# Options for 24" lightweight kids mtn bikes?



## gmillikan (Aug 20, 2010)

Am I missing any serious contenders? Should I be looking at others?

22.47 lbs - Scott Scale RC JR (MSRP $1000 USD)
http://www.scott-sports.com/us_en/product/9137/44907/215636
Shimano PD-M520 Clipless Pedels

26.2 lbs - Specialized Hotrock A1 FS Boys (MSRP $420 USD)
http://www.specialized.com/zz/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=47602&eid=4360&menuItemId=9270

28.6 lbs - Marin Bayview Trail SE Disc 24'' 2010 (MSRP $500 USD) 
http://www.marinbikes.com/2010/bike_specs.php?serialnum=902

?? lbs - Giant Brass 1 (MSRP $650 USD)
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/model/brass.1/3917/36650/

Rider is a smaller 9 year old boy. Don't want to do a lot of modifications, I have enough issues keeping my own rigs purring...


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## gmillikan (Aug 20, 2010)

Ugh, how could I forget:

Between 27.3 and 25.5 lbs - MT 220 Boy's (MSRP $339.99 USD)
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/kids/ages_9_12/mt220boys/


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## gmillikan (Aug 20, 2010)

??? lbs - Kona Shred 2-4 (MSRP $650 USD) (only ~7 speeds but front/back disk brake)
http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=shred_2-4


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

The Kona Shred is heavy. Its built for DJ and not really as a kids bike. If you cast your net a bit wider than known brands you may be able to pick up a bargain and tweak it to suit. I managed to put together a sub 10.5kg full suspension 24" for my daughter for less than $600aud, and its got plenty of parts I could later use on a 26" build when she out-grows it.


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## gmillikan (Aug 20, 2010)

?? lbs KHS 2010 Alite 24 (MSRP: $439 USD) (24-speed)
http://www.khsbicycles.com/04_alite_024_10.htm

?? lbs KHS 2010 DJ24 (MSRP $500) (Disk brakes, 14-speed?)
http://www.khsbicycles.com/01_dj_24_10.htm


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## gmillikan (Aug 20, 2010)

Would love to do that but just don't have time - I have 4 boys, the oldest one is 9, so I need something pretty good to start with and then weight weenie it as I have time (yeah, right).


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

I do not believe they make the Scale RC Jr. anymore, and can't be ordered, from some posts on other parts of this forum board. You might be able to find some old stock, but it's going to be a search. The Scale Jr. 24 is about 26.5lbs though.

All the other 24" bikes are around the same weight, give or take a pound. That is about 27lbs, give or take.

There are a ton of them. Giant Xtc Jr. 24, Haro Flightline 24, Gary Fisher Opie 24, Felt Q24, etc. etc. I checked out a number of them. They are all very similar in weight. I'd pick one solely on geometry followed by components. The biggest thing would be frame geoemtry, then front shock. Some work, some don't work too well, though I admit that the SR Suntour front forks on the kids bike are pretty good, spring wise.

TigWorld's 24" is awesome.


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

gmillikan said:


> ?? lbs KHS 2010 Alite 24 (MSRP: $439 USD) (24-speed)
> http://www.khsbicycles.com/04_alite_024_10.htm
> 
> ?? lbs KHS 2010 DJ24 (MSRP $500) (Disk brakes, 14-speed?)
> http://www.khsbicycles.com/01_dj_24_10.htm


The KHS Alite 24 looks good, no geometry listing though.

I'd personally stay away from Dirt Jump bikes. They tend to be bigger and heavier, like the Kona Shred.

Kona Hula is their standard 24".


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## gmillikan (Aug 20, 2010)

TigWorld: Really, that is an awesome write up - please keep that up - it's great for reference.

IAmHolland: Yikes, I missed quite a few! The Gary Fisher Opie 24 looks nice. When you say _pick one solely on geometry_ what does that mean? What geometry should I be paying attention to?

Thanks,

Geoff

PS. I've got a spreadsheet going to keep track of all this. What a geek: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AsvSHeY-CU50dG9wVV9rdS1sNVlOckVaajJuM1QxVVE&hl=en


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## yzblue242 (May 3, 2008)

I don't believe they are making the Opie 24 for 2011, but you might find a '10 sitting around.

