openmind

I built a 1x11 Shimano equipped hard tail for my son at that age. Also 11/46. I fitted a 30t chainring and it was perfect - he hardly used the 11t cog anyway and in 30-46 could get up steep hills without getting off - super important for confidence and keeping spirits up. Use the 1x12 money you save and get him some decent shoes and kit. Oh, and use some of it too to service the suspension - and then set it up properly for his weight.

Long press to switch on and then another press to put into peloton mode.

Stuff them with newspaper was the old school trick. Take the insoles out immediately after the ride and clean and dry them separately. I put them in front of a fan to keep air flowing over them until they're dry. Helps a lot.

I think the most important feature of an insert is that it does not absorb sealant. If it does, it will just get heavier over time and you will be likely to get stuck with a puncture that does not seal if you don't keep topping up. Stick with reputable brands like Cushcore (the only one I have experience with, it does not absorb any sealant). After that, you need to factor in that it will change the ride feel of the wheel, in that the suspension characteristics of the tyre will change, a bit like putting spacers into your fork. There will be less air in the tyre and the "suspension" will ramp up more quickly. That could make the wheel feel more harsh than without the insert. That might be fine on a full sus bike, but that's the main reason I don't use inserts on my gravel rig as I have no mechanical suspension and need all the suspension from my tyres that I can get. I'll pick good lines instead .

Cmon, those wheels are just wrong, looks like a supermarket kids bike. But with some proper wheels I would share your infatuation.

The single speed I can understand, but the rigid fork! Eina.

Solo rides are underrated.

I agree. MTB handlebars are almost twice as wide as road/gravel bars - they just don’t fit in a tight bunch without poking someone. The bunch then tends to make bigger gaps for them which messes with the bunch dynamics and safety. I love my MTB but I don’t think they belong in most gravel races. Also, gravel racing is largely replacing road racing, at least it is for me here in the Western Cape so my preference would be to limit gavel races to drop bars. Just a data point of one for race organisers, if you’re reading .

You could try the vacuum cleaner + dental floss trick - tie a long piece of dental floss to the cable, feed it into the head tube and then hold the vacuum cleaner hose over the hole you want the cable to come out. The floss will get sucked through and then you just pull to bring the cable through. Might be tricky if. the hole is small, but you could maybe tape the vacuum hose to the hole to seal it. I've routed internal dropper post cables this way.

Don’t confuse safety and the law. Some illegal things are far safer than other legal things. Riding in the wide yellow line shoulder of the N7 is pretty safe, comparatively speaking. If you want to safely ride your bike around here AND comply with the letter of the law then I would suggest you take up another sport.

Most MTB hubs these days are boost - 148/110mm wide vs 142/100mm for road.

Shimano shifting is the best in the business if properly set up. Either you have a fake chain and/or other parts (apparently common if you buy from dodgy sources) or you have a lousy mechanic. Perhaps try another mechanic and make sure you get your parts from a reputable source. Bad shifting can have a few different reasons apart from bad quality components. My Shimano group sets (multiple) shift perfectly and my chains last thousands of km.

Years ago we got our son a Momsen 26" with kid-specific geo - this is the latest version: https://momsenbikes.com/shop/uncategorized/jsl60-my21-x-small/ From the specs: "Age : 10 – 14 Years / Height : 134 – 162cm" - so that would fit your kid. It's like the 29" wheel effect - larger wheels roll better - but they've kept the reach short(ish) to fit smaller kids. Plus they fit the bike longer as we were able to keep raising the saddle and lengthening the stem to keep him fitted for many more years than a 24" would have allowed. Kids grow like weeds and this is a neat solution to that problem!

XTR mechanical is still very much available. XT is much cheaper still and works almost as well.

Flip, you guys with your electronic bodges. To think that you can buy a full XTR group for less than the cheapest electronic junk. Go cables, spend more time riding and drinking beer.