Canyon's kids bikes

oxoman wrote:

Loads of manufacturers are starting to do proper mtb bikes for kids and these look good. Well below the grand mark which some are. If your kid is in the market for a proper mtb because they compete then I personally think they offer VFM especially when compared with what we spend upgrading normal mainstream kids bids bikes to be better and lighter.

Agree though they seem to have a lot of compromises to hit a price point...
The frame must be pretty light to get the claimed 10.9kg with those components and tyres... the tyres themselves probably weigh more than my kids 24er wheels.... (without cassette) though I wouldn't buy a bike according to which tyres it comes with

It seems like a bit of effort and they could have provided 10-11 speed ... and a decent range instead of the 11-34 to go beyond

If some of your happiest childhood memories revolve around exploring woodsy dirt trails, or even tackling some single track on the hills outside of town, then you probably can’t wait to make that sort of mountain biking available to your kids.

From recent experience many of the under 10's are riding 3k bikes at regional events and many seem to be sponsored (I guess it helps if Dad owns a bike shop - I even so 2 custom made hope cranks (full anodising) and a Trailcraft Titanium fully loaded... (I had to grin when the converted £250 bike passed them.. though as you say I spent MORE than the Canyon...) (As his first race he had to start in 81/82 position but he managed to finish 9th)

I can't see the 1x9 working out for kids unless they are on something flat like Sherwood... so it seems like a close but no cigar .... and by the time it's upgraded to race spec it would be fantastic but the incremental won't be significantly different your just taking off more expensive "almost" components instead of "rubbish"

rubertoe wrote:

And that is what is wrong with the world....

3k for a 10 year olds race bike - what is wrong with them getting on any old bike and blasting about like i am sure that both you and i did when we were younger. Racing a bike used to be for poor people - now you need a 3k bike and a support team to get on . Where is the fun. Sheesh

I think the 3k is a huge overkill and it obviously can't make up for lack of talent, practice etc. and I completely agree that this has been taken to extremes that were unheard of in my childhood... however back in my childhood a first division football player (they hadn't even invented premier league) was well off by our standards but nothing like the "stupid" sums of today...I don't know if the parents bought the bikes or sponsors... I presume Hope custom one off's made are pretty much by invitation... but they sure seem to be generous with the stickers! I noticed one of the titanium trailcrafts was last years model anyway . .. the cranks were way too long for the kid riding it!

I think it would be far healthier an environment if they got rid of sponsorship and clubs names being mentioned especially at kids level, specifically the special column in the Results but then British Cycling is not known for "healthy environments"!

And actually when all is said and done the actual course would have been much faster on a CX bike rather than a XC MTB...

I think half the problem is today's world but the other half is availability.
There are very few 24ers even come with a cassette and very few with disk mounts and finding both .... so you mostly get either ££££ bikes or you get rubbish wheels with a freewheel and no option to mount disks...
I managed to buy one of the last Cannondale Race 24's in the UK for £250 but everything on it was trash except the Frame and Forks... (and I mean everything) and this is retail in the US at $545 with freewheel and twist grips... and a 1.5 kg oversized triple... I'd rather have paid £200 for frame and forks and then use the parts bin...



My kid can't even join a club locally because the kids club say's "please don't bother putting your kid on the waiting list"
The cynic in me say's they might be flexible with that once he has a few top 3 places ... (which is even more unhealthy).

rubertoe wrote:

Its a tough one - Surely it would be better at that sort of age to put all the kids on the same bike and let them race.

Yep kinda like Formula Ford etc. where everyone has an identical car...
I guess it would need a few accepted changes like crank length and such and then make sure these "approved" bikes are available but then I wonder how many would then buy a bike specifically for racing ???

I guess its a good thing though that so many kids are now racing/joining clubs - It certainly will help them upskill a lot more than some of those out on the roads at the moment.

Probably but I think that changed as well.... when I was my kids age football was jumpers for goalposts and cycling was messing about with your mates... as I got older cycling became more serious but also a way to get places. (and football was "something other kids did" but that was because I also did a lot of running and other sports and swimming was something I didn't really do in pools but did in rivers and on holiday)

I'm not too sure how much is rose tinted hindsight but it all felt more natural back then.

I presume Hope custom one off's made are pretty much by invitation

The Hope kids bikes are available here http://hopeacademyuk.com/

Whilst £1000 or so might seem a lot for a kids bike, I am assurred that it is an absolute bargain compared to the cost of having a child competeing in the various horse riding competitions......