Hey, Oppo.  Been a while.  Got a bike question. 

"The Lurktastic Opponaught" (oppolurker) 06/21/2018 at 21:15 • Filed to: two wheels good, I swear I was lurking the whole time

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Hey all. Work’s been incredibly busy and consuming , but in a really fun and engaging sort of way. Sorry for not contributing much of anything lately . Got a bike question...

F or the bike mechanics in the crowd: I need to build my kids a couple of new-to-us bikes for the spring, and in the interest of scoring used frames and parts on the cheap, I’m starting the project now. I’d like to build my kids a couple of plus bikes- one with 24" wheels, and one in 26" . We ride a lot of ATV trail gnar here in Maine, along with some rooty and rocky single track. Kids are 6 and 10, and take after me: stupid tall. We ride a lot as it is, and essentially need adult quality plus-tire xc hardware in a pint sized package to manage their preferred terrain and skill levels .

Here’s what I’m looking for:

- plus tires- 2.75-3.0"

- wheels that can go tubeless, even if it’s a hack job

- preferably a s himano 8-9-10 speed free hub- we spend a fair bit of time climbing, and the kids need big ranges .

-Will be set up 1x

- hydraulic disk brakes, preferably SRAM family , so I can keep one bleed kit for the whole house.

- rigid frame, but cheap air shocks needing rebuilds are cool too.

I’m starting from the ground up - do anyone have r ecommendations for a frame that’s a good foundation for a lightish and durable bike in those sizes that can take a plus tire?

Thanks!

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > The Lurktastic Opponaught 06/21/2018 at 21:56

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Aluminum specialized fuse runs 27.5x3” tires. I have not heard of a 26”x3” tire most of the 26” tires are true fat bike tires and are 4-5” wide. When my kids were that age they rode  a 13” frame with 27.5x 2” tires and a 13” framed specialized hot rock with 24x2” tires. It’s a hard size to find in a very small frame and they can grow out of it in a year.

TheRealBicycleBuck > The Lurktastic Opponaught 06/21/2018 at 22:37

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Finding quality kids’ bikes is hard. People just don’t like spending money on expensive bikes that kids just outgrow in a year or two. Also, “real” bikes aren’t sized by the wheels. They are sized by the frame.

That being said, I gave up trying to find a used bike for my son that was the correct size. I went with a Nashbar bike to get him through the awkward middle-sized frame stage . It was surprisingly good for a generic bike-shop quality bike.

Nom De Plume > The Lurktastic Opponaught 06/21/2018 at 22:57

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Before I can really make a dent in this a budget would help. Do not buy a TREK/Specialized/...

First thought is the QBP brands for something burly like this 24" SALSA at REI . You do not under any circumstance other than racing want a 24" suspension fork. In your riding conditions y ou will want to have any 24" wheel rebuilt internally (new grease! new bearings! same for bottom bracket!) and spokes trued by someone who knows what they are doing and doesn’t think the highest spoke tension they can hold is the answer. Guessing the linked bike is out of the budget but use that as a model for your search.

26" frame and parts are nowhere near being an issue. This is the most popular wheel size in the world by a large margin. Stick to a hardtail and tailor the drivetrain to how abusive the kid is. I’d pay for shipping on a used one unless something is available very locally. Nobody in the US wants these anymore and lots of cheap parts are available.

I’ll shop this stuff for you if it helps. I realize the entire state of Maine is serviced by a single Craigslist.

Nom De Plume > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/21/2018 at 23:16

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A nashbar bike is not a real bike for the real terrain he and his kids will be riding in Maine. That aside, there are actually a lot of good kids bikes at all price points out there if you know where to look nowadays. There are almost none capable of actual mountain biking. Which is compounded by the lack of access to retail and repair shops most of us take for granted.

The trouble spot is not mtb or bmx. It is road bikes that, much like any 24" , only come in one size unless you go the custom route. Suffice to say I know more than a few happy junior state champions in multiple disciplines with custom bikes

TheRealBicycleBuck > Nom De Plume 06/22/2018 at 00:01

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Funny. The only difference between the Nashbar bike we bought and the low-end bike shop bikes was the name on the frame. It came with the same mix of Shimano, Suntour, and Tektro parts you would find on any entry-level bike in a bike shop . These are perfectly fine for a couple of years use by a child if that child isn’t racing.

I agree with you about the scarcity of decent road bikes in small sizes. I was lucky enough as a kid to have one for a while.