Junior touring/racing bike

[PhilD]

All,

It is nearly time to look for a new bike for my 7-year-old boy (average
height, lighter weight than average). He currently rides a Raleigh
Agent X (see <http://deaves47.users.btopenworld.com/bikes/AgentX.jpg>:
the saddle is much higher than that now) with thin slick road tyres (he
can't half go: you should see him "shutting down" the local yoof who
give up trying to race!). He now desparately wants dropped handlebars
like his parents.

I have seen catalogue pictures of the Giant TCR Junior (random example:
<http://www.awcycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b8s10p4889>), but fear
that this may be a bit large and too "top of the range". Ideally we
would want to get a tourer, but will settle for a racer.

I suspect that 22" wheels would be just right (like baby bear's
porridge), but they appear not to be generally available.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to other possibilities? Second
hand is perfectly acceptable. Where possible, I would add mudguards
and carrier rack where not fitted already.

If necessary I would be prepared to buy a mountain bike or similar,
remove most components and rebuild with touring types. What would be a
sensible starting frame?

Oh, the bike would not be left at school, or anything like that
(school, etc. within walking distance), and not chucked around as a
toy, but would be primary transport for longer distances (we are car
free). We currently manage 30-mile rides comfortably. Use for helping
to get the shopping may be considered (hence the need for a rack).

With thanks.

PhilD

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[wafflycat]

"PhilD" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

>
> Does anyone have any suggestions as to other possibilities? Second
> hand is perfectly acceptable. Where possible, I would add mudguards
> and carrier rack where not fitted already.

There's always Islabikes

http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/luath26.html

http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/luath700.html

Cheers, helen s

 

[Julesh]

PhilD wrote:
> All,
>
> It is nearly time to look for a new bike for my 7-year-old boy (average
> height, lighter weight than average). He currently rides a Raleigh
> Agent X (see <http://deaves47.users.btopenworld.com/bikes/AgentX.jpg>:
> the saddle is much higher than that now) with thin slick road tyres (he
> can't half go: you should see him "shutting down" the local yoof who
> give up trying to race!). He now desparately wants dropped handlebars
> like his parents.
>
> I have seen catalogue pictures of the Giant TCR Junior (random example:
> <http://www.awcycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b8s10p4889>), but fear
> that this may be a bit large and too "top of the range". Ideally we
> would want to get a tourer, but will settle for a racer.
>
> I suspect that 22" wheels would be just right (like baby bear's
> porridge), but they appear not to be generally available.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions as to other possibilities? Second
> hand is perfectly acceptable. Where possible, I would add mudguards
> and carrier rack where not fitted already.
>
> If necessary I would be prepared to buy a mountain bike or similar,
> remove most components and rebuild with touring types. What would be a
> sensible starting frame?
>
> Oh, the bike would not be left at school, or anything like that
> (school, etc. within walking distance), and not chucked around as a
> toy, but would be primary transport for longer distances (we are car
> free). We currently manage 30-mile rides comfortably. Use for helping
> to get the shopping may be considered (hence the need for a rack).
>
> With thanks.
>
> PhilD
>
> --
> <><

>

You might like to look at:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/Produ...es/road-racing-bik/product_5425598/index.html


Their website is awful so you really need to get to a store. The bike
seems OK for the money. I was going to buy one for my daughter but she
was too long in the leg so I had to buy her a small adult bike. They do
adult bikes down to about a 42cm frame with 650c wheels.


Julesh

 

[David Martin]

wafflycat wrote:
> "PhilD" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> >
> > Does anyone have any suggestions as to other possibilities? Second
> > hand is perfectly acceptable. Where possible, I would add mudguards
> > and carrier rack where not fitted already.
>
> There's always Islabikes
>
> http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/luath26.html
>
> http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/luath700.html

Islabikes are great in that they publish the standover heights for
their bikes.

MTB wheel sizes in childrens bikes are generally bigger than the
corresponding road bike as they have very much dropped frames. For
example, I have just acquired a 20" road bike from eBay [1] which is
just small enough for my 9yo to ride. She is outgrowing a 24" MTB
(Giant MTX250).

The giant, trek, felt and decathlon (and the Islabikes) are really
aimed at 10-11+ age group and will be too big for all but the most
extreme outliers in the 7yo range.

I'd scour eBay for bikes like mine. Raleigh Pacer is what I have.
...d


[1] http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140023521591.
It is quite weighty and needs a few bits tidying up. I plan to put
alloy bars/stem, alloy rims (if I can find some that size [451]) an
alloy seatpin, and an alloy chainset +new BB on it. That should save a
few kilos.
I'll then move my 7spd STI onto it, keeping the front as a single ring.

It looks even cuter than the picture..