I just picked up a Focus Raven Rookie for a sweet deal. Focus is a German company and makes some nice high end stuff. 

I was down to a Shred 2-4 (didn't like how they went to a single ring in the front for '11), the Trek 220 (fork is redonkulous - I have a hard time compressing it) and ended up with the Focus. The price swayed me (retail is around $400), but it's a comparable spec to the Treks, Specialized, etc. and I can make some easy swaps to save about 2 pounds (tires, crank, etc.).


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## gmillikan (Aug 20, 2010)

yzblue242: Thanks so much for the feedback! The Trek has the SR Suntour fork that IAmHolland seems to recommend. Hum.

I've got a pretty good list going here:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AsvSHeY-CU50dG9wVV9rdS1sNVlOckVaajJuM1QxVVE&hl=en


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

Interesting. It may have been a bad fork. TigWorld mentions that the fork is functional as well, on his webpage. All the SR Suntour forks I tried on the kid bikes compressed very easily, and I didn't need to lean on it, just push down rather softly (about 30lbs of pressure) and I got at least 10% compression (no zip tie to measure the length, but the compression was very noticeable). I couldn't bottom it out though, but I'm sure a jump off a curb would compress a good amount. I figured that would be a good sag amount for a kid. If you go to a sporting good store, you can probably grab a 30lb dumbell and lay it on the handlebars. Kid shocks are really just all spring like the low end adult shocks.

My son has an older Hotrock 20, with the RST 200K fork. That one works well too. He regularly gets over 1" compression on it. He hasn't bottomed it yet, but we haven't really hit the rough stuff. He's about 45 lbs. It seems SR Suntour has replaced RST at the kid level across the board. A few still use a RST Capa, but not many.

What I mean by geometry (since the head angle and seat angles are all about the same) is the effective top tube length and standover. Some are larger, some are smaller. The range for ETT seems to be from 20.x inches to 23 inches. That's a huge range. I tend to like a smaller one for a kid (20.x), as 23 is pretty much an adult's 13" frame. It's easier to increase stem than it is to try and correct a long top tube. It depends on your kid's size.

After that, it's components to see how much more you can lighten it, such as tires, stem, handlebars, seat, etc. Then it's color selection, and then taking your kids to try it out. I've gone to so many shops, it's borderline ridiculous right now. The similarities are so striking. My son seems to have taken a liking to the Scott Scale Jr. 24, FWIW. Unfortunately, I didn't measure that one. He's about a year away from properly mounting a 24, but I am doing my shopping now, in case he hits the size before summer next year.

I am going to take a closer look at the Scott Scale Jr. 24 in a few weeks. IIRC, it's also one of the few that actually has a cassette instead of a freewheel. I was in a rush and didn't properly look everything over. This would not be an issue for someone willing to build their own wheels for a 24" bike.

I am still hoping for the Carver Mini 12" frame to come back in stock anywhere, if it ever existed. I'd build it up proper. The hard part, is fork, as I don't think off the shelf adult sized shocks would work well without some swapping such as length and spring rate. Someone can correct me there, as I'm no suspension guru.

Thanks for the spreadsheet.


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## gmillikan (Aug 20, 2010)

Almost went with KHS but ended up going with the Specialized Hotrock A1 FS because it looked like the best package overall. Reviews on the fork seem ok, it's disk-break-ready, Top Tube Length (Actual) on the bigger frame is 515mm = 20.28 inches which meets your suggestion. The bike is red and he likes red so what can I say.

Scott Scale Jr. 24 seems like a an actual kids version of an adult bike. I like that. Why should my kid be riding a bike that's heavier than mine? And I weigh 185 and he weighs 50. Come on. That said, at $1000, my son would need to be into it a bit more for the Scott. If he's gung-hoe about it in 2 years, I'd consider getting the Scott and passing this one down to younger brother.

If anyone wants more factoids on the spreadsheet let me know and I'll add it. It's good for posterity.


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## Aklik (Sep 8, 2009)

Im looking at a Gary Fisher Precaliber 24" 09 any one know anything about them?


