# Reducing weight of kid's 24" bike



## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

I'm in the middle of a project to reduce the weight of my daughter's bike. So far, I've gotten it down to 22.7lbs, a reduction of 3lbs from stock.









See the full thread on the family board: http://forums.mtbr.com/families-riding-kids/help-me-lighten-scott-scale-rc-jr-947948.html

At the moment, it doesn't look as though I'll be able to reduce the weight below 20lbs or 9kg.

Here are the remaining parts that I have ordered or proposed to install:

RD: RD-M9000-GS (221g)
Rear shifter: SL-980 (117g)
Brakes: M-988 levers (XTR trail) with M985 non-finned pads
Pedals: AEST Ti (160g)
Seatpost: Tune Starkes Stuck 26.8mm (184g)
Saddle: Fizik Gobi XM? (255g)
Front Wheel: Tune King 28H (107g), Stans ZTR Crest 24 (310g), DT Competition 2.0/1.8/2.0 (170g?), total weight 587g
rear wheel: Tune Kong 28H (212g), Stans ZTR Crest 24 (310g), DT Competition (170g), total weight 692g
Cassette: CS-980-10 11-36T + Wolf Tooth 16T and 42T GC
ESI Silicon grips (52g)

Have I exhausted the possibilities? I don't see where else I could save weight. Thoughts, suggestions?

It's likely that I'll stick to tubes. I also thought about reaming the seattube to 27.2mm ID, but have ordered the Tune post instead.


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## roadscuzz (Jan 18, 2004)

Fun project.
You could go with a lighter saddle and post. Might as well look for lighter clamp options as well.
Carbon bar and foam grips.
Lighter tires and tubes if there are options for 24.
Andrews King ti cage + al fixing bolts.
Al and ti bolts all around.
Lucky daughter.


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## -Todd- (Jun 13, 2011)

Custom Titanium frame...? Woud fit nicely with all that other top shelf componentry.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

roadscuzz said:


> Fun project.
> You could go with a lighter saddle and post. Might as well look for lighter clamp options as well.


First off, thanks for the suggestions. I am a bit wary about lighter saddles, as comfort of the saddle is a very important part of my family member's enjoyment of the cycling experience. (Translation: they don't enjoy torturing themselves on a sliver of carbon fibre like the rest of us!)

Is there a saddle that is lighter than the Gobi XM but with comparable levels of plushness? Imagine a saddle like the Gobi, but perhaps in a slightly smaller size.

On the seatpost: I was not able to find any lighter than the Tune in 26.8mm. Any suggestions?

I might go for a non-QR 31.8mm seatpost clamp. The current QR clamp is Tune, with a measured weight of 31g.



roadscuzz said:


> Carbon bar and foam grips.


I have a 132g Race Face Next Carbon bar on already. I guess I might be able to save about 30g for a lighter but more expensive bar.

On the foam grips: see comment re saddles above. I've not used foam grips before. How do they compare to say the ESI grips?



roadscuzz said:


> Lighter tires and tubes if there are options for 24.


Tyres are a big problem in the 24" world. The lightest tyre available now is the Schwalbe Racing Rons 24" at about 445-455g. The Mow Joe is lighter, but it does not appear to be made any more.

I'll have to weigh the tubes. Thanks for the suggestion.



roadscuzz said:


> Andrews King ti cage + al fixing bolts.
> Al and ti bolts all around.


King Ti! Heh. An excuse to pick up a few for the dad as well.

I'm a bit hesitant about Al bolts because of durability and galvanic corrosion (high humidity and corrosive soils), but I'll definitely look into Ti bolts. The stem bolts are Ti already.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

-Todd- said:


> Custom Titanium frame...? Woud fit nicely with all that other top shelf componentry.


It's difficult to justify to myself a Ti frame for a growing child. She's 9 now, I figure this bike should last another 5 years before she outgrows it. I'll probably get a Ti frame once they stop growing, if they continue to enjoy mountainbiking.

Most of the parts on the other hand can be transferred onto a 26" bike.

If you haven't already seen this, check this out:

Trailcraft Cycles

[IMG=https://www.trailcraftcycles.com/img/site_specific/uploads/crop_IMG_3694.jpg][/IMG]

With the benefit of hindsight, I think this would have been the better bike to start from.


