24 Inch bikes for kids. Suggestions?

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This topic has 32 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 11 years ago by uphillcursing.

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24 Inch bikes for kids. Suggestions?
uphillcursing
Free Member

Offspring #01 is starting to outgrow his Bein 20. Islabikes will not ship international so they tell me. Which is a shame as as Bein 24 was first choice.

Looked so far at Giant which seemed awfully heavy.
Should be passing a CUBE dealer on the way to work so may pop in to see their offering as it looks the part and the price would suggest it may be lighter/ more fit for purpose.

Anyone got any suggestions of what to look at? Happy to pay Islabikes Bein 24 money.

Posted 11 years ago

messiah
Free Member

Genesis Core 24… looked awesome in Bothy Bikes a few weeks ago… but nae cheap 👿

Posted 11 years ago

reedspeed
Free Member

My lads got a Carrera blast,with formula brakes & hope discs,I’ve also changed the twist grips to thumb shifters & swapped the tyres,my thinking is it’ll do him till he’s about 11,he’s 7 now !..

Posted 11 years ago

johnikgriff
Free Member

2nd the Genesis Core 24. Had an Islebile Benin 20 before (now his sisters) great bike and looked at the 24 but didn’t have a front chainring, disk brakes or suspension forks. Had a good look round and was pretty disappointed with what I saw compared to the Isla, until a friend who works in a local bike shop phoned to say they had a Core. Very very please, he has only had it 2 weeks and he has come on leaps and bounds.

Tweak Cycles had them on offer last week.

Posted 11 years ago

Nobby
Full Member

My lad’s Spesh A1 FS was a great bike – only sold it last week.

Posted 11 years ago

igm
Full Member

Get someone on here to ship a Beinn 24 to you?

Posted 11 years ago

alexpalacefan
Full Member

Can you get Dawes? I use a fleet of Dawes Phantoms to teach with, great bikes.

APF

Posted 11 years ago

midlifecrashes
Full Member

Scott Scale or Voltage available in 24″. Spesh Hotrock, Trek MT220?

Posted 11 years ago

tomhoward
Full Member

Stinky 24?

Posted 11 years ago

uphillcursing
Free Member

Ah that Genesis looks the part. Not sure on the price tag though!
A bit of interwebbing tells me that “most”of the bikes from the big brands weigh in at about 12 kilos 😯
Are some bouncy forks and a chance of discs worth the extra 3-4 kilos over the Islabike? I can’t see that they are.
Am I just a bad Dad who is buying what I think he needs. Paying no interest in what he may “want”?

Posted 11 years ago

grtdkad
Full Member

We’ve had a few Specialized Hotrocks here. My 11yr old girl has a Scott Scale junior (24).

All recommended. Light. Well built. Good residual value.

Posted 11 years ago

ianv
Free Member

The Isla bike is only worth the weight saving if it will be ridden relatively sedately. If your son likes to ride downhill or to jump then it is not the best option ime. The lightweight comes at the expense of solidity. The forks on many of the 24 inch bikes may not be great but they do make a massive difference on rough terrain. For general mucking about, the Scott voltage has probably the best geometry (it’s like a mini chameleon) and is pretty tough. It can also take a decent fork if you want to upgrade it.

Posted 11 years ago

igm
Full Member

The point on forks is valid, but I wouldn’t say that the Islabike isn’t solid. The one my son has got is noticeably better built than the Trek the lad next door has – Beinn 20 in our case.

Posted 11 years ago

uphillcursing
Free Member

He is starting to get some confidence and beginning to get wheels of the ground/ride at speed.
Small for his age 9 hence just getting bit enough for the 20″.

Currently thinking Scott Scale and Cube with the outside bet of a Spesh in the mix too.

Time to get round the local shops and see what they are like up close.

Posted 11 years ago

tinsy
Free Member

Pop into a Halfords to compare the big brands to the Carrera, when I was looking the Carrera nudged it really but got rejected on colour, we bought a Felt, it was OK but loads heavier than the Carrera.

Might be worth measuring some old 80mm SID’s AC height for an inexpensive set of light forks.

