Wheelsize rant – children

So got a growing 9 year old who has come up through nice light bikes (isla, orbea etc) and would like a nice light 26″ wheeled hardtail for the next move. Oh look, no-one (except isla who are not currently producing or Whyte who are out of stock and nobody actually holds in Scotland anyway) seems to make any small 26″ wheeled bike anymore!! 650b is just too big for him atm standover height wise.
So any solutions? (don’t really want to build second hand unless I have to).

Genesis Core 26?

Bike Scene have different specs on the Specialized Hardrock 26″. Some which are in the sale

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/kid-s-bike-26in-cp1.html

Fill yer boots!

You’re not looking hard enough!
These are as good as an Islabike
http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/Default.aspx?pc=1&pt=9&pg=12916
As are theses
http://dawescycles.com/product/26academy/

Also see Trek
http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/collections/kids/kids_dual_sport/#

Ridgeback if you fancy something tougher, these come in small sizes
http://www.ridgeback.co.uk/bike/MX3

Shall I carry on?

build your own

Orbea do the MX26[/url] range and Felt’s Six range goes down to a 12″ frame.

They are out there, just not necessarily advertised.. best bet is to look on the manufacturer / distributor sites and then approach your local stockist when you have the details.

cotic soul or Bfe

Recently got our just 12 yr old a Cube Acid with 16 inch frame. Fits a treat and deore groupset. Makes my Soul look old fashioned with it’s small wheels tho 😀

Thanks for all the replies, spent some time looking through the suggestions. Putting my snob head on, or the I want my son to have a light bike (sub 12kg) with a usable air sprung fork, so he can enjoy trying to keep up with me on a full suss; looks like self build is the only possibility. Liked the look of the cotics but none left in XS. Everything else just looks heavy and poorly specced or not available in XS I’m afraid.
I really didn’t think my desires were all that niche but looks like they are. 🙄

Scott also do a kids 26″ bike but off the top of my head it is about 13kg.

We are in the same position and have decided to build. Can’t afford the Whyte. And even though it looks like a quality bike the cranks are 170mm like all the other “kids” 26″ bikes.

Build second hand.
We had Trek 4500 with Marzocchi air forks old Skool XTR on it.
Still have specialized hard rock with x9 and fox floats and Mavic cross ride XL..
And also have Claud butler with Recon air and full SLX.
All below 12kg, all forked, all nice bikes to ride. All cost less than £350. Factor in repeat and your kid has a ‘new’ bike.

I have rhe same issues with my wife. She is 4’11” and I struggled in 2002 getting a MTB at a reasonable price to fit her. It got a bit better for a while but the move to 650b makes it even harder now.
She rode a Juliana XS full suss in Moab which was ace – it was the only size in that model that had 26″ wheels, the bigger sizes were all 650b, so there is clearly as issue getting 650b to work for shorter folk.

I’ll be taking matt-outandabout’s approach and building bikes myself when my lot get to 26″ wheel size. As they’ll still be growing -decent 2nd hand kit, wheels, and a fork can then be transferred between frames.

Don’t Alpine Bikes carry Whyte?

Usually a good source of cheap bikes at either end of the size scale

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s2p0/Mountain-Bikes/Front-Suspension

At 9 i rode whatever i was given. I remember having an old BMX and all my mates had MTB’s but i was too short to ride a 24 or 26 inch wheel bike.

How about a 650b bike with 26 inch wheels? But then at 9 will he appreciate the extra cost compared to a 2nd hand bike?

Build second hand!

Tyred Jr and I did this as a summer project last year when he was 9 and we faced the same dilemma. Spent some time gathering all the bits first, trying to make it as light as we could without spending more than the 26″ Isla would cost, then built it together with him doing most of the spannering and me saying “are you sure its in properly?” about a million times. Loved doing it.

He can now tell you what a headset’s for and how it fits together, he can fettle hydro brakes and a rear mech (to some degree) and rides a 26″ bike that’s the right size for him, weighs 10.1kg and cost about 600 quid. Once he gets too big for it, we’ll just swap the frame out.

that’s ace 2tyred. 🙂

Buy some steel tube and make your own 🙂

This weighs less than the rigid Beinn 24 it replaced (with bigger wheels, discs and susp fork).

Test ride

Taking a breather somewhere high in the Pyrenees

On One Inbred?

Ghost do an Xxsmall 34cm

http://www.ghost-bikes.com/bikes-2015/bike-detail/sona-2/

Love that Mick – looks just right! Are you selling or just making for keeps?

