# XS Orbea D'Ella build for my son



## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

So I have been meaning to put up a build thread for this bike but just haven't found the time. After looking around at different options for 24" bikes for my son I decided to do the 26" option. My son is a good rider and can easily ride freestyle 20" BMX bikes as well as his starter 16" Schwinn. I really want to hit while the Iron is hot and get him bit by the MTB bug so here it goes. He is a really large kid for his age (in size 8 clothes) at 50 lbs and 50" I know that this bike will be a little much until he is 53-54" but at the rate he is growing that might be by the time this build is over  As I have mentioned in other threads he is earning this bike by doing things to help out his mother and doing things the he is asked to do the first time happily I am hoping that we are going to be setting up habits with this that will carry on after the build. He has a chart in the kitchen that has all the different parts and he has to get 10 checks to earn a part, then we go together and install the part on the bike.

So here is the parts list


















XS Orbea D'Ella frame
Fox F-series RL 100mm fork limited to 90mm
Mavic Cross Ride wheels
Canecreek Headset (integrated)
Generic Dirt Jump 50mm 10deg stem
Easton EA90 carbon flat bar (super close out due to narrow width but perfect for a kid)
Q2 seat post 
?? seat
Sram X7 shifters (take offs with indicators) 
XT front derailleur 
Sram 9.0 ESP rear derailleur
Sram 9spd cassette 
Shimano BR-M575 disk brakes
Tires Saguaro rear and Stout front tires set up tubeless
TruVativ Fire-X Cranks With GXP Bottom Bracket 170mm	
(however might switch to a 150mm Sinz crank with 1x9)
?? Pedals

I think that covers it right now I will get picture up as things get built:thumbsup:


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## Cary (Dec 29, 2003)

I looked long and hard at those frames, they are a great size and geometry for kids.


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## will-lee wonka (Oct 26, 2008)

That bike initially was designed around a 100mm fork...just fyi. Is that the women's frame or the men's? 

I have been toying with the idea of buying this frame for the wife and try to entice her a bit more into going offroad, but I can't find all of the geometry measurements to really know which size she'd take.

Good luck on the build! Orbea bikes are truly beautiful.


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

Thanks for the info....I actually got him a RL100 that has been limited to 90 which should be good for him I think. Might steepen the head tube slightly but can always take out the limiters when or if it's a problem. It is a pretty bike for sure just wish it didn't have rear brake posts but am not willing to mess it up by taking them off and redoing the pretty paint.


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## will-lee wonka (Oct 26, 2008)

Yeah, I'd leave them.

I have seen some frames come with caps that go over the post mounts in the event you want ed to run disc.

Might be able to find something like that...or even make something.

I think you've just about convinced me to purchase the small for my wife. Hope she likes it!!


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## wycough (Mar 9, 2008)

FYI...check his inseam, but i think the 170mm are gonna be way too long at 50"


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## wycough (Mar 9, 2008)

PS...i like the AC cranks much better, but you can only run a chainring on the one side. Plus they have lots colors and only $69. MCS chainring at J&R comes down to 34t for about $13


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

wycough said:


> PS...i like the AC cranks much better, but you can only run a chainring on the one side. Plus they have lots colors and only $69. MCS chainring and J&R comes down to 34t for about $13


Very nice I was already thinking about that and looking at those AC and SINZ on the bay....what is the rule of thumb for figuring crank length? I am not sure what to get in the 140-155 range? I still have the 170's when he gets bigger and I already have a nice chain keeper I can throw on there for the 1x9 drive train. I also several extra square taper BB's sitting around that will work no problem. I am just not sure which ones to buy length wise so.....

I really need to take some pictures because it is starting to look like a bike:thumbsup: The only problem I have run into so far is that one of the kids ran off with the wedge spacer for the top of the headset and I can't find it anywhere. it is made by cane creek so I am going to call them tomorrow and see what they say about a replacement.:madman:


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## wycough (Mar 9, 2008)

My kid is 47-48" tall and races 145mm AC's. He can ride 150-152mm just fine on his smaller bikes, BUT i just put the 150mm on his new 26" build and he is chopping bigtime. Watch rough video of us on the shakedown ride. Going to 140mm for the 26" build. I really think the longer cranks takes it out of the little kids as far endurance goes. Note: i had to use a 
120+mm BB for the bmx cranks set up 1x9. It's the Access 14.5 thread. 
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=695963


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## khaotom (Mar 14, 2011)

My son is just 46" 7 year old and he's small. I have been hunting high and low. Can I put a 20" wheel on this?


