[kickstand]

Short version.

One of the local ski hills in Michigan (Boyne Highlands) organized a bike fest and it was a weekend i had my son, so my GF and I dragged him with us.

Day one: Stop at a local freeride/dh spot to do some hike a bike runs and check out a used DH/Freeride bike for the GF. She didn't like the bike, but my son got a little gutsy-er and instead of just pushing up and riding the bottom 1/4 of the trails (mostly "flatter") by that point. He instead pushed up about 3/4 of the way to the top and was riding down and railing the berms pretty good.

Day two: Race day.

Took him to the finish line and showed him the two easiest trails and told him he could push up as far as he was comfortable. Trails are primarily dirt, lots of up and down rollers 1-2 ft tall, 2-3 ft apart ish, with tree roots, sandy loam, no real rocky tech sections to speak of. he loved it and begged me to take him up the chairlift so he could ride.

Finally caved in after my race runs and let him ride the whole trail. Probably 500ish ft of vert, nothing crazy steep, but he was also on a BMX Mini with just a rear brake and handled it pretty well. I was pretty excited to see him be able to make the trails, and in no time flat i'm sure he'll be faster than me.

So as the weekend progressed we ended up with a 12" Kona Hula w/a 50mm fork and 24" wheels.

It's still too big for him, but looking to outfit it more for trail riding for him.

Suggestions?

Would like to find some better tires, a fork that will actually move for him, probably a bashguard and make it a 1x7 drivetrain instead of 3x7, and mount up some mechanical disc brakes for him

 

[Pesqueeb]

 

[dump]

Nice. Raced the state champs at Boyne in 95 (I think). Good times... and sandy!

 

[kickstand]

Nice. Raced the state champs at Boyne in 95 (I think). Good times... and sandy!

You probably raced at Boyne Mountain, rather than Boyne Highlands.

Still sandy.

Kids out right now riding that bike around, he looks exactly like you'd think a 6 year old would look riding a bike three times too big for him

 

[dump]

You probably raced at Boyne Mountain, rather than Boyne Highlands.

Still sandy.

Kids out right now riding that bike around, he looks exactly like you'd think a 6 year old would look riding a bike three times too big for him

Yeah, it was definitely Boyne Mountain. Never been to Boyne Highlands. Will have to check it out next time I'm up there.

I'm sure your kid is loving it. Good stuff.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Get rid of the suspension fork - those things are useless boat anchors on kids' bikes.

Good on ya for getting the boy out. My 6yo sort of enjoyed the Crested Butte bike park when we were there this summer... though it may have been a *bit* over his head.

 

[kickstand]

Get rid of the suspension fork - those things are useless boat anchors on kids' bikes.

Good on ya for getting the boy out. My 6yo sort of enjoyed the Crested Butte bike park when we were there this summer... though it may have been a *bit* over his head.

I am looking to try and slacken the bike a little, and simultaneously reduce the stand over for him. He races BMX, so this bike will truely be his "downhill bike" and "other trail riding activities bike".

He was riding a bmx mini on saturday, and I was impressed with how he handled it on the trails.

I think I am going to try and find a 80-100mm air fork for him, as well as some mechanical disc brakes, depending on how tall he is next summer I may even swap on some 20" wheels to lower it a bit for him, slack and standover are more important than ground clearence on the trails I will let him ride, so that will be the goals.

 

[kickstand]

Yeah, it was definitely Boyne Mountain. Never been to Boyne Highlands. Will have to check it out next time I'm up there.

I'm sure your kid is loving it. Good stuff.

Boyne Highlands is doing a nice job, they are continuing to improve their bike park each time I am there they are adding new stuff. It's all we have in michigan at this point in time that is within a 3-4 hour drive of Detroit. So we ride there pretty often.

 

[dump]

Boyne Highlands is doing a nice job, they are continuing to improve their bike park each time I am there they are adding new stuff. It's all we have in michigan at this point in time that is within a 3-4 hour drive of Detroit. So we ride there pretty often.

