What do your kids ride?

Nmag

Likes Dirt
[video=youtube_share;sBXqum_pic0]http://youtu.be/sBXqum_pic0[/video]

Our three year old twins riding balance bikes. Once they got to used to them I also got them some 12" BMX styled bikes with training wheels for a couple of months. Once they got used to the idea of pedaling I removed the training wheels and now they are set. They are still 3 and pedal around easily if it's not too steep.

I'm really disappointed with the availability of small light bikes. Spoke to the LBS about "Too heavy. Why no carbon or plastic" and they go on about durability and handing it down to smaller kinds. I'd be happy to pay significant $$ for a super light bike for them each. Surely it could be sold for 40% of purchase price in a couple of years to another user.

Kids love the segment of Cam McCall jumping into the pool They always alk about Cam and how he rides and how they are want to be like him etc hahaha.

[video=youtube_share;KZlUCTxtu24]http://youtu.be/KZlUCTxtu24[/video]
 

SummitFever

Eats Squid
Summitfever, that is a beautiful job.

Moorey, should you go ahead and build a 20" of some description, these might help

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Spinner-...ling_Parts&hash=item27b9ddf038#ht_1951wt_1185

I don't know anything about them, but they look to be a step or two above what is on the 20" suspension bikes I've checked out.
Great find. Those forks look a lot better than the average 20" fork and the price isn't over the top. White Bros made a 20" fork for the recumbent crowd. It looked great but was lots of $$$.
 

Mad Hatter

Likes Dirt
Just upgraded the young blokes bike.
24" Avanti Agressor.
Hydro brakes that work.
SLX/Alivio gearing (although he has already asked if he can have the spare XTR rear from the tool box).
Air fork up front with a working lock out.
P2070023.jpg
Went out to our regular trail and I took off in front. After a minute I slowed down to see how far behind he was and got a "Hurry up dad!" for my trouble.
Bloody kids these days.
No respect for their elders.
Now he wants to know if 7yo`s can enter the local club races.
I`ve created a monster.
Cheers
MH
 

moorey

call me Mia
Now he wants to know if 7yo`s can enter the local club races.
I`ve created a monster.
Cheers
MH
My Local club runs Dirt Crits races. Prep-G2 and G2-6. Felix (6), loves them. Highlight of the week for him :clap2:
He's hassling me to try DH, but i'm a little nervous about that one still.
 

4dabush

Likes Dirt
MH, how tall is your young-un, I was looking at the same for my 7yo girl...spec looks awesome...looks like an actual MTB spec. And whats the weight like? Never going to see one in a shop up here.
 

Mad Hatter

Likes Dirt
Nice job. What air fork is that? Weight?
The fork is an RST First 24" job.
It wouldn`t hold any air when we first got it, but after replacing the O ring all is good.
The bike weighs about 12 kgs on the bathroom scales.
He`s starting to hit things with a bit more aggression and getting some good air.
Launched himself unexpectedly on a jump the other day and landed it. He was so impressed with himself he had a good look over his shoulder to see what he had just cleared and promptly smacked into a tree. Oops.
Straight back on the bike and continued for another hour. While packing up the bikes he asks if I brought the first aid kit.
Turns out he had a pretty bad gash on his hip but didn`t want to show me in case I made him stop for the day.
Regular tough guy.
Cheers
MH
 

Mad Hatter

Likes Dirt
MH, how tall is your young-un.
He`s 140cm tall if that helps. I thought about getting a small 26" bike but they are still that bit too big for him to ride properly.
The 24 fits nicely and should be ok for a few years (if he dosen`t break it).
Hope that helps.
Cheers
MH
 

Bjorn

Likes Dirt
He`s 140cm tall if that helps. I thought about getting a small 26" bike but they are still that bit too big for him to ride properly.
The 24 fits nicely and should be ok for a few years (if he dosen`t break it).
Hope that helps.
Cheers
MH
You must be delighted; it's cool when you raise your own riding buddies.
 

freddofrog

Likes Dirt
the kids, 8 & 9 both have giants, mtx 150 and 125. I really wanted something with 2 chain rings so they could make it up the hills I ride but was told the extra levers confuse young kids. After I stopped laughing I had to politely ask him if he'd ever seen a kid on a nintendo ds, obviously not haha.

btw If anyone knows where you can get a decent soft compound 20" off road mtb tires.
 

