road bikes for kids

Quoted message said:

I'm looking for advice from people with experience putting kids on road
bikes. I've checked out the 24inch and 650c versions from
manufacturers like Trek and Ibex. My son is about to turn 9 and is 4-7
and I can see him close to 5 feet by the end of the year. I think he
would be happy with a little 24 inch road bike today but he seems on
the cusp of fitting a little 650c or even 700c road bike soon, like a
women's specific model. I'd like some advice from people with real
world knowledge on this. thanks

If he's that tall already, he'll be getting taller soon. Road bikes
are the most fit-finicky type; a bike that's too big or too small is
hard to ride. Since they also tend to be expensive, buying a costly
new bike that will become a poor fit in a year or so does not seem
like a cost-effective approach. Unfortunately, finding a suitable
used or low-cost road bike to ride for a while and then replace may
not be easy. On the other hand, by putting a road stem and bars on a
26" bike with a mixte or compact frame, and equipping it with narrower
smooth-tread tires than is typical, you might achieve a low-cost
alternative that could be adjusted over a useful range to raise the
bars and the seat (and move it back) as he grows, at least for a
while. Most real road frames don't provide much in this area, but
there are exceptions. Talk to the folks at you local bike shop and
see what they think. They may have a solution.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Yeah, I've thought about something similar for my son, but you have to
get new brake levers and shifters, or *ack* brifters to convert from
flat bar to drop. The costs start to go up pretty fast unless you have
old working parts ready to go.

I think an adjustable stem could be a good way to make a small bike
last a lot longer. There are several available.

I've got the opposite problem in that I have an average sized (just
turned) 4-year old who regularly rides 8 miles on his coaster brake
BMX, but REALLY wants a road bike. There's just nothing for him at that
size. I wouldn't even be able to find brake levers for his little
hands.

I think my only solution is to get another BMX, throw on some road
tires, bigger chainring, drop bars, leave the coaster brakes, and
forget the brake levers. The drop bars are for his ego, as he's not
fast enough to need them 🙂

-Mike

"Mike Reed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Yeah, I've thought about something similar for my son, but you have to
get new brake levers and shifters, or *ack* brifters to convert from
flat bar to drop. The costs start to go up pretty fast unless you have
old working parts ready to go.

I think an adjustable stem could be a good way to make a small bike
last a lot longer. There are several available.

I've got the opposite problem in that I have an average sized (just
turned) 4-year old who regularly rides 8 miles on his coaster brake
BMX, but REALLY wants a road bike. There's just nothing for him at that
size. I wouldn't even be able to find brake levers for his little
hands.

I think my only solution is to get another BMX, throw on some road
tires, bigger chainring, drop bars, leave the coaster brakes, and
forget the brake levers. The drop bars are for his ego, as he's not
fast enough to need them 🙂

-Mike

My framebuilder, Harry Havnoonian, builds these teeny tiny track bikes for
kids for the development programs at various tracks. I know that he's also
made them into road bikes. He's a well respected small framebuilder here in
the Philly suburbs. Maybe you should give him a call and see what he says?
Cyclesport, Media, PA 610-565-9535. I am not affiliated in any way, just a
happy customer.

Cat

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Mike Reed said:

Yeah, I've thought about something similar for my son, but you have to
get new brake levers and shifters, or *ack* brifters to convert from
flat bar to drop. The costs start to go up pretty fast unless you have
old working parts ready to go.

I think an adjustable stem could be a good way to make a small bike
last a lot longer. There are several available.

I've got the opposite problem in that I have an average sized (just
turned) 4-year old who regularly rides 8 miles on his coaster brake
BMX, but REALLY wants a road bike. There's just nothing for him at that
size. I wouldn't even be able to find brake levers for his little
hands.

I think my only solution is to get another BMX, throw on some road
tires, bigger chainring, drop bars, leave the coaster brakes, and
forget the brake levers. The drop bars are for his ego, as he's not
fast enough to need them 🙂

Did you intend to reply to someone else's article?

--
Michael Press

No, replying to werehatrack...