# Flow Bikes



## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

Friday was a hell of a day at our house. My son's new 20" ride arrived courtesy of Flow Bikes in Truckee, CA. Without a doubt, Flow is making the raddest kid's bikes in the USA. I can't recommend these guys highly enough if you're in the market for a 20" bike (or a 16", the frame is convertible and can run both wheel sizes). Dialed modern all-mountain geometry, custom-built 80 mm fork that works beautifully, and great components with several build options at very reasonable prices. Blows the doors off the high-end 20" hardtail options from Spawn and Commencal, and every 20" bike made by Specialized, Trek, et al. is a joke in comparison.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. Flow's CS is also top notch and very responsive.

Flow Kids Mountain Bikes
https://www.facebook.com/FlowBikeCompany/

Didn't you hear? They moved Christmas to August this year.









Stoked doesn't even begin to describe it. Closed things down at Trailside on Saturday.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Those things are bad-ass.
Almost wish my son was still small enough to ride one!


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

This is his review of the fork:

"Dad, when I land it feels sooo soft. It's like landing on a pillow!"

The instant boost in speed and control he got from the bigger wheels and squishy fork was amazing to see.


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

20" radness bump


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

Flow got some nice post-Interbike coverage from Pinkbike: Flow Convertible Kids Bike - Interbike 2016 - Pinkbike


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## Boondock77 (Jun 16, 2014)

Pretty sick! Assume that's the middle model? What's the weight?


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## GSJ1973 (May 8, 2011)

RMCDan said:


> Friday was a hell of a day at our house. My son's new 20" ride arrived courtesy of Flow Bikes in Truckee, CA.


Great looking bikes, very well thought out. So many good kids bikes coming out, it is about time. Spawn, Propain, Trailcraft Cycles, Transition, Cleary, Lil' Shredder, Early Rider, Isla Bikes, Commencal, etc. are all raising the bar in a big way over the big mass produced companies who don't seem to have a clue!

That alpenglow is pretty awesome!


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## terrasmak (Jun 14, 2011)

Awesome, and good to know about this. Being a father is becoming expensive


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## jochribs (Nov 12, 2009)

Yeah these are well designed and speced. I wish these guys were doing a 24".


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

Boondock77 said:


> Pretty sick! Assume that's the middle model? What's the weight?


It's the top-shelf build, weighed out to exactly 20 lbs as claimed by Flow. I pre-ordered, and at the time the price was substantially discounted and the regular 10sp build wasn't listed as an option. If I were buying at full price today I'd definitely get the standard 10sp build since the primo build only saves 1 lb (though mostly at the wheels). I almost changed my order when that became an option, but I thought it would be poor form to leave them holding some spendy parts that may not readily sell.



GSJ1973 said:


> Great looking bikes, very well thought out. So many good kids bikes coming out, it is about time. Spawn, Propain, Trailcraft Cycles, Transition, Cleary, Lil' Shredder, Early Rider, Isla Bikes, Commencal, etc. are all raising the bar in a big way over the big mass produced companies who don't seem to have a clue!


It's crazy how the kid's bike market has exploded in the last few years. There are very nice bikes available for every riding style and skill level. But Specialized/Trek/Giant/etc. keep treating their kid's lineups like afterthoughts and haven't updated them in years. Specialized is doing marginally better with the Riprocks, but they're heavy and the geo is whack (390 mm chainstays!). They also seem to have dropped the Hotrock Pro from their 2017 lineup.

Here's a few clips of him on the Flow





edit: 1 video per post, WTF?


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)




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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)




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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Yeah! Killin' it on the jumps!


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

My friend just ordered one for his son. Really wish these were around for my son.


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

Nice!


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

Flow's CS is top shelf. A week ago his fork totally seized up, I'm guessing something broke in the rebound damper. I had a brand new fork by Thursday afternoon just in time for a Moab trip.


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

Bump to get the word out that Flow has a 20"/24" convertible full-suspension frame in the works:

https://www.flowkidsbikes.com/full-suspension

They need a certain number of pre-orders to launch it so email them for more info if you might be interested. The preliminary pricing info I got from them for complete bikes and frames looks really, really good. If you have one of their hardtails already, all the parts will be able to swap over. Pre-order pricing will supposedly be discounted for current customers. I'm beyond stoked for this.

They're also considering a 24"/26" frame, so email them if that's something you might be interested in.


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## fitek (Nov 25, 2014)

RMCDan, where are these videos taken?

Thx


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

Draper Cycle Park and Eagle Mountain Bike Park in Draper and Eagle Mountain, UT, respectively. Sunset photo is from Trailside Bike Park near Park City


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## fitek (Nov 25, 2014)

Thanks!

Bike looks sweet, my son is into blue and orange. I emailed Flow Bikes about sizing, but unless the 16" weighs quite a bit less it will have to wait... my son is a few months away from 4 but he's 32lbs... a 20lbs bike would obviously be pretty darn heavy for him.


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

fitek said:


> Bike looks sweet, my son is into blue and orange.


Another nod to Flow, since you get to choose between several frame colors and a host of decal colors he can get exactly that combo!

They are not feather light bikes for sure, but still pretty light in the grand scheme of things and solidly built enough that I am comfortable with my son doing stuff like this on his:










You would think that the SS 16er build would save 2-3 pounds over the standard geared 20" build, so 18-19 lbs would be my guess.


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## fitek (Nov 25, 2014)

How old and what weight was your son when you got the bike?

