Single speed for a kid?
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Single speed for a kid?
Good evening. Not sure if this is a good idea, but my 9 year old (4'11-5ft) son wants a single speed bike. He LOVES to ride and currently is on a Staats BMX racing bike. He rides it everywhere but he wants a bike that would be better for the street. I am not sure what to look at but I thought it would be nice if I could find a track frame that would allow 650cc wheels. He and I both like the idea of a single speed and I don't really want him on a road bike. By the way, I ride a single speed but not fixed. Any thought?
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It's harder to limit speed on a road bike I'm guessing. As for small track frames, I'm at a loss. (too tall to have ever looked at any)
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I don't really want him dealing with gears. I want to keep it simple, reliable and fun. It will have brakes.
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the only frame that comes to mind is the IRO Mark V HD
https://www.irocycle.com/markvhdframeset.aspx
https://www.irocycle.com/markvhdframeset.aspx
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i feel like nice buying bikes for kids is kind of a challenge if you are budget conscious at all. How tall are you? He will be growing out of the thing very soon if you are tallish.
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Well, apparently he drives a GS 430 so budget shouldn't be a big issue .
That is true though that you should only expect him to be comfortable on it for a few years. If you have any younger kids you could always hand it down though.
That said, I still don't think a $900 wabi is justifiable for a 9yo.
That is true though that you should only expect him to be comfortable on it for a few years. If you have any younger kids you could always hand it down though.
That said, I still don't think a $900 wabi is justifiable for a 9yo.
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I am 5'-3" and ride a Wabi Lightning 42cm c-c frame with 650c wheels, however, I suspect the cost would be more than you'd want to pay. I think your best bet would be something like the $300 Motobecane Messenger singlespeed from bikesdirect, which comes in a 43cm size with a sloping top tube and 700c wheels. This is what it looks like in mine, which is highly modified. I've got mine setup as fixed with no rear brake, however, stock it is setup as singlespeed with front and rear brakes. The only change you'll want to make is to swap out the 16T freewheel for a 18T or even larger.
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Last edited by TejanoTrackie; 11-20-11 at 10:35 PM.
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I had a ghetto single speed BMX / road bike hybrid (I unno what those are) when I was 9 yo.
I'd personally just chuck him a 24" BMXer for now (these are single speed) and he'll get some cool points from his buddies.
When he gets to 14-ish then blow $500 on a decent SS track frame bike...
For now I don't see the point in giving your kid a track frame. Those aren't forgiving if you bang it around / crash and your feet aren't long enough to hit the ground before your balls hit the top tube / won't know how to balance out fast enough. Which kids tend to do, and no offence to the riding skills of your child, but very prone. Just seems more economical and SAFER IMHO.
Also. Here's something to consider: When I was 9 and I saw a 9 yo kid riding a track frame with obviously no muscles to speak of, I'd have laughed. There's the social aspect to a bike for a kid, too, unless he's only going to ride it for training purposes or something (in which case a roadie or a fixed gear would suit him better)
I'd personally just chuck him a 24" BMXer for now (these are single speed) and he'll get some cool points from his buddies.
When he gets to 14-ish then blow $500 on a decent SS track frame bike...
For now I don't see the point in giving your kid a track frame. Those aren't forgiving if you bang it around / crash and your feet aren't long enough to hit the ground before your balls hit the top tube / won't know how to balance out fast enough. Which kids tend to do, and no offence to the riding skills of your child, but very prone. Just seems more economical and SAFER IMHO.
Also. Here's something to consider: When I was 9 and I saw a 9 yo kid riding a track frame with obviously no muscles to speak of, I'd have laughed. There's the social aspect to a bike for a kid, too, unless he's only going to ride it for training purposes or something (in which case a roadie or a fixed gear would suit him better)
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I'm an overindulgent father of a 9-year old, and my kid currently rides the following:
1) 20" Nitrous BMX
2) Fuji Ace 650c
3) Marin 24" Mountain Bike
Even if your kid is tall and growing, I'd be a little worried to put him in a small framed 700c bike just yet. I'd suggest you get him to stand over the bike and check on the likelyhood you might not be a grandparent before you bought one.
I can tell you my kid only sorta understands his geared bikes. Half the time, he's riding in some crazy-arse gear combo while I'm gritting my teeth and trying to explain to him how to cross shift, so I don't think your single speed plan is a bad one. Finally, though, when all is said and done, my kids favorite bike is his BMX. I don't yell at him for attempting world record skids, and he's getting pretty good at stoppies by jamming his foot between the front tire and fork.
All that being said, I have to agree that the 24" BMX is the best all-around bike. A 650c track bike would be really cool if you are trying to go on longer rides with him. I think you can get a good compromise gear if you live in an area that's not to hilly, but I don't see it being his "everyday" bike.
1) 20" Nitrous BMX
2) Fuji Ace 650c
3) Marin 24" Mountain Bike
Even if your kid is tall and growing, I'd be a little worried to put him in a small framed 700c bike just yet. I'd suggest you get him to stand over the bike and check on the likelyhood you might not be a grandparent before you bought one.
I can tell you my kid only sorta understands his geared bikes. Half the time, he's riding in some crazy-arse gear combo while I'm gritting my teeth and trying to explain to him how to cross shift, so I don't think your single speed plan is a bad one. Finally, though, when all is said and done, my kids favorite bike is his BMX. I don't yell at him for attempting world record skids, and he's getting pretty good at stoppies by jamming his foot between the front tire and fork.
All that being said, I have to agree that the 24" BMX is the best all-around bike. A 650c track bike would be really cool if you are trying to go on longer rides with him. I think you can get a good compromise gear if you live in an area that's not to hilly, but I don't see it being his "everyday" bike.
Last edited by Chad1376; 11-21-11 at 02:58 AM.
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Where's Kaz? As someone who rides a 43cm 650c bike, she should weigh in on this. In case she doesn't, she rides a Fuji Track Classic (I think) and it seems like it works well for her.
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A lot of SE's 43cm frames come with 650c wheels. The draft and draft lite included. Another idea is the fuji classic track 650 as well as a few other frames. A couple of places are clearing out the 2011 draft lite for $200 if you're not picky with colors. The 2012's are a bit more but i think are better.
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Ignore the ugly basement please by kazbo, on Flickr
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Yep. I'm 5'1" and ride a 43cm Fuji Classic Track. It's got 650c wheels and is tiny and awesome. A little bit more expensive than the Motobecane version (I think I paid $450?) but I prefer the 650c wheels on tiny frames. My other bike which has 700c wheels has toe overlap, and it doesn't even have the tighter track geo.