Is there a market for light decent full suspension bikes with 20-24 inch wheels?

Depends on what the kid uses it for, I guess?

There’s a young boy who rides a tiny Orange 5 (with 24s?) for DH racing, and he rips around on it. Right tool for the right job?

And that was far more than £600!

£600? – no

That’s way above any birthday or Christmas present limit

yeah, people spend a lot more than that on teenagers’ bikes!

I would too if my child was into it

I thought the beauty of a kids bike is that its purposefully shit so it doesnt cost much when it breaks (frequently)

You could buy them an lightweight, expensive xc mincing machine and get them into doing that early on. Or you could just give them a shit bmx or rigid mtb and let them learn to ride bikes properly.

When there a teenager they’ll either be into cycling, or they wont be. Then buy them a good bike.

Suppose it depends where they ride and what they do on them I suppose.

My 12 year old has a 15″ Trek 6500, XT groupset etc which was around £700, but he does do proper trails and stuff and at Xmas I got him a full susser built up as the LBS had a small Fat Possum 150mm frame spare that’s built up into a very light DH bike for him. Its got 150mm air revs, Juicy 7’S, XT/SLX groupset so a fair bit more than £600…just means I have less to spend on mine 😯

My kids each have 14″ On-One 456s which each cost considerably more than that. 26″ wheels though.

My sone also has a Norco DH/FR 24″ wheel bike (he’s 10) which would have cost waaay more than that new. Weighs around 32lbs, so not light, but equally not appalling.

As a kid, I raced Moto-X

I had a good bike and all the gear

It was only later that I actually realised that it was my dad’s bike, I just turned up and rode it.
The whole racing thing was for his benefit too more than mine, I think he liked the fights 🙂

I did enjoy it but I now know it wasn’t really for my benefit

Absolutely not. As above kids wreck things and dont understand dont throw your bike down because the tubes are that leight weight they will dent.

Kids care more about what a bike looks like than whether its got the lightest current year marketing shite on it.

Having said that some idiots would be prepared to spend £1k + for their precious one to be spoilt.

You couldn’t build a decent lightweight full sus with 20 or 24″ wheels for £600.

Thanks Funky. Mines been taught that they are expensive..
I only ‘spoil’ him cos he rides better than me….

Yes I probably will end up paying that much for mini LoCo’s bikes and the rest, not for a few year though 😀

If you can afford it why the hell not. Looking forward to building up a ultralight 26 for the lad next year.

Well that’s if she want’s to race, and I’ll end up going without to fund it.

As above kids wreck things and dont understand dont throw your bike down because the tubes are that leight weight they will dent.

Kids care more about what a bike looks like than whether its got the lightest current year marketing shite on it.

Having said that some idiots would be prepared to spend £1k + for their precious one to be spoilt
You’re the idiot! What a load of shite!
not all kids have no respect for their possessions!
I’m an adult and throw my bike about, that’s what it’s for and that’s why I ride a bike that’s not so bloody light it can’t take a knock or two.
a friends nephew rides the same model DH bike as me (although slightly better spec’d), it’s far better looked after/maintained than mine (by the kid), driven to be ridden further and more often than mine and after a couple of years and who knows how many £1000s spent by the parents he’s now podiuming at national races in his age category.
You’d probably call him spoilt, I’d call him lucky to have such supportive parents (he’s a good kid)

Snakebite – I thought the OP was talking your avg kid. Obviously if my son was showing talent for riding a bike and had aspirations to take it to a high level, then yes I would hope you could get good kit and would pay for it.

My folks supported me ski racing from about the age of 12.

This is an important note for the OP… Junior race skis are probably about 1/4 the price of the adult equivalent and produced by all the big brands, it would appear in many ways as a lost leader.

IMO thats how it should be with bikes, and to be honest I am suprised the big co’s dont build junior race replicas already.

It would be very niche though.

All the kids i see are into dirt jump bikes and BMXs round here. If you go to GlenT how many kids do you see on the trails – not many they are all in the dirt jump park.

Freeride is cool – xc trails arent.

custom brooklyn, does help if your dad owns the company.