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## Cary (Dec 29, 2003)

wycough said:


> My kid is 47-48" tall and races 145mm AC's. He can ride 150-152mm just fine on his smaller bikes, BUT i just put the 150mm on his new 26" build and he is chopping bigtime. Watch rough video of us on the shakedown ride. Going to 140mm for the 26" build. I really think the longer cranks takes it out of the little kids as far endurance goes. Note: i had to use a
> 120+mm BB for the bmx cranks set up 1x9. It's the Access 14.5 thread.
> http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=695963


I observed the same thing with my son on his 24" rockhopper last weekend. He is 54" and the rockhopper has 160mm cranks and they are clearly too long. I think 150mm cranks would be much better for his height.


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## Cary (Dec 29, 2003)

khaotom said:


> My son is just 46" 7 year old and he's small. I have been hunting high and low. Can I put a 20" wheel on this?


I think you are asking to much. Even the XXS is going to be long in the toptube for him and he may not be able to reach the pedals with the saddle all the way down. I would try and find him a 20" bike to hold him over for a year or two.


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

CDMC said:


> I observed the same thing with my son on his 24" rockhopper last weekend. He is 54" and the rockhopper has 160mm cranks and they are clearly too long. I think 150mm cranks would be much better for his height.


I know what you mean...maybe a set of 145's would be the ticket for my son I want him to be comfortable on it and have fun!!!

On a side note I was fixing his Schwinn kids bike last night and man I can't wait to not have to work on that thing anymore:madman: and one of those rims weighs twice as much as my 29" wheel set  



> My son is just 46" 7 year old and he's small. I have been hunting high and low. Can I put a 20" wheel on this?


I think 20 would be a stretch I think you could get away with a set of disk 24" wheels without the BB being too low and pedal strikes being a danger with a set of short cranks


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

So progress update!!

My son has been working really hard on all the parts and has really enjoyed installing them with me. He has lots of questions about what things are what they do etc. He now has all but 4 parts to make it complete so I thought I would post up some pictures of his progress.

I did end up going with the Sinz 145 mm cranks and found out i need a new BB so they should be on in these pics but I need to swing buy the LBS and pick up a inexpensive square taper BB. I also need to get a couple parts to shorten the Hydro lines for the brakes. All in all it is coming out pretty sweet


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## TreeSaw (Jun 29, 2005)

I have this bike (though in a Small...I'm still looking for a medium) and I LOVE it! I've been riding it for about 4 years now and it's the best handling bike I own and my go-to in all types of terrain (my 575 gets jealous). My daughter is looking forward to being big enough to ride all of mommy's cool bikes, but she's only 5 now so I think I have a little time 

To answer a few questions...the D'ella is the Orbea women's geometry hardtail (now called the Dama geometry). The D'ella isn't one of their current models so the geometry could be a bit challenging, I thought I had one saved on my computer and don't...sorry.


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## wycough (Mar 9, 2008)

Looking for an update on this build. Video of riding, maybe?


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## Metalhack (Aug 13, 2011)

Wow...yeah an update please!


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## NitroRC Ed (Feb 27, 2010)

Curious how the build finished up - what was the final weight? I'm in the process of building up a XS Gary Fisher fully rigid and am trying for 22 pounds but the wheels I have seem to be what'll keep me from that goal. 

I've got a RL shimmed down to 80mm siting off to the side if I needed to swap it in 

Nice looking setup.

Ed


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

This build finished fantastic!! I would do it all over in a heart beat. My son has done great with it and we are now going on longer and longer trail rides together. I would highly recommend this route to anyone thinking of going with a 24". Here are a few pictures.


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## abelfonseca (Dec 26, 2011)

Fox kid fork! You sir, are a gooood FATHER!


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

abelfonseca said:


> Fox kid fork! You sir, are a gooood FATHER!


Thanks! Actually the reason I went with a Fox was i needed something dual air so he would get travel out of the fork

I don't know that I ever said but he just turned 7 yo


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## wycough (Mar 9, 2008)

Curious as to what the final gearing was front and rear?


