Lightweight trekking/tourer for 11-year old



C

Clyde Ingram

Guest
Can anyone recommend a good lightweight cycle for touring and trekking for a
boy of height 60 inches, inside leg 29".

Mountain bike bars
27 gears
V-brakes
Essential touring accessories preferred (lights, muduards, racks)

I know that the UK market for bikes for younger/shorter children is a waste
of time.
Hopefully, by this height/age, the market is starting to be practicable.

Or am I still forced to buy from the continent?

Thanks for recommendations,
Clyde
 
Clyde Ingram wrote:
> Can anyone recommend a good lightweight cycle for touring and trekking for a
> boy of height 60 inches, inside leg 29".
>
> Mountain bike bars
> 27 gears
> V-brakes
> Essential touring accessories preferred (lights, muduards, racks)
>
> I know that the UK market for bikes for younger/shorter children is a waste
> of time.
> Hopefully, by this height/age, the market is starting to be practicable.
>
> Or am I still forced to buy from the continent?
>
> Thanks for recommendations,
> Clyde
>
>

Well I'm an adult with a 29" inside leg and I'm only six inches taller
so I would have thought any of the smaller framed adult bikes would be
alright from a standover point of view and probably not too much of a
stretch to the bars. Alternatively lots of companies make bikes for
older kids, mostly mountain bikes however, although Dawes for instance
make a 24" wheel discovery 201 with flat bars which may be suitable.

regards
Bill
 
Clyde Ingram wrote:
> Can anyone recommend a good lightweight cycle for touring and trekking for a
> boy of height 60 inches, inside leg 29".
>
> Mountain bike bars
> 27 gears
> V-brakes
> Essential touring accessories preferred (lights, muduards, racks)


Lightweight rigid MTB or hybrid will be readily available, relatively
cheap, and fit the bill just fine.

> I know that the UK market for bikes for younger/shorter children is a waste
> of time.
> Hopefully, by this height/age, the market is starting to be practicable.


I have a 29" inside leg and have little problem finding good quality
kit. You may have to be careful about reach though. I am just under 5'6"
with a fairly long reach (short legs, long body)..

Test riding is the key to getting thr right fit, though with Ahead front
loading stems it is a lot easier to get the right reach, and to adapt as
the youngster grows up.

...d
 
"Clyde Ingram"
<clydenospamorham@nospamorhamgetofftheline.freeservenospamorham.co.uk> of
NTL wrote:

>Can anyone recommend a good lightweight cycle for touring and trekking for a
>boy of height 60 inches, inside leg 29".
>
>Mountain bike bars
>27 gears
>V-brakes
>Essential touring accessories preferred (lights, muduards, racks)
>
>I know that the UK market for bikes for younger/shorter children is a waste
>of time.
>Hopefully, by this height/age, the market is starting to be practicable.
>
>Or am I still forced to buy from the continent?


I am a 61" and a smidge woman, with only a 25" inside leg. The smallest
sizes of adult bike are small enough for me in some brands, but not in
others. My problem is always standover height, due to my ridiculously short
legs. Your boy has much longer legs so won't have that problem. I reckon
that finding a fit for his legs from the adult range will not be hard. He
is likely to end up with larger frame sizes than I do, which will also have
longer reach, so look at the fit carefully to ensure that the reach is not
too long.
--
No more things should be presumed to exist than are absolutely necessary.
William of Occam
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