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  1. #26
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    Bumping cuz I'm curious to know what the original poster ended up doing!

  2. #27
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    Dunno about the OP but since I participated in this thread a year ago I put a bit of money into our hotrock 24 - rst air fork from German website, lighter stem and carbon bar from eBay. Saved a couple of pounds and suspension performance upgrade was huge. Grand plans to turn drivetrain into 1x setup derailed by difficulty finding affordable 24 rim brake compatible rims to work with hubs I have. That bike now handed down to my 7.5 yo. Bike cost $180 used, probably about same in upgrades.

    This year got an xs spec myka 26 for my 9.5 yo ($200 used). Will make some of same changes (fork, bar) to lighten up. May go with disc brakes and drivetrain overhaul too. We actually tried to buy new but frustrated to find no one makes a 26" wheel bike anymore and the xs 27.5 everyone is pushing didn't fit her at all (would have been fine for riding pavement but not real mtb). Simple geometry of trying to fit a 27.5 wheel, higher fork, higher headtube means standover is so ridiculously high leaving no clearance for someone the bike might otherwise fit.
    Last edited by dcpnz; 07-19-2016 at 03:29 PM.

  3. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by bodywhomper View Post
    [moving and revising my post to this possible more appropriate thread]


    Any thoughts and guidance would be appreciated. I often buy used, but ain't sure if I'm going to find much that works.

    I'm still shocked about the lack of 26" wheel bikes. I had always assumed that 26" would make more sense for frame geometry on the small adult frames over 650b or larger wheels. Am I missing something?

    Cheers
    You're not missing anything. Industry has gone full bonkers on this and doesn't seem to make 26" wheel bikes even in xs frame sizes that are far better suited to small riders and growing kids.

    Best advice I have is to keep looking for a nice used 26 frame/bike. Patience paid off for me and my kid.

  4. #29
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    Aug 2006
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    Thanks! It's pretty wild and a bit frustrating. I remember when g Peterson was initially blogging the virtues of 650B, he was still pushing the 26" wheel for smaller riders.

    Patiently looking....

  5. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by bodywhomper View Post
    Thanks! It's pretty wild and a bit frustrating. I remember when g Peterson was initially blogging the virtues of 650B, he was still pushing the 26" wheel for smaller riders.

    Patiently looking....
    Damn that took a while to find! Ended up driving over the hill to Reno tonight to get an older gt steelie. Got it for a song. it seems to be really well maintained. Plus the half day of one on one time with a super stoked 10 yo made the drive well worth it. The kids world is gonna open up a lot.


  6. #31
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    Nice, bodywhomper. With your daughter turning cranks now it sounds like you guys had a good week. Any upgrades planned for the GT?

    I posted about this in the "Go forth and ride..." thread, but it deserves another mention here. My son finally moved up to 20" wheels last week courtesy of Flow Bikes in Truckee.
    http://www.flowkidsbikes.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/FlowBikeCompany/

    Flow is making the raddest kid's bikes in the USA, hands down. I can't recommend these guys highly enough if you're in the market for a 20" bike (or a 16", the frame is convertible and can run both wheel sizes). I definitely didn't get it for a song, but the price was quite reasonable for what you get and resale will be excellent. 20 pounds, dialed modern all-mountain geometry, custom-built 80 mm fork that works beautifully, 1x10, great components with several build options to choose from, and customizeable color schemes. This is his "review" of the fork:

    "Dad, when I land it feels sooo soft. It's like landing on a pillow!"

    Beyond stoked. We rode seven of the next nine days.


    The instant boost in speed and control was awesome to see.




    Last edited by Dantheman; 08-30-2016 at 10:38 AM.

  7. #32
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    Sep 2005
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    holy crap, DTM, your kid rips! But you already knew that.
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
    "She was tossing her bean salad with the vigor of a Drunken Pop princess so I walked out of the corner and said.... "need a hand?"" - Odin
    "everybody's got their hooks into you, fuck em....forge on motherfuckers, drag all those bitches across the goal line with you." - (not so) ill-advised strategy

  8. #33
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    If he didn't I certainly wouldn't have bought him such an expensive bike! If you really want to see a ripping 6 y.o. though, check out his best friend and riding buddy, River (pictured below on the right). I would not be surprised to see this kid at Crankworx one day: https://www.instagram.com/riverbellbmx/


  9. #34
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    Kona has a kids bike on clearance.

    http://www.konabikes.com/product/2015-stinky-24/

  10. #35
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    Aug 2006
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dantheman View Post
    Nice, bodywhomper. With your daughter turning cranks now it sounds like you guys had a good week. Any upgrades planned for the GT?
    i'm just gonna let the boy beat on that bike for a bit as is. probably replacing and upgrading components as they fail.... . the "project" will be to carve time into the schedule for some trail time for us (and the other 2 kids)

    i have plenty of other "projects" at the moment to keep me busy aside from wrenching with the kid.

