Road Bike for Young Rider

robert-sb

Any ideas where I might go to get a reasonably priced bike for an average sized 10 year old (that is average sized for a fit 10 year old, not a couch potato !). I have been looking around and all I can find are special imports costing £600 or more. That is a lot to spend for a first bike that he will probably grow out of in a year or two.

I've even considered building a bike but don't know where to look for frames and wheels etc of the right size.

All thoughts welcome.

bompington

http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/luath24.html
£350 and the resale values for Islabikes are incredibly high too.
Also 26" version and similar but larger Luath 700.

My daughter has one of their MTBs, fantastic bike: if you check out the
family & kids forum you'll see that it's islabikes that always get recommended.

broachboy

Islabikes are popular with the youth riders at my club too. There are a few U10 riders on the Decathlon sport 1 which goes down to 47cms and has the benefit of having a full size wheel

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/sport-1-54-57-69567468/

oh and there is always the ubiquitous Giant TCR/OCR in extra small, nice price 2nd hand

hammerite

Depending on how big they are (tall) it might be that you need to look at adult frames like Broachboy suggests. Isla Bikes is a good option though, epecially as they do a part x scheme buying back their own bikes if the kid has out grown them.

We went down the route of a second hand kids Decathlon road bike for Jnr that someone locally was selling (he's 8, but quite big for an 8yo). Does the trick for the time being, but it won't be too long until this is too small for him. He's has an XS adults Giant MTB.

The problem is that the kids road bikes all have same/similar parts as adult bikes, and it takes the same to build the frame as adults bikes - so there's very little price difference. If you go along to watch kids/youths racing you can get an idea as to what is available for youngr riders - some of them have some scarily expensive kit!!

I've seen a few kids with Quest bikes at races, but you probably have to call to find out what they offer as the website doesn't say much (and I've never been to the shop).

broachboy

hammerite wrote:

If you go along to watch kids/youths racing you can get an idea as to what is available for youngr riders - some of them have some scarily expensive kit!!

I'll back hammerite on that. On the subject of expensive kit at the Wolverhampton track league last night there was a small Cannondale & Trek, and an awesome little Pinarello with 24" wheels 8) .

My daughter rides a 24" (iso 520) wheeled road bike that I brought through the club as someone upgraded, she is only 8 and I can imagine her been on it until she is 10 or so when I will get her onto a 700c wheeled bike with a small frame.

Slimbods

You might try contacting a local club that holds kids races, got to an event and look out for 2nd hand bikes that some kid has outgrown. We've a weekly kids race here and theres always bikes with signs on for sale.

They're not in em long at that age.

markshaw77

+1 for Islabikes

My kids have grown up with them - they are fantastically well made, the geometry is really well thought through for kids and as bompington pointed out, the 2nd hand resale values are ridiculously high (we've barely lost more than 20-25% of the RRP on the ones we have sold after about 2 years use)

Plus the guys that run Islabikes are just great - super helpful with everything

stokey1964

Trek make a KDR 1000 junior racer with 24" wheels and based on a Sora group.

They are rare and seem to fetch stupid money

Decathlon made a 7.0 Sport in 24" wheels as well. These are 10 speed with downtube shifters though.

Both of my girls have these two bikes, although I upgraded the Decathlon and put on a 7 speed cassette and some old Campag Centaur shifters.


Orbea also make a 24" inch bike, Felt used to do a F24 as well

No matter what you do find they all seem to hold the money realy well and you should loose very little when it comes to selling on

Simon
#

stokey1964

heres a couple for you

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bianchi-Junior-Ro ... 4aa112bad6


and

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ORBEA-JUNIOR-ROAD ... 3a5ac79d05

both of these would have been around £500 - £600 new

Simon

broachboy

heres a couple of new interesting models from Pro-Lite

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=34162

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=34163

and an old fav

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=42598

robert-sb

Wow, thanks for all the info. Partic the two ebay bikes - I had searched on there and not found anything; I am obviously not using the correct terms !

I do like the islabikes but for political reasons, ie two other (older) children, that would have to wait until his birthday in November. I might get away with bidding for one of the ebay bikes esp as I have a Bianchi and we would look a right pair !