It's painful to be a dh fan in the mid-west... but then again, many detroiters do that drive every weekend.

 

[kickstand]

It's painful to be a dh fan in the mid-west... but then again, many detroiters do that drive every weekend.

It is painful for certain.

I don't mind being a road warrior though.

I rode at Boyne Highlands at least 15 times this summer, plus a trip up to Marquette, two trips to Snowshoe, and at least 2 more trips planned before winter.

The idea is to get the kid good enough at Boyne Highlands next season, so when he is 8 or 9 we can travel the east coast races together and he doesn't have to sit in the parking lot begging me to let him go and ride.

 

[SlapheadMofo]

My kid's 7 and I just got him on a 24 for DHing this year. We got in a good handful of days at Sunday River and Highland (NH) this summer. Can't wait til he grows a little more and I can stick him on one of those Stinky 2-4s or hunt down a Spec BH Grom.

For the time being, I picked up a Spec Hotrock that came w/ V-brakes but the frame and fork had disc mounts. Dug around the garage and put on some burly old FUNN/Arrow wheels, a big-ass 2.7 tire in the front at super-low pressure, a bashguard and some BB7s on it set up so they grab almost at the bars. Thing is like 3/4s of his body weight, but he rips on it. Even though it's a little big, it's still way better than his 16" park bike or his BMX Mini for trail riding. Good frigging times!

 

[kickstand]

exactly the path I am hoping to take, except your son is about 6" taller than my little guy, hence the possible need for 20" wheels for a season or so.

 

[SlapheadMofo]

Kona Shred 2-0 would be perfect if you can hunt one down.

 

[jdcamb]

Nubs Nob has some interesting Glacial Geology. Look up the relationship between Round Lake and Nubs Nob. I used to stay in Petoskey a lot as a child. Nice area....

 

[yellowdogx]

My son (now 8) started off on a shred24 that I put some 20s on when he was six. It worked out ok but it really droped the pedals so low that he was always catching them on stuff, but I am still glad I did it as the 24s were just to big for him, and I didnt want to buy a 20 for the few months he would be on it.

As you said you really need an air fork as ALL kids bikes seem to be way oversprung from the factory. My kid is on a Tora air on his XC bike and a old Marz all mountain on his DH bike.

He is rocking a 2009 norco bline now and probably did about 7 or 8 days in Whistler this season as well as 4 or 5 days on the north shore.

The best thing for him was ridding with other kids his age in a few bike camps, it really helped his confidence and ridding.

Good luck!

 

[dump]

Nubs Nob has some interesting Glacial Geology. Look up the relationship between Round Lake and Nubs Nob. I used to stay in Petoskey a lot as a child. Nice area....

Small world!

 

[kickstand]

well I found him a grom hit for Christmas, too big currently, I put a smaller fork on it to lower the bike some, and get rid of all the whit ecomponents, being purple and white was a bit too much for him, so we blacked it all out and he liked it a lot better.

Still wouldn't mind swapping on a 20" rear wheel to try and lower it down a little for him, anyway he's a pic.

 

[yellowdogx]

well I found him a grom hit for Christmas, too big currently, I put a smaller fork on it to lower the bike some, and get rid of all the whit ecomponents, being purple and white was a bit too much for him, so we blacked it all out and he liked it a lot better.

Still wouldn't mind swapping on a 20" rear wheel to try and lower it down a little for him, anyway he's a pic.

I have a set of disc 20" wheels (with tires, no rotors) if you want them.... $40 plus shipping?

 

[bizutch]

How tall is your son?

 

[kickstand]

I have a set of disc 20" wheels (with tires, no rotors) if you want them.... $40 plus shipping?

Incoming PM.

How tall is your son?

Stupid short.

Last time I measured I think he was like 42" or so, with an inseam of about 20-22" I can't recall off hand.

He is wrestling at 42.8 lbs currently.

He's a wee little guy for now, the grom hit actually fits his mother lol