Posted 11 years ago

igm
Full Member

Tinsy – just what I was thinking. The Beinn 24 (unlike the 20) has a 1 1/8 headset, meaning a good selection of lightweight 26″ forks will fit. Knock the travel down by 20mm and you’ve got a 10kg bike with slightly slacker handling that ought to work very nicely.

The downside is to get the brakes to work you may have to factor in a disc brake, disc hub and wheel rebuild.

But you get to take them with you for the next bike up when your youngster grows again.

Or hand it down to the next junior shredder in your family.

Posted 11 years ago

uphillcursing
Free Member

No Halfords here in Aus I am afraid.
This is really getting to me now. I may have to pop the little wretch on the rack and stretch him till a 26″wheel bike will fit. I would think I could cobble together a far better bike from the spares cupboard than can be bought for a 24″and a lot cheaper to boot!

Any left field suggestions?

Posted 11 years ago

uphillcursing
Free Member

You know what. I would think Brant is missing a trick or two here. Little carbon frames with the option of rigid carbon or 100mm suspension. All in house finishing kit. Must be able to make something light and better value than the big players.
Would they sell? I would think he would be able to shift many multiples the number of fatbikes.

Posted 11 years ago

igm
Full Member

Small 26″ disc frame running 24″ wheels, DH stem, inline post and short cranks. Upsize the components as he grows.

Left field enough?

I think mamadirt is the expert on tiny frames.

Posted 11 years ago

igm
Full Member

More left field…
http://lilshredder.com/

Possibly a little small.

Posted 11 years ago

uphillcursing
Free Member

IGM. I like it. Just not the price tag.

Posted 11 years ago

uphillcursing
Free Member

I had thought about a really small 26er frame but not thought about 24 inch wheels. I think he will still be too small though.
Only just getting into the bracket for off the shelf 24 inch.

Posted 11 years ago

ianv
Free Member

He is starting to get some confidence and beginning to get wheels of the ground/ride at speed

Go with the scott voltage and eventually stick a decent air fork on it.

Posted 11 years ago

starsh78
Free Member

http://www.cannondale.com/2013/bikes/kids/boys/street/24-m-street-matte-black

Posted 11 years ago

igm
Full Member

To check, try him on a 26″ bike with no air in the tyres / tyres off. This will approximate to a 26″ frame and 24″ wheels. Though clearly he can’t actually ride it like that it will allow stand over and reach checking.

Posted 11 years ago

uphillcursing
Free Member

That Dale looks the business. One of mine has a Lefty so that would make him feel special. Can’t seem to find anymore information on it though.

The 26er thing is dead in the water. his inside leg is only 58cm.

Posted 11 years ago

Sandwich
Full Member

One of our customers this year had a ridgeback that was lightish and reasonably well equipped. Can you get them in Aus?

Posted 11 years ago

uphillcursing
Free Member

That Ridgeback weighs in at 27lbs.
That really is a bit on the “sturdy”side.

Posted 11 years ago

br
Free Member

Don’t make the mistake of buying a bike that he’ll grow into, you’ll only put him off.

My son went from a 20″ Raleigh to a Trek MT220, works well and was very adjustable and not too heavy – when older I got him a Norco B-Line (24″ DH/Freeride).

Posted 11 years ago

ElVino
Full Member

My 2p worth, I put a longer seatpost a longer stem and slightly wider riser handlebars on my sons Beinn 20. It looks the dogs and did him an extra 18 months.

Posted 11 years ago

luke
Free Member

Same boat my 9yr old lad has just outgrown his 20 inch Ridgeback and so looking for something bigger, that Cannondale looks lovely but I couldn’t see it on the UK site, bloody typical.
The Genesis is nice and I reckon my little man would love it but it’s a lot of money.

Posted 11 years ago

uphillcursing
Free Member

Just found a GT Zaskar 24. Bit over budget but have an iron in the fire. The Dale is not in stock till late november.

Posted 11 years ago

uphillcursing
Free Member

Trigger pulled on a Zaskar 24.

Should arrive sometime this week and I shall report back on the findings. Had to order it blind as none of the wretched shops would get anything in without a deposit. Fair enough I suppose as they could well get lumbered with something they had little chance of moving on easily.

Posted 11 years ago