Custom 24"Kids Bike

[ChrisF]

Agreed, the suspension is tricky as the smaller forks are not as plush or adjustable as the adult forks. Also as kids are so much lighter they tend to not get the full use of the fork. 

 

Its really down to the fork, I have seen kids sending it on real proper 24" forks and getting it dialed in, but also seen so many Spez/Scotts where its not setup and just running tubeless would have helped for the roots etc. 

 

Setting it up will probably be the key

 

JIP x2

 

 

Maritz did the 12km loop of the Hermanus trails on a 20'' ridig bike ...  He ENJOYED it.  Following him I was cringing seeing how the bike hopped over the roots ....

 

The 20'' Momsen had a pretty decent fork (compared to other options).  I took some videos of him riding over small bumps with both bikes.

 

YES - a decent fork actually do help them.  Sadly it does come it a big weight penalty.

 

 

TIRE PRESSURES ... 99% of parents totally over inflate the tires on their kids bikes .... I was looking at a kid on 24'' bike with plus size tires on Saturday.  Riding over obstacles you could see the tires were totally over inflated !!  The side wall did not even begin to move, and the bike was bucking over every little obstacle ....

 

When Maritz was 30kg we were running 0,9bar pressure.  Never pinched a tire, and it just handled so much better.

 

 

 

next bit of fun .... With his first 26'' bike the fun was to dial in the air-shock .... they are just too light !!     He has now finally picked up enough weight that we had to up the shock pressure just a bit.

[matthieup]

the tricky part is getting 24' tubeless tires. Let us know if oyu find something locally.

Vee tires has one option that comes standard on the momsen 24' junior bike, but it is all sold out

[Kuys]

the tricky part is getting 24' tubeless tires. Let us know if oyu find something locally.

Vee tires has one option that comes standard on the momsen 24' junior bike, but it is all sold out

 

Yes, thats a problem. 

 

I got hold of Maxxis Recon 2.2 but they not dedicated tubeless. But because of the low pressure they may be fine tubeless. 

 

I also ordered Schwalbe Rocket Ron 2.35 proper tubeless from zee Germans. 

[Pure Savage]

JIP x2

 

 

Maritz did the 12km loop of the Hermanus trails on a 20'' ridig bike ...  He ENJOYED it.  Following him I was cringing seeing how the bike hopped over the roots ....

 

The 20'' Momsen had a pretty decent fork (compared to other options).  I took some videos of him riding over small bumps with both bikes.

 

YES - a decent fork actually do help them.  Sadly it does come it a big weight penalty.

 

 

TIRE PRESSURES ... 99% of parents totally over inflate the tires on their kids bikes .... I was looking at a kid on 24'' bike with plus size tires on Saturday.  Riding over obstacles you could see the tires were totally over inflated !!  The side wall did not even begin to move, and the bike was bucking over every little obstacle ....

 

When Maritz was 30kg we were running 0,9bar pressure.  Never pinched a tire, and it just handled so much better.

 

 

 

next bit of fun .... With his first 26'' bike the fun was to dial in the air-shock .... they are just too light !!     He has now finally picked up enough weight that we had to up the shock pressure just a bit.

 

I just know my boy is 22kg at the moment, if you add 1.5kg to the front of the bike, it will make it really hard to hop pavements etc. As the % of total weight comes down suspension makes more sense.

[l4y3rcake]

Fair question. 

 

The reasoning is to give her a bit more confidence over roots and rocks. They are not so strong in upper body to man handle 'n rigid front end through technical terrain. With a rigid fork they get deflected off line easier. 

 

That's the reasoning, lets see how it pans out in real life. If it feels too heavy , I can always get David to make a rigid fork and only later move over to the suspension fork. 

 

What's making the project fun is the unknowns and to make a decision and then see how it pans out. I want to see for myself and not just make decisions based on some else's opinion.

 

The intention is to give feedback once the bike is running to see how these decisions panned out. Thus closing the loop.  

 

100% agree. The Momsen has the same fork and my little guy can jump that thing with ease, so weight isn't such a big issue with the fork. I had exactly the same argument as Savage around whether the kids are actually gonna benefit from the suspension fork and the results are incredible. He rides better than me, not that that's an accomplishment.

Edited February 15, 2021 by l4y3rcake

[Shebeen]

the tricky part is getting 24' tubeless tires. Let us know if oyu find something locally.

Vee tires has one option that comes standard on the momsen 24' junior bike, but it is all sold out

my experience of 16/20inch bikes is that the bigger issue is the tubeless capable rims,

[Prince Albert Cycles]

She is a lucky girl 

[Kuys]

For wheels I tried to go as light as possible, and what was available, 

 

Got Stans Crest rims locally from Two Wheels Trading

 

And Hope RS4 hubs 2nd hand off BikeHub

 

Big thanks to Dominique from SummitBikes and Mike from International Trade helping me to get the hubs converted to QR

 

Wheelset was build with Alpina bladed spokes by Andre Bezuidenhout

 

Wheelset mass = 750g (rear) + 610g (front) = 1360 g (including rim tape and valves

[DJuice]

Frame painted yet?

 

Going to be awesome, very lucky child!

[Kuys]

Frame painted yet?

 

Going to be awesome, very lucky child!

 

should be painted in the next week or 2

[Kuys]

no words necessary...

[DJuice]

no words necessary...

Beautiful!

[Charles71]

Can't wait to see the finished product, very nice - sub'd. 

[Kuys]

Finally I have a decent photo of it:

[Kuys]

Bike is running really good!

 

Weighs less than 10 kg, and thats with a 2kg fork 

 

I did expect a bit more from the fork though. Will try some stuff to get it to work a bit better. Its actually coil combined with air, the air act as additional spring stiffness. But even with the air completely deflated, its still to stiff for her. I'll open it up sometime and see if I can get a softer coil made, or remove the coil and run only the air, and also make sure its well lubricated with proper grease and oils inside

[ChrisF]

At 30kg Maritz was too light to get proper use from the fork.

 

Yes, it absorbed the bad bumps. But it does not work like we are used to.

 

 

Lowering the pressure only works up to a point.

 

He is now 34kg and just beginning to get normal use from the fork