pdxcyclist

My son and I checked out a Redline Conquest 24 at River City Bicycles last Sunday. It's a cyclocross bike with 24" wheels, drop bars, integrated shifters, etc. He's still an inch too short for it, but I like the concept of a good quality 24" road bike for him in a year or two. (He's currently a stokid and 20" wheel Performance mtb rider.)

Does anyone know of other decent quality road bikes with 24" wheels I might look for used for him? I saw one on the road the other day, but couldn't make out the down-tube name. Seems like there'd be significant turn-over on these bikes as the kids grow up.

twahl

Check out this thread where there was a good number of bikes mentioned.

pdxcyclist

Wow, thanks for the link. I love the looks of the Felt F24, and it's good to know the Trek is out there. The Redline's triple crank is a bit of a plus, though the semi-knobbies would have to go. Now I have 6-9 months to find a used one.

I've never liked the fact that kids bikes seem to weigh a ton. Not all kids slam them on the ground the moment they dismount.

twahl

I hear you on that. We just put my son on a Sirrus, which seems to be working well. My daughter is on a 24" Diamondback with the knobbies replaced by slicks, and it does OK for her but it does weigh a ton. My goal is to get him on probably an Allez when she's tall enough for the Sirrus. Not sure a triple is needed though, as with the small roll out of the 24" tire, the gear inches is pretty low. My daughter is a 65 lb 10 year old, and she manages an average speed something over 10 MPH over a fairly flat 35 miles. I can't complain about that, but watching her, unless it got really hilly, I don't think she needs the small ring.