How many bikes per year?!

slowbike
slowbike Posts: 8,498
edited January 2019 in Family & kids cycling forum
Last Christmas - as in 2017 - our son got a Islabike Cnoc 14s as his present. He could barely touch the ground with the saddle slammed. Come September he moved up to a frog48 because the Cnoc was just too small. Of course, a bigger bike meant it was more capable off road - but the gear is wrong. Any incline or rough ground he just slows to a halt and gets frustrated.
We’ve considered getting an larger cog - or a second wheel or perhaps even a second bike - because we do also ride cycle paths where the gearing is perfect.

But tried him on a Bienn20 (that I usually ride with him) and he rode it fine - despite the reach being too great. the advantage is that it’s got gears so we can preselect a gear for the terrain.

Now our dilemma is - do we try and get him a Bienn20 small - hoping for a shorter top tube - or stick how we are for a few months. We ride regularly and we really don’t want him to get despondent over not being able to ride the muddy stuff - he loves it

Comments

  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Second bike sounds like it would work - if that's an option..
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Imposter wrote:
    Second bike sounds like it would work - if that's an option..

    Of course it's an option - just depends if we can get the right one at the right price - storage is ... well, I can't complain if he has another bike now can I ... ;)

    Had an enquiry open on a Beinn20 small - sounds like the top tube is the same length as we've already got ... so that's not going to help.
  • natrix
    natrix Posts: 1,111
    Have you tried moving the handlebars (using the stack washers and flipping the stem)? This, along with moving the saddle forwards might help reduce the reach.
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  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    I've looked at the stack - can't see anyway to reduce the reach by flipping - need to look at his saddle position - but it's a bit high atm - he can just touch the ground - I was trying to find a seatpost with a lower saddle position as I could reduce the height by 3cm. Unfortunately, we didn't have a Islabike Rohan - as apparently it has the same seatpost size ...

    I think we may just stick with as is - let him ride his current bike and the islabike and wait for him to grow into it.

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