The official Riding with Kids thread

[Pikey]

Brilliant! Was great meeting you at Thaba with the kids last week. Always nice to meet fellow Hubbers out and about.

Yea great to chat. My kids were so chuffed someone other than there old man said it’s great to see kids riding and doing so well ????

[Chadvdw67]

Had a nice spin with my nephews at Modderfontien today, really proud of how well they did

[WR 1.0]

Finally got a chance to get my boy onto the Spruit. The Feva Starseat still works great. Saw quite a few out on the trail, including a dad with a Starseat and a Giant Halfwheeler in tow. Kudos!

[WR 1.0]

So the little man is now telling me that I need to take him to the bicycle shop and get him a pedal bike. I'm looking at the Avalanche Storm (14),which seems ok. Any other suggestions? And, do I buy new or second hand, taking into account he's probably going to outgrow the bike in less than a year?

[PSYCHOsmurfZA]

So the little man is now telling me that I need to take him to the bicycle shop and get him a pedal bike. I'm looking at the Avalanche Storm (14),which seems ok. Any other suggestions? And, do I buy new or second hand, taking into account he's probably going to outgrow the bike in less than a year?

I would go secondhand unless the bike can be passed on.

[WR 1.0]

I would go secondhand unless the bike can be passed on.

His twin sister refused to ride until she got a pink "girls bike" (her words). Second hand is definitely the preferred choice

[PSYCHOsmurfZA]

His twin sister refused to ride until she got a pink "girls bike" (her words). Second hand is definitely the preferred choice

Im lucky i have 2 girls (10&5) so i got the older one a 26" last weekend cause she wants to ride with dad, im fortunate enough that it can go to the youngest cause pink is all they want hahahahaha

[Stoffel76]

So the little man is now telling me that I need to take him to the bicycle shop and get him a pedal bike. I'm looking at the Avalanche Storm (14),which seems ok. Any other suggestions? And, do I buy new or second hand, taking into account he's probably going to outgrow the bike in less than a year?

Check out the Muna range of bikes.  Secondhand is the way to go. I got a 16" for around R900 I think on Gumtree last year for my boy.  

 

He loves the bike! There is something about the geometry that just suits him and he is looks really comfortable and balanced on it.

 

Build quality is good too... 

[WR 1.0]

Check out the Muna range of bikes. Secondhand is the way to go. I got a 16" for around R900 I think on Gumtree last year for my boy.

 

He loves the bike! There is something about the geometry that just suits him and he is looks really comfortable and balanced on it.

 

Build quality is good too...

So the other question is do I skip the 14" and go straight to 16"?

[ChrisF]

So the other question is do I skip the 14" and go straight to 16"?

 

With Maritz we paid some school fees along the journey ....

 

Yes, he is tall and growing fast .... so just more than a year per size .....

 

 

Initially we bought new.  But he looks after his bikes, so we have been able to sell his bikes after the year.  Not sure if it would have been cheaper to buy second hand, fix it up and try sell a 3rd-hand bike ....

 

 

And yet, his next bike is a 2nd hand bike, which we stripped down, painted to his colours, and then build up nicely.  So I guess we actually do agree with all the other feedback, buy second hand ... 

 

 

 

Skipping a size ...        Please consider that this is not just about leg length, but their ability to sit and properly steer.  Yesterday I was looking at a kid on an oversized bike at Bloemendal ... jip, he somehow manages to get going and turn the peddles, BUT he is stretched out so far that he can barely turn the bike.

 

 

ENJOY the journey 

[Stoffel76]

So the other question is do I skip the 14" and go straight to 16"?

Good question...

 

My experience: My boy's previous bike was a hand-me-down pink 12" bike from his sister. I got him riding that without training wheels, but it was a dog of a bike. Heavy, back pedal brakes etc - it wasn't easy to ride.  So super-keen cyclist dad then ran out and bought him the Muna, which I knew was too big for him, but wanted it waiting for him when he grew a bit more (he is very short for a 6 year old). I probably should have hidden the bike away, because of course he was super excited to have a 'big' bike in cool blue and orange colours and he didn't want to ride the pink 12" again.  But because it was too big for him he had to have training wheels on it, and so regressed in the balance department but he still had fun riding the bike.    

 

Fortunately during lockdown he had a growth spurt and I was able to get him riding without training wheels again...

 

And I finally got his 9 year old sister riding (she hadn't been keen at all until now, but now she loves it!) and we got an old bike for my wife so we can now go for family bike rides... 

 

Good luck getting your boy riding, there is nothing better than seeing the kids developing a love for the same things we're passionate about!

[WR 1.0]

With Maritz we paid some school fees along the journey ....

 

Yes, he is tall and growing fast .... so just more than a year per size .....

 

 

Initially we bought new. But he looks after his bikes, so we have been able to sell his bikes after the year. Not sure if it would have been cheaper to buy second hand, fix it up and try sell a 3rd-hand bike ....

 

 

And yet, his next bike is a 2nd hand bike, which we stripped down, painted to his colours, and then build up nicely. So I guess we actually do agree with all the other feedback, buy second hand ...

 

 

 

Skipping a size ... Please consider that this is not just about leg length, but their ability to sit and properly steer. Yesterday I was looking at a kid on an oversized bike at Bloemendal ... jip, he somehow manages to get going and turn the peddles, BUT he is stretched out so far that he can barely turn the bike.

 

 

ENJOY the journey [emoji106]

Thanks Chris. Sage advice. Nice 14" bikes seems like hens teeth. He's just over 100cm tall and his inseam is about 35cm. Short legs long torso!

[Pure Savage]

So the other question is do I skip the 14" and go straight to 16"?

Your dude looks like he could go to 16. 

 

Mine went 14 to 20

[Pure Savage]

Thanks Chris. Sage advice. Nice 14" bikes seems like hens teeth. He's just over 100cm tall and his inseam is about 35cm. Short legs long torso!

We had to settle for a "Giro Italia" Pink bike for my boy as that was the only one available at the time. 

 

Just watch the classifieds, they pop up on facebook etc now and then. I picked up their 8-10 year old gravel bikes now for 7k for both!!! 

[Shebeen]

had a small search for decent rubber for kids bikes.

 

the local options are few and far between and damn pricey.

 

in the end, 4 schwalbe bmx tyres from bike24.com came to R800 delivery tax and alles included.

[WR 1.0]

We had to settle for a "Giro Italia" Pink bike for my boy as that was the only one available at the time.

 

Just watch the classifieds, they pop up on facebook etc now and then. I picked up their 8-10 year old gravel bikes now for 7k for both!!!

Spotted the Giro bike on Instagram [emoji106][emoji106]