Kids Bikes

[frenk]

This was our 2nd birthday's present to the daughter. It was slightly too big at the time, but did fit fine after a couple of months (with the saddle lowered to the minimum). She's loving it and it's impressive how fast she's learning!
It's not cheap, but excellent quality. Will last quite a few kids for sure. The elastomer suspension + the "real" schwalbe tires are effective, she can now ride down little drops (5 inches or so) without problems. Come with a front brake, but I would like to wait as much as possible to install it.

Of course then I went crazy and installed a carbon bar that I fortunately didn't throw away after discovering a crack (with the broken end cut away). Stem donated by a super friendly salonistas!

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[holliscx]

Specialized Hotwalk $150

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[MDEnvEngr]

I am always amazed and impressed when I see someone like MDEnvEngr's 4 year old riding a geared bike with hand brakes. That is not the typical 4 year old - super skills! But if you have a kid that can handle all of that, ditch the Schwinn and maybe get Spooky to build one.

The 4 y/o has 2 older siblings that ride very well. I have a 7 y/o that has been riding New England singletrack for 2 years now. You're right. The little guy is especially motivated. He's got the brakes down, and he knows how to shift...but you often have to remind him to do so. "Another click to a harder gear, buddy", or " click to an easier gear because this is a hill..." But, that kind of instruction only lasts a couple of months, then they're good. I'm amazed at these kids, I was on training wheels (the worst thing ever for kids) until 7 y/o myself.

The 7 y/o:
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[cny rider]

Brought that home (the Specialized) last month.
Two four year olds love it.
They should be ready for the real thing by the end of summer.

[pdmtong]

The good news is that no matter when the training wheels come off or you make a ttransition from coaster brake to hand brakes, it will and does happen. no one will really care that it happened at age 4 or age 7 when they are 25yo adults!

That said, besides personal motivation, I do think it is a matter of equipment and time spent riding with them.

At age 9 my daughter did the benchmark climb in our area - 3.3miles/1300' on a trek kdr1000 and was cleaning lift-assisted advanced intermeidates at northstar-at-tahoe on a specialized big hit grom (24', 1x8, single pivot, 4" discs)

This did not happen overnight. I spent HOURS with her on road and dirt since age 3 to get there.

Now she is 12, and I'm looking at metrics. We are now able to ride many of the mtb rides I do myselft (albeit more slowly). She is now on a 48cm road and a size small womens full-suspension.

As for equipment, besides kids clothes from rei/perfromance (she now fits adult clothes - so capo, luna, etc. on sale) the breakthrough bike for her was a schwnn 16". that thing had heavy duty training wheels, fenders, fron/rear v-brakes, coaster brake, seatpost quick release. white tires, blue/purple/pink....and, get this, $80 at toysrus.....unbeleivable bike

thats how a 4yr old learn hand brakes. when we started single tracking her 6-speed v-brake only hot rock it was just no big deal...so all you dads here...keep it up.

[suspectdevice]

Not quite for kids but I just ordered up some parts to make 2 of these;


They call them drift trikes and we're going to use them to race down ski area access roads. These have to be the most dangerous big wheels on earth.

[AntLockyer]

I've been watching the videos on youtube for a while, tempting!

[GrayJay]

My 3-yr old (Just a few weeks shy of 4 actually) just learned to solo-ride on a 12" pedal bike w/o training wheels this week, I am a proud papa. Her older sister took until 5 yrs old to solo w/o training wheels so seems that #2 has some natural talents (and plenty of motivation to keep up with sibling). I first took another 12" wheel bike I liberated from curbside trash collecteion day, removed the ten pound crankset + chain and made it into an improvised ballance bike. She only needed to practive on it over a couple of months to learn to ballance and she already had pedaling/braking down from first riding tricycle and then the pedal bike with dreaded outrigger training wheels. She was reluctant to make the jump from training wheels to solo but once she realized she could ballance, it quickly became aparent that she would be much safer for her to have the coaster brakes of her pedal bike for slowing down on slopes and once she figured that out it was a small step to add pedaling too.
Ive built a couple steel frames for myself so future project will be to build them proper bikes that weight less than those I ride. I would imagine that a CrMo frame main triangle built all from .6mm straitgage 1" tubing would be plent stiff for a 60# kid and still fairly cheap. Or, perhaps use 1" top tube material, shortened all on one end so as to preserve the other butted end. The schwinn pixie design of using extended seatstays as a mixte twin toptube also looks good for a kids bike.
I also have a ghastly 1980's time trial funny bike (650 front end) that looks like I can probably cut-up and reconfigure as a small road bike later.

[blasdelf]

For a little older market segment, but I shopped around on CL, etc. to get a used Redline Conquest 24. Hands down one of the best bike-related purchases I've ever made. This family is going to see probably 10 years of work from that thing, and it will still have its value at the end. Plus, it gets the kids psyched to do cross, so all around winner in my book.

