Affordable Mountain bikes for 10yr old

[Darryll]

My son has entered the xco racing and I would like to look at upgrading his bike which is presently a GT avalanche 3.0 small with mech disc. The bike is a bit heavy. What would be a good upgrade, preferably secondhand that won't break the bank.

[ians H2Sport]

I suggest talking to the crowd who organize your local Spur Schools series. They will know who's kids race and should be able to put you in contact with people who have used bikes. Which province are you in? If in KZN, I could assist you. 

[splat]

My son has entered the xco racing and I would like to look at upgrading his bike which is presently a GT avalanche 3.0 small with mech disc. The bike is a bit heavy. What would be a good upgrade, preferably secondhand that won't break the bank.

 

How old and how tall is your son?

 

What is your definition of affordable for a kids MTB? R5K, R10K,R25K ?

[ChrisF]

Darryll what size bike ?

 

At 10 years old some ride 24'', most are on 26'', and a few are already onto 29'' with extra small frames ....

 

 

The 26'' size is the worst at the moment ... simply no decent bikes available (not readily available at least).  

 

 

And because they grow out of these bikes so quickly very few parents buy top end bikes ... and thus the second hand market for these are very limited ...

[Darryll]

Thanks for the feedback. Affordable for my budget is max R10k. I am in PE but bikes that size are very scarce. The guys here are helping but I wanted to develop my base knowledge. Presently he is on a 26er small frame. He is average height for 10yrs. The bike he is using though feels a bit heavy, the brakes are mechanical disc so work well but must be pulled hard before gripping. I wanting to get him a bike that will be a bit lighter with better braking. In the end I am looking for something that he can have a bit more competitive advantage.

[Darryll]

Thanks for the feedback. Affordable for my budget is max R10k. I am in PE but bikes that size are very scarce. The guys here are helping but I wanted to develop my base knowledge. Presently he is on a 26er small frame. He is average height for 10yrs. The bike he is using though feels a bit heavy, the brakes are mechanical disc so work well but must be pulled hard before gripping. I wanting to get him a bike that will be a bit lighter with better braking. In the end I am looking for something that he can have a bit more competitive advantage.

[MORNE]

as stated in your other thread with the same title lol...

 

something like this in the link below. The spec is high and it will be light being carbon and all. Those are/were good bikes. Thats actually perfect with a few minor tweaks. Also very cheap considering the wheels and carbon frame and groupset. Yes it's in GP though. but maybe you guys can make a plan.You wont get something 'new' remotely close to this spec for that price and that is ALOT of bike for a 10y old. If it were my kid i would buy this for sure.

 

https://www.bikehub....tc-advanced-sl/

[Eugene]

He's 10, don't be hung up on a fancy bike for him. With a budget of R10k, you probably won't get anything lighter or better than he currently has. R10k in modern bike terms is pretty entry level.

 

If you really want something better, upgrade what he has. You will get a good set of hydraulic brakes for a few hundred bucks.

 

You can pick up a used set of lighter 26 inch wheels for less than R1000. Even forks are cheap for 26 inch bikes.

 

Have you tried Budget Bikes in Despatch? They have tons of used stuff you could upgrade with.

 

They also have new bikes at very good prices.

[dev null]

My advice is to not spend a lot. They really grow fast when they hit 12 and 13 years of age. I would suggest 2nd hand 26er HT like the Silverbacks and Giants.

 

Save your money for when he is 15, because then they get fast and also hard on their MTBs, and money for services and parts will be leaving your wallet at an alarming rate. Budget about 2k per month in the peak of the XCO season for race fees, services and parts. And off course upgrades, as many of their peers will be riding with SRAM XX1 groupsets. That is if the XCO bug really bites him.

[Darryll]

Great thanks everyone for the advice. Makes sense. I will definitely look at budget bikes for upgrades and then upgrade rather when he is older and in need of a bigger frame size

[Shebeen]

as stated in your other thread with the same title lol...

 

something like this in the link below. The spec is high and it will be light being carbon and all. Those are/were good bikes. Thats actually perfect with a few minor tweaks. Also very cheap considering the wheels and carbon frame and groupset. Yes it's in GP though. but maybe you guys can make a plan.You wont get something 'new' remotely close to this spec for that price and that is ALOT of bike for a 10y old. If it were my kid i would buy this for sure.

 

https://www.bikehub....tc-advanced-sl/

I wish i could have had a bike like that when i was 10  20!

if it's all in good working order this is serious bang for buck, SID and XX all round, will be about 10-11kgs

bling wheels too

[Skubarra]

My advice is to not spend a lot. They really grow fast when they hit 12 and 13 years of age. I would suggest 2nd hand 26er HT like the Silverbacks and Giants.

 

Save your money for when he is 15, because then they get fast and also hard on their MTBs, and money for services and parts will be leaving your wallet at an alarming rate. Budget about 2k per month in the peak of the XCO season for race fees, services and parts. And off course upgrades, as many of their peers will be riding with SRAM XX1 groupsets. That is if the XCO bug really bites him.

 

Whole different thread but the culture of kids competing on massively expensive bikes is just wrong on so many levels.

[Darryll]

Thanks again for all the replies, that giant looks awesome but sadly a medium frame will be too big for him. I am going to therefore look at doing small upgrades on his bike and work on his strength and speed till we get him a bigger bike. I think that would be the best long term solution for us now.

[ChrisF]

Whole different thread but the culture of kids competing on massively expensive bikes is just wrong on so many levels.

 

Attending the local SPUR races last year was a shock to my system !! 

 

PRIMARY school kids racing on full spec carbon bikes !!!!

 

 

 

That said, MANY kids on "normal" bikes having a blast of a time.    

 

 

For the sharp end of the field .... the kid would need a "decent bike", AND a coach....  The coaching fees will make the cost of the bike seem minimal ....

[MORNE]

I wish i could have had a bike like that when i was 10  20!

if it's all in good working order this is serious bang for buck, SID and XX all round, will be about 10-11kgs

bling wheels too

i didnt even have a bike when i was 10...i broke my avalanches frame ...soi was riding my sisters pick-n-pay Haro up untili was 16 haha

[Skubarra]

Attending the local SPUR races last year was a shock to my system !! 

 

PRIMARY school kids racing on full spec carbon bikes !!!!

 

 

 

That said, MANY kids on "normal" bikes having a blast of a time.    

 

 

For the sharp end of the field .... the kid would need a "decent bike", AND a coach....  The coaching fees will make the cost of the bike seem minimal ....

 

I already had that shock when we arrived at our primary school's first training session. I guess some people are just really rich and for them it's no big deal to buy a top-end bike (like the oke mentioned on yesterday's thread that spent R100k on bikes before he realised he doesn't even like the sport) - but for others I can only imagine what pressure it puts in some kids when the expensive top-end bike is bought with top-end expectations... 

 

I only want my son to enjoy the sport, would be happy to take him out of the school mtb system and just do funrides if the pressure is too much.