Advice please - 5 year old's road / grass track bike

Joe-And-Alannah

Hi, we're new to the forum.

Joe and Alannah are my kids (aged 9 and 5 respectively) and they have recently got into grass track racing here in Essex. I ride a Dahon Cadenza to work and back via the lovely train to Liverpool Street, much to the unnecessary annoyance of my fellow passengers.

Alannah has a reasonable 16in kiddies' bike (the usual type; weighs a ton, knobbly tyres, basket on front etc) but despite her legs going ten-to-the-dozen, she can't keep up with the others in her group, more as a result of gearing than stamina. She really wants to keep up with her brother and have a racing bike but I can't find one anywhere (unsurprisingly perhaps)

I've thought about getting a larger chain ring and skinny tyres as a quick fix but I wonder if anyone has any suggestions (preferably not bespoke bikes costing a month's salary!)?

Thanks and best wishes
Darren

unixnerd

Heard nothing but good things about these: http://www.islabikes.co.uk/

I'm currently trying to teach my 6 year old nephew to ride on an old Apollo, must weight almost as much as my road bike! :-(

Joe-And-Alannah

Thanks for your reply
These bikes seem very reasonable.

I guess, what she is after is a 'scaled down' racer. But I guess I can pop drop handlebars and slightly narrower wheels on any relatively sensible little bike.
Cheers
Darren

Mike Healey

Joe-And-Alannah wrote:

Thanks for your reply
These bikes seem very reasonable.

I guess, what she is after is a 'scaled down' racer. But I guess I can pop drop handlebars and slightly narrower wheels on any relatively sensible little bike.
Cheers
Darren

If she's 5, then I'd suggest getting the relevant Islabike and not bothering about the drop bars. At the speed Alannah's going to be doing, the aerodynamic advantages are near zero, and finding brake levers suitable for little hands and drop bars will be virtually impossible without unnecessay expense and trouble.

You might consider getting a spare pair of wheels to swap round for off-road and on-road (closed circuit, natch) rides.

andrewc3142

As above, Islabikes. Sorry to lack originality, but I haven't found anything better, or even remotely close.

My eldest (10) has the Luath 26, which he got for his 9th birthday. I take him for early Sunday morning spins of 15 to 25 miles or so on the road as well as general use (to the park, Cubs, etc, etc). I got a second set of wheels to use Gators for the road and Marathons for canal paths, park, etc. If he was into cross or lots of mud he'd have off-road plus Marathons, but he's set on being the next Contador.

The other has just got a Beinn 26 (small) for his 8th birthday and is pleased as punch with it. Just the standard tyres at the moment.

Kids vary and not for me to say what you should or shouldn't do, but I found 9 seemed to be the right age for drops/sti shifters and for spd pedals. For a 5 year old I'd go for the appropriate sized Beinn and keep with straight bars and twist changers for the time being.

thel33ter

Ilsabikes are probably the best for the money, I've seen a couple and they are actually really nice looking.

zebra67

I think it depends what you want for your money.
If they were my kids, and they were dead keen on grass track racing, and I had the money and I could be sure about the frame sizes (lots of Ifs)

I would get them these or similar (you ^can^ find the GTs 2nd hand):

5yo:
GT Power Series Junior
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gt/ ... o,CSE,null


9yo:
Dawes Espoir 24"
http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B3195.html

Equipment makes a lot of difference in racing, and they would seriously be helped to win by bikes like those.

The GT would be suitable for general off and on-road riding (you can pick this bike up with a single finger, I kid you not, but is still strongly made). The Espoir wouldn't suit off-road, but is fine most everyelse but a BMX track.

Islabikes are good (we have three!), but not as good for racing as the ones I linked to.

petemadoc

+ 1 Isla bikes