Mountain bike for 10 year old

My son is looking to get into mountain biking and is saving his money ready for his birthday/xmas where he should have enough to get a good bike (I will also be putting in some money towards it). Second hand is an option for him, however would appreciate thoughts/recommendation on new bikes in the hope something comes on offer.

Also, if anyone has anything that they would like to sell please let me know.

Whyte 405 or Islabike (Creig?) are great new choices. Think the Whyte has a cheaper version, and the Islabike a pricier/lighter/better one.

My small 11 year old is on a small Charge Duster – skinny good steel tubes, they often pop up cheap, and 1×10 with a 30T NW is good enough – might stretch to a 40T extender, but he’s done 45Km & 500m climbing on it with no complaints (only ride I’ve measured) providing sufficient Haribo was on hand. Old pair of SIDs on the front, more or less built from bits around the garage.

very dependant on how big he is. My youngest went onto a 14 inch frame Genesis Core 20 (650B) on his 10th birthday. Now, a year and a bit later, he is on a 16 inch frame Cube Attention, also 650B that we bought last month, new.

If buying new, my money goes with Cube, for value kit – both my boys are on them

Im just building something for my 9 year old son.

Buying cheap small 26″ wheeled frame off here and then some half descent second hand parts, and bits from the shed.

This way although not new, will hopefully be miles better than off peg bikes and as he grows i will be able to just swap out the frame

Seems a much better way of doing things, than when i purchased a fairly expensive 24″ wheeled bike for his bigger sister, no options to build into a better bike for the future and most of the monies lost. She needs a bigger bike soon too, and i will be going down the same route for her.

Dekerf – that is an option I have considered, may also be a good way for him to help build and understand how the bits go together.

By 10, you should be able to pick up some 26″ parts and start mixing and matching. My own boy will be 9 in December and has just moved to his new bike which has a pretty bespoke build up.

If you’re interested in off the peg, the Creig 26 is a cracking bike for £800. My son had a Creig 24 before his current bike which we bought new for £700 and sold for £550 after two years – very cheap riding by any measure. If you can afford the initial capital outlay, an Islabike will often work out the cheapest option.

In the end, we fancied something a bit more exotic for the next one, so his new bike was built from parts sourced from all over the place, producing something quite unique but, in my son’s opinion, quite awesome. If you like building bikes, this is the way to go 🙂

Definitely second hand – he may be half way between a 24″ and a 26″. Buy one that fits properly, not one “he’ll grow into”. For 24″, I’d say Kona, Specialised or Scott. Ours never worried about disc brakes, and still managed Red runs in Wales and Haldon (as above).

We have an XS 26″ Giant Talon 1W that I’m duty-bound to sell (has to fund my TT wheel fetish). It was a great bike, but teen2 is now almost 6′ tall!

I would suggest homebuild if you have a decent parts bin. Look on bike discount and other German shops for good frame/fork deals as and when they come up and 2nd hand for good quality parts. Here is good for that. And definitely build the bike together.

I don’t see the point of a 26 over a 650B unless you are looking for bargain 26 specific parts which is basically forks and wheels…

A 26 small is not smaller than a 650B small….

A 26 small is not smaller than a 650B small….

this…

There will be some great deals on 2017 models from the likes of Pauls and Winstanleys soon enough. You will get a decent slx/deore groupset level small 650B HT with a good fork for under £700 in the sales IMO.

I don’t see the point of a 26 over a 650B unless you are looking for bargain 26 specific parts which is basically forks and wheels…

BB will be a bit higher on 650b, so likely reduced standover (though oviously very frame dependant) – I’m guessing this is why Whyte and Isla went with it – but most of us have built 26″ as we already have a stock of decent but out of favour bits… I had a DT wheelset, 26″ forks and frame, so most of a bike. You can 1x most anything for a few quid, youth saddle and you’re done.

BB will be a bit higher on 650b, so likely reduced standover (though oviously very frame dependant) – I’m guessing this is why Whyte and Isla went with it – but most of us have built 26″ as we already have a stock of decent but out of favour bits… I had a DT wheelset, 26″ forks and frame, so most of a bike. You can 1x most anything for a few quid, youth saddle and you’re done.