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## dragbike (Jun 10, 2005)

How about buying a small (13" frame) higher level 26" wheeled XC bike and building up a set of 24" disc wheels to use until your kid grows into the 26" wheels? That's what I am strongly considering doing. The 24" disc wheels would have good resale value too, when the times comes to sell them.

The high quality 24" bikes are just too hard to find. My son currently rides a tweaked Hotrock and I want him on a better/lighter bike. He loves MTBing and I want to make it even more enjoyable for him. The only 24" I could see upgrading to would be the real nice Scott, and I can't find one where I live.


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## Vxc961 (Apr 20, 2013)

Yeah, I think it's much cooler to build up my kids 24" bikes, but I've determined that I live my life in 7-minute increments before somebody needs a snack, somebody needs to me to clean up a spill, or somebody is fighting. I got a 2009 Scott Scale RC for $280. I was iffy at first, but grabbed it. Now I cannot imagine building a bike even close to that for twice the price, plus I'd never have the time. Problem is, the little guys are 18 months apart, so the little guy is doing what my middle son is doing almost right away--I've been looking for MONTHS on CL and eBay for a Scale RC Jr and the cheapest I've seen is $500, and that was in WA (I'm in CA),and they never answered my appeals to ship the bike. Anyway, the spreadsheet is awesome! If I can't find another Scale RC Jr for a decent price, I think I'll just try the build-up route. I have to echo the chorus: It's ridiculous that my 50 pound kid has to push around a bike heavier than I have!


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## -luke- (Mar 18, 2010)

wish this was current & included weights


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## Fargo1 (Oct 19, 2012)

I don't have weights for the current offereings, but here are the lightest bikes I saw currently on the market:

From smaller makers:
Isla - Beinn
Isla - Creig
Trailcraft - Pineridge
Clearybikes is supposed to be working on something too.

From major manufactureres
Trek Superfly 24 - 
Canondale Race 24- has air fork


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

Need to watch the top tube length but it's possible with a really short stem. If you're going this route it might be better to go 26 in the front and 24 in the rear. Only have to deal with 1 wheel this way. This is assuming the geometry doesn't get too messed up with whatever fork / wheel combo you're running.

Also, here's what we're planning on doing. You can swap all of the components from a 26 to a 24 and back except the wheels, so if you build up a garage / ebay / DIY 24, you can later move all of the parts to a 26. We have a storage box with all of the stock 24 components in it. As soon as it's time to go to a 26, those are going back on the 24 and we'll find a small 26" frame and some new wheels.


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## fatchanceti (Jan 12, 2005)

I just ordered the Cannondale 24 Race for my daughter (really tall 9yr old). Supposed to be 25.x lbs stock. Looks like a lightish frame and has the nice air sprung fork.

Seems like with a little work (and parts I already have, like a single ring, 150mm AC BMX crank, a bunch of old 8sp and 9sp XT parts) I can get the weight down a few lbs easy.

I built her a 26" wheeled Barracuda (12" frame) but it's pretty long and low early to mid 90's geometry and she just doesn't feel comfortable on it. That bike is like 21-22 lbs I think, but it kinda looks like a 29er when she is on it.


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## backinmysaddle (Jul 27, 2011)

I thought this through and went store to store with my portable scale and was quite frankly shocked. Even Cannondale couldnt get their bikes down in the low 20 lb range (I've always respected them for making well-priced but light bikes).

I ultimately decided to by the IslaBikes Beinn model, one in 24" (19.4 lbs, $549) for my daughter and one in 20"(17.3 lbs, $439) for my son. Here are the mods that I think you have to do on these bikes to get them trail ready:
(1) new tires- $60 pair
(2) fix gearing (32fx32r is not enough granny): for the 24" add a 42t rear cog and an x9 rear deraileur (no cost, from my parts bin, but $150ish realistically). for the 20" added a 38t off ebay ($40 as existing x4 derailleur seems to work fine). I'd like to put a 28t front chain ring on both, but cannot find one on short cranks that fits square taper.
(3) front shock- for the 20" I am not sure it is worth it so I have left the stock fork, for the 24", F1rst air shock for $175.
(4) disc brakes- for both I am sticking with the nice light weight cantis that come stock. We dont ride enough in slop to have any problems and the IslaBikes levers are awesome for their little hands (no complaints even on 5 mile rides with lots of braking).
(5) coming soon- wider bars as the grow a bit and get into more aggressive trails

Bottom line: 
18lb 20" bike that rocks for about $540 
23lb 24" bike (w suspension upgrade) that also performs well for about $850 (if you dont have spare parts around).