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

For tubes, I used lightweight 20" lightweight schwalbe tubes. It is impossible to find lightweight 24" tubes and the 20" schwalbe's work well in the 24" wheels (just inflate them with a little air before you fit them to make installation easier). However, for most of their life I just ran the Moe Joes and Rocket Rons tubeless. They sealed up easily with one scoop of sealant and that one scoop lasted a long time before drying out.

At the time I built my kid's lightweight 24" wheels (595g front, 698g rear), the Crests were not available so I had to make do with heavier Velocity rims. I did however use Ti spokes in a pair spoke lacing pattern. These wheels were surprisingly solid and lasted until my daughter moved up to 26" wheels.


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## 80Pro-Line (Dec 3, 2014)

Is it me or is that rear dérailleur extra long? Seems like the bike is carrying a bit of excess chain with that thing.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

80Pro-Line said:


> Is it me or is that rear dérailleur extra long? Seems like the bike is carrying a bit of excess chain with that thing.


Good spot. That is the stock derailleur. I've got a medium cage dyna-sys derailleur on order. I didn't trim the 9 speed chain when I removed the triple crank, since I will change to a 10-speed chain and re-use this chain on my own bike.

Some free grams when I shorten the chain eventually.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

TigWorld said:


> For tubes, I used lightweight 20" lightweight schwalbe tubes. It is impossible to find lightweight 24" tubes and the 20" schwalbe's work well in the 24" wheels (just inflate them with a little air before you fit them to make installation easier). However, for most of their life I just ran the Moe Joes and Rocket Rons tubeless. They sealed up easily with one scoop of sealant and that one scoop lasted a long time before drying out.
> 
> At the time I built my kid's lightweight 24" wheels (595g front, 698g rear), the Crests were not available so I had to make do with heavier Velocity rims. I did however use Ti spokes in a pair spoke lacing pattern. These wheels were surprisingly solid and lasted until my daughter moved up to 26" wheels.


Thanks Tig. Your FAQ is very impressive, and I've referred to it more than once. Did you ever get to confirm the ERD of the Alex ACE20 rims?

I will see if I can find 20" tubes. On the paired spoke lacing, that might just be beyond my abilities as a mechanic! I'm planning a cross two lacing up front and cross three for the rear. I've ordered DT Competitions, as DT Revos are not made in the required lengths.


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

Cheers. I wasn't able to confirm the ACE20 ERD as they stopped making them before I could get hold of some.

I feel your pain with the 24" spoke lengths. Very hard to get lightweight spokes in that length, which is why the paired lacing with half the number of straight gauge 2.0mm spokes works well. However, for the Crests, where the rims are already nice and light, a full compliment of spokes is probably a better idea. Sometimes straight gauge Ti spokes can be got relatively cheaply. They will weigh about the same as DT Revs. I got my Ti spokes for around $2/spoke, but they were in an odd length (284mm or something like that), so I had to cut them down and re-thread them.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

joeadnan said:


> ...
> 
> I'm a bit hesitant about Al bolts because of durability and galvanic corrosion (high humidity and corrosive soils), but I'll definitely look into Ti bolts. The stem bolts are Ti already.


Great thread! Kids' bikes are ridiculously heavy. I am researching a build for my 7-year-old currently.

I think galvanic corosion also applies to Ti bolts, however it can be avoided via this:








Ti bolts are a great cadidate for the brake rotors, as that accounts for 12 bolts altogether.

Lightest grips I'm aware of are Lizardskins DSPs @ 12.5g each (vs ~30-ish for the ESIs). They are similar to the ESIs, but with a rubbery grip.


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## -Todd- (Jun 13, 2011)

While we're on the topic of kids bikes, how do you ensure that this thing isn't lifted from the park or when it's laying on the lawn? Even the wear/tear that a kid puts on a bike from dropping it or crashing it... Is this thing only used with Dad on the trail or is it a daily rider? 

I had to put a derailleur guard on my son's Trek to keep everything straight and shifting properly. I wouldn't dare put disc brakes on until he's old enough to realize that spinning wheels & rotors can remove finger tips...

Maybe it's just me?


