I’m looking for a decent hardtail for my little girl aged 7. She currently has a 14″ wheel frogbike but is out growing it. She can get around the blue trail at Cannock but she could do with a suspension fork.

I’m hoping there is a bike with aluminium frame, 20″ wheels and half decent fork. I don’t mind paying if its good quality.

At the moment I can’t find one that fits the bill. I may end up getting one with a rigid fork unless I can find one worth having.

Anyone had the same issue?

Nope.

My kids started Specialized Hotwalk (balance bike) and moved on to the Hotrock. 12, 16, 20 and 24. My eldest is now on a full size bike, but the wee un’s are still working their way through the 20 and 24. Then they will be having big bikes.

Never used the stabilisers, what’s the point in them?

But the Speshes have put up with spills, crashes, being dropped in rivers and general kid abuse without much bother.

Everyone say Islbikes are so much better, but the lack of being able to try your kids on one for size is a real nuisance.

Got the cash?

Lil Shredder

Just bought my 5 year old the larger 20″ frog bike. She really likes it and it’s a great fit. No suspension fork option on those but I’m not sure how much use one would be when the rider is only 20kg?

I’ll go with the next size frogbike if there is no suspension fork worth having. We have a hotrock but the kids don’t really get on with the pedal back brake and the front brake is hard for them to apply. Frogbike brakes are much easier to use for little hands in our experience.
I’m going to sell a pink hotrock if anyone is interested. North of Coventry.

Can’t see that hatter. Think work system blocks it?

If an air fork was designed specifically for really light riders then it would be good. I’m guessing from my quick search that one doesn’t exist.

I just opened that link on my phone. Do Lil Shredder sell in the uk?

kona shred looks good: http://www.konaworld.com/shred_20.cfm

My oldest tried one for size last week. We did just happen to be going past Ludlow on the way to North Wales, so maybe not all that convenient for everybody (hadn’t actually planned to stop there, but realised about 10 miles earlier we were going right past and needed a new brake lever)! Though their size charts are nice and accurate, and they’ll also give advice over the phone, which is what I relied on when we got the one he’s currently on which he was just big enough for (picked up at Ludlow, but it was all built up ready for us).

To the OP, they don’t need a sus fork at that age – plenty of kids, including mine riding hard enough stuff without one (blue at CYB for 8yo and 6yo on Friday).

Early Rider Belter 20, out this summer according to the website:
http://earlyrider.com/products/belter-20

Beinn 20 is a good rigid option. As said, suspension forks on a 20″ are questionable. I’ve just put a RST Air fork on a 24″ wheel bike, for an 8yr old girl, and they start to make sense, especially air forks as you can tweak the pressure.

My 8 year old has happily ridden her second hand Carrera Luna round the greens at Glentress and the blue at Hicks Lodge. We’ve also had Hotrocks and Treks for the kids, all heavier than Islabikes but the kids didn’t seem to worry about that.

Nice one G5604! That Kona looks just what I’m after, £400 isn’t too bad. I’ve got 3 young kids so they’ll all get use out of it. cheers

Commencal had some of their 20 inch bikes at tweedlove, I couldn’t say whether they’re good or not but they look incredible, especially parked beside the big bikes. So jealous 😳

Pinnacle here, but it’s rigid.

You can get decent 20″ suspension forks aftermarket. I don’t know what my FiL has on his recumbent but it’s properly damped and air sprung. Might be worth a look. Maybe read this too.

Still unconvinced by the rigid is better argument. Not in any rational way, but put a line of boys in front of a Speccy HotWalk or an Isla Bike and I bet more will go for the one with the sproingy fork.

I don’t think they much care or even notice it’s not great suspension. Maybe catches more ‘serious’ riding parents than the kids. Although mine will swap continually, as the youngest’s rigid 16″ ss is more like a BMX and ‘jumps better’.

The best bike is the one that gets ridden the most, regardless of brand or setup. FWIW I got a Kona, untouched, off Ebay for £27 so it’s well worth keeping a local search up (not many sellers can be bothered to post other than IslaBikes).

Put a fatter tyre on the front than stock.

Then I’d just go Isla or Frog as the stock gear range is better than the rest.

