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Looking for the weemans next bike for xmas.
Must be 20" wheels
6/7 gears (trigger shift preferable but grip shift OK, I can convert later)
front suspension a bonus.
Been buying the ridgeback range as they seem to be solid (scoot balance bike, now on the MX 16)
Early rider
Ribbit!🐸
Giant arx20? no suspension though.
Ours is on a Belter 16 which he's outgrown. If only I could stretch to the 20"...
So I'm looking at a Squish 20 (mate's bike shop sells them) or an Orbea MX20, though I'd prefer a rigid fork tbh, not sure if suspension would do anything but add weight in our case (Orbea do the MX with a sus fork too).
Very impressed with this, a Raleigh Performance 20. Really light, properly put together. For this size of bike/child, I can't see any benefit of suspension. Extra weight and complexity for no real advantage.
Logpile - poster's own.
Massive Early Rider fan here, will be selling the Belter 16 shortly. However, they seem to have messed up their business model a bit. Once they're back on track, they're great bikes.
We’ve had Isla bikes in the past and currently have a vitus 20; however, our little girl needs something a bit more capable so I will get her an easy rider trail 20 with suspension forks for Christmas. Even with the forks and much wider tyres, it’s still lighter than the vitus... 🙂
My daughter has the MX20 team disc, got it pre-used and can't fault it apart from the plastic Altus mech that's on the piss. Was planning on getting something medium cage anyway so not that fussed.
I MAy have 2x 20" belters for sale soon
one with Suspension forks
One Rigid
Trying to work out how I can get them on to 24" versions
Massive Early Rider fan here, will be selling the Belter 16 shortly. However, they seem to have messed up their business model a bit.
How do you mean?
Cr500dom i am very interested in the belter with suspension. When do you think you'll be selling?
When I can work out what to get them next !!
Just got my boy a hoy , seems well built and thought out
Looking to upgrade from a Belter 16 here, currently looking seriously at the Saracen Mantra 2.0R, it looks to be lighter than the rest of the competition in rigid form, but can be bought with a suspension fork.
Early rider, but they were too much £££ for us.
New, we were looking at a Vitus 20plus, as it would be ideal in a years time & then add lightness for the short term. We have done Comrie & glentress blues on a 16" belter, so want something future-proof and capable.
We ended up with a bargain slightly used specialized riprock, swapping to a set of narrow tyres saved about 1.5kg, a set of onza rigid forks at least another kg, so its now well under 10kg for less than half the price of a bigger belter & can go back to a little fat bike when the time is right.
What I hadn't anticipated is how much harder mechanical discs are to use than well set up v brakes, so its also now fitted with my old shimano discs, which are so easy (light) to use they massively increased confidence.
Bruce, their switch from distributor model to selling direct did them no favours. Messed up pricing massively.
+1 for Hoy
Really nice bikes
Cr500dom - I too am interested in one of your Belter 20s.
My daughter was on a 16 which she loved, I then bought a specialized riprock at a good price. But it's too heavy for her - will be great in a couple of years.
Rich.
HAving measured both offspring this morning, they are both still a bit short in the leg to move up to a 24" bike so I am going to hold fire for a little while.
I will post and let people know when they do become available though
If you want offload capability my daughter has loved her Cannondale Cujo 20. The big volume tyres make up for the lack of suspension and weigh next to nothing. Rolling on the road they are still pretty quick as it's a relatively light tread.
Because the tyre has so much grip she's gained loads of confidence on the local blue MTB trails, certainly much better than bouncing around on a Isla/Hoy/Frog with small tyres requiring higher pressure. I'll be looking to move her up to a 24 next summer. She also loves that she has the fattest tyres in the household!
Specialized do something very similar, but with a suspension fork from memory.
Having run out of upgrade options for my own bike, I have recently been channelling my inner research nerd into a 20" upgrade for our soon to turn 6 year old (currently on the excellent Earlyrider 16" belter)
Note that suspension is contentious for 20" bikes....consensus is that kids this size/age are too light for most (inevitably budget orientated) coil springs to be effective (and hence they add massive weight for very little practice value) and that the air forks that are effectively tuned for kids are eye-wateringly expensive (as reflected in the prices below!).
