't need the Rothan seat mod for long - unless they're very close in age it shouldn't be a problem.

Posted 4 months ago #
djaustin - Member

Raleigh Bluebell#. It was 30 years old, 12" solid tyres, fixed gear, integral removable stabilizers. Both my sons learned to ride without stabilizers.

14" wheels are a dead end. 4" wheel jumps are the norm: 12, 16, 20, 24 and finally 26/700c.

#passed it down and my sister put it in a skip

EDIT: How about a Dawes Blowfish. Cheapest aluminium framed 12" I could find. The Specialized Hotrock 12 looks smart, but is more expensive and doesn't appear to have a front brake!

Posted 4 months ago #
aracer - Member

4" wheel jumps are the norm: ... 24 and finally 26/700c

26" wheels are a dead end

Posted 4 months ago #
theotherjonv - Member

just saw this. Will be putting pics up tomorrow or friday but I have a girls but powder blue Ridgeback Honey that saw my daughter from 3-5 years old perfectly (and her sister had her own one as well, now sold), that will be available shortly.

She's just gone up to the next Ridgeback which is a 16", so i disagree that the 2" jump is a dead end. In fact at that age the % jump is probably more significant. I think more vital than wheel size at that age is the weight, if she is smaller then the extra weight to move may be more of a hindrance than the frame size tbh.

Like this but powder blue.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/ridgeback/honey-girls-2009-kids-bike-14-inch-wheel--ec017021#features

Posted 4 months ago #
plasser - Member

@theotherjonv,

Have emailed you.

Posted 3 months ago #

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