Downhill Bikes for under 13s

G

Gees

Squid
My son has recently started racing in the NSW GE series & we are finding it hard to get a good DH rig. He is currently riding a Marin rift zone 2 & is running mid pack in his division. My question is, would any of the larger enduro rigs eg Norco Range, Commencal Meta SX V5, Canyon Strive CFR be competitive against dedicated DH bikes? Its not so much the price, but availability of small DH bikes that's the issue.

thanks
 
Mattyp

Mattyp

Cows go boing
Gees said:
My son has recently started racing in the NSW GE series & we are finding it hard to get a good DH rig. He is currently riding a Marin rift zone 2 & is running mid pack in his division. My question is, would any of the larger enduro rigs eg Norco Range, Commencal Meta SX V5, Canyon Strive CFR be competitive against dedicated DH bikes? Its not so much the price, but availability of small DH bikes that's the issue.

thanks
Click to expand...
Who is racing GE on Dh bikes? And how are they pedalling up to the top of the descents?
 
oldcorollas

oldcorollas

Levin the moment
NSW State Gravity Enduro Series 2024 – Round #1
Series Overview
  • There will be TWO disciplines this year, Downhill and Enduro, with 3 rounds of each.
  • Each of the rounds will have its winners (GE and DH champions).
 
cokeonspecialtwodollars

cokeonspecialtwodollars

Fartes of Portingale
What are others riding in his category? Is the bike not up to it e.g. stuff keeps breaking or does he feel the bike is slowing him down? Has he had any coaching?
 
G

Gees

Squid
cokeonspecialtwodollars said:
What are others riding in his category? Is the bike not up to it e.g. stuff keeps breaking or does he feel the bike is slowing him down? Has he had any coaching?
Click to expand...
The faster Kids are all on dedicated DH bikes, the Marin has been a good bike but I don't think its up for race duties. He rides almost daily so heaps of stuff has broken as with any bike.
He just got into the Hunter sports Academy GE team this week & the training program looks awesome.
 
Oddjob

Oddjob

Merry fucking Xmas to you assholes
Gees said:
My son has recently started racing in the NSW GE series & we are finding it hard to get a good DH rig. He is currently riding a Marin rift zone 2 & is running mid pack in his division. My question is, would any of the larger enduro rigs eg Norco Range, Commencal Meta SX V5, Canyon Strive CFR be competitive against dedicated DH bikes? Its not so much the price, but availability of small DH bikes that's the issue.

thanks
Click to expand...
Maybe.

Where a DH bike really shines is in the steeps where the slackness, travel and low stand over height come into their own.

Out of those bikes mentioned I would go the Range and Meta, simply because they would be more reliable. I'd be worried about the Canyon not standing up to hard use.

Cycling deal still has some GT Fury frames with 26" that might work. https://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/gt-fury-alloy-2.0-mountain-bike-bicycle-cycling-fr/FR-GT-005-PP



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Dozer

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
There's no way an under 13's rider will be quicker than the next kid just because he has a downhill bike. Wait a few years for him to get more nerve then jump on a downhill bike. I'd totally steer towards a longer travel trail bike purely for versatility.
In a nutshell, modern enduro bikes are as good at downhill as downhill bikes were a few years ago. Adding the fact that you can pedal the thing back up is a bonus that he'll enjoy. Don't get me wrong, a downhill bike is a faster bike on a downhill trail but none of the trails raced in Australia need a downhill bike bar a few, especially none of the trails in the NSW series. You'll likely find the older of the junior guys are winning downhill races on enduro bikes because the trails used are better suited to it. Also to note is a downhill bike can feel like a waste of money under a light human as the air pressures and / or spring used can be too heavy at a minimum making the bike completely stiff. I've seen it a few times where a kid is using one third of the travel and getting thrown around, it's a waste of time and money until he takes his adult shape to a point.
A bit more travel than the 120mm he's using will help but throwing the most flash thing available at a kid does not mean instant results and can be completely demoralizing. He's young, he's got forever. Get a good trail bike.
 
jrewing

jrewing

Eats Squid
As Dozer said, Trail/enduro. Make sure the suspension works at his weight.
He will need a DH bike when say hes 15ish yrs old up and doing National DH races. Plus a trail/enduro bike too for GE events.
 
