# Custom build 24" Kids bike.



## cmprobert (Jun 20, 2010)

My daughter turns 8y/o next month and I have been searching for a good quality 24" kids bike. I like most liked the look of the Scott Scale RC, but didn't like the $1,000 price tag. So I set out to build up my own. Only stock parts remaining are the frame, brake levers and seat. In all it dropped the weight from close to 30lbs, down to 22lbs and is a pretty sweet little ride! Hope this helps some bike crazy dads (and moms) out who don't want their kids on a 30lb POS...

Here are the specs, and some before and after pics:

Used Scott Racing 24" bike used: $150
Custom powder Coat: $100
Custom built wheelset with Shimano XT hubs Sun Rino rims: $100
Custom carbon fork with disc (ebay) $100
XT 10speed rear 11x36 with 34T front chainring: $20
XTR rear brake (garage)
Avid disk front with stock levers that adjust well for small hands
synz 140mm BMX crank, 110BCD: $20
FSA Ti bottom bracket: $25
Lightweight 26.8 seatpost and stem: $75
Schwalbe Rocket Ron tires set up tubeless $75
wellgo alloy pedals: $20
Odds and end pink goodies to girlify it

Yes I spent about $200 more than my goal, but the result was a bike that blows the scott scale away for about $700


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## Shayne (Jan 14, 2004)

Nice
You could probably drop 2+ pounds on the wheels though. XT hubs are HEAVY as are Rhinolites.


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## cmprobert (Jun 20, 2010)

Shayne said:


> Nice
> You could probably drop 2+ pounds on the wheels though. XT hubs are HEAVY as are Rhinolites.


I agree, sugestions on a rim. I did these because I got the rims for $20 and had the hubs in my garage


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## Shayne (Jan 14, 2004)

Yeah, price wise I guess you can't go wrong there.

Velocity Aeroheats are nice but pricey. I have 2 sets of them. I believe there is an Alex rim that is cheaper and even lighter though.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Shayne said:


> Yeah, price wise I guess you can't go wrong there.
> 
> Velocity Aeroheats are nice but pricey. I have 2 sets of them. I believe there is an Alex rim that is cheaper and even lighter though.


I have the same, the Aeroheats were the only 24inch light rims I could find then someone posted the Alex rims after my wheels were done.

I'm happy with the Aeroheats, but if I had known about the Alex rims I would have chosen those.


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## GrayJay (May 16, 2011)

Another strategy for reducing wheel weight- In my experince, 36 or 32 spoke wheels are plenty strong for 250 lbs riders, and complete overkill for a 60 lbs kid. I am working on re-lacing a set of 36 spoke wheels to 18 spoke in rear (6 sets of crossed spokes on drive side - use two hub flange holes, skip one) tension ballanced with 6 radial spokes on the non-drive side (use one flange hole, skip 2). At the rim, lace all the spokes from both sides into the 18 holes originally intended for the drive side spokes. You could likely also reduce rim weight a bit by using a hole-saw to drill out excess material from the rim inbetween the spokes. 
On the front, just re-lace a 36 spoke set as an 18 spoke wheel. (Radial lacing with rim brakes, disk brakes need spoke crosses to transmitt braking force).

You could certainly use the lightest spokes available for a kid, typical strait 14 gauge spokes are overkill for the load being supported.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Apr 21, 2010)

Nice work on the build! Only thing I would suggest since you did away with the suspension fork would be to put a 24"x3" Nokian Gazzaloddi (or a 24"x3" Arrow Racing Wide Bite) tire on the front. You can run them at pretty low pressure (less than 15psi) for an extra bit of squish for the trails. OK, so it would add more weight—those aren’t weight weenie tires by any means—but the cornering and traction are superb on those tires. I’m currently running a 24"x3" Gazzaloddi on the front of my son’s custom-built 24" bike, he loves it. He’s always throwing it into corners to see at which point it will break loose. We do a lot of riding on rocky/switchbacky/loose singletrack.


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## Axe (Jan 12, 2004)

For my daughter's Scott Spark 24 I have built Circus Monkey 28h disk hubs and Alex rims. Rims had been kinda narrow, but seem to work fine with Schwalbe's Mow Joe.

Not sure about disk brakes though, they seem to be very powerful for her, locks rear wheel much too easy.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Axe said:


> For my daughter's Scott Spark 24 I have built Circus Monkey 28h disk hubs and Alex rims. Rims had been kinda narrow, but seem to work fine with Schwalbe's Mow Joe.
> 
> Not sure about disk brakes though, they seem to be very powerful for her, locks rear wheel much too easy.


Are you using hydro or mech?


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## Axe (Jan 12, 2004)

TwoTone said:


> Are you using hydro or mech?


Mech BB7. With Avid Ti levers, as they have convenient reach and leverage adjustments.


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## gonediesel (Oct 9, 2005)

*When would such bike be up for sale?*

My daughter just turned 8 and I need to find something like this. She has out grown her Redline Pitboss. GD


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## bikebum (Mar 30, 2004)

Can she climb with the 1x10 gear ratio? Is the 34x36 low enough for actual dirt climbs?


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