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

I believe it was a 32 and 11-36 but would have to check when I get home


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## Asmodeus2112 (Jan 4, 2008)

clarkrw3 said:


> Thanks! Actually the reason I went with a Fox was i needed something dual air so he would get travel out of the fork
> 
> I don't know that I ever said but he just turned 7 yo


Plus you can take it to the next frame as he grows. I've spent some money on my kids bikes, but try to only do so on parts that can migrate. It's great once they are into 26" wheels...


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## wycough (Mar 9, 2008)

clarkrw3 said:


> I believe it was a 32 and 11-36 but would have to check when I get home


Would like to now what brand or where from on that chainring if it is a 32t. Smallest I could find was a 34t. It's ok for the Dallas area unless we go somewhere with more climbing and could use a 32t


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## rwitte (Apr 6, 2004)

Built my son that same bike a year or 2 ago. A great way to go for a real kids mtb. Only needed the frame...everything else was from the parts bin. Oh, except the cranks...I did get a set of short cranks for it. This is him last fall at about 10.5. He turns 11 next week, and still has some time left on the frame I think.


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

rwitte said:


> Built my son that same bike a year or 2 ago. A great way to go for a real kids mtb. Only needed the frame...everything else was from the parts bin. Oh, except the cranks...I did get a set of short cranks for it. This is him last fall at about 10.5. He turns 11 next week, and still has some time left on the frame I think.


Awesome!! looks like my son has a lot of growing room 

The 34 came from home brewed components


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

Well I know this is a very old thread but my son did his first race this past weekend on this bike and killed it. He is 7yo and will turn 8 at the end of next month and was in a 6-8 age group. He was the only one on a 26" bike and I really think that helped him. It was really a great time for everyone.

Pre-riding the course









The start









Following the leadout teen








Bring it home strong


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

Been getting a ton of use out of this bike. I recently put a WT 42 tooth cog on the back with X9 clutch derailleur. I was dying to put a narrow wide on the front for him and get rid of that Paul's chain keeper so this is what I ended up with.








New set up
Not the lightest but also 155mm









Old set up










And one of just having fun on the trail


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

In this picture you can see his new wheels and the red 42t cog...you can also see his sister with her game face on


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

The new setup









Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## rwitte (Apr 6, 2004)

rwitte said:


> Built my son that same bike a year or 2 ago. A great way to go for a real kids mtb. Only needed the frame...everything else was from the parts bin. Oh, except the cranks...I did get a set of short cranks for it. This is him last fall at about 10.5. He turns 11 next week, and still has some time left on the frame I think.


Okay...so my son is 12.5 now, and has had a few good growth spurts. I have finally graduated him from his xs D'Ella to a size small Niner MCR that I had. It's another parts bin bike. (I have a heck of a parts bin!) Really what I'm looking for here are some opinions on what his D'Ella might be worth. That is, IF I decide to sell it. I'm struggling with that decision still...keep it as an heirloom sort of thing, vs. selling it so that some other kid has a cool-ass mountain bike, and it gets used as it should. The trick here, of course, is balancing what a parent is willing to pay for a kids bike, that will get outgrown in a couple or few years at the most, against the fact that it is quite tricked out. Those details below:

Frame: 2007 Orbea D'Ella xs 
Fork: 2002 Fox F80X (Pushed back several years ago...I'm sure it could use a basic service again)
Wheels: DT 240s CL QR hubs, Mavic X3.1 UST rims, Sapim CX-ray spokes, Maxxis CrossMark 2.1 LUST tires, XTR QR
Cockpit: Syntace f99 stem, Syntace Vector Carbon lowrider at 630mm wide, ODI Yeti lock-on grips (left full length, right grip shift length)
Post/Saddle: Bontrager Race X Lite 31.6, WTB Rocket V 
BB/Crankset: Origin 8 107mm sq taper, custom Truvativ IsoFlow cut down to 145mm, Salsa 32T single ring, Paul Comp chainkeeper
Shifter/Rear Der./Cassette: SRAM X.0 9 spd rear GS, X.0 9 spd short cage, M970 XTR 9spd 11/32T 
Brakes: Formula Oro K24

As you can see, pretty decked out. Any thoughts...either on value...especially given the target market...or even the whole keep / sell dilemma? This really isn't a "must" from a financial pov...I don't need the funds for other projects or such. If I did, parting it out might garner more dollars in the end, at the expense of more effort, not to mention the breaking up of such an awesome bike! Just trying to think through all this.


