bike for son: 24" or 26"?

[richardmasoner]

My nine-year-old son has outgrown his 20" wheel kids mountain bike. It's time for somthing a little larger. The replacement will be a mountain bike, preferably 3 rings on the front with halfway decent components. This bike will be for road use as well as technical trail riding.

I'm looking at something like the Trek Mt Track 220 which has 24" wheels. My concern is that he'll outgrow it this next year and it'll be time for a 26" wheel bike.

He can ride 26" wheel bikes but he's pretty stretched out. His frame size would probably be something like 12 inches or so.

Options I'm thinking about:


Get a long seatpost and stem and install them on his current small bike.
Get a 24" wheel bike and buy again next year
Get a 26" wheel bike with a small frame and let him grow into it.


Thoughts?

RFM

[twahl]

The MT 220 looks like it should fit the bill pretty well. If he's really going to be doing some technical riding, I'd steer clear of trying to make a larger bike fit. If he's really stretched to ride it, it would be hard for him to negotiate anything technical with it. Keep it up and you should be able to get something for it when it's time to move up.

[atbman]

Go for the 24". If he's stretched out on 26" his control will be reduced and 20 to 26 is a big jump. The weight increase will be pretty steep as well.

24" will be more comfortable. In the meantime, get a new section started - Kids bikes for Sale/Swap/Auction - in time for him to outgrow it.

Been running a kids bike club for 7 years and they prefer to go up in small steps. Plus, the little so-and-sos work out that a 24" this year means another new one in two years, whereas a new 26" might mean waiting four years

[mtnbiker66]

My son rode a haro v24 for 2 yrs befor he moved on to a 26" bike.

[wphelps]

My child could not throw around a 28+ lb show room bike so I found an old alluminum cannondale 3.0 24" wheeled mountain frame and built her a sub 20lb hard tail. She is so jazzzzd!!!! The only mountain bike I could find near 20lbs was a Scott 24" at 22.6 LBS
with front suspension. $900.00 The other bike that is near this is the 24" wheeled cross bike "Conquest by Redline" with no suspension. $500.00 "To expensive you say" Your child riding a 30lb mountain bike is like you riding a 70lb bike. You would rather set at home and play nintendo too!!

[richardmasoner]

Thanks for the responses, all. I was tending toward the 24" wheel bike and your comments have firmed that up.

RFM

[mtnbiker66]

My child could not throw around a 28+ lb show room bike so I found an old alluminum cannondale 3.0 24" wheeled mountain frame and built her a sub 20lb hard tail. She is so jazzzzd!!!! The only mountain bike I could find near 20lbs was a Scott 24" at 22.6 LBS
with front suspension. $900.00 The other bike that is near this is the 24" wheeled cross bike "Conquest by Redline" with no suspension. $500.00 "To expensive you say" Your child riding a 30lb mountain bike is like you riding a 70lb bike. You would rather set at home and play nintendo too!!

My son rode a 31lb Haro when he was 10 and 11. He did 20 mile trail rides and some freeriding.He had to build up a rynolite for the rear, the stock one was crap.The bike held up well and with the crappy fork he learned good bike handling skills.He now has a hardrock comp and can smoke.He's racing for the first time this weekend.His playstation is coverd in dust,kids will get out and ride if they really want to.