suspension on kids mtb

Redhog14

What is the "effectiveness" of the forks are they actually worth having? used for light trails and fire roads rather than real off road stuff

nicklouse

some are some are not. Just like on "full size" bikes.

it all depends on what you are looking at.

bompington

Almost none until you get to bikes with £500 price tags or so. I can heartily recommend Islabikes, Bompette's Beinn 24 has been up and down some quite serious countryside as well as efficient and hassle free school transport every day.

Redhog14

thanks nick,
20" wheels
choices at the mo are:

With forks:
Dawes
Ridgeback
or Cuda (which comes without and is £60 cheaper)
Forks are suntour or RST. got around £180 to spend

nicklouse

at that value dont bother. you would get a heavy fork that does little other than rust.

Mike Healey

The problem with kids bike suspension is that it is almost uniformly cat poo. It usually has no damping, so the kid is riding what is, in effect, a pogo stick. It can also encourage them to ride faster than their skill level allows, so they crash at a higher speed than they would otherwise do so.

It's far better for them to learn their skills on a rigid bike before moving to suspension, whether front or full. They then make their mistakes and get their bruises at lower speeds and learn to judge the terrain/surface more effectively. Once they're up to scratch and the plastic can take the hit, then get them suspension, preferably something like the Islabike mentioned previously.

Go rigid and get them cyclo-crossing - quickest route to bike handling improvements and fitness.

nubenotforlong

I am pondering the same with my 7 year old. Have you tried to find a bike without front suspension...it narrows the list to Internet order for me, so you'd need to buy blind.

My elder son has the carrera blast 24 which has a suntour fork. It's rubbish, quite bouncy, but the rest of the bike is very good.

I think a rubbish fork is just something we (they) may have to put up with.

Tony

Mike Healey

nubenotforlong wrote:

I am pondering the same with my 7 year old. Have you tried to find a bike without front suspension...it narrows the list to Internet order for me, so you'd need to buy blind.

My elder son has the carrera blast 24 which has a suntour fork. It's rubbish, quite bouncy, but the rest of the bike is very good.

I think a rubbish fork is just something we (they) may have to put up with. Tony

Go on to www.islabikes.com and look at the size chart on http://www.islabikes.com/bike_pages/pdf ... rt_web.pdf All rigid at his size, all properly equipped with child-sized components and gears if needed. And with resale values in the region of 80/90% after a year's use if properly cared for.

I agree that the Carrera Blast isn't bad, tho'.

othello

I do agree with the rigid argument at that age, as light weight is better than a heavy fork that doesn't work. However it does depend a bit on the type of trails being ridden.

My son has a 20" wheel Specialized hotrock, with a RST fork. It is pretty bouncy and heavy. But he quite often rides trail centres with me, is more than capable on a blue route and has tackled some red routes. The extra weight of the front fork gives a little more stability, especially downhill, and the fork takes a bit of an edge off the trails. Where we ride we've seen Islabikes on the same trails the kids are being bounced around and struggling. They are almost too light!

If all my son was doing was light trails, then I wouldn't hesitate with the Isla. But the more off-road hotrock has been ideal for what he rides.

wolvesdug

othello wrote:

I do agree with the rigid argument at that age, as light weight is better than a heavy fork that doesn't work. However it does depend a bit on the type of trails being ridden.

My son has a 20" wheel Specialized hotrock, with a RST fork. It is pretty bouncy and heavy. But he quite often rides trail centres with me, is more than capable on a blue route and has tackled some red routes. The extra weight of the front fork gives a little more stability, especially downhill, and the fork takes a bit of an edge off the trails. Where we ride we've seen Islabikes on the same trails the kids are being bounced around and struggling. They are almost too light!

If all my son was doing was light trails, then I wouldn't hesitate with the Isla. But the more off-road hotrock has been ideal for what he rides.

Yet my son rides a isla bike 20" on Redroutes (Mainly follow the dog) and it has taught him to allow the bike to move around and shift his weight about the bike.(It does help that he rides trail bikes as well). Had no problems with him being bounced around but he is a big lad.

othello

wolvesdug wrote:

othello wrote:

I do agree with the rigid argument at that age, as light weight is better than a heavy fork that doesn't work. However it does depend a bit on the type of trails being ridden.

My son has a 20" wheel Specialized hotrock, with a RST fork. It is pretty bouncy and heavy. But he quite often rides trail centres with me, is more than capable on a blue route and has tackled some red routes. The extra weight of the front fork gives a little more stability, especially downhill, and the fork takes a bit of an edge off the trails. Where we ride we've seen Islabikes on the same trails the kids are being bounced around and struggling. They are almost too light!

If all my son was doing was light trails, then I wouldn't hesitate with the Isla. But the more off-road hotrock has been ideal for what he rides.

Yet my son rides a isla bike 20" on Redroutes (Mainly follow the dog) and it has taught him to allow the bike to move around and shift his weight about the bike.(It does help that he rides trail bikes as well). Had no problems with him being bounced around but he is a big lad.

Totally and I'm not knocking the lightweight rigid route. After all it was how I learnt to ride (back when suspension forks were a pipe dream!). Just saying that there are occasions where a front suspension bike can be worthwhile. It's helped in this case with the Hotrock being the next best bike down the pile after the Isla IMHO. It is a proper bike. Totally different scenario with a cheap MTB from toys ur us or whatever

wolvesdug

othello wrote:

wolvesdug wrote:

othello wrote:

I do agree with the rigid argument at that age, as light weight is better than a heavy fork that doesn't work. However it does depend a bit on the type of trails being ridden.

My son has a 20" wheel Specialized hotrock, with a RST fork. It is pretty bouncy and heavy. But he quite often rides trail centres with me, is more than capable on a blue route and has tackled some red routes. The extra weight of the front fork gives a little more stability, especially downhill, and the fork takes a bit of an edge off the trails. Where we ride we've seen Islabikes on the same trails the kids are being bounced around and struggling. They are almost too light!

If all my son was doing was light trails, then I wouldn't hesitate with the Isla. But the more off-road hotrock has been ideal for what he rides.

Yet my son rides a isla bike 20" on Redroutes (Mainly follow the dog) and it has taught him to allow the bike to move around and shift his weight about the bike.(It does help that he rides trail bikes as well). Had no problems with him being bounced around but he is a big lad.

Totally and I'm not knocking the lightweight rigid route. After all it was how I learnt to ride (back when suspension forks were a pipe dream!). Just saying that there are occasions where a front suspension bike can be worthwhile. It's helped in this case with the Hotrock being the next best bike down the pile after the Isla IMHO. It is a proper bike. Totally different scenario with a cheap MTB from toys ur us or whatever

Agreed with the hotrock i think the important thing is buy the best you can and give your child the best biking start they can get. I will be in the suspension issue soon choosing our lads next bike

Redhog14

Thanks for all the input, RH Jnr I has a Marin Hidden Canyon with RST forks but we are skeptical as to their true effectiveness, times are a wee bit tighter than when I last bought the Marin but RH JnrII needs something to move up to from her 16" ridgeback. Most serious bikers seem to belive the rigid forks are better so either it is the Ridgeback 20" or the Cuda 20".

apreading

Hotrocks are the only ones I have found with softer springs which are more appropriate to the child's weight. Marin and other makes that we tried had much stiffer springs which I could get full travel out of but no way the child would ever move them so they were effectively rigid forks without the weight saving. The Hotrock (24" A1 model) was perfectly set up but I have never seen another bike that was.