Mind you your potentially into 24″ territory
http://www.islabikes.co.uk/products/bikes/item/beinn-24

Which opens up some other options also.
Had a quick play on a 24″ full sus Trek and the fork felt lovely in the shop. They do a hardtail too. (although it’s a lot cheaper with a cheap fork)

££££s though

There is rumours of a decent 20″ fork coming out can’t remember the brand though. Suntour/X Fusion probably.

Also Orbea do 20″ with sus forks. The top model is rigid though.

I went on winstanleys and found loads of options, so really not sure now.

tempted by this fat bike, 28t front ring and 32-11 cassette

Its 399 on winstanleys

http://www.ilkleycycles.co.uk/61553/products/2015-genesis-caribou-jnr-20-inch-kids-mountain-bike.aspx

11.3kg so far heavier than frog or isla. It may be too fatiguing for long rides. Her wrists were feeling it the most but if we get a damped heavier bike it might just shift the problem elsewhere. Its a tricky decision.

I don’t think they much care or even notice it’s not great suspension.

The weight is the issue.

MRP’s rustler and SR Suntours axon 20 are 2 very capable 20″ forks..but at adult fork money.
Spinner do an air fork that’s actually reasonable and light. Much better than most OEM kids forks and not silly money either.
I’d say a punt on that commencal meta 20 is your best UK option unless you can figure importing a 22lb Spawn savage 2.0 with 7spd sram x7 drivetrain, hydraulic brakes and spinner grind air fork.

The weight is the issue.

For the parents maybe. I don’t see kids admiring the weight of each others bikes. Paintjob, yes, weight, no.

The fittest, fastest kid in the school rides a PoS full suss from god knows where. He’s faster on other bikes, but doesn’t care, he likes his bouncy bike and always ends up back on it from the ‘bike pile’ that inevitably forms. The others also love playing on it too.

I focussed on suspension performance as a lot of people seem to be quite hung up on it. I can sort of see the point when they are getting to 24″ wheels but before that I’m unconvinced it’s worth thinking about. Get them a bike that fits that they want to ride, be it rigid or forks with pogo stick performance.

For silly money at 24″ Whyte do a 26″ thats like a childs 29er that looks awesome.

Everyone say Islbikes are so much better, but the lack of being able to try your kids on one for size is a real nuisance.

Um, if you live in Outer Mongolia then that might be the case. Assuming you live in the UK then just head to the nearest trail centre that saves decent coffee. It’ll be absolutely mobbed with Islabike toting kids and proud parents. They’ll be more than happy to let you try it.

Seriously. They’re absolutely everywhere.

I don’t see kids admiring the weight of each others bikes

No, but they are having to pedal it around. When you weigh 20kg, 2kg of extra fork is going to help make you more tired.

The fittest, fastest kid in the school rides a PoS full suss

So what?

It depends if your kids are going to care about image. My eldest has a Pinnacle 20″ and most of her friends can’t even ride without stabilisers, never mind go out on bike rides. So we bought a bike to help her do that.

The Pinnacle, btw, is as good as the Islabike IMO but cheaper.

That is indeed quite an irrational argument! Like molgrips I select my kids’ bikes based on functionality not on what looks coolest (though we have slightly different attitudes to whether the lowest purchase price or the lowest depreciation makes for the best value 😉 )

After a lot of thought, I’m thinking of prioritising low weight over suspension. Perhaps using a larger volume front tyre as suggested earlier. A fork could be really good for her in some ways but I think not with such a % weight penalty. Its probably better to go for the lighter bike until she is stronger. You learn skills on a rigid anyway.

She has a Frog bike and loves it, so I’ll probably go with the 20″ version if I can find one, they seem to be out of stock online.

Frogs are struggling with supply I heard, as they are basically an functional Islabike for £100 less, so very popular.

The fittest, fastest kid in the school rides a PoS full suss

This is indeed the sort of pointless argument that often pops up on forums.

Larger front tyre on a 20″ is a friends idea. Makes quite a difference in Dalby (ie very bumpy) apparently.

Any recommendations for fatter 20″ tyres? (and maybe 16″ ones)

Schwalbe do a good range of tyres in smaller sizes.
I think you can get the Kenda Small block 8 in a bigger size which comes on the Islas as standard.