SummitFever

Eats Squid
btw If anyone knows where you can get a decent soft compound 20" off road mtb tires.
Try the Schwalbe Moe Joes. Not cheap, but light and extremely grippy. The knobs don't look huge but they grip well wet and dry. They would probably not work well in deep mud.
 

Pete J

loves his dog
I saw the video yesterday and asked the same thing. After mucho googling I found this - available in Oz for $319. Elastomer rear susser for the toddlers. Even though the boy has a Firstbike, I'm tempted:rolleyes:

http://www.likeabikeaus.com/models/jumper.htm
We bought our son one of those after he had outgrown his LikeaBike Mini.
This Jumper model is brilliant, it's beautifully made and is very light (which makes it easy to handle).
I would recommend it to anyone looking to buy a bike for numerous children. Just hand it down to the next in line because it should last a long time!
Here is a pic of his bike (with the front brake i sourced myself).
 

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bikeyoulongtime

Likes Dirt
GT scamp chainwheel change?

some kids out there are pretty lucky! great bikes eh? and great riding stories too...

I just bought a 16" GT scamp for our oldest little fella (yep, 'girls bike', but Joe dug it, and looking at both the mach 1 and scamp I think its a better bike).

..and I have a question for the wise folks:

can the front chainring be changed using a standard 1-piece BMX sprocket? I want to reduce the gearing on it (28t or 26t to 22t) to help Joe make friends with his new bike.

he jumped on it and rode it around the shop no probs (with trainers), but his confidence is a bit shot - its a big bike for the little dude. I'm hoping lower gearing will make it more friendly.

Balance bike has been re-inverted for #2, so there's no going back now... (no WAY he's going to give it back up, even though he can't ride it yet)

Thanks!
 

4dabush

Likes Dirt
bikeyoulongtime, my little one has a GT el centro as her first 2 wheeler... she found dropping the pedals and the seat and using it a bit like a runner bike for a bit was the way to get her off trainers. Once she had some confidence, the hardest thing was her getting the leg strength to turn the pedals to start rolling. No problem once moving, but hard to get going - bit like us stalling halfway up a climb, harder to start again than on the flat. I also filed out the trainer wheel bolt holes and progresively lifted them up so they would barely hold the bike up when stationary.

MadHatter -thanks for your advice, I bought her a 24 Aggressor. What an Awesome bike...supposed to be for Christmas now as it missed her birthday - we'll see how long Dad can hold out (mid year school holidays in the dry up here is going to be awfully tempting!). She's a tad smaller than your boy at 120cms, but she has just started riding my 24" DK General Lee around on the road, off kerbs etc. Side by side the Aggressor is a touch shorter in reach and height, and has short cranks so should suit her perfectly...
 
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bikeyoulongtime

Likes Dirt
the hardest thing was her getting the leg strength to turn the pedals to start rolling. No problem once moving, but hard to get going - bit like us stalling halfway up a climb, harder to start again than on the flat.
Indeed - I'm seeing this a lot. So I pulled the cranks apart and it has a funky 'rounded square' drive hole in the 28t chainring. I'm sourcing a new crank and 22t sprocket, I'll post results when the parts are in and the little guy has had a crack at it :)
 

4dabush

Likes Dirt
Well, Aimee is on the Aggressor. (great school report - see said I wouldn't be able to hold out!). I was worried a barely 7yo girl bit over 120cms tall and 22kgs would struggle with rapid fire gears and the rest...the Aggressor is such a cool little bike. Everything is scaled back, the shifters are smaller, cranks are short. Took all of 60 seconds to be up and down through the gears. She loves rolling off the kerb hearing the forks working, and going fast! Now her to get her on the dirt...this bike is just so much better than her GT, her confidence has jumped a mile in the first ride.
 
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