Stepson 1 has inherited his mother’s old bike, which is a Merlin Malt 1 sporting Pikes wound down to 100mm travel (I know! They’re the only spare forks I’ve got) and Avid Juicys. It’s a lovely machine, but he’s a little miffed because it doesn’t say “Specialized” or “Orange” on the frame.

He’s also on occasion used his mum’s Rock Spings and my Enduro.

Stepson 2 has a Spesh Hardrock with Dart 3s and Avid Juicys.

That mini-mini-link Brooklyn is brilliant 😯

I am not really talking about an average kid. I was really trying to get an idea about the size of the potential market for good bikes for kids in the 6-10 age group.

As I see it ALL 20 inch mountain bikes are crap and a good kid will be held back (Isla bikes being the exception but these are not really suited to anything too hardcore) and all 24 inc Downhill bikes are heavy and have crap suspension. There must a a niche there somewhere, I would definately have bought a 20inch full sus if it was available, as my son would have been more comfortable on that than a 24 that it is still a bit big for him.

Take the point about price though, £600 might be too low a price point.

I would definately have bought a 20inch full sus if it was available, as my son would have been more comfortable on that than a 24 that it is still a bit big for him.

how hardcore is your kid that EVERY 20″ kids bike is crap? and if he’s so hardcore why would he need a full-sus? 😉
I nearly always ride 20″ (BMX) when I take younger kids riding as I’ll appreciate how bumpy and how much more difficult obsticles are for their smaller wheels I teach them to choose the smoother lines and remind them to stand up when it’s rough (as we all should)

Why didn’t you just buy a Scott Spark 20? you could have modded the fork to work properly, tuned the rear shock (or another suitable one) and then upgraded every part on it and ended up with what you’re after..

My lad used to race schoolboy MX. Bikes cost a lot more than £600.

If he’d raced mountainbikes instead £600 would have sounded like a bargain. £3000 would have been a bargain…

Trouble is I don’t think youth mtb racing really exists on anything like the scale (with dad-based-enthusiasm to win at all costs as MX).

So no. There isn’t much of a market I’d guess.

“how hardcore is your kid that EVERY 20″ kids bike is crap? and if he’s so hardcore why would he need a full-sus?”

He was riding reds in the mountains last year (so pretty good for 6/7)and I dont really see why he should get battered on a hotrock when the grown ups are on DH bikes with 8 inche of travel!

“Why didn’t you just buy a Scott Spark 20? you could have modded the fork to work properly, tuned the rear shock (or another suitable one) and then upgraded every part on it and ended up with what you’re after..”

My original question was would people be prepared to buy something like this off the shelf, maybe better.

It’s worth it if you have the money and your kid is properly into it. If you are just giving him/her a flash new must-have item for posing with then it’s definitely NOT worth it.

Just ordered one of these at great expense for Lil Grips.. I’m a fool…

I would have thought the answer to your original question is probably No! not very many.
I reckon anyone hankering after something way better than say an Islabike or a Kona full sus for their kids would have very specific reasons as to why and in that case they’d be far more likely to go down the custom or upgrade route to achieve what they “thought” their kids need.

He was riding reds in the mountains last year (so pretty good for 6/7)and I dont really see why he should get battered on a hotrock when the grown ups are on DH bikes with 8 inche of travel!

hotrocks are perfectly good bikes IMO and more than up to riding natural trails in the Mountains under a confident kid with good skills, never mind “reds” (whatever that means).

We’ve had 2 hotrocks in the family over the years (a 20″ & 24″), I did “upgrade” a few parts on each (just cause I could, it wasn’t massively needed)) and modified the chain device and forks to actually work properly rather than just look the part but perform like a pogo stick suited to someone twice the childs weights.

It’s worth it if you have the money and your kid is properly into it. If you are just giving him/her a flash new must-have item for posting pics here[s]with[/s] then it’s definitely NOT worth it.

I’m a fool…

No you’re a Muppet, remember? 🙄

😉

Oh yeah that’s right.

Last time Lil Grips’s birthday present came up on here someone said something like ‘are you really capable of spending that much on a bike?’

It’s awesome though, can’t wait 🙂

“they’d be far more likely to go down the custom or upgrade route to achieve what they “thought” their kids need”
So what is there to build up a custom bike for younger kids who need smaller wheels? I cannot think of anything. The big hit grom was the best of the small bikes and that is no longer available. There is nothing smaller than 24 inch as far as I know. The hotrock is a good frame with poor suspension.