Maxxis Snyper 2.0 fits in both ends of Beinn 20. Front looks good, back is a little tight, but OK (no rubbing). Can run them soft cos kids dont’ weigh a lot.

Gary fisher pre caliber, great geo, light, long top tube, decent sram grip shift, still standard suntour forks though. Sadly made no more, so secondhand, my 7 year old is still using his or I’d sell it. Tyres wise michelin do some great knobblies.

You could go fully mental with 2.5 creepy crawlers. Sticky as a stick and as fast as a brick.

Like molgrips I select my kids’ bikes based on functionality

So what?

It depends if your kids are going to care about image.

We’re talking at crossed purposes. My point is that I’m happy to let my kids ride whatever they want, and their criteria differ significantly from their parents IME. If they are riding it I’m happy. If 2Kg of fork (and I think thats a bit of an exaggeration on the couple I’ve got) makes them ride it more than a rigid fork then so be it. If the reverse is true, fine. But the kids here always like to play on something with suspension, and it doesn’t seem to hold them back any. I’m fortunate enough to know someone who owns a bike shop, so my eldest got to choose a couple of times (well, he was first..) and he didn’t pick the one I’d have left with.

Regarding the PoS suss bike – the point was he still rides it even when the choice of lighter ‘better’ bikes are available. And he’s still the fastest. He likes it and more power to him for that. It’s not an argument for or against it, just an observation that children sometimes make very different judgements about what works for them. Sometimes it’s better to just let them get on with it.

The Pinnacle, btw, is as good as the Islabike IMO but cheaper.

I’d go along with that. Resale might be the only argument against, the Islabike name certainly has resonance beyond cyclists now – I’ve picked up other decent brands for pin money, but you never see an Islabike cheap.

Aren’t those 19″ http://www.unicycle.uk.com/unicycle-parts/tyres/maxxis-creepy-crawler-tyre-19-x-2-5.html? Though your comment does make me think “doh” to my original query – given one of the tyres currently on the 20 is something I originally bought for my uni – there’s a selection here http://www.unicycle.uk.com/unicycle-parts/tyres.html?isosize=248

Do you also let them choose their own bedtime and what they eat?

I appreciate a bike isn’t quite the same, but I’d rather my kids were on something nice to ride rather than the nicest paintjob (on a recent thread somebody recommended something from Halfords which weighs twice what an Islabike does – I checked out the Halfords video ad to see what I was missing, and most of it was about how cool it looked). According to the specs a Hotrock is 3kg heavier than an equivalent Isla, which is ~40%, so far from insignificant. I’m pretty sure my son wouldn’t choose to ride a heavier bike more than the one he has now – I’d expect the opposite to be true – though he might choose it if given the option of which one to have by looking at them.

The Pinnacle, btw, is as good as the Islabike IMO but cheaper.

I’d go along with that. Resale might be the only argument against[/quote]

It’s not the only argument. I’ve nothing against those or other similar bikes – they appear to be very decent – but it’s still 1.5kg heavier than the equivalent Isla. I’m happy to pay the extra, which I’ll more than get back when it comes time to sell (though also happy that other people have different opinions).

The Pinnacle gear range isn’t as good as Frog/Isla.
They don’t go low enough for offroad or high enough for road.
Yes it’s a relatively cheap fix but your rapidly getting up to the prices of the others.

For a lot of people that gear range won’t be an issue though.

Do you also let them choose their own bedtime and what they eat?

Oh don’t be silly, I do decide whether or not they get pudding though 😀

You’re very concerned about the weight, which I don’t dispute is important and makes riding easier.
It just doesn’t worry me unless they don’t ride their bikes because they are too heavy, which doesn’t seem to enter the thought process of my boys and their friends.

I’m sure they don’t go round with a set of scales, but with bikes that size 3kg is actually significant enough to make a difference to the ride, which they’ll notice even if they don’t know why. More difference than I’d expect a set of cheap forks to make.

just about to sell my lads frog 60 mtb. In tip top condition with suspension forks, happily taken him all over cannock.

black and green version of this. I’ll get the advert up at the weekend.