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

-Todd- said:


> While we're on the topic of kids bikes, how do you ensure that this thing isn't lifted from the park or when it's laying on the lawn? Even the wear/tear that a kid puts on a bike from dropping it or crashing it... Is this thing only used with Dad on the trail or is it a daily rider?
> 
> I had to put a derailleur guard on my son's Trek to keep everything straight and shifting properly. I wouldn't dare put disc brakes on until he's old enough to realize that spinning wheels & rotors can remove finger tips...
> 
> Maybe it's just me?


The only problem with the derailleur guard is that it is purely adding weight. I get that a thrown down bike is subject to unwanted derailleur "adjustment", and other damage for that matter, so it is a tough call. You also have to consider if a kickstand makes sense or not - again, that's an anchor.

I will fully agree with you that theft is a concern.

Not sure I agree with you on the spinning wheels and rotors piece. Not sure under what scenario fingers are getting close to a quick-spinning wheel. For that matter, any bike with wheels could do the same thing, just about.


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## stew325 (Jan 3, 2011)

wheels don't need to be spinning quickly for a rotor to do damage. My son almost lost his finger tip the day I brought home my 2010 stumpjumper from the bike shop. Hanging on the rack on the back of the car. he spun the wheel and put his finger in the rotor before I could react. cut him a bit. Could have been worse. But I could definitely see a curious kid and a bike in a stand in the garage having potential. I've taught my younger son now to never put his hands near anything spinning.

I hear you on the theft. I have had my son ride a daily driver cheaper bike for play duty, and going for rides with friends.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

The bike will be used mainly on trails in my presence, and in the presence of my kukri 

Todd and stew: Thanks for the reminder about the dangers of a spinning rotor. I'll mention it to my kids the next time out. They are generally attentive and clued on about safety, as we do a bunch of outdoor activities that can be perceived by the mainstream as "dangerous", including rock climbing.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

phlegm said:


> I think galvanic corosion also applies to Ti bolts, however it can be avoided via this:
> View attachment 969396
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the suggestion about the Lizardskins. I'll look into them.

I slathered a whole bunch of Ti-prep when I installed the BB. I had this Phil BB in a Ti frame for about a couple of years. I had to clamp the BB tool to a vice and rotate the frame as a lever to remove the BB, which split one of the aluminium lockrings. There was corrosion and white precipitation on the aluminium shell of the BB, which I have assumed is salt from the galvanic reaction between dissimilar metals, aided by the ingress of water from the extremely wet conditions.









I put on the Ti-prep precisely because of the galvanic corrosion, but is that what Ti-prep is meant to prevent?

I ordered steel replacement lockrings (35g!) but never got around to reinstalling the BB into my frame, so my daughter is the lucky beneficiary of this particular piece of bike jewelry.

Incidentally, the "floating" design of the lockrings allow me to fine tune the axle placement and chainline, which is great to get the offset chainring to work with the large cog. I'll report back on how well it works with the 42T GC. The WT 30T direct drive dropstop chainring is not meant to work with the RS-7 square taper crank, but it will fit.


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## febikes (Jan 28, 2011)

Go single speed! The rider will develop better skills and the bike will be lighter plus more durable.


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## xc71 (Dec 24, 2008)

My son has been running the SLR XP saddle, decent weight at 180 grams, good padding, affordable and he likes the SLR shape.
We both run Extralite grips, really light and very comfy. Use hair spray when installing.


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## xc71 (Dec 24, 2008)

For tubes on my son's Scott Spark RC jr 24 he runs Conti Supersonic 26" tubes @ 95 grams.
I looked at several options for a seatpost ( which there are not many ) and I decided to start with a Thompson Elite 27.2 because I had one in my parts bid. You can buy a 26.8 Elite and then tune it. I only had to mill 0.25mm off of the post post due to the seattube being 26.85. Thompson's are notorious for being undersize and sure enough my 27.2 was actually 27.11mm. It fit perfect.
From there I tossed the boat anchor top cradle and steel bolts. Replaced with Ti bolts and KCNC yokes ( other options are POP and J&L yokes ). The post then weighed 151 grams. You can further reduce the weight by tossing the lower cradle and make a new one out of an old seatpost cutoff ( pictured on the scale ).


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

Thanks for the suggestions xc71.



xc71 said:


> I looked at several options for a seatpost ( which there are not many ) and I decided to start with a Thompson Elite 27.2 because I had one in my parts bid. You can buy a 26.8 Elite and then tune it. I only had to mill 0.25mm off of the post post due to the seattube being 26.85. Thompson's are notorious for being undersize and sure enough my 27.2 was actually 27.11mm. It fit perfect.