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

If you're not in a hurry, super slow shipping even for China, we got these carbon bars on ebay: Carbon Fiber Cycling Mountain Road MTB Bicycle Bike Riser Handlebar 31 8mm Su | eBay

They are not actually RF brand, that's a stock image. Uncut weight @670mm length was 120g. They are crazy stiff. I was a bit worried about strength at this weight, but I can't imagine me breaking them in normal riding let alone a child.


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## GasX (Apr 2, 2013)

Deal of the century:

Ramones 24 | Commencal Kids 2015


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## youngstrom (Aug 6, 2013)

I like that price but that fork seems like it is generally regarded as worthless and I was hoping to get disk brakes due to how sloppy it is riding the trails in our area. I wonder if the wheels can be converted to disk if if it is just better to shell out the extra money for something like the Meta... META HT 24 YELLOW 2016


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## Mark194 (Mar 3, 2012)

youngstrom said:


> I like that price but that fork seems like it is generally regarded as worthless and I was hoping to get disk brakes due to how sloppy it is riding the trails in our area. I wonder if the wheels can be converted to disk if if it is just better to shell out the extra money for something like the Meta... META HT 24 YELLOW 2016


Looks like a great ride for the little rippers. Think it is really 24lbs?


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## crankpuller (Feb 27, 2004)

*spawn shojo*



gmillikan said:


> Am I missing any serious contenders? Should I be looking at others?
> 
> 22.47 lbs - Scott Scale RC JR (MSRP $1000 USD)
> SCOTT Sports - WHOOPS!
> ...


spawn shojo should be on the list.
great geometry and nothing that required an instant upgrade.


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## gravitykid (Nov 14, 2005)

Came across this bike last week from Germany. Available in a frame and fork option for €199. Top tube does seem quite long at 22".










Links to website below (you'll need to translate to English).

Bike

Frame and fork

I think this could be the frame and fork combo that will form the basis of Char's next bike.

There's a guy built one up, on the following link, which comes in at just over 8kg (18lb)!!

Zyankali 24 Build - 8kg


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## GrayJay (May 16, 2011)

56cm ETT is ridiculously long for a kids bike. The frame apparently weighs around 1600gr so is not particularly lightweight. Chainstays also look excessively long. pass


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## Mark194 (Mar 3, 2012)

Anyone know what the cannondale race weights? Looks like a really good option and it comes with one of the best 24 inch forks on it.

Race 24 Kids - RACE - BOY'S - KIDS - BIKES - 2016


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

They run 26 - 26.5 lbs stock.

The fork is about as light as any 24" that I've seen and is actually usable which is a good thing, but still > 3.5 lbs and the rest of the components aren't much different than what's found on $250 kids bikes.


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## fatchanceti (Jan 12, 2005)

I'll be picking up my daughters' large Race24 on Saturday. I plan to do a weight audit on it. 

I already have Rocket Rons for it, a custom 135mm 104bcd crank (and 32t narrow wide ring), lighter handlebar, etc. I'll also likely changing the drivetrain to either. 1x7 or 1x8 Shimano XT. My daughter likes trigger shifters more than twisters.


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## Mark194 (Mar 3, 2012)

keep us updated on the weight changes, I am looking to get the same bike fr my 8 year old son...



fatchanceti said:


> I'll be picking up my daughters' large Race24 on Saturday. I plan to do a weight audit on it.
> 
> I already have Rocket Rons for it, a custom 135mm 104bcd crank (and 32t narrow wide ring), lighter handlebar, etc. I'll also likely changing the drivetrain to either. 1x7 or 1x8 Shimano XT. My daughter likes trigger shifters more than twisters.


