Road bikes for teenagers
pottssteve
Posts: 4,069
Hello All,
My employer is looking into the possibility of starting a road bike squad for children, and I'd appreciate the benefit of your expertise.
The idea is to buy 10 or 12 bikes, plus associated equipment. We are also arranging for a mechanic to service the bikes for us and also train the kids up about how to look after their own bikes. We will probably get some turbo trainers and rollers for practice/training.
My main questions are as follows:
1. Could you recommend a make and model of bike which would be suitable for children to use, please? The riders would be aged 12 - 15. Would a small adult bike be OK, bearing in mind things like reach to brake levers etc...?
2. Would it be better to have the bikes fitted with a triple or compact chainset? (They will be riding on roads and there are some hills).
3. What would be a suitable service interval for the mechanic to check the bikes? Is once a month too much or too little, for example? They would be riding only once or twice a week. (I would be able to do some minor adjustments etc. myself in-between times).
I realise that some of these questions don't have a definitive answer but would be happy to hear of your experiences.
Many thanks,
Steve
My employer is looking into the possibility of starting a road bike squad for children, and I'd appreciate the benefit of your expertise.
The idea is to buy 10 or 12 bikes, plus associated equipment. We are also arranging for a mechanic to service the bikes for us and also train the kids up about how to look after their own bikes. We will probably get some turbo trainers and rollers for practice/training.
My main questions are as follows:
1. Could you recommend a make and model of bike which would be suitable for children to use, please? The riders would be aged 12 - 15. Would a small adult bike be OK, bearing in mind things like reach to brake levers etc...?
2. Would it be better to have the bikes fitted with a triple or compact chainset? (They will be riding on roads and there are some hills).
3. What would be a suitable service interval for the mechanic to check the bikes? Is once a month too much or too little, for example? They would be riding only once or twice a week. (I would be able to do some minor adjustments etc. myself in-between times).
I realise that some of these questions don't have a definitive answer but would be happy to hear of your experiences.
Many thanks,
Steve
Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
0
Comments
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Cant really help much on most of your questions but you could do worse than to start by looking at Islabikes who make road bikes for kids from the age of 9:
http://www.islabikes.com/bike_pages/luath700lrg.html
Not cheap but they are nice bikes.
Not sure any of the big companies do kids specific road bikes but a small size womens specific might work. Not sure you'll get a 14 year old boy on a pink bike though
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Ribble Sportive Racing: FCN 2
Tricross Sport: FCN 4
Cannondale R600: FCN 3
Scrapheap Rescued SS, in bits: FCN 9
Helmet wearer
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Isla bikes seem to be favoured for younger kids - my lad races on a track - and the isla bikes are very popular.- mainly because there is little else
Although for teenagers - I would take a trip to a decathlon store - they do there bikes in very small sizes - and they do a steel road bike for about £160 - they also have dedicated mechanics on site - pretty sure thet would do you a deal if you brough bulk - and they do a first service free0 -
Don't teenagers have to ride on restricted gearing?
If you have specific children in mind (at least initially) you will want to buy bikes that actually fit them so I'm sure that will have a lot to do with what you go with. You get some giant 15 year old boys. I for one haven't really grown since then so would have wanted an adult's bike. Even some 12 year old boys will fit small adult bikes.<a><img></a>0 -
Thanks for the responses, guys.
Because I'm based in Hong Kong I can't get Islabikes and there isn't a Decathalon store here. I've been considering women's (bike!) frames - most of the major brands go as small as 43cm but I'm not sure about the reach for brakes, gears etc. I agree that some of the older kids will be fine with adult small and medium frames. It might be a case of taking a couple of them to a bike shop and getting them measured...?
SteveHead Hands Heart Lungs Legs0 -
are you sure Islabikes wouldn't ship a bulk order? current economic climate and all that===============================
Ribble Sportive Racing: FCN 2
Tricross Sport: FCN 4
Cannondale R600: FCN 3
Scrapheap Rescued SS, in bits: FCN 9
Helmet wearer
===============================0 -
I'm sure I've seen somewhere that Giant do road bikes for teenagers.
Try Giant's agent in Honk Kong:-
Chung Yung Cycle Co.
132 San Fung Ave., G/F,Sheung Shui
N.T.
Phone: +852-2670-3639
Fax: +852-2679-5602
Email: support@hkbicycle.com.hk
Good luck."There are no hills, there is no wind, I feel no pain !"
"A bad day on the bike is always better than a good day in the office !"0 -
Thanks again,
Cumbrianman - Chung Yung is my LBS!! They are reasonably good but their technical knowledge is sometimes limited by their desire to sell me stuff!
Slowingdown - I will email Islabikes. ThanksHead Hands Heart Lungs Legs0 -
Hey just heard Harmon give your question out on stage 5 today
Cant help sorry, but you are the second i know that has had a shout out by Harmon. You and NapDDo you have any Therapeutic Use Exemptions?
No. Never have.
Never? What about the cortisone?
Well, obviously there was the cortisone0 -
El Imbatido wrote:Hey just heard Harmon give your question out on stage 5 today
Cant help sorry, but you are the second i know that has had a shout out by Harmon. You and NapD
Yeah, fame at last!
I was also on the Tour of Turkey this year and also last year's ENECO tour (yep, I was the one guy watching it).
Cheers,
SteveHead Hands Heart Lungs Legs0
