My eldest is looking like he will be on a 26" wheeled bike this summer...
I have seen some great wee bikes built up from cheap CRC frames(?) and old parts.
So, where to start....Thinking a CRC frame, old set of air forks, 1x8or9 on my old wheelset (apart from then are not disc, which I would prefer as they will be less maintenance).
Show me your builds and costs....
v brakes are far less maintenance than discs
Last years (when built) seriously reduced xs frame and bits from the 'best parts' bin. Sadly probably outgrown this year!
Frame just under £200, parts much more!
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Bling bling kids bike!
v brakes are far less maintenance than discs
No, no they are not IME, far from it.
Nah! He races it. So money well spent.
Aye, worth it to encourage them I suppose....
v brakes should take less than 2min to set up well for anyone with basic mechanical skills, and only require one allen key to change pads/cables. how can bleeding fluid, replacing seals, sorting out sticky pistons, straightening bent rotors, resetting pistons to replace (often held in place by bolts/split pin) pads, never mind all the nonsense with bedding in, pads de-laminating, choosing the best compound, whingeing/searching online or downloading tech docs to keep them running etc. possibly be classified as less maintenance than looking after 2 sprung arms rotating on posts with pads attached via conical washers and a simple pinch bolt to achieve cable pull?
Quite right GW, but this is STW where bikes were unrideable in the the pre-disc brake era!
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a 24" wheel trek frame that i bought off the classifieds with an rst front fork and 26" wheel - some new bars, sorted the well used brakes and gears and some stickers - great bike
now has a 14" trek frame off here which i've build up but with nice pink chain set and hydraulic disks - I'll have to look for a picture though
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Dr Jekell
Quite right GW, but this is STW where bikes were unrideable in the the pre-disc brake era!
Don't be a chump.
I have ridden bikes since canti's, and still own 4 bikes with V-brakes on as well as two with discs. I have also maintained fleets of 20-30 bikes at centres, and still have some involvement in ordering and training to maintain these fleets.
Experience says that the V-brakes require more regular faffing.
The Shimano, Hope and Hayes discs I have owned have only ever needed new pads, and a year or two's change of fluid. The Shimano's were never bled in 7 years. My Juicys and the Giant MPH brakes do require more work but I can now bleed juicy's in about 5 mins an end.
The V-brakes on kids bikes and my hack commuer eat through pads, require new cables to keep them smooth and mucho faffage. When you have 5 bikes heading out for a day with the family, a couple of minutes per brake and new pads regularly adds up.
CRC xc frame, 24 inch wheels&tyres off ebay (bankruptbikebits or something), 160mm chainset SjSC, rest: garage
[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3166/2971277317_1de56955a4.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/23823661@N05/2971277317/ ]LRB[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/23823661@N05/ ]scaredypants[/url], on Flickr
Ed: above pic was before the wheels or chainset arrived 😳
This was built up using parts that were lying unused in the garage. Obviously he loves riding it and he often comes out with me around Cannock Chase and enjoys riding.
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This is my 10 yr old's, made up of cast off and spares. Cheap Handsome dog frame from Allterrain cycles for £55 last year.
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Prefer discs rather than V's. Vs are a constant faff to get right. Discs in my experience, either work or they don't, but I suppose it's what you feel comfortable with.
My three all have second hand 24" wheelers, two from the classifieds on here. Spesh, Scott and Trek. Easy gear changes, reachable brakes and crank length seem to be the big things to get right. Worth knowing that EBC stock a cheap chainset that suits short legs.
[url= http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLqrymode.a4p?f_ProductID=11171&f_SupersetQRY=C188&f_SortOrderID=1&f_bct=c003154c003151c003210c003211 ]Edinburgh Bike Coop[/url]
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/5445500845_8a7f4bc756.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/37621241@N05/5445500845/ ]IMG_2715[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/37621241@N05/ ]ianvincent[/url], on Flickr
Even nicer now as it has a cool little bmx saddle and a set of revs.
Some seriously nice 'tykes bikes' on here. Go faster red seems to be 'de rigueur'. Well impressed.
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20" wheels and drop bars for speed.
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think the pink chainset is aerodyne and widely thought to be a kind of cheese but the girl likes it, trek frame and most bits of the classifieds except shimano hydraulic disks because i'd rather fit and forget - fed up with sorting kids brakes