Dozer

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
pink poodle said:
Just cut all the mucking around and get him an eeeb. It's the only future.
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This approach works with the NSW series. There is an ebike category for the downhill races................. Say what you want but ain't no ebike deserving of a start at a downhill race; regardless of it being turned on or off. :rolleyes:
 
pink poodle

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Dozer said:
This approach works with the NSW series. There is an ebike category for the downhill races................. Say what you want but ain't no ebike deserving of a start at a downhill race; regardless of it being turned on or off. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

@dozethis revelation has left me shocked. Who wants to lug the extra ahhhhhhh fuck it. I did recently see a funny fail clip of a fellow bubbling his way through a rock garden on one of those enduro style eeeeebs only to have his battery detach and fly away. Surely people can just go ride a full powered moto?
 
Jpez

Jpez

Down on the left!
pink poodle said:
@dozethis revelation has left me shocked. Who wants to lug the extra ahhhhhhh fuck it. I did recently see a funny fail clip of a fellow bubbling his way through a rock garden on one of those enduro style eeeeebs only to have his battery detach and fly away. Surely people can just go ride a full powered moto?
Click to expand...
I was doing a few laps at my local yesterday which is winch and plummet. 2 truck convoy each lugging 4 eebs goes past as I’m moseying up the road.
Young buck pulls up next to me and asks if I wanna lift. He’s already half out of the lifted 4 by dripping with Cb antennas, stainless snorkels and a pop up tent on top ready to deploy at a moments notice in anticipation of me falling at his feet in gratitude for taking my misery away.
I politely declined his invite and him and his mates just stared at me. What they just heard did not compute. They kinda just slowly drove off in shock and left the poor old bastard on his Amish bike to keep grinding up the road.
Happily did 1100m after that.
shuttling eebs on a DH track. Now that’s something I don’t compute.
 
pink poodle

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Jpez said:
shuttling eebs on a DH track. Now that’s something I don’t compute.
Click to expand...
That is a new low for humanity! Fuck those guys.

I have been tempted a few times to give in and get an eeeeeb for purpose of getting myself from train station to trail head on a couple of dh tracks around here, but...shuttling an eeeeeb is stoopid
 
G

Gees

Squid
Dozer said:
There's no way an under 13's rider will be quicker than the next kid just because he has a downhill bike. Wait a few years for him to get more nerve then jump on a downhill bike. I'd totally steer towards a longer travel trail bike purely for versatility.
In a nutshell, modern enduro bikes are as good at downhill as downhill bikes were a few years ago. Adding the fact that you can pedal the thing back up is a bonus that he'll enjoy. Don't get me wrong, a downhill bike is a faster bike on a downhill trail but none of the trails raced in Australia need a downhill bike bar a few, especially none of the trails in the NSW series. You'll likely find the older of the junior guys are winning downhill races on enduro bikes because the trails used are better suited to it. Also to note is a downhill bike can feel like a waste of money under a light human as the air pressures and / or spring used can be too heavy at a minimum making the bike completely stiff. I've seen it a few times where a kid is using one third of the travel and getting thrown around, it's a waste of time and money until he takes his adult shape to a point.
A bit more travel than the 120mm he's using will help but throwing the most flash thing available at a kid does not mean instant results and can be completely demoralizing. He's young, he's got forever. Get a good trail bike.
Click to expand...
As he is currently blowing through the suspension on his current bike, which we extended to 150mm & increased pressures I think that a dedicated DH bike is what he needs to be competitive , but I guess his race results will tell. We found a YT Tues that we picked up the outer day. Just waiting for Awaba to dry out for his first test run.
 
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