"Best" 20" kids trail bikes with (air) front suspension (if money were no object) are as follows:
Trailcraft Blue sky 20 Blue Sky amazing but.....ouch!
Spawn Yama Jama Yama jama equally amazing....but still ouch!
Early Rider: currently releasing a new range of hardtail, front suspension and full suspension trail bikes (having gobbled up American brand "lil shredder"). The current 20" belter trail is now superseded by the hardtail "seeker" range and the suspension orientated "Helion" range. Both ranges are a big revamp featuring geometry following adult trends, 10/11 speed drive trains, and new suspension for the front and full suspension models. (the apparently difficult to tune/service air spinner grind forks have gone). Official release in November but catalogue is up on site:
EarlyRider 2020
Other high end non starters for me at least are:
Commencal: great spec 20" hardtails and full sus bikes but completely out of whack crank sizes: 140 and 152 mm which are age appropriate to 9 year olds plus! Most bikes in this segment have bothered to spec age appropriate size 120-130mm cranks.Meta HT (but WOW.and its red!).
Norco: same deal...great looking/spec bikes but 152mm cranks and heavy coil spring for their front sus option. Fluid 2.3+ Great looking bike though and only ½ a kidneys worth.....must... resist... on aesthetic alone......!
Kona...old school spinner grind air fork and massive 152mm cranks. Honzo 20
You could source smaller cranks for these bikes in theory.....looking in to it thought lighter ones are not cheap! I do love the red CommencalMeta HT but I don't really want to be selling a kidney to fund a bike that will realistically be outgrown in 2 years time...perhaps you could justify it on resale? No, no just leave it kiwifiz!
Most of the rest of the less expensive coil suspension options are pretty chunky 10kg+ numbers, which is kind of the magic number to aim below for for little riders in the 20" segment. They obviously ride fine, but there is a big penalty for little legs climbing.
The current sensible trend in the 20" segment is to sub out suspension for big volume tyres (typically 2.6) with some that can be run tubeless as well and give some meaningful shock absorption for bumpier terrain. Good examples:
Merida MATTS J 20+
Vitus 20+ Vitus 20+ The best priced of the bunch by quite some margin. Good reviews generally.
Cannondale Cujo Race 20+
Cujo standard 20+
There are plenty of very similar spec hardtail options with slimmer (sub 2.35) trail tyres good geo, V brakes from:
Saracen
Orbea (disc brake option)
Kona
Giant etc
The frogs and Islas don't have trail specific options at 20"...skinny road tyres which you could swap out but they have very narrow chain stay clearance out back. I particularly don't like the long frame/chainstays of the frogs....they look cumbersome....just my opinion. The Whyte 203 looks great with good spec too initially too, but is another weirdly long chain stay bike with a 77º seat angle?
I'm angling for the hardtail Seeker 20" from earlyrider. Although not quite new school + tyre volume, 2.35 is still pretty chunky, tubeless ready, and thte geo/componen build looks excellent. Game changer that no one seems to match in the 20" category is the weight (along lines of current 20" belter which is under 8.2 kg) which makes a huge difference for hills and general ride-ability. Back up is the Vitus 20+....half the price almost but 2kg heavier, old school non upgradeable 7 speed but the best value in the new school 20+ bunch. So there you go....how lucky are current kids to have access to a huge range of trail friendly bikes!
On the weekend my boy used his birthday money to buy the Orbea MX 20 XC, in red.
Its a really excellent bike for the money. I think it was £209.
Riding position is excellent. Handlebars Super comfy grips with trigger shift and a long range 14-34 (I think) granny gear, and although the front suspension isn't really going to be of any benefit as he's too light, it looks really good and he's chuffed with it.
Would 100% recommend.
Ash
Our 2 daughters went 16" and then 20" Early Rider Belters. The 20" fully-rigid trail belter (which I don't think you can buy anymore) is particularly good. Super lightweight, easy 3 speed gearing, belt driven, decent chunky Maxxis trail tyres and completely reliable. Our 7 year old is still on the 20" Belter and going strong. I don't think a budget suspension fork would give her any advantage on this bike - only making it heavier. Had no complaints of the ride and the tyres have plenty of cushioning for her 23 kg frame!