  11. #36
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    Solid plan.

  12. #37
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    Norco just dropped their 2020 youth lineup and they appear to have knocked it straight out of the park: https://www.norco.com/bikes/2020/you...luminum-youth/

  13. #38
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    If anyone has a 20" bike that could use a suspension upgrade I have you covered: https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/60860019

    Mag pricing available, especially for local pickup. I also have some Protaper JUNIT bars and grips (https://hayesbicycle.com/products/pr...ar-grips-combo) I'll throw in free. I also have a set hydro brakes collecting dust (SRAM Level T that need new pads) we could work into the deal (pro bono as well).

  14. #39
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    I'm going to have a 20" DJ bike available fairly soon. Flow Bikes frame, 2021 Manitou JUNIT fork that was new in August, JUNIT wheelset, Protaper riser bars, really nice build that's better than the Norco Rampage 20 1 that sells for $1500.

    $900

    The bike can also run gears but I don't have a drivetrain for it. Weighs right about 20 lbs.

    PM me if interested and I can text more pics.

  15. #40
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Bike will come with a different brake (brand new SRAM Level) and a black stem.

  16. #41
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    Nov 2005
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    I am scoping a new bike for the about-to-be-7-year-old this spring. He has been riding singletrack since he was 4. He certainly doesn't rip like Dan's kid, but he is pretty good on the trails. he is currently riding a 20" islabike with a clapped out suspension fork that doesn't really work. He also has a little brother, so whatever we get will last for two kids.

    I am not 100% convinced he needs a full suspension, but the geometry on the Norco full suspension bikes looks so much better than most of the hardtails out there, so I have my eye on one of these: https://www.norco.com/bikes/2021/you.../fluid-fs2-20/

    What else should I be looking at? A real suspension fork (not a POS) and disc brakes are mandatory.

  17. #42
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    I'm not as up on 20" stuff as I used to be, but I'm pretty sure you can't do better than the Norcos for an all-around trail bike. Propain has US distribution now and their 20" model is wicked light at ~22 lbs, but they haven't updated the geo in years: https://www.propain-bikes.com/us/pro...kids/frechdax/

    In general, whether or not they "need" it, I know a lot of people who have bought FS 20" bikes for their kids and not one has regretted it. Since this will last two kids, I'd consider stepping up to the 1 build. For $600 you get a dropper, better fork, better shock, better wheels, better brakes, 2-piece cranks instead of square-taper, and SDG kids bars/saddle/pedals. Those JUNIT wheels alone cost $600 at retail, are 100% tubeless-ready, and probably drop more than a pound off the generic wheels on the 2.

    eta: A dropper on a 20" bike may seem absurd, but it is sooo worth it to never have to adjust their seat for them, ever.

  18. #43
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    I still have the 20" DJ for sale: https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2936874/

  19. #44
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    So, is my old 26” Marin Attack Trail worth getting a light rebuild for the kid? Or should I just buy him a new bike?

    Click image for larger version. 

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    focus.

  20. #45
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    Looks like he's very ready to move up a size.

    eta: Finding a new bike might be next to impossible right now, though.
    Last edited by Dantheman; 06-17-2021 at 09:19 AM.

  21. #46
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    Bumping this up as I think it's the best kid bike thread going....

    Just bought my 8y/o daughter a Liv STP 24+, pretty good and should be decent platform for some upgrades, she's not sending anything yet, just some generally flowy singletrack w/ some reasonable roots/rocks. Looking for thoughts on good hydro brake for kids? Has mechanical stoppers on there now and was thinking of the Tektro HD-J285s (not M285s which are bit different) that my son has on his Vitus, but they appear to be impossible to find. These have a shorter lever throw/reach than anything else I've seen.

    Any recommendations for reasonably priced hydro discs with a short lever/reach for little kid? Otherwise will keep eye out for the Tektro J285s.

  22. #47
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    Short levers are nice if you can find them but any mid-level hydro brake (Level, Deore, etc.) will be a huge improvement. Besides the Tektros I don't know of any other short lever options unless you go Hayes Dominion SFL, which are spendy unfortunately.

  23. #48
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    I found a set of the Tektro HD-M285s for my son's 16" bike at "Two Hoosiers Cycling" out of Ogden. They were in OEM packaging. I'm guessing they pulled them off some build and sold them separately. It might be worth calling them up to see if they've got what you want (Tel (385) 238-4973).

  24. #49
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    This company is doing some cool stuff…

    https://www.trailcraftcycles.com/

  25. #50
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    Thanks guys, will explore the other options, may dial in the reach on my good brakes to see if she can reach. Maybe she’s getting some m980 series XTR race brakes!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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