[Closed] Which mountain bike for a 13 year old

Of the 2 above I think the SAW looks a pretty good bike for the money.  I showed them both to my 13yr old and the SAW was the one he said he liked too 

Next door just got a Voodoo Bantu for their 13 year old. Usually discounts to be had. I think they paid £380.

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/voodoo-bantu-mens-mountain-bike-16-18-20-22-frames

Halfords do a voodoo bike, classed as a female specific, that’s looks quite good value.

It’s the maji model, with 1x. I’ve seen it in the store. I can’t see why it is female specific and it’s certainly not a flowery paint scheme.

As with Halfords bikes, 20% discounts do crop up now and then and next time it does, I’ll likely buy one for the daughter.

Thanks for the suggestions. I took the family to Go Outdoors yesterday and both my son and my wife liked the Calibre Saw, so it looks like we're buying two...

Evidently they're going on sale in half term though and will be ludicrously cheap. So we're hanging on for another eight days or so to see.

I'm having the same debate myself at the moment. My lad is almost 14 and wants to join us on the trails but I'd like to buy something that will adjust with him as he inevitably gets taller. I don't know if I should buy a more affordable new bike or a second hand higher quality bike for similar money and service it before I give it to him?

I've decided to go the cheap and cheerful route. Mainly on the basis that when he wears stuff out, we can replace it with better. Then if he outgrows the frame, which he may not as he takes after his Mum, we can swap parts onto a better frame when he's older...

We bought a second hand Orange 26" Crush wheel that's probably 10 years old for £300. Decent components & its rock solid meaning that I have not had loads of fettling to do. As a medium its fine with the seat right down. I reckon he will get 3 years or so then my wife can either use it, or if we re-sell hope not to lose quite as much as buying new.

No idea if its the right thing to do, just a different approach. One thing I did reflect on was that whilst an Orange Bike with XT might be cool to me, a Carrera or Halfords special that's brand new might actually be a more attractive idea to a 13 year old.

I don’t know if I should buy a more affordable new bike or a second hand higher quality bike 

2nd hand. 26 inch wheel bargains everywhere! My mate just bought his son a Yeti 575 for under £400!

My 13 year old is just outgrowing a Specialized FSR (2012 model iirc). It was £325

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Before that we had Specialized, Trek and Claud Butler HT, as well as a bigger framed Dialled Prince Albert (now sold to friend who still rides it). All were £250-350

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They outgrew into a Five and a Superlight, both worth £500ish

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[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4524/38462004181_269a9c0530_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4524/38462004181_269a9c0530_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/21AKPR8 ]Comrie Croft ride (again!)[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr

Now on a Radon Slide 150, £1k with spare wheels, spare bearings, just serviced etc.

[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4561/38405808456_8403590ace_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4561/38405808456_8403590ace_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/21vMNPj ]Comrie Croft ride (again!)[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr

Where are all the cheap 26" wheel bikes with small frames? Nothing like the examples on this thread ever come up on Gumtree or Ebay here in South Aberdeenshire.

I've just given one Uber small frame away to Recykabike a fortnight ago... I'd offered it free to local club and folks here.

Get wanted ads up, I took a punt on a bike from STW regular unseen - and faith was rewarded.

The small 26" frames hold their value pretty well for exactly these reasons but so do kids bikes.

I just sold 2 used 61/2 year old Isla bikes for more than I paid for them new... crazy! Obviously, inflation has made the new bikes more expensive but it's handy that not everything in the bike world is out of date within 6 months.

I searched for small 26 frames for my kids. I have the added joy of having twins so I always want to pretty even so finding similar 26 frames was even ore difficult. We ended up going with some end of season Vitus Escarpes which can run 650b but building them up with my old 26er bits, my old 680 bars. They love 'em.

Bit more that 300 quid all in though but we get the use out of them and they have a little bro to hand them down to too.

We ended up going with some end of season Vitus Escarpes which can run 650b but building them up with my old 26er bits, my old 680 bars. They love ’em.

Same here, although my son is a bit younger - ended up building a bike around an extra-small 650b frame with some home built 26" carbon wheels. Bit of fettling on the fork and shock to get the standover down and he absolutely loves it (and flies on it too!) Good to know that a new set of wheels and a bit more fettling and it will probably last him another few years.

I hadn't thought of putting a wanted ad up, will have to remember that in the future. They do like getting new stuff though...

You can get good Chinese carbon HT frames on eBay too.