Affordable Mountain bikes for 10yr old

[eddy]

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... 

 

 

 

Zip pressure/

 

It is his right to try cycling and his right to have a good bike. If he doesn't like MTB, toughs.

, 

He may want to ride road bikes and it can obviously not be done on a stupid MTB and will need a road bike and it would be unfair to expect him to do it on anything but an S-works.

[patham]

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 ...

 

My son is also 10, and there is a big spread in body sizes and bike types. He was a good fit on his Giant XTC junior 24" as he is below average size, reach and weight, but that was ridden into the ground. After seeing how friends of a  similar size were perched like pimples on top of 27.5" with a corresponding lack of control that bordered on suicidal, we replaced it with a deal on a Trance Jnr 26". 

 

We know this is far from being his "forever bike" , but at the same time in a few years it probably also will need major work done, so its only the frame that would be the expense.

[ChrisF]

My son is also 10, and there is a big spread in body sizes and bike types. He was a good fit on his Giant XTC junior 24" as he is below average size, reach and weight, but that was ridden into the ground. After seeing how friends of a  similar size were perched like pimples on top of 27.5" with a corresponding lack of control that bordered on suicidal, we replaced it with a deal on a Trance Jnr 26". 

 

We know this is far from being his "forever bike" , but at the same time in a few years it probably also will need major work done, so its only the frame that would be the expense.

 

Maritz is 7, turning 8 in June.  But his currently the tallest in his class, outgrowing "9-10" clothes.

 

Currently he fits perfectly on his 24'' bike.

 

Two weeks ago we saw a kid at Bloemendal.  MAN, this laaitie was MOVING on the trails !  Not just fast, had some skill to boot .... small kid on a 20'' bike .... turns out this is a short 8 year old.  We see this at each Spur event - in each age group you have seriously short kids and then some very tall ones as well ... 

 

 

 

But at this age there is no such thing as a "forever bike"        Not they way he is growing ! 

 

 

The training wheels came off the 16'', and two weeks later we bought a 20'' - February 2017

 

Maritz simply loved the trails from the start, and soon it became a mission moving the bike between his parents house and ours (he is our godson).  So his parents wanted to buy a cheapy ... his first bike was a Makro TOTEM, not going to get much cheaper ....  So I set about trying to find a 20'' with something that sort off resembled a front shock ....

 

June 2017 we bought the 20'' Momsen .... I had to jimmy the seat clamp to get the seat low enough for him  (the Momsen sits a bit higher that the Totem..)

 

13 months !!!        Jip that is how long it took him to grow from barely fitting on the bike to riding a 24''.

 

July 2018 we bought the 24''.  NOTE - from the first moment on the trails the improvement in the bike handling was obvious !  The 24'' wheels just ride the trails so much easier than the 20'' wheels.

 

9 months later, and we are busy building his 26'' dream bike ... going to be interesting to see if uses the 24'' for more than 12 months at the rate that he is growing now ....  Yes, I am spending too much money on the 26'' revamp, let's hope he gets a few years use before outgrowing it .. 

 

 

Worth noting - Maritz takes care of his bikes     Cleaned after rides, and serviced regularly.  Thus we could sell the Momsen and put that money towards the 24''.  His "cost of ownership", despite the fast turn, around is still less than a typical adult bike   

[dev null]

Whatever the future holds, just don't buy him a dualie too fast (they will want that by the time they race XCO in YM cat). They learn valuable technical skills on their HTs, which they will need in future as XCO is getting more technical every year.