What did you use to ream the seattube? Sounds like it was an adjustable reamer.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

febikes said:


> Go single speed! The rider will develop better skills and the bike will be lighter plus more durable.


Heh heh. My personal philosophy is that singlespeeding is one of these activities that you do after you have acquired better skills, and not to develop those same skills. It is for those who have done it all, and now create a self-imposed challenge, to test themselves.

There are many parallels in other activities, like the angler who uses the thinnest line and smallest hook, to catch improbably large fish. Or the master photographer who, having used the widest variety of the greatest and the best gear, decides to turn his back on gear obsession and use a single focal length lens for the rest of his life, shooting only black and white film.

Beginners on the other hand need the full complement of tools, before they can earn the right to the freedom of self-imposed constraints.


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## xc71 (Dec 24, 2008)

joeadnan said:


> Thanks for the suggestions xc71.
> 
> What did you use to ream the seattube? Sounds like it was an adjustable reamer.


I never reamed the seatpost, Scott made it 26.85 mm stock.


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## krzysiekmz (Nov 10, 2009)

Brakes are overkill for a child (not sure how old) but are a keeper for later. 

Seat could save a lot of weight, but needs to be comfortable for your daughter. 

Grips. Extralite was mentioned, they now make a 7g/pair version - Hypergrips. I like mine a lot. 

Stan's ZTR Crest 24'' rims - why not go tubeless? 

Seatclamp could probably be lighter as mentioned above. How about skewers? 

What seem/handlebars/spacers? Handlebar alone on my wife's stock bike was over 500g if I remember correctly! I doubt this is the case with Scott, but these items stock are always heavier than expected. 

What fork it that on there now? Depending on axle-crown distance needed, maybe an older SID set to 80mm could be used. 

Picture of the bike is not up to date I think. 


All in all, lighten it but make sure she still enjoys it! An uncomfortable seat or grips can discourage a young rider.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

xc71 said:


> I never reamed the seatpost, Scott made it 26.85 mm stock.


I see. I misunderstood you and thought you reamed the seattube, but you in fact milled a quarter of an millimetre of a 27.2mm Thomson seatpost.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

krzysiekmz said:


> Brakes are overkill for a child (not sure how old) but are a keeper for later.
> 
> Seat could save a lot of weight, but needs to be comfortable for your daughter.
> 
> ...


The original thread is at the Family board:

http://forums.mtbr.com/families-riding-kids/help-me-lighten-scott-scale-rc-jr-947948.html

Here is a spreadsheet that I made to keep track of progress. The weights in blue are measured weights. The light blue cells in the "weight savings" column relate to parts that I have not either purchased or installed. Only the white cells in the "upgrade" column are parts that I have already installed.

















The stock weight column will not add up, as the total weight of the stock bike is based on the actual measured weight. The projected weight is obtained by deducting the weight savings from the stock weight. Current weight is 22.7lbs.

I agree that the bike is probably overbraked. Having thought about it, perhaps I ought to have purchased a 140mm rotor for the rear brake. This will not only save the weight of the rotor, but also the weight of the adapter. Given a choice, I would have liked to go v-brakes, but I think it unfair to inflict my retrogrouchiness on my daughter.

Thanks for the suggestion of the Extralight grips. 7g! Wow. I might purchase a set to give it a try.

Regarding the saddle, I'll see if I can get hold of a SLR XP somewhere. It might even be more comfy than the stock Syncros saddle that my daughter seems to prefer over the Gobi XM, strangely.

Tubeless: I have not tried any tubeless solution before, and the reason I haven't is that I have formed the opinion that they are messy, whether rightly or wrongly. Perhaps someone can disabuse me of this notion.

The seatclamp: this 31g Tune is a NOS part retrieved from the bowels of my LBS, no doubt dating from a time when 31g was the apotheosis of weightweenism. No longer. I will look for a lighter clamp.

The fork is the stock Suntour XCR fork. My dream solution would be to get a disc-brake SID fork with 28mm stanchions, crack open the crown, and bolt on a Judy SL crown. I can then lower the crown to reduce the A-to-C distance. Do SIDs come in 28mm stanchions still?

http://forums.mtbr.com/vintage-retro-classic/dremel-tool-anything-possible-86466.html


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## Kwik (Aug 7, 2007)

You could put on schwalbe mow joe tyres 24x1,75. I have the 20 inch version on my sons bike. Pretty light at 420 gram for the 24 inch. 

