Mountain Biking - Thrashin' kids

Anyone take kids riding? My son (11) rides with me 4 to5 times a week 10 to15 miles a trip .We are very lucky to live 5 min. from DuPont St For. and 15 min from Pisgah For. he started riding 3 yrs ago on a 5 spd Murray and is addicted (even after num. hospital trips and 21 stitches in the shin). Its great to take his friends and watch them clear something spooky to them.It really builds confedence. :D I saw a 3 ft drop eat my sons lunch more times than I can count now he flys it like it's not there . Share the ride you'll be glad you did. :lol:

I taught my kid to ride this past Christmas (he was 3.5 years old). Now he rides all the time and rocks. His little Specialized Hotrock (16" wheels) doesn't work too well over roots, but he keeps getting better every time we go out.

Give him another 3 years and he'll be smacking it down with the big boyz!

L8R

Fer sure , he'll be rippin'. My sons on a Haro V24 he hopes to be on a 15in hardrock for christmas.

Cool, I got my son a BMX mini and he'll hopefully start racing BMX soon. He's still just a wee bit short for the mini, and hasn't figured out hand brakes yet. I don't want to push him too soon. He's an aggro little bugger though, so I'm not worried!

L8R

My dad doesn't bike. He doesn't think mtbing is practical. So, I just go out alone. Tis fun going on roots and tons of stuff, and even trying to go off ramps. Too bad this 43-45 lb bugger and me only being 115 lb, (Im 13) is hard to go off jumps. They're not really jumps, just a 50 degree angle, 2-2.5 meter grass hilly thing which goes flat after that. Hard to catch air, you know? :D

Wish my dad would've given a better start to biking, 9 years ago (started riding 2 wheeler when I was 4 but was too wimpy to do anyhting but race with my friend, but hey I got a long time ahead of me.

Hey mtnbiker66- That is great that you do that. I wish I had a son or a daughter to take with me on the trails. You all with kids are lucky. You will have a friend for life by sharing things with your little ones. The only thing my dad shared was his Falstaff Beer. Props to you too a2psyclnut.

:D It's very cool that your out rippin' it. Beats video games . my bud went 2 Can. last year to test the prototype Demo 9 (North shore & whistler) he races world cup & norba for Specilized . He said it was super gnarly! You are a lot closer to the N.S than we are here in N.C. KEEP ROLLIN' :D

Me and my dad go riding all the time, and we are trying to get my mom into it now.

my dad started me riding when i was six... not mtb, but just riding in general...these days i can ride for 5 hours straight and come home and run a mile or 2 on the tredmill.... I'm 16 now, and i plan on racing soon. my dad used to ride road (err roady) he went on alot of trips to germany and through europe... so i have riding in my blood.

Cyaaa
Zach

Hello all:

My kids age 6 and 8 are really into ramps and stuff. They are buidling them all over the front yard. My 6yo is really wanting a good bike (he traded his birthday party for a new bike). So now the push is on. I am trying to find a light, 16" wheel, 3 to 5 spd, cantilever brake, front suspension, alum wheel minin mtn bike. Since i have not found a manufacturer,Ii need to build one and i am looking for info on where i shoudl look for cheap parts bikes. Any thoughts.

biker dad

I don't think cantilever is with the times anymore. It's v-brakes now. Correct me if I'm wrong. I say ask the dads around here. E.g. mtnbiker66 and a2psklnut. They probably have better advice on smaller bikes than I do because I don't know anything about them.

v-brakes are 'side pull' cantilevers. The old kind are 'center pull' or 'direct pull' cantilevers. I find it confusing as heck why v-brakes were called v-brakes. There isn't a V to be found anywhere in them, and the old center pull brakes form a nice upside down V. :p

It's nice to hear some people supporting young riders. I keep getting **** from that raiyn god i wish he could see it like i do.

Hello all:

My kids age 6 and 8 are really into ramps and stuff. They are buidling them all over the front yard. My 6yo is really wanting a good bike (he traded his birthday party for a new bike). So now the push is on. I am trying to find a light, 16" wheel, 3 to 5 spd, cantilever brake, front suspension, alum wheel minin mtn bike. Since i have not found a manufacturer,Ii need to build one and i am looking for info on where i shoudl look for cheap parts bikes. Any thoughts.

biker dad

My son was 3.5 when I bought him his 16" BMX bike. He's 4.5 now and still a bit small for a 20" BMX Mini. If your son is 6, I'd bet he's big enough for a 20" wheeled bike. I think a 16" would be too small.

I've seen some 20" Mountain bikes at "X-Marts" and Big Box Stores, but they're heavy as heck and have crap suspension and crap components.

I just saw a 20" bike from Kona, called the Makena, http://www.konaworld.com/kw_index.cfm

Specialized has numerous bikes for kids, check out the 20" Hotrock: http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=9391&JServSessionIdroot=q6pmclauno.j27003

Trek, Gary Fisher, Specialized and Kona all make 24" REAL mountain bikes, but they are NOT cheap!

I really like the Kona Stuff J.R. and when my son gets older (prob. closer to 9 or 10) I will get him something along those lines.

My son rides a Haro v24, it's a steel hardtail,very durable. The rear wheel din't hold up well so the LBS owner taught him to build his own. He put in a rino lite and that has fixed the problems. He rides very aggro, 4 ft drops,hardcore trails and urban. The bike has held up well fof 2 yrs now. He's out growing it and has his eye on a Hardrock disk, he got straight As to help the cause. I have also started a MTB club at his school,we are getting 8 to 10 kids a ride. The principal rides and some other parents so theres lots of support. We even raised money to buy a bike for a boy, a used high quality bike from a local camp. I get to the trailhead early to get things ready, last ride he was waiting on me to get there. Keep'em rollin' :D