Whyte and Isla (& trek and trail craft …) built a new smaller frame though…

There are plenty of good deals on 26″ forks and wheels, that’s a good reason by itself.. I got some brand new 2015 SID’s for £300…. (though for his 24″ wheels it leaves enough clearance for a 2.5″ DH tyre when we ride uplift) but he’s just gone 8 and so another 2 yrs till the 10yr old bike

Just kinda saying a med 26 is for the same size as a med 27.5 or med 29er … (though the idea of XS 29ers is a bit weird to me)! So great to use spares or cheap bits but unless you can redesign the frame not a means to itself

Another chance to show off

My work have a fleet of GENESIS bikes, rigids but shimano discs and 1×8 quite wide bars.

I would not buy a new bike as in a few months he may shoot up an not fit it well.

We also have Scott Aspects which have a low top tube and they fit smaller 12yr olds up.

I don’t see the point of a 26 over a 650B unless you are looking for bargain 26 specific parts which is basically forks and wheels…

A 26 small is not smaller than a 650B small….
True, but proportionately to the child, the wheels will be that much bigger. My MiL is 5ft0″ and I wouldn’t consider putting her on a 29er – even a small one – as the bike would just be way out of proportion to her and her ability to control it would be compromised.

To some extent, it’s the same with kids bikes. That said, the tendency for adult bikes to have larger wheels is rubbing off on younger riders and you’ll see kids on larger wheeled bikes (especially at races) much earlier than before, but still there’s a point when it gets silly.

26″ bike values have dropped as they become perceived as unfashionable, so there are loads of good options. Sadly, the really nice stuff (my MiLs extra-small 26″ Intense Carbine SL for example) pull higher prices as they are great for young racers and are snapped up quickly.

Personally, my son’s bike pictured above is a 27.5″ frame running 26″ wheels with a few mods here and there to get the sizing right. This is great as a new set of wheels and an afternoon’s tweaking in the garage will allow him to grow through it with relative ease.

Whatever you choose to do, try to keep the weight down. You may put up with lugging a 15kg behemoth round your local XC course, but asking a 10yo to do it too will really hurt the enjoyment they get from the sport.

Just got the 24” genesis core for my 10 year old, I would have gone 26 but the Stand over is too high. Glad I went 24, fits well and he can handle it really nicely. red trails with ease.
No need for suspension
Got it online for 300ish online at bikes2u

Couldn’t be happier

My thread Here is about the bike I built for my 9 year old.

My thread Here is about the bike I built for my 9 year old.

Nice to see another 27.5″ running 26″ wheels. I really do think that for a certain size of child, this is the way forward as it brings the standover height down and improves controlability with the smaller wheels, while maintaining a bonus future upgrade path.

No need for suspension

This one is contentious, and it obviously completely depends on the type of riding you plan to do, but for the stuff that my son and I do now, having suspension is a huge benefit for overall speed but also, more importantly, for fatigue. It’s a big ask for a young child to do a 50 mile ride over rough terrain on a completely rigid bike – I have to admit that this would probably try my patience these days!

I got some brand new 2015 SID’s for £300….

And this is where we differ – call me a tight arse but £300 is about my top level budget at the rate they keep growing ‘per stage’. Can see a point to a new 27.5 frame with 26 wheels if it was a combo you could put together, never tried it as I don’t have a 27.5 frame about but that might be a good next step if I have to put my hand in my pocket.

Got me thinking about 24″ in 26″ frames now.. that I could try….

Just kinda saying a med 26 is for the same size as a med 27.5 or med 29er …

I know what you mean, but my T129 and 29CS definitely feel (felt) bigger than my old 26″ based bikes, and the T129 at least is supposedly a pretty agile/nippy 29. 27.5 would be the same if less exaggerated. That would be even more apparent on a child.. my boys can ride the T129, but even with wide bars turning the front wheel is clearly trickier. Just my observations of 3 boys, always wanting to ride the elders ones bike 🙂

MCDTs/TomB’s are cracking builds but if anyone just wanted or had to to buy it built the Whyte or Islabike seem to be of the right train of thought to me (and doubtless a few other brands now).