Not al lot of saving, but it is a great fast rolling tyre. With plenty of grip.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

This is somewhat tangential, but what about the cost here? I'm a crazy WW on my own bikes, and overspend routinely, but this is different. IMO, you have 4 additional things to weigh the cost against:

1. _The typical finickiness of kids. _ "Today I love biking. Next week I want to skateboard all the time because all my friends are doing it. Now I want a pony."

2. _Growing out of the bike._ Not a new thing here, and this is mitigated by the number of hand-me-down kids you have, but all the same you have to consider the limited lifetime of a given frame.

3. _Damage/Theft. _ I'm not entirely certain if kids are necessarily tougher on bikes (I have some crashes), but I think the chances are somewhat higher.

4. _Resale._ This is more obscure, but top of mind to me. I go through lots of lightweight parts for my own build, but for the most part I can sell my used stuff at a reasonable loss. While "Weight Weenies" are a subset of the overall bike population, there are enough of them out there to create a small market. Light Kids' Bike Builders are a subset of that subset, and I would anticipate less demand. Or, alternatively, if you are listing a 3-year-old bike on Kijiji for $1000 versus a brand new kids' bike for $300-400, I'm thinking it is difficult to compete for most parents' budget.

Was just curious what you folks think re cost.


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## 80Pro-Line (Dec 3, 2014)

The OP already mentioned in his second post in this thread that most of these parts can be transferred to a 26" bike to account for growth. If he retains the stock stuff, he can just re-install it all in order to sell the 24".


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## stew325 (Jan 3, 2011)

I agree 100% about the cost being a factor. I mostly try to reuse parts I have already after upgrading my bike to make the kids bikes lighter/faster/cooler. If it can be transferred to their next bike, I would be more inclined to spend more though.
Kids beating on stuff as they get older is a concern too for sure. My son loves to jump his XC race bike (can't blame him), so don't I want to go too lightweight.


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## xc71 (Dec 24, 2008)

If your going to build a higher end kids bike the kid has to commit to doing a certain amount of riding.
As far as theft go's I got my son a 24" Hot Rock that he uses around the neighbourhood, dirt jumping and bike parks. His high end Scott usually only gets used when riding with Mom & Dad and MTB holidays.
Not many parents want to spend money on a kids MTB because they think the money is gone after they grow out of it. Its the wrong way to look at it because although the market is small for high end kids bikes, they usually sell very easy. After my son rode his Scott for 3 years, I got 3/4 of what I paid for it when I sold it. Hockey costs more in one year what his Scott was worth and you see zero of that money come back. He races dirt bikes and thats probably 5 or 6 times the cost of MTBing in a year.
I had zero regrets building him this http://forums.mtbr.com/families-riding-kids/scott-spark-rc-24-mods-697418.html
because it give him the ability to join Intermediate level adult rides where they would sometimes start out with 1 1/2 of climbing. The Hot Rock was torture for him on these type of rides.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

OP here. Cost is obviously a factor, but the perception of value is a very personal thing. Apart from the points already discussed above, here are a number of things that weigh in my mind. (-:

_The impact of weight for kids._ The effect of a heavy bike will be more marked for kids than it will be for adults, as the weight of the bike will be a higher percentage of their own body weight. It means that weight savings will have a more significant effect for kids than it will be for us. I could even see the difference between a 25.7lb bike and a 22.7lb bike by the way my daughter pushed the bike up a too-steep hill. There is therefore greater value to me of reducing the weight on my kid's bike than reducing weight on mine (where other performance factors such as durability come into play).

_Shared activity._ We bike as a whole family, and I hope to be doing this for many years to come. I hope that I will instill a love for the outdoors in my kids, and that they will continue to bike, hike, climb and kayak into adulthood. If I make the activity fun for them, they will enjoy the company of their parents, and that will bond us closer as a family. The cost of a shared experience?

Fads come and go. But if they genuinely enjoy the activity (whether from the challenge of the trails or from the interaction between us), then I hope that finickiness will not be a factor to turn them away from biking. Hopefully they will be biking with their kids when I am too old and doddery to swing my leg over a bike.

