Speeder Jr has never really got on with his Rothan and has started asking for a bike with pedals so the question is, what to look for? He’s short with a short inside leg which has meant that he got on the Rothan late and didn’t ever really bond with it, it also makes getting a pedal bike a bit awkward as the stand over will need to be quite low. So that’s a Cnoc out.

It’ll also need stabilisers as he’s not got to free wheeling feet up yet (to my eternal shame ;0) )

So what’s available? Quite happy for 2nd hand but ought to be close to Cheltenham. What should I be looking for and does anyone have one?

Gary

How tall is he? Specialized Hotrock 12 has a very low standover

Do not do the stabiliser thing, counterproductive based on our experience with our two.

Tbh, any bike that fits him will do. Yes a Spesh or an Islabike may be lighter and easier. But having spent last week around Peebles you’d be surprised how many of the local mountain biking families up there had little ones on bikes that many on here (myself included) would turn their noses up at. The kids didn’t care when they were that small, they just wanted to ride a bike, and that is all that matters.

It was quite an eye opener for my blinkered STW ways.

fwiw, our two have started with small second hand Ridgebacks, 12″ Honey and an MX16.

Mine (6yrs old) is on a no name brand 18″ wheel single speed and loves it.

Ridgebacks.

Hot rock does look good pea brain but they do hold value well and this ought to be cheap really. The eternal dilemma.

MCTD I know what you’re saying there I think I’ve been a bit blinkered being a bit of a bike snob but I guess I just want the lightest thing that will keep some value. I’ve compromised a lot in the last few years buying cheap tat against my better judgement and you just end up throwing it away rather than passing/selling it on. You’re definitely right though he won’t give a monkeys.

We bought our 3 1/2 year old a Ridgeback MX12 at the begining of the summer. He is a whizz on his Scoot balance bike, no problem flying along with his feet up, and is desparate to “ride more trails”. He’s done sections of the blue at GT, the green and the orange at Laggan, and the new “green” at Nevis. On top of that he’s ridden some green DH runs in the Alps, lift assisted…

However, he simply is not ready for the MX12. He cannot pedal it as he is a bit too wee, and he has to concentrate on pedalling so much, he forgets to steer, and crashes, even with stabilisers.

We use the MX12 as a tow-along, and he’s getting used to pedalling doing that, but he’ll be on the balance bike a while yet.

12″ Dawes thunder great little bike, good brakes with adjustable levers for small hands, low stand over, takes a water bottle,

Used for 12 months sold on eBay for £40.

Only thing I swapped was the peddles as they were a bit slippy

Trout – the MX12 is quite heavy, less than half a kg lighter than the MX16. I picked up one (the rider had fallen off) and I was shocked how heavy it is.

Thanks guys Dawes Thunder sounds interesting – any idea how much they weigh?

Don’t do stabilizers whatever you do. I’ve tried to teach loads of kids over the last few weeks that have been on stabilisers and its not easy. They become so accustomed to leaning on the stabilisers that its very hard to overcome that. I’d persevere with the balance bike for a little longer and get a proper bike when he’s ready for it. Have you tried getting him out with other kids on balance bikes, so he can see what they do. I try and get them on a gentle slope that they can freewheel down. Tell him he can get a proper bike with pedals when he has learned balance.

MX14 in Stroud

Cnoc 14in Kidderminster

Strangely the weight of their Ridgebacks never stopped my two from riding. As I mentioned above, I was amazed how relatively few of the local kids bikes at Glentress last week – many resplendent with Tweedlove race numbers still – were the kind of bikes all us STW dads like to froth over.

Made me feel a lot better that my two are now on a Carrera and Decathlon. Obviously I ride a suitable distance behind them on my niche steel hardtail. 😉

Do not do the stabiliser thing, counterproductive based on our experience with our two.

^this
Get him scooting on balance bike – Nephew had been on balance bike for months, and yet was not balancing or scooting. Turns out the saddle was low to make getting on easy, I upped it and within a day he was doing 1-2-3 second scoots, next day happily riding feet up for 10+seconds. It took some supporting, and his big cousins to envy and try and keep up with…and he saw me bunny hop, so a day later was out in the garden ‘jumping’ by pulling up front wheel.
Motivation. Not new bike…
[url=https://flic.kr/p/ovXFn2]Suffolk Hols 2014[/url] by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

The trouble is that the wife doesn’t really believe in the balance bike and has let him talk her into agreeing to the pedal bike. I’m a full believer but he just gets bored when he can’t really go as fast as he can on his bl00dy mini scooter (that I hate as it just keeps him off the bike).

I just want to get him on a bike and I know he’s keen but most of the local kids have grown out of balance bikes and he wants to join them.

Will try a bit of perseverance this weekend with the tantalizing thought of a Hotrock or MX12 or Thunder. Just need to be a bit more persuasive and tougher with him. I guess this is what parenting is all about.

Cheers for the encouragement.

Oh and forgot to ask – are these tiny bikes freewheel or fixed?

Hotrock is freewheel but does have a back pedal brake

My youngest has just grown out of the Hotrock – its in purple so “possibly” not the “right” colour for a boy…

Purple bikes are cool

Purple is fine, it’s just the right side of the pink spectrum. More blue than anything, if it was mauve it might be a problem.*

* Even if that’s not allowed in this overly PC world where everything needs to be asexual. **

** I’m not scared of pink.

Actually that may be a girls bike. 😆

It certainly looks like a girls bike 😆

But this is a girls bike too..

Girls bikes do make great bikes for small boys as they tend to have a lower standover. I do suspect the lovely purple/pink bike might be a bit big though for Speeder’s son

Yeah we need some dinky wheels. He’s 3 and has only just grown into 18-24 month trousers hence never really getting on with the balance bike. I’ll have to see if I can get him out on that tonight after tea.

Nice jumping peabrain jr – you must be a dead proud dad. A good shot for the family album that too.

He is really tiny then, I thought mine was small in age 2-3 at 3 and a half ish.

He will grow though and you’ll have loads more choice 🙂

When I say grown into I mean they actually fit – they don’t have to be rolled up a couple of times. He’s been wearing them for 12 months or so.
I think he’s going to be sursed with sort legs as both MrsS & I are on the stumpy side. Still he’ll make a good jockey or gymnast or racecar driver someday. Small has it’s advantages. 😆