AgentFlash

Firstly welcome! In my time riding there is nothing greater than being able to blast down a trail with your kids. My son and daughter are a little older, but we have been through that stage. In my opinion the "Yellow Feva Seat" that goes on the front of the top tube is an absolute winner. Easy to find, affordable, easy to put on and take off the bike, hasn't made any damage to my bike, my kids feel safe and secure, easy to pedal and all round great product! Setup wise you just need to add some more air to the fork. Only issue I have had, is sometimes if you are taking a sharp corner and your fork compressors too much the tire catches the edge of the seat. (The part that goes down over the frame near the tire. Not the part the kids sit on) Not really a super big issue, but thought I'd mention it. This seat is very capable and has stood the test of time, going through both my children. My daughter at age 2 has been around some good trails. Survived a couple of trips around Bloemendaal. She absolutely loves being on it! Her usual commentary usually goes something like "faster daddy, faster!" However - The FEVA Star Seat bicycle seat is recommended for children aged between 18 months and five years, with a maximum weight limit of 22 kg. This is taken off AI, however I would agree with the recommendation, so I don't think it is suitable at your stage. Their is a seatbelt, but don't think it would offer the level of support needed at that point. We started the bicycle journey at a year with a balance bike. My son was just over a year and my daughter just under. Absolutely 100% go balance bike then into a bike with pedals, no training wheels required. Unfortunately I can't offer any comment on the other options for seats, that would be suitable for your stage, as I don't have any experience with them. I hope that your able to find what you are looking for and enjoy every moment of this amazing journey!

Some lovely looking extra bling on that Titan!

Morning, We have been in the exact same situation. My son has outgrown his Titan Racing 20". He is a little shorter at 132cm. If you can try it at the shop, that is your best option, as you get a much better idea actually letting them sit on the bike. We got some excellent advice from a local shop. We were looking at the Titan Racing Player JR 26". We tried both the 24" and the Player JR 26". The 24" was the perfect size for him - Height wise and reach. However he will outgrow it soon. The Player JR 26" was fine height wise, but not for reach. (Reaching and controlling the handlebars.) It was for this reason that he struggled to control the bike. The shop gave us excellent advice and showed us all the pros and cons. The final outcome we will get the bike for him, but we will get it at a later stage, when he has had time to grow a but more. Once again it is hard to beat Titan Racing Bikes in this section. As far as I understand the Titan Racing Drone JR 26" does have an air fork and hydraulic disc brakes. I would happily get the drone, however it was just a little to much out of our price range. I hope you are able to find the right bike.

We also went for a 12inch Muna Balance Bike. We got from a local bike shop, however they are quite easy to find. Sportsman's Warehouse also stock them. We did buy it new, however have got years worth of use from it and has been handed down to my daughter. No complaints about the bike. We got the steel frame version, which isn't as light as the aluminum version, however, this hasn't been an issue. My son still loves cruising around the house on it. Only real maintenance, that I have had to do is repack the front wheel bearings and give it a wash from time to time. My kids can't resist heading straight through every puddle. They moved onto a 16 inch pedal bike after this. A balance bike is absolutely the way to go.

Yes, the full face helmet issue. We had the same story. One of his friends got a full face and then that was all he wanted. I explained to him (granted he is a bit younger) that those are more for "downhill" riders. I showed him some footage from the Downhill World Cups and he seemed to agree that he may not need that yet. I then showed him some footage of Nino tail whipping everything he could with his XC helmet and he seemed convinced that a full face wasn't required to have fun. - If if it is good enough for Nino, then it is good enough for him. We were looking for a good quality trail helmet with Mips. There were some good Giro and Specialized helmets on sale at the time, however his head was a bit small. So we eventually settled on a Scott Supra, which we have been very happy with. When he is a bit older, will look for a good trail helmet. Happy helmet hunting.

Thanks all for your advice and suggestions. I think I will hold out and look for something towards the end of Jan. Will see how much he grows by then and then take the plunge into the world of 26inch. That Giant is an awesome deal! I've got a couple of old 26inch bikes in the garage with some fairly decent components - XT drivetrain, Mavic rims, Manitou air forks. Could be a fun project to transfer and build up a bike for him on a smaller sized frame. Thanks again.

@DJuice Thanks for your reply! That is one really good deal. Our local bike shop suggested the same bike. He is currently just to small for it, however, was almost tempted to buy it and store away until he needs it. His birthday is at the end of Jan, so will see how much he grows and then look at getting him a bike.

Awesome, he has some good skills!

Thanks for the advice, I hadn't considered this. Think the 24inch will be the way to go for now. His little sister will get use out of it too at a later stage. His birthday is in Jan, so still a little way off, just starting to look at options, of course we will have to see how tall he is by then.

Thanks, that makes sense. Figured that would be the case. Yes, it is always fun working on (and cleaning) the bikes together.

Awesome to see how far they come as they grow up! We are on a 20inch at the moment, however won't be long before my son outgrows it. He is roughly 128cm tall now. Was considering trying to skip over 24inch, as I feel he will out grow it so quickly, and go straight to XS 26 inch. Do you think this is reasonable or do I just take the plunge and go for the 24inch. He does have a younger sister (about to move to the 16inch) so will always get extra value out of all of them. Just was curious whether this was a good idea. Thoughts welcome and thanks in advance.

Constantia Greenbelts with the kids. What a lovely day for a bike ride!

A lovely day out with the kids at Meerendal.

Not sure where you are based. I saw some Signal kids bikes (think the 24" models) at Bridge Cycles in Southern Suburbs, Cape Town. Maybe give them a call. Otherwise, Yes, Titan Racing make great kids bikes. I would suggest try and avoid the grip shift if possible. Avalanche have just released a new range of bikes that look pretty good and are a big upgrade over the previous ranges. No personal experience, but they look quite nice. Hope you are able to find what you are looking for.

- A lovely ride around Bloemendal with the kids!