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## chollaball (Apr 8, 2005)

rwitte said:


> Okay...so my son is 12.5 now, and has had a few good growth spurts. I have finally graduated him from his xs D'Ella to a size small Niner MCR that I had. It's another parts bin bike. (I have a heck of a parts bin!) Really what I'm looking for here are some opinions on what his D'Ella might be worth. That is, IF I decide to sell it. I'm struggling with that decision still...keep it as an heirloom sort of thing, vs. selling it so that some other kid has a cool-ass mountain bike, and it gets used as it should. The trick here, of course, is balancing what a parent is willing to pay for a kids bike, that will get outgrown in a couple or few years at the most, against the fact that it is quite tricked out. Those details below:
> 
> Frame: 2007 Orbea D'Ella xs
> Fork: 2002 Fox F80X (Pushed back several years ago...I'm sure it could use a basic service again)
> ...


check you PMs plz.


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## rwitte (Apr 6, 2004)

Okay, so I've decided to try to sell the Orbea. Got some input off-line from a few folks and from LBS. Tried to sell locally at first, but now it's on eBay.

ORBEA D&apos;Ella XS 26in Mountain Bike Ultimate Kid&apos;s Bike | eBay


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## Notaskitrail (Apr 29, 2012)

I looked at your listing.... Seems fair price. What about the girls 24 in the picture above. Selling that?


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## rwitte (Apr 6, 2004)

Not 100% what picture you are referring to. If the one from user clarkrw3 then that is different. Same Orbea frame, but that's not mine...different bike, kid, user, etc. So that's not my 24 girls bike. There is a pic of my son with this bike further up in the thread.


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## Notaskitrail (Apr 29, 2012)

Right, Sorry for the confusion. I got you and clarkrw3 confused.

Looking for high quality used 24 for my soon to be 9 year old daughter. This board seems to be the place with the nicest kids bikes.


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

If your Daughter is almost 9 get her a 26"...they really make all the difference. The pic above is of my son and daughter both on 26" wheeled bikes.

Here is a link to my daughters build
http://forums.mtbr.com/families-riding-kids/so-starts-again-ghost-26-build-854609.html

@rwitte seems like a fair price to me, I hope you get it. People are so cheap when it comes to buying bikes for their kids.


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## softbatch (Aug 19, 2014)

So my sons got a 23" inseam and is 52" would something like this be a good route to take or should I stick with a 24" for now?


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

softbatch said:


> So my sons got a 23" inseam and is 52" would something like this be a good route to take or should I stick with a 24" for now?


Both my kids were just a little smaller than than when I build these with them. I have gotten flack from people that think I shouldn't have put them on these bikes when I did....so I have started to keep my mouth shut. BUT, for the most part my kids are the only ones out there riding the same stuff adults are. My son did a bunch of 16 mile night rides with me this summer @ 8 yo only kid out there. So I wouldn't change a thing about how I went about getting them into mountain biking. They both LOVE it and we ride a ton. I say DO IT!!!


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## rwitte (Apr 6, 2004)

softbatch said:


> So my sons got a 23" inseam and is 52" would something like this be a good route to take or should I stick with a 24" for now?


I bet my son was less than 52" when I started him on his 26" Orbea.


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## softbatch (Aug 19, 2014)

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm still deciding on the route I go for this bike but either way I'm going to work toward the build up method when the kids get to the 26ers. My worry with my son is that he's still a novice when it comes to riding bikes. I think I probably need to keep him with plenty of stand over room and the smallest I can find in researching is 24" on the 2014 complete Ghosts on CRC. I guess I could go with a rigid fork to reduce the height and weight.

Sorry about highjacking your thread.


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## rwitte (Apr 6, 2004)

softbatch said:


> Thanks for the encouragement. I'm still deciding on the route I go for this bike but either way I'm going to work toward the build up method when the kids get to the 26ers. My worry with my son is that he's still a novice when it comes to riding bikes. I think I probably need to keep him with plenty of stand over room and the smallest I can find in researching is 24" on the 2014 complete Ghosts on CRC. I guess I could go with a rigid fork to reduce the height and weight.
> 
> Sorry about highjacking your thread.


If you have the time and ability, I do recommend building them up with the child. I know it's not always practical, or even possible for many, but it was enjoyable.


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