 

[David Martin]

Julesh wrote:

>
> You might like to look at:
>
> http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/Produ...es/road-racing-bik/product_5425598/index.html
>
>
> Their website is awful so you really need to get to a store. The bike
> seems OK for the money. I was going to buy one for my daughter but she
> was too long in the leg so I had to buy her a small adult bike. They do
> adult bikes down to about a 42cm frame with 650c wheels.

What size wheels are those on the 7.0 kid? I couldn't find any info on
that.

...d

 

[John Hearns]

Decathlon do a junior road bike. Costs 120 UK pounds, if I'm not wrong.
The shop is near me, so I can go an have a close look at it if you need
and specs or measurements.

 

[David Martin]

John Hearns wrote:
> Decathlon do a junior road bike. Costs 120 UK pounds, if I'm not wrong.
> The shop is near me, so I can go an have a close look at it if you need
> and specs or measurements.

Yes please. Tyre size and frame size, standover height are the 3 key
parameters.

...d

 

[John Hearns]

On Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:44:38 -0700, David Martin wrote:

>
> John Hearns wrote:
>> Decathlon do a junior road bike. Costs 120 UK pounds, if I'm not wrong.
>> The shop is near me, so I can go an have a close look at it if you need
>> and specs or measurements.
>
> Yes please. Tyre size and frame size, standover height are the 3 key
> parameters.

I had a quick look. Tyres are 600x28
I don't think the frame size is marked on it, and couldn't get the
standover height as it was strapped to a display stand.
Will take along tape measure next time.

The bike has two friction shifters on the down tube.
Brakes are Decathlon own brand, with the front brake on the left,
though that could of course be swapped.

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <[email protected]>
John Hearns <[email protected]> wrote:
<snip>
> Brakes are Decathlon own brand, with the front brake on the left,
> though that could of course be swapped.
>
Unless the requirement for new bikes sold in the UK to meet BS6102 has
been changed, that's illegal.

 

[David Martin]

John Hearns wrote:
> On Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:44:38 -0700, David Martin wrote:
>
> >
> > John Hearns wrote:
> >> Decathlon do a junior road bike. Costs 120 UK pounds, if I'm not wrong.
> >> The shop is near me, so I can go an have a close look at it if you need
> >> and specs or measurements.
> >
> > Yes please. Tyre size and frame size, standover height are the 3 key
> > parameters.
>
> I had a quick look. Tyres are 600x28

That will be 28-541 or 24" (600A).

> I don't think the frame size is marked on it, and couldn't get the
> standover height as it was strapped to a display stand.
> Will take along tape measure next time.
>
> The bike has two friction shifters on the down tube.
> Brakes are Decathlon own brand, with the front brake on the left,
> though that could of course be swapped.

OK, Thanks for looking. It seems to be close on the size of the Raleigh
Arena I have (though that has 590 wheels.)

...d

 

[Julesh]

Rob Morley wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>
> John Hearns <[email protected]> wrote:
> <snip>
>
>>Brakes are Decathlon own brand, with the front brake on the left,
>>though that could of course be swapped.
>>
>
> Unless the requirement for new bikes sold in the UK to meet BS6102 has
> been changed, that's illegal.
>
When we bought my daughter's bike at Decathlon they told us to give them
30 mins so they could give it give it a checkover before it left the
store. As part of that process they swapped the brakes over.


Julesh

 

[David Martin]

David Martin wrote:
> MTB wheel sizes in childrens bikes are generally bigger than the
> corresponding road bike as they have very much dropped frames. For
> example, I have just acquired a 20" road bike from eBay [1] which is
> just small enough for my 9yo to ride. She is outgrowing a 24" MTB
> (Giant MTX250).
>
> The giant, trek, felt and decathlon (and the Islabikes) are really
> aimed at 10-11+ age group and will be too big for all but the most
> extreme outliers in the 7yo range.
>
> I'd scour eBay for bikes like mine. Raleigh Pacer is what I have.

OK, feedback from Rachel (average sized 9 3/4) is that the Raleigh
Pacer is just small enough with the saddle right down. There is still
quite a reach for the brakes and bars but there is room to grow into
it. We will take it to the park tomorrow night if the weather is
clement (prob not given the forecast of Rain). She hasn't given it a
proper ride yet, just a few pedal strokes along the length of the
garage. As for gears, she really didn't like the idea of downtube
friction gears so it looks like I will be building my old 7spd shimano
setup into lightweight rims and moving the STI levers over. In a year
or so I'll swap the handlebars for the alloy ones off the mutant or add
new ones.

...d

 

[PhilD]

Thanks all for the suggestions thus far. It looks as though I will
have to buy a rack to stretch the rider first!

I'll keep looking.

PhilD

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