“”reds” (whatever that means)” “Reds” meant stuff like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKsNNWgA_SY as I am sure you are aware. Not really a trail ideally suited for an inch and a half of front suspension and v brakes. Which is what prompted the initial question.

Eh? What are you talking about?
I posted a pic of a decent 20″ wheel full sus above.

Red graded could mean anything to me but I haven’t seen a red graded trail that couldn’t be ridden down on a 20″ wheel ladies shopper. sorry but I couldn’t really be bothered watching a vid Pro DHers riding a very untechnical DH trail for more than the first minute but from what I saw I honestly didn’t see anything that would warrant anymore than a hardtail with vs and a short travel fork to ride it at the pace an average 6yr old would.

you first asked about lightweight full sus bikes for kids and now you are saying the Bighit grom is the best.. erm.. WTF?

Personally I’d let him find his feet on a hardtail until he’s fast/big enough to get the benefit from rear suspension.

Snakebite is that stile cop?

I_Ache – Member
Snakebite is that stile cop?

Looks like it to me….

also not ideally suited to 20 inch wheels either. i’ve done a few runs with brooklyn jnr (so his dad can get some proper runs in) the kid has no fear, riding behind him through a little rock garden, he still gets thrown around a lot. when he disappeared at speed off the side of the track otb into a large bush, i feared the worst!
he got up pissed at himself for crashing 😀

the brooklyn is a custom frame, also has a custom fork crown that runs on top of the head tube. the fork will be the hardest thing to get right.imo!
i’ve also seen the fs frank the welder made for his kids, also very nice. it was for sale for $600 but had 24 inch wheels

decent tyres are also a problem.

there is nothing available off the shelf. your gonna have to get something made or wait till your kids a little bigger…

Obviously your children “aren’t worth it”… to continue pastcaring’s theme, Jeff Jones’s son’s (Korbin) bike..

You’re the idiot! What a load of shite!
not all kids have no respect for their possessions!
I’m an adult and throw my bike about, that’s what it’s for and that’s why I ride a bike that’s not so bloody light it can’t take a knock or two.
a friends nephew rides the same model DH bike as me (although slightly better spec’d), it’s far better looked after/maintained than mine (by the kid), driven to be ridden further and more often than mine and after a couple of years and who knows how many £1000s spent by the parents he’s now podiuming at national races in his age category.
You’d probably call him spoilt, I’d call him lucky to have such supportive parents (he’s a good kid)

GW you have really got on my tits here, I have you on my hit list as someone to shoot down at every opportunity and I find myself agreeing with everything you’ve said. This has been happening with me and TJ recently too. Damn this forum is going to the dogs.

I have every intention of pissing as much away on bikes for my kids as I do on my own, I want them to have as much opportunity to have fun and enjoy what MTB has to offer from as early an age as possible.

If I had a son, and he wanted to come riding, and I could afford it. Yes. The end.

A decent bike will still retain a resale value once your child has outgrown it, so the year-on-year cost might end up less than buying a complete shitter and binning it after a couple of years.

druidh +1

Islabikes seem to have made a very good business using that ‘plan’, there bikes (seemingly) resell really well & look quality kit.

I am ordering an Islabike for my 4yr old tomorrow and my 7 year old got a Specialized Hotrock 20 for his last birthday. I would easily spend £600+ on a decent bike for my kids if I thought it would make them better riders. Both my kids have Honda dirt bikes and they were just under £1k each. Some crazy dad’s spend £4000+ on 50cc KTM’s for their kids before the kids can walk! There is definitely a market as long as the bikes are quality and work for the kids.

I did.

My son got a XS Turner XCE when he was 7. Fitted it with 60mm stem, 165mm cranks, reversed post to shorten the reach & 24″ wheels – he was fine. Now he’s 13 and has an inline post & 26″ wheels, and there’s plenty of room for further growth.

My daughter got a 14″ Explosif when she was 7 – same idea as above, but with shorter (cheapo) 152mm cranks. Worked a treat. She’s move up to 26″ wheels too now.

Both bikes have been properly ridden (proper hills, Thetford, Dalby, Chicksands etc.) and are still fine – not trashed or abused in any way.