Absolutely, Redline is one of the only companies out there that makes real quality bikes in kid sizes.

[blasdelf]

Ive built a couple steel frames for myself so future project will be to build them proper bikes that weight less than those I ride. I would imagine that a CrMo frame main triangle built all from .6mm straitgage 1" tubing would be plent stiff for a 60# kid and still fairly cheap. Or, perhaps use 1" top tube material, shortened all on one end so as to preserve the other butted end. The schwinn pixie design of using extended seatstays as a mixte twin toptube also looks good for a kids bike.

This is how to do it: Cycling Spokane: maddie xmass bike



The main tubes were chopped out of an RB-1

[blasdelf]

My daughter who is approaching 4 never took to the balance bike, last night she rode it a little but kept saying she wants a bike with pedals and stabilisers. I guess I'm going to have to cave in.

Starting from that point the training wheels will usually take quite a long time to come off, cause they'll want to lean on them. And the balance bike is probably on the small side at this point.

The trick is to just get her a 'real' bike and not put the pedals on at first, slowly raise the saddle from being slammed all the way down as she gets comfortable, then put the pedals on and she'll ride away without thinking about it.

Just don't let her know that training wheels came in the box.

[GrayJay]

This is how to do it: Cycling Spokane: maddie xmass bike
The main tubes were chopped out of an RB-1

Great job, pixie type TT/SS probably provide a bit more standover clearance immediately in front of the seat but I imagine that it is actually more important to provide the standover area further forward and this design accomplishes that nicely! This motivates me to try something similar, I like the choice of mustache handlebars too. Did you get a final weight?

[GrayJay]

Starting from that point the training wheels will usually take quite a long time to come off, cause they'll want to lean on them. And the balance bike is probably on the small side at this point.

The trick is to just get her a 'real' bike and not put the pedals on at first, slowly raise the saddle from being slammed all the way down as she gets comfortable, then put the pedals on and she'll ride away without thinking about it.

Just don't let her know that training wheels came in the box.

I think a key step for teaching my 3-yr old learing to solo ride was spending a few weeks of practice time, training wheels off with me running beside her, holding onto her arm or shoulder to help stabilize her and install confidence that she wouldnt crash. Once she got proficient and developed some degree of ballance, it was just a matter of gradually reducing the amount of stabilization I was providing her, holding the scruff of her jacket to be there and catch her if she started to actually fall. From there, graduating to me just running along for moral support until she realized that she didnt really need me. Last step needed to solo riding was really more of overcomming her own fear and having the confidence to try on her own, she had long since achieved the physical skills needed. For a few weeks it became somewhat of a battle of will between her insisting that I put the training wheels back on and me telling her she didnt need them anymore. Fortunately in this case, she finally agreed and gave in. Agree it would probably have been easier if she had never know the training wheels existed.

[blasdelf]

Great job, pixie type TT/SS probably provide a bit more standover clearance immediately in front of the seat but I imagine that it is actually more important to provide the standover area further forward and this design accomplishes that nicely! This motivates me to try something similar, I like the choice of mustache handlebars too. Did you get a final weight?

Glad I could help point you in this awesome direction!

It's pretty important that those are more of a traditional 3-speed handlebar, not what are usually called "moustache bars" which really work for almost noone and the deep reach to the brake levers would make them extra-bad for a child. Albatross bars would be super awesome, but like most modern bars of their ilk they are quite wide. Vintage bars off of old 3-speeds and roadsters are usually quite narrow, making them perfect for tiny people on modern bikes. The only downside is that they're almost all chromed steel and add a significant amount of weight.

Just IMed him about the weight, will report back.

[mgdanna]

I reckon Firstbike is a great option. They're a little bit spendy, but have working brakes and are light enough for my daughter to pick up and drop no worries. It's seat is adjustable so it'll grow with them. I got this for her for her second birthday, it took a while but now she loves it.



Firstbike

I bought this one for my nephew for Christmas. I bought it early so it's there when he's ready. He just turned two a week ago.

It is definitely one of the more expensive balance bikes available. I was very happy with the quality. I much prefer the composite material to wood or steel. It is quite stylish as well. Recommended!

[timdude]

I built this for my son many years ago, we had alot of fun on this thing.

[dgaddis]

itty bitty MTB wheels for my buddie's kid projects.

[holliscx]

itty bitty MTB wheels for my buddie's kid projects.

Black spokes with chrome nipples have become ubiquitous lately

+1 for building the wheel with chrome spokes and nipples

[dgaddis]

Black spokes with chrome nipples have become ubiquitous lately

+1 for building the wheel with chrome spokes and nipples

It's what he brought me, I didn't pick any of the components. He has a hook up with a local shop so he got them to get the parts and I built them. He got relatively cheap stuff, no point in dropping a lot of cash on stuff they'll outgrow before long. Deore hubs, XRims, 2mm Wheel Master Spokes.

[GrayJay]

Great article from a bike racers perspective about the joys of getting kids riding young;
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