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## fatchanceti (Jan 12, 2005)

will do. The 26" bike (still a bit awkward) that I built for her is 21 lbs, so that's my bogie.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Mark194 said:


> Anyone know what the cannondale race weights? Looks like a really good option and it comes with one of the best 24 inch forks on it.
> 
> Race 24 Kids - RACE - BOY'S - KIDS - BIKES - 2016


I'll just point this out again. The Race is nice since it comes with an air fork included, however, it's long like a Specialized.

I have a custom Marin Bayview for my son, ended up costing more. That said my daughter isn't into jumping, bunny hopping etc so I got her the Race. My son noticed a difference the first time he rode hers.

So just a warning depending on your son's skill level and what he's doing on a bike. My son was able to feel the CS/WB length difference.


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## fatchanceti (Jan 12, 2005)

Some early data here:

http://forums.mtbr.com/families-riding-kids/cannondale-24-race-21-speed-836355-5.html#post12262390

My daughter loves the bike so far. Fits her very well.


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## GSJ1973 (May 8, 2011)

gmillikan said:


> Am I missing any serious contenders? Should I be looking at others?
> 
> 22.47 lbs - Scott Scale RC JR (MSRP $1000 USD)
> SCOTT Sports - WHOOPS!
> ...


Wow, this thread is now over 5 years old.

Scott Scale RC JR for 2016 gets 1x10, a rigid fork, and puts on a little bit of weight over the 2010 model listed above. Scott Scale RC JR 24 2016 | Kid Bikes | Bikes | mhw-bike.com | Bikes for All / Online Shop for Bikes, Montainbikes, E-Bikes, Trekkingbikes, Citybikes and Racing Bikes


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## Derek200 (Jun 16, 2015)

Commencal has pretty good looking kids bikes. I am considering a ramone 24 or possibly the meta 24. Seem uber light for kids bikes. And on the affordable side. Shorter wheelbase...


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

Derek200 said:


> Commencal has pretty good looking kids bikes. I am considering a ramone 24 or possibly the meta 24. Seem uber light for kids bikes. And on the affordable side. Shorter wheelbase...


They're pretty typical as far as weight goes. Once you add pedals on them, they run 1 - 3 lbs heavier, so 26 - 28 lbs. The price on the ramone is fairly reasonable for new.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

3 lbs for a set of pedals, omg. I feel bad for any kid stuck with 3 lbs pedals (didn't even know they made pedals that heavy)


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

tigris99 said:


> 3 lbs for a set of pedals, omg. I feel bad for any kid stuck with 3 lbs pedals (didn't even know they made pedals that heavy)


I've seen a number of older platforms ones at 1 lb+ per pedal.

But yeah, for pretty much anything new, most come in slugh 1lb for a pair, down to under 200g per pair for some of the ti platforms.


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## Locoman (Jan 12, 2004)

I had good luck with a couple of Mongoose bikes. I know department store brands are shunned but these bikes are inexpensive, well built and very light.

Mongoose | Rockadile SL 24" Boys

.


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## maleonardphi (May 19, 2006)

Derek200 said:


> Commencal has pretty good looking kids bikes. I am considering a ramone 24 or possibly the meta 24. Seem uber light for kids bikes. And on the affordable side. Shorter wheelbase...


I bought the Meta HT 24 for my son. He has had it for almost 2 months and so far it's been great. For the price, I have absolutely no complaints. I haven't bothered weighing it though. The only thing I've done to it is swap the bars out for a set of 580 mm EC90sl flat bars I found on craigslist for $25. Once he gets bigger, I'll put the stock riser bars back on.

Pros: 

N/W chainring, 1x9 drivetrain. Zero dropped chains and we've been doing a lot of jumping with it.
Hydraulic disc brakes
Lightweight components
Cons:


Fork (rebranded Spinner Grind OS) - It actually works really well. But there is almost zero adjustability. Once my son got comfortable on the bike, he started bottoming the fork out on every jump. I'm considering getting an RST F1st air fork. ~$200 and I can dial it in for his weight. Plus, it drops almost 2 lbs.
Brake levers - The brake levers only have a reach adjustment, but not pad contact adjustment. 
Brake hoses - The front hydraulic hose is about 4-6 inches too long. It's on my long list of things to do, but isn't really all that big of a deal.


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