Recreational & Family - 24" wheel recommendation

My son needs a new mountain bike and he is ready for a 24" wheel size. Does anyone make a bike with a rigid fork anymore? Maybe I'm too much of a retro-grouch, but the "suspension" forks on the kids bikes just seem to add weight and decrease handling.

Thanks

Trek makes the KDR 7.2 and MT200 with a rigid fork.

I wish Isla Bikes (http://www.islabikes.co.uk/#) had a US distributor. I'd really like to see their products in person.

There are probably others but as you have found, geared, rigid kids bikes are hard to find.

I am totally with you on this one...and today I (well my wife) scored huge at a yard sale. She found an old steel Schwinn 24" wheels 6 speeds full rigid bike in great condition other than a ton of dust and a seized canti. Brought it home, cleaned and lubed the chain and worked out the brake issue...best $15 ever. Ok so we rode to the LBS and dumped another $30 into it with new grips, a bottle cage and a sweet bell with compass. :D

So my advice is look for yard sale scores.

Hey , As an old BMX racer,
I have seen kids have more fun on BMX 20 in or 24 inch wheel cruisers.Really strong, able to take more abuse than a Mtn bike, and great handling for jumps. Too many parents have a bad attitude towards bmx bikes, unaware of the athletisism and skill and bravery it takes. Its a great help to the sport of Road and Mtn bike racing.

Agree strongly about rigid being better for youngsters. Most kids bike suspension is a pile of cat poo. If it does work reasonably well, it encourages the rider to go faster than their skill may allow. The result is, that when they crash, they crash harder.

My own experience (ignoring my Islabikes free publicity campaign) leads me to go for rigid because it enables kids to develop their skills first, inevitably (almost) at a slower speed. then, when that's taken place and they get a decent suspension fork, they already have the ability to deal with the problems the greater speed creates.

Perhaps someone should see if they can set up an Islabikes import agency in the US

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Perhaps someone should see if they can set up an Islabikes import agency in the US

I wish someone would pick them up.

My guess is that any success by Isla here would be fairly quickly undersold by the big companies if they see them getting a decent market share.

There is a small independent shop near me that deals in harder to find bikes (recumbents, trikes, foldables, etc.). I'll ask the owner to see what it would take for him to carry a few Isla's.

+1 on the BMX 20" or 24" bike.
My 5 YO is getting a BMX 20" when we finish shopping for one. I little bit more expensive, but they are lighter and allows the kid to actually ride a bike into of mashing the pedals. And is gets his tag a long that weighs and damn ton off my beater bike!

2nd best would be to get the lightest Mart Store biek you can find and swap out forks if you are mechanical;y inclined. Once again, more money, but might be cheaper if you can find what you want.

+1 on the yard sales! Or better yet, see if the neighborhood kids are "out growing" their bikes? I just bought my friend's son's Redline BMX 24" bike for $25. Frame is in good shape, needs repainted, but since I was the one who did the "upkeep", I know everything else is good on it. It will be hung up in the shed til The Young Prince is old enough. And I have also past along my girl's smaller bikes to other kids as well.

Jerry

I scored a 24 specialized hardrock with a rigid fork on the craigslist. You might keep on eye out on there or maybe post a want ad.

I beleive that "Jamis" makes a 24" wheel'd "Trail-X 1.0" which would be a good entry MTB for your child, jmho.http://www.jamisbikes.com

The Trail X1 (http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/hardtails/trailx/09_trailx1.html) is a 26" wheel with suspension fork. The Jamis XR is rigid.

In the Jamis Youth bikes (http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/youth/index.html) they do make a rigid Capri in both 20" and 24". It's funny how they market these bikes as Girls Multispeed. They do not have an equivalent Boys Multispeed but instead term them Kids Mountain Bikes. If you don't mind the color or can repaint, the Capri is an option.