[slyfink]

so as to not entirely derail the 2018 DH World Cup thread, I thought I'd create this thread. Seems that more than a few monkeys have good advice on this topic... for example, @jonKranked had this link to a great review of 20" bikes.

My two boys have used these bikes sequentially:

Strider runbike:

2014 Commencal Ramones 16:

2016 Specialized Hotrock (I put 2.2 knobbies on for dirt riding)

I'm looking forward to what the future holds...

a link to the bikes "in action"

 

[jonKranked]

the balance bike i got for my son is a DK nano.

when i was researching them, i ruled the strider out pretty quickly because it has a 0 length stem. my neighbors kids have one, and results in handling that is squirrely as hell. the sizing and adjustability is nice, but the 0 length stem made it a non starter for me.

 

[slyfink]

the balance bike i got for my son is a DK nano.

when i was researching them, i ruled the strider out pretty quickly because it has a 0 length stem. my neighbors kids have one, and results in handling that is squirrely as hell. the sizing and adjustability is nice, but the 0 length stem made it a non starter for me.

Solid advice. I saw my boys fold the bike over (oversteer?) a few times on medium-radius turns. Didn't happen often, but maybe that's what prevented them from getting rad, Jackson Goldstone-style...

I should have known better, despite the industry telling me direct-steering is best. that fork has no offset either!

 

[stoney]

https://www.raleighusa.com/kids
I have Haley on this one: https://www.raleighusa.com/lily-16

 

[jonKranked]

Solid advice. I saw my boys fold the bike over (oversteer?) a few times on medium-radius turns. Didn't happen often, but maybe that's what prevented them from getting rad, Jackson Goldstone-style...

I should have known better, despite the industry telling me direct-steering is best. that fork has no offset either!

yea, once gray had his Nano my neighbors kids tried it out randomly and the one kid comment that it was easier to ride.

i ruled out a few other bikes for similar reasons. either too small (my son is a big dude), lack of foot rests (either on the chainstays or elsewhere) or cost. the following got ruled out for these reasons:

giant pre
commencal ramones
specialized hotwalk

 

[slyfink]

https://www.raleighusa.com/kids
I have Haley on this one: https://www.raleighusa.com/lily-16

Isn't this the one you heavily modified?!

 

[stoney]

Isn't this the one you heavily modified?!

No. That's stock but had knobies put on. The modified one is a 20" Trek BMX bike.

 

[JohnE]

Was truly gratified when my daughter donated her first "real bike" that she had outgrown, to a shop that does bikes for less fortunate kids and charity type stuff.

(Shameless plug, I volunteer there occasionally, when I am not polishing my monocle. https://kidsonbikes.net/ )

Now she wants a fat bike...

 

[JohnE]

...and it aint no thing til you gots that bling.

https://cyclingtips.com/2017/08/bikes-bunch-custom-mosaic-bicycles-balance-bike/

 

[stoney]

Was truly gratified when my daughter donated her first "real bike" that she had outgrown, to a shop that does bikes for less fortunate kids and charity type stuff.

(Shameless plug, I volunteer there occasionally, when I am not polishing my monocle. https://kidsonbikes.net/ )

Now she wants a fat bike...

Haley's bikes will go down to Hannah. After that they will all be donations, because kids need bikes.

 

[junkyard]

My girl started on a strider then to a hand me down little specialized hot rock. Now she is on a fuji rookie and she loves it. Shes rough on it and with living on a large fenced property she doesnt always put it away and thats ok. Its holding up good.

 

[velocipedist]

My son will be 8 in April, and all the options I could find were suboptimal.

So I took my ventana el toro and kiddo'ed it with small size friendly 24" spanks and kit.

And this way when he needs 26 I will have a wheelset for a future DJ build.. Of course his younger sister will likely change that plan. And more kids on bikes is a win.

 

[Blown240]

Just last week I took my 7 year old daughter on her first ride with no training wheels. I should have started her on a balance bike... But lesson learned and my 4 year old is already tearing it up in her balance bike.

My 10 year old is not quite tall enough for a 24", but he is too tall for 20" wheels, so he has a 20" wheeled fat bike...

 

[slyfink]

My son will be 8 in April, and all the options I could find were suboptimal.

So I took my ventana el toro and kiddo'ed it with small size friendly 24" spanks and kit.
View attachment 127743 View attachment 127745
And this way when he needs 26 I will have a wheelset for a future DJ build.. Of course his younger sister will likely change that plan. And more kids on bikes is a win.

This is very cool. And got me thinking... I still have my dentist bike (2013 Mojo HD) sitting in the basement, gathering dust. If I got a hardtail frame, swapped parts over, and laced the wheels onto 24" wheels, what would happen? I was thinking this frame right here: https://www.commencalcanada.com/frame-meta-ht-am-650b-black-2017-c2x20259694

I suppose I'd need shorter cranks so that the pedals aren't smacking the ground too much with the bb dropping so much. Did you have to do anything else other than lace up smaller hoops?

 

[velocipedist]

Go for it! Obviously bb drop may be an issue, I scored some nx cranks in 155, and enve flat bar cut and seatpost for lightness.

Only thing I am on the fence about now is the fork. X fusion vengeance 170mm w/travel adjust makes it 140mm, solid but a bit of a anchor at over 5#. I have beem eyeing a box x2 bmx fork 1 1/8 20mm and that would drop almost 4# off the front.

Downside is no more front brake.... which may be a deal breaker, I will have to see how aggressive he rides and go from there. Front brakes for actual mtb trails.. but if its more urban, pumpy djs front brake is less concern.

This is very cool. And got me thinking... . Did you have to do anything else other than lace up smaller hoops?

Only thing I would be worried about is your new frame is 650b in my experience putting 26 on my mega Trail / shred Dog / smash worked all right in shred dog /Mega Trail and was definitely suboptimal when paired with the smash stays so I guess I think 29 down to a 26 is too much for many frames, so I would be hesitant to put 24's on a frame design for 650b.

My Ventanas an old 26 from 2003 so it already had death-defying Geo or wait is that death inducing Geo regardless a blast to ride and I'm sure my son will think so too