As the title.
Would I be better looking at a 24" wheel bike or a 26" wheel model. The rider in question is about 4' 8". Would I be better building up a 24" wheeled bike with normal forks and the change the frame as the rider gets taller.
I'm on my mobile so no chance to use the search facility.
I'd go for an Isla Beinn.
Just got a Beinn small 26" wheels for my 8 year old.
Great bike, I'm very impressed with the quality and choice of kit on it.
I'll fit some decent forks in another year or so as he gets bigger and faster.
24" bikes I looked at were very heavy in comparison.
My 10 year old is 5'1" and has a 24" 'Barracuda' type thing. Cost about £100 and is fine for his level of ability / enthusiasm. 26" is too big for him (I tried him on an old Merlin).
When the bugger stops growing I'll get him something decent. And use it myself.
I've seen a couple of Isla bikes out and about and they are good, all the details have been thought out. Problem is at that age a growth spurt is not far away and a 26" wheel will then be feasible. I have a small thirteen year old and an average size ten year old. Both on 24s, one a steel Spesh Hotrock, one a Scott Voltage Jnr. Both second hand, but barring catastrophes will get the money back on them when the time comes. Both bikes are way better than either of my first two mountain bikes from the mid 90s though. 4'8" is very close to be into 26er territory on a 13" frame though, especially if they are confident on the bike already.
My nearly 10 year old is very tall, as tall as year 6 pupils. We have gone for the option of a cheaper 26" wheeled bike knowing he'll progress into something better in the future. He still uses his bike more as transport around our haousinf estate rather than being dead keen into mountain biking, so a boggo Raleigh suits him currently.
I don't want to ride crap, and don't see why my kids should.
Best option at that age/height is a 26" frame and put 24" wheels on it.
The youngest currently has a Norco B-Line, 24" specific DH/Freeride bike, and a Dr Jekyll jumpbike running 24" wheels (but will run 26"). While kids grow, it takes a long time to outgrow something, and components can be swapped/upgraded. And its only the rims and tyres that can't be used on mine or my elder kids' bikes.
And tbh when any of them break anything, I usually buy some better for myself and hand-me-down my bits 
Bought my lad a 24" Specialized Hotrock - great bike. (He also had a 20" one when he was a bit younger).
He used and abused the 24" for 3-years, it survived and still looked great - at the end of the day we sold it on ebay and received around 50% of the original RRP making it more or less the equivalent cost of a halfrauds special.
I got my 9 year-old one of these:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=44344
He fits it well and loves riding it.
They're a bit more pricey than when I got it though.
Ben
islabike are brillaint, they sell well, so you wouldn't loose much when the time comes to move on.
For my daughter I went with a 24" wheeled Ridgeback but, despite still having that bike when my son outgrew his 20" wheeled Hotrock, I decided to build him a small 26" wheeled bike. That, with some component changes, has served him well for several years now - although at 14 it's not looking like it'll be long until he's on the same size bikes as I am.
This is how his little bike started out:
and this is how it is now:
The 14" Inbred frame is also very small (my wife has one) and I think could easily be used as the basis for a very small 26" wheeled bike for a kid.
If you can afford it get an Islabike Crieg. My 10 yr old got one at Christmas and hasn't looked back since. He was on a 24" Beinn before that which was great but had begun to limit what he could do. The Crieg has enabled him to do GT red and improve on his skills, fitness and confidence.
As another poster said, I want the best bike I can afford for myself, why shouldn't my son also expect the same?!
My 10 year old rides the one at he front of the picture (obviously) and gets on great with it. Its a 14" slot drop out inbred with 90mm forks. He had it this year and came from a 24" Hotrock hard tail, but as above he is quite tall for his age.
As Epicsteve said, the Inbred is perfect for kids as it has a very low stand over height.
Meant to add that we've still got the Trek MT220 (24") bike my youngest got when he was 7 - he just uses it on the street and out with friends. Don't really want to risk his better bikes.
And at least with decent bikes you can repair them, and after-market stuff actually fits.
You could buy a Kona Stinky junior frame off ebay and build up a very nice little bike with it.
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Kona-Stinky-2-4-24w-2010-Junior-Full-Suspension-Bike_29727.htm
I would be willing to help with finding one and the actual build if you want?
Beware of the Stinky Junior, it probably weighs more than an adult Stinky...
No it doesn't the stinky junior or the older ones are less bulky up front and the back ends are the same as the kikapu. Plus a proper full sus frame for a kid.
A decent air shock say an RP3 or 23 and some nice light components.
Yes you can get lighter bikes but one that's better quality and more fun?
Soup Jnr is a tall 9yr old and rides a Trek 220 24" wheel. Picked it up on ebay for around 70quid. Great bike, pretty good weight and seems to be well balanced and highly adjustable. Regular 20 milers off road are no problem for him and he's progressed really well. The way I see it is that when I sell it eventually I will get at least 50% back. 35 quid for 3 years' use can't be bad.
Yeah the good thing about buying used is that if doesn't suit you can sell it and buy something else, without losing out too much money.
See if any of the local bike shops have test bikes , then go round for a few shots.
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