What do your kids ride?

CraigS

Likes Dirt
My kids are heading towards 3yrs old. Last Christmas they got the typical plastic 3 wheel bikes that they love to ride but are now getting a bit big for them





This Christmas, Santa is delivering one of these each;)



Not too bad for $50 each from Toys R Us
 
my 10 year old rides a Jamis X-24 , took to changing gears straight away ,hardtail gripshift front and rear , its pretty cool to be able to take him to the trails every now and then.he prefers to ride his mountain bike over his bmx , think the way the 24 inch mountain bike is built and the way he grows he is not going to be on it for to long before he out grows it
 
I must admit we just bought a generic BMX for monkey#1, since that time he's become far more interested in coming for 20 - 25kms rides with me so we are looking at the Giant series of 20" bikes for christmas. The question is 3speed internal hub, vs 6sp with a single up front vs full 18speed. The specs and price are all pretty comparitive, the most expensive being about $400. I also notice that Trek and Specialised have also released 20" child specific mountain bikes.
 

Bjorn

Likes Dirt
The question is 3speed internal hub, vs 6sp with a single up front vs full 18speed.
All things being equal, I'd go for the 18 speed and lock the front mech in the middle ring to start with. Especially since you have multiple offspring; the second,third etc. child often seems to do stuff earlier, so it would be good to have a serious bike in a small size. Those little legs don't seem to mash up long hills on a SS very well.

My miss seven is having trouble with her new (S/H) geared bike; the Gripshift 7 speed shifter is too stiff for her to pull around to the lower gears. I've found some 7 speed Shimano, Rapidfire shifters in the parts box, so I'll try those. Hopefully her thumbs will be strong enough to select lower gears. I hadn't previously given a lot of thought to the hand strength required to shift gears.
 

Reign Rider

Likes Bikes
little takers skid lids

What kind of helmets do your kids use?
We have been trying a RJ's helmet (the dinosaur) with our 14 month old, but having problems with it falling over his face, even with it tightened up.
A temporary solution was to have a cap under the helmet, but this is not great.
Also the adjust parts inside the helmets are now coming off the sheel due to Zac pulling the helmet up and down.
Can anyboday reccommend a decent brand which is ajustable to serve for a growing head, but tight enough that it doesn't keep falling over his face?
Otherwise it will be a lot of trapsing around different shops to try all the different brands.

ps does anyone use a wee ride? Think i would like to move onto this from the trailer, also be easier riding on city bike paths, without worrying about knocking walkers who won't move over a little bit.
Dude go the wee ride I have hade both our son's in it ( although just a word of warning
if your little one is pig headed like my boys are they will steer & change gears every time you don't want them to:-] ). But with helmets we found the nettie helmet to fit the best for the younger years and have upgraded the eldest to the lazer hemet,both these hemets have good adjustablity for young growing heads
 

houli77

Likes Dirt
I don't have any kids...

That's why i have a trek session 88, an intense slopestyle & a cove handjob..

he he...yeah i know your kids are the light in your life... blah blah blah.. :rolleyes:
 

Bjorn

Likes Dirt
I don't have any kids...

That's why i have a trek session 88, an intense slopestyle & a cove handjob..

he he...yeah i know your kids are the light in your life... blah blah blah.. :rolleyes:
Do you give yourself a fresh handjob each year?
 

shoogyboom

Likes Dirt
Our daughter is a small two and would love to get her a Netti Mybike but sat her on one and will have to wait another 6 - 8 months. Looks like it might be tricycle for christmas. Saw a good Mongoose one and have heard Giant make one thats ok.

She wears a Limar helmet which has plenty of adjustment for when she grows and is made really well.

*Bjorn* By the way this is Les
 

void

Likes Bikes
Our daughter is a small two and would love to get her a Netti Mybike but sat her on one and will have to wait another 6 - 8 months. Looks like it might be tricycle for christmas. Saw a good Mongoose one and have heard Giant make one thats ok.

She wears a Limar helmet which has plenty of adjustment for when she grows and is made really well.

*Bjorn* By the way this is Les
Aldi have a wooden balance bike on sale at the moment...
http://www.aldi.com.au/au/html/offers/2827_16067.htm
 

shoogyboom

Likes Dirt
Thanks void, that looks pretty good and half the price of the Netti one. Might pick one up and stash it way for when she is a bit bigger. Or maybe modify it so she can ride it chopper style;)
 

void

Likes Bikes
Thanks void, that looks pretty good and half the price of the Netti one. Might pick one up and stash it way for when she is a bit bigger. Or maybe modify it so she can ride it chopper style;)
Picked one up yesterday.. figured for $60 I could not go wrong when compared to $170 for the Avanti Little Ripper at the LBS.. .however as the kid in the shop pointed out the Avanti has an aluminium frame (just what every 3yr old needs)
 

Bjorn

Likes Dirt
Shoogy (Les), Void,

Grab those balance bikes, they are the best thing ever for learning to ride. Of our three kids, only the youngest (nearly 5) had one and he is absolutely powering. We ride the easy stuff at the mountain bike park and he smashes it on his 16". I take him to some stuff I probably wouldn't have ridden in my first year on an MTB and get surprised when he baulks; he's so confident and capable, it's easy to forget he's only been riding for two months.
He's got armour a friend gave us and I've ordered a full face for him, 'cos he's determined to ride the local DH track after we walked it with a shovel to do repairs. I'm pretty certain he'll have a few stacks, but the B-lines are easy and there's nothing likely to be fatal.
 

Bjorn

Likes Dirt
Or maybe modify it so she can ride it chopper style;)
Hey Les,

I had a look at the link to Aldi, I reckon you might be able to turn the forks the other way up and then turn over the seat as well. That should give an ultimate chopper ride with super low seat height.
 

shoogyboom

Likes Dirt
Picked one up. Can't go wrong for the price. Haven't put it together yet

*Edit - Tried the frame upside down trick to get it low enough but it made the forks crazy raked out chopper style. Will just have to wait til she grows a bit.
 
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Bjorn

Likes Dirt
Picked one up. Can't go wrong for the price. Haven't put it together yet

*Edit - Tried the frame upside down trick to get it low enough but it made the forks crazy raked out chopper style. Will just have to wait til she grows a bit.
A hinge in the middle.
 

skybustim

Likes Bikes
This is what I just go my little fella for xmas:
http://www.cellbikes.com.au/12-Cheetah-Alloy-First-Learner-Balance-Bike
When it was on sale last week.
It seemed to have the lowest stand over I have seen, and from trying him quickly on it before going to the shed till xmas, just needs a little bit more growing, might be able to just sit him on it and push around for a while.

Love it that one of his first words is bike, and when he saw it it straight away 'bike bike'. Small worry he tried to keep climbing on it facing the rear.
 
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