I made the error of buying MBUK this morning for the train ride to work.

There is an article with an 8 year old boy whos dad has spent almost 4k on a bike for him. I'm still struggling to work out why this was in there but have come to the conclusion that the only reason can be to shame people into spending more money, after all "your bike is worse than that 8 year olds". Kid better grow up to be a world champion!!

I've just done a tally and it's over 60% adverts what a pointless waste of 4.20 that was. The only redeeming feature was Mint.

Haven't read the article, but maybe its there for all us Dads to realise that there is nothing wrong in spending a bit of cash on juniors bike?

Really annoys me when I read posts' regarding how they want a 'cheap' bike for their kid(s) as they'll soon grow out of it. I bought all my kids decent bikes, plus have bought better kit (and/or my decent hand-me-downs) for them to loose weight/gain performance – while I've not spent £4k, I have 3 kids so somewhere near.

And they all love their MTBing, although current all they want to do is dirt-jump – but hey, gives me an opportunity to build something jumpy!

there is nothing wrong in spending a bit of cash on juniors bike?

Well, apart from the fact they will grow out of it! So how much do you spend on the next one? then the next one?

Is 4k really that much to spend on a bike for a kid?

I bet you couldn't do a seasons worth youth motox for anywhere near that.

Can't say I was bothered by the article, the father is clearly into bikes and just enjoys upgrading the bits on his son's bike. There are far less constructive and unhealthy ways to spend money. Claiming there's some underlying conspiracy to shame parents into spending more is just retarded.

Is 4k really that much to spend on a bike for a kid?

Yes.

Bear in mind that the kid appears to be pretty good, is getting help with the bike from a shop, the 4K is likely to be inflated for effect etc.

I wouldnt spend that, but if the kid is good, keen and the family have the money then why not. More justifiable than some fat punter who buys an expensive 6inch travel bike to ride round somewhere like sherwood pines once a month.

Blimey, it was tough enough for me to part with 400 for a BMX a year after spending 110 on the last BMX!

Countering that, there's a group review of sub-£500 kids bikes in WMB this month. Thankfully, the rigid Islabike comes out on top, as most of the rest are near-30lb monsters with suspension forks sprung for adults.

Perhaps if more low-end kids bikes actually did the job properly folks wouldn't feel the need to spend so much. But then, as my mother says "they'll charge what people will pay".

Is Angus Paton related to ex-MBUK Finlay Paton?

A 27 pound Dh Full Susser seems excessive for an 8 year old.

The conspiracy thing is obviously TIC.

The 60% adverts in the bloody mag is a pain though!

awh – yes and iirc he works for the Marin importer now so I suspect that the '£4k' bike may be made up of parts that are 'on test' rather than have been bought for the job…

Thought it was a massive coincidence. I went mountain biking with Fin a couple of times in the mid 1990s, he was a few years older and a lot better! I wonder if my mum has taught Angus?!

My son has one of these:

http://www.thebikelist.co.uk/norco/b-line-2008

Unfortunately while its 'solid' it also weighed over 37lbs! I got it down to just over 30lbs, this makes a hell of a difference – especially as he's less than 6 stone himself!

Cost about £350 to save the weight, we got the bike originally in a sale, so about £1000 all in. I just bought bits as and when I saw them, plus passed stuff across from my bikes.

He's given it lots of hammer, from the black run at Glentress, to uplifts at Innerleithen to many days at Aston Hill and Chicksands (including competitions). Only problem we've had was that he managed to bend the main pivot bolts running into a tree in Innerleithen…

I reckon on 3-4 years out of it, so IMO pretty good value. And at the end, we can strip/sell and probably get a fair bit back.

Funny the Islabikes came out top in the test in What Mountainbike. It was Angus, and my son in the photo's for the article, and they both said the Islabikes was "a load of crap" and both thought the scott was the best. But, it was different kids on different terrain who actually did the test, so it goes to show how different bikes handle on different terrain and how peoples opinions differ.
Most of the parts on angus bike were bought, or were from Fins old bikes, and a perk of being in the trade is that he would've got trade discounts. Still cost a load though, and Angus is a good rider and has been brought up around bikes, just like my son, who is also 8 and can do a lap of Cwm Carn in 2 1/2 hours and who rides a Kona Kula 24 with E-13 twin ring bashguard set up and SID race forks up front with deore/slx stop and go parts. Over a grands worth, but he rides loads, I don't drive, so our bikes are for transport as well as leisure.
You don't need to spend that much on any bike, let alone a kids bike, but why not if it's your hobby/transport?
I think a lot of the cheap shit which parents let kids ride is truly shocking.