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Child CX Bike

Mark ElvinMark Elvin Posts: 997
edited November 2012 in Family & kids cycling forum
My eldest daughter (12 yo) has been paying attention to road bikes lately, but I'm a little worried about the abuse she'd give the wheels, so I'm looking for a small frame CX bike. Has anybody come across such a thing?
2012 Cannondale Synapse

Posts

  • Mike HealeyMike Healey Posts: 1,023
    Islabikes, Islabikes, Islabikes.

    Did I mention Islabikes?

    www.islabikes.com
    Organising the Bradford Kids Saturday Bike Club at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre since 1998
    http://www.facebook.com/groups/eastbradfordcyclingclub/
    http://www.facebook.com/groups/eastbradfordcyclingclub/
  • baudmanbaudman Posts: 757
    On top of that already sound advice ;)

    Road-bike wheels will handle a lot more abuse than people give them credit for. Smaller (24" vs 700c) wheels are also likely to be a little stronger, all things considered. There's nothing to say that a CX bike will come default with stronger wheels than a kid's roadie - nor is there anything to prevent you putting stronger wheels on a roadie.

    Really, the best way to get strong wheels is to get them hand-built. Not extraordinarily expensive - but yeah, it will add to the overall cost of the bike.

    Of course, a CX frame will be built to allow for greater tyre clearance, so that will protect the rims a little and give a smoother ride. (That may have been what you were thinking from the start, before I started my rant) ?
    Commute - MASI Souville3 | Road/CX - MASI Speciale CX | Family - 80s ugly | Utility - Cargobike
  • Mark ElvinMark Elvin Posts: 997
    Mike Healey wrote:
    Islabikes, Islabikes, Islabikes.

    Did I mention Islabikes?

    http://www.islabikes.com

    I saw their website, but couldn't make out if they were up to much or not?
    2012 Cannondale Synapse
  • othelloothello Posts: 577
    Mark Elvin wrote:
    Mike Healey wrote:
    Islabikes, Islabikes, Islabikes.

    Did I mention Islabikes?

    http://www.islabikes.com

    I saw their website, but couldn't make out if they were up to much or not?

    Go and watch an U12 or juniors local cross race and you can't move for Islabike Luath's! My 2 kids both have them (Luath 24's) and they are great. Light, well specced and worth the money.

    Unless your daughter is going to fit 700c wheels, and be able to go for a small adults, there isn't a huge amount of choice. Apart from the Luath, Moda have recently launched their MinoCross bike with 650 wheels.
    Blogging about junior road bikes http://junior-road-bikes.tumblr.com
  • Mike HealeyMike Healey Posts: 1,023
    othello wrote:
    Mark Elvin wrote:
    Mike Healey wrote:
    Islabikes, Islabikes, Islabikes.

    Did I mention Islabikes?

    http://www.islabikes.com

    I saw their website, but couldn't make out if they were up to much or not?

    Go and watch an U12 or juniors local cross race and you can't move for Islabike Luath's! My 2 kids both have them (Luath 24's) and they are great. Light, well specced and worth the money.

    Unless your daughter is going to fit 700c wheels, and be able to go for a small adults, there isn't a huge amount of choice. Apart from the Luath, Moda have recently launched their MinoCross bike with 650 wheels.

    And as was confirmed on another thread, s/h ones can sell for up to 90% of their purchase price a year later when she's grown out of it.
    Organising the Bradford Kids Saturday Bike Club at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre since 1998
    http://www.facebook.com/groups/eastbradfordcyclingclub/
    http://www.facebook.com/groups/eastbradfordcyclingclub/
  • MayhemwmbMayhemwmb Posts: 108
    We've been pulling our hair out whilst trying to sort a bike/bikes for our son, (8 years). He is tall for his age and we've now decided on a novel way to resolve the issue, our local shop has an xxs Ridley Crossbow CX bike, this is disc specific, our son wants a road bike and a cx bike - clearly we are reluctant to buy two bikes, we've fitted disc 26" wheels into the cx frame and it works - as he grows we will then replace the 26" wheels with the original 700c wheels and thus extend the useable time for the bike.
    I've managed to grab some photo's and can post them if required
  • othelloothello Posts: 577
    Mayhemwmb wrote:
    We've been pulling our hair out whilst trying to sort a bike/bikes for our son, (8 years). He is tall for his age and we've now decided on a novel way to resolve the issue, our local shop has an xxs Ridley Crossbow CX bike, this is disc specific, our son wants a road bike and a cx bike - clearly we are reluctant to buy two bikes, we've fitted disc 26" wheels into the cx frame and it works - as he grows we will then replace the 26" wheels with the original 700c wheels and thus extend the useable time for the bike.
    I've managed to grab some photo's and can post them if required

    Would love to see the photos! Interested to see what 26" wheel disc specific cross/road wheels you've got too :)
    Blogging about junior road bikes http://junior-road-bikes.tumblr.com
  • MayhemwmbMayhemwmb Posts: 108
    Will try and post photo's on here when I get them uploaded to the net,
    re the wheels, new disc specific cx wheels use mountain bike hubs (135mm axle between the bike frame instead of 130mm for road wheels) this means you can swap in any disc specific 26"mountain bike wheel, we have done this and have a pair of 23c gatorskin tyres for road use. At present the bike is still a bit too big for cx use but would be fine on the road. He is using his mountain bike for cx currently
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