Don’t they get big? 😉

Mine's bigger than yours by Jonathan Bateman[/url], on Flickr

Just starting to think about a 26″ for when eldest outgrows the 24″ I put together for him. Got a diddy 26″ Kona frame I’m going to build up as a rigid for him, maybe singlespeed.

I do think that those making kids MTBs will begin to fill this gaps once it’s fully vacated by the “adult” market. It may also get reinvented as a niche small woman’s size.

Buy a second hand adult jump bike. I did for my 12yo daughter and it works just fine with a decent set of forks. Got a GT Chucker and canabalised the parts from a redundant spesh HT I had.

Standing ovation for mick_r, that is fantastic!

£225 gets you a new On-One 456 frame and a few other bits of finishing kit. Seems a reasonable start point.

Hi Jonathan

Ah yes SSWC2007 – Bothy Bikes beer and bbq heckling of Saul & Jake’s balance bike racing 🙂

Jake isn’t growing fast so hopefully a few years in that frame, and it was his first “new” mtb so will probably be a keeper. I could be persuaded to make another one but the build queue is a bit long…. Wheels were the only extravagence (Hopes with 28h Stans rims) but the plan is they will follow him onto the next bike(s) anyway.

Eldest one is rapidly growing through all of mum’s old race frames….

I tried a 14″ Inbred for a bit with eldest but it was a right lump – my frame has just one fancy butted tube (the down tube) and it still manages to weight over 1 lb LESS than the bare Inbred frame (for kids I can get away with very skinny 1″ top tube and 1/2″ seat stays etc).

Sounds a nice build – the problem always seems to be getting stuff light enough. Ended up with some lumpy bits on my 24″ build for Saul but managed to make up for them elsewhere a bit.

Inbreds are definitely heavy – Saul could feasibly inherit his mum’s 14″ one, but even with carbon rigids and the lightest bits I had to hand it seems to weight a ton. He’s not really big either, so I think I’ve got a while yet – may sound you out when the time comes 😉

I saw a cube 14″ frame on one of the German sites the other day for less than 100€! Nearly bought one for my lad but he’s only 6. So doesn’t really need it yet…..

Edit: this one. 90€!!
http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/cube-attention-26-frame-grey-n-green-233708/wg_id-276

refreshingly awesome kids bike thread 😀

I just noticed that is the same helmet from balance bike right through to 26er 🙂 So that is a definite vote for the adjustability of Giro Flume kids helmets!

And I made the middle bit of that wooden balance bike frame (chopped up a Lidl one to make small enough for 2yr old – absolute bargain at £10 including ballraced pneumatic wheels). Riders of a certain age will also notice the mk1 crudguard woodscrewed on to stop him getting jammed between saddle and back wheel……

My two are on a Spesh 13″ and a Kona XS – both hardtails.
Spesh was a brand new warranty replacement frame from Hargroves they had in the workshop – £80.

Hmm, that Cube frame looks nice. Am I actually going to let STW persuade me to be less lazy and start a self build??
Always thought the on-ones were a wee bit heavy for a starting point, glad others agree.
Another question while we’re on a roll. 1×10 or triple chainset for age 9 upwards?

lewis is on a 1×10 30t 11-36 but really needs a 40t

I think I’m going for a 1×10

Going for the build. 14inch Cube frame ordered from Germany. Much time spent shopping for bits. Only stress so far is working out what headset I need oh and brake adapters. Will be back for advice.

Build?? That is just assembly not build! 😉

That Cube looks really good – fantastic for the money.

What are you doing for cranks? Eldest went straight to 170mm. Younger one (on the custom frame) needed a bit shorter so found some 160mm at Spa Cycles for £20 with which we just use a granny ring (28 or 26) and 9 speed 11-34. Could occasionally do with a lower gear but that is on very severe stuff in the Lakes etc. Made some chain guide discs from plastic as no clutch mech / narrow wide.
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s109p2003

SJS have some short 4 arm for £50 if you want to run narrow-wide 30t. http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/thorn-104-64-pcd-triple-crankset-mk2-black-prod31813/

absolute black do a 64BCD N/W in 26T&28T rings too

Cranks was one of my issues, think I’ve settled on Zee 165. 36 ring might be a bit big but 11-36 cassette should give him a reasonable range. Thinking clutch mech to hopefully do away with need for guides.
Absolute black stuff looks nice, perhaps a little budget busting though. 40t rear sprocket is an interesting idea for the future.

Having just sold our sons 20″ Islabike for £250, we’ve just ordered an air sprung 24″ Cannondale Race 24, (I) can’t wait for it to arrive.