_It's an investment._ It's not an investment from which you will get a monetary return. Every click of a "checkout" button will have some degree of guilt. But I am less hesitant to spend money on my kid's bike than I am on my own. I'll only get a new part for my own bike if it is necessary (although I will sometimes rationalize that something is indeed "necessary"!). On the other hand, I'll get equipment for my kids if, say, I think it will match their outfit better! Within reason of course.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

Kwik said:


> You could put on schwalbe mow joe tyres 24x1,75. I have the 20 inch version on my sons bike. Pretty light at 420 gram for the 24 inch.
> 
> Not al lot of saving, but it is a great fast rolling tyre. With plenty of grip.


I have the Mow Joe on Daughter No. 2's bike. Unfortunately, they are no longer available from Schwalbe.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

*Toys vs Values*

Underlying the discussion above is the whole idea of spoiling one's kid. It's natural to want to spend on my ankle biters and give them all that one can. The challenge is of course to do so in way that will not spoil them, which means teaching them about values that will prepare them for success when we are no longer around.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

Was able to finalise the drivetrain and install the brakes over the weekend. I've decided to stick to the ESI grips for now since I've already purchased them. I did however change to a miniscule 9g Token seatclamp.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

Saddle arrived today. Let's see how well it works.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Aloha Joe, 

Nice project. How fun!! 

Some tricks that might help. Some of them are more drastic then others. 

Most kids don't need as wide a bar as adults. You can cut the bars down. Also, most times, the grips are too wide. The grips can be cut down. The seatpost can also be cut down if there's a lot of insertion. You can stretch 20" tubes in there. They are 24" wheels, right? The brake pads can be replaced with the aluminum backed ones. Especially her being a lighter rider, the brakes don't need to have as much power rating (watts). 

Finally, this one is drastic. The inner part of the rim between the spoke holes especially for a lighter rider doesn't do much for strength. You can mill/grind holes in between the spoke holes. This will save you a bunch on the wheels. 

I'll look deeper but looks like you have a great handle on this project. Enjoy this kind of stuff.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

gmats said:


> Aloha Joe,
> 
> Nice project. How fun!!
> 
> ...


Thanks for your suggestions! The bars are already 535mm, or about 21 inches, so I think that would be a good size for my daughter.

I have actually thought about trimming the grips, not so much from a weight perspective but rather more for aesthetics. Somehow the stock length does not look proportional to the rest of the bike. Is there a special way to trim silicone grips? I'd hate to end up with an uneven cut.

Re seatpost: Because my kids are still growing, I'll probably not be cutting any of the seatposts for now. The bike will have to last until they move on to a 26" wheeled bike, so the seatpost will have to accommodate their growth until then.

I'll look into aluminium backed pads. Thanks!

I'm not sure I'm brave enough to mill the rims! I'm building a lighter wheelset, so we'll see how that goes.

Installed a King Ti cage. 30g savings.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

joeadnan said:


> I have actually thought about trimming the grips, not so much from a weight perspective but rather more for aesthetics. Somehow the stock length does not look proportional to the rest of the bike. Is there a special way to trim silicone grips? I'd hate to end up with an uneven cut.
> 
> I'll look into aluminium backed pads. Thanks!
> 
> ...


OK, so tubes. You can run 16" tubes stretched? Or 20" tubes.

Cutting the grips. One method that could work. Mount the grips on to a dowel or even PVC pipe. Mark where you want to cut it and then use a miter saw/chop saw. Should make a clean cut.

I like that King Ti cage. Classic, never goes out of fashion.


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

*More or less done... 19.5lbs*

The bike is more or less done, save perhaps for some Ti bolts for the rear caliper and adapter. Weight weenie fever got me at end, I think, although it was good to get up to speed on the current availability of ww parts. I'll be building a travel bike for my wife soon, and that knowledge will definitely come in handy.



















Parts list below.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

Looks great Joe, thx for the pics and details. Just wish a truly light kids bike was more accessible.


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## leugene (Jun 20, 2008)

Great bike! See only tubes to improve and old 28mm sid instead of rst.
#HappyChildHood


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## dbabuser (Jan 5, 2004)

Where did you find the Rocket Ron's? I haven't found them in stock anywhere.


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## leugene (Jun 20, 2008)

bike-components.de


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## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

I got them from Starbike.com


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