EDIT: awesome jump


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

6.5, about 40 lbs. He had already outgrown 16" wheels so we never tried out the small wheel kit. But, the 16" bike this replaced was a Cleary Hedgehog that weighed 17 lbs and he rode that thing everywhere.


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## normarin (Feb 14, 2010)

RMCDan said:


> 6.5, about 40 lbs. He had already outgrown 16" wheels so we never tried out the small wheel kit. But, the 16" bike this replaced was a Cleary Hedgehog that weighed 17 lbs and he rode that thing everywhere.


My daughter is on a hedgehog right now, looking to upgrade to a hardtail. She just turned 5, about 3 ft 8" with a little sister that may benefit from the 16" wheel option.. Would you say this bike was a good transition from the hedgehog? How long do you expect your son to be riding it?


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

normarin said:


> My daughter is on a hedgehog right now, looking to upgrade to a hardtail. She just turned 5, about 3 ft 8" with a little sister that may benefit from the 16" wheel option.. Would you say this bike was a good transition from the hedgehog? How long do you expect your son to be riding it?


My son was an inch shorter than that when he got his and it was an easy transition from the Hedgehog. His inseam was a touch short of their recommended minimum, but since the frame has such low standover it wasn't a problem at all. He weighed about 40 lbs at the time.

My guess is that he'll ride it for at least two years. He's had it almost a year now and isn't even close to looking big on it yet. That question is hard to generalize on since kids grow at such different rates, but if you bought one now it would probably fit her for at least two riding seasons. They also have a full suspension frame coming out later this summer that will be convertible to 24". We'll be ordering one of those as soon as they're available for pre-order.

https://www.flowkidsbikes.com/full-suspension


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## normarin (Feb 14, 2010)

thanks. Sounds like a good investment for us as my younger one could hop on as well and I'd be looking at maybe 3/4 years out of it. F/S looks cool but I'm a believer in building bike skills on a hardtail/rigid, then moving to the F/S, so I think it would be a good progressionm Cleary-H/T-F/s


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

normarin said:


> F/S looks cool but I'm a believer in building bike skills on a hardtail/rigid, then moving to the F/S, so I think it would be a good progressionm Cleary-H/T-F/s


I don't disagree with that approach. My boy has progressed to the point where full-squish is warranted, and I love the idea that when he's ready for 24" all I'll need is wheels and a fork.


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## cakemonster (Sep 30, 2012)

RMCDan,

Have a sense of how this would build up as a 16 inch? I have a just 5 year old (younger brother) on a Redline Pitboss, but looking for a front suspension 16 option. Having a hard time finding a 16 lil shredder used. 20 too big for trick bike.

Considering flow frame/fork, putting on some of the Brood 16 inch wheels (freehub) and other parts around.

Specific questions:

1. Crank length? With the 16s any idea what crank lengths you can run (do you have get sinz etc in the 125 range)? 
2. Any other thoughts on the Flow?


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

No personal experience, but people who bought the 16" kit seem to like it (or at least haven't complained vocally).

Not many options for shorter cranks I believe. Back in April Flow made some 105s, but I don't know if they have any left or have plans to make more: https://www.facebook.com/FlowBikeCo...362544652491/1194292174026189/?type=3&theater


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## SactoGeoff (Aug 11, 2017)

cakemonster said:


> RMCDan,
> 
> Have a sense of how this would build up as a 16 inch? I have a just 5 year old (younger brother) on a Redline Pitboss, but looking for a front suspension 16 option. Having a hard time finding a 16 lil shredder used. 20 too big for trick bike.
> 
> ...


Spawn sells 102mm and 127mm cranks.
https://spawncycles.com/spawn-cycles-alloy-cranks-102mm

Other thoughts on the Flow - everyone who has one is happy with it. And they are good to deal with. From what I've seen.


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

SactoGeoff said:


> Spawn sells 102mm and 127mm cranks.
> https://spawncycles.com/spawn-cycles-alloy-cranks-102mm


Those are square taper. Flow uses an external BB and 2-piece thru axle cranks.


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## cakemonster (Sep 30, 2012)

I put Redline Microline through axle cranks on my 5 yo Pitboss (130mm). 

As long as clearance is OK that would probably be OK. 

Just curious what size others had been using (140 stock I think).

Brood makes 130 and 155 through axle I think... (Canadian site).


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

The stock Flow cranks are 135 mm. I know of nothing shorter than 130 mm in this style crank. To me, it doesn't seem worth the cost just to go 5 mm shorter. Also, a lot of the two-piece BMX cranks use a different size BB IIRC. I seem to remember someone here ordering the 135 mm GT Speed AL cranks and the BB not being compatible, so double-check compatibility before ordering.


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## cakemonster (Sep 30, 2012)

RMCDan said:


> No personal experience, but people who bought the 16" kit seem to like it (or at least haven't complained vocally).
> 
> Not many options for shorter cranks I believe. Back in April Flow made some 105s, but I don't know if they have any left or have plans to make more: https://www.facebook.com/FlowBikeCo...362544652491/1194292174026189/?type=3&theater


Measured my 5 yo today. 46 inches. What is transition for a DJ type build (as opposed to trail) from a 16 to a 20 inch setup for a Flow? Want him to be able to put his feet down flat/low standover. He is used to 130 cranks on his RL Pitboss and prefers it to his lower bb/short crank Banshee for parks. But is is starting to send it a bit and definitely would benefit form front susp. Pitboss also has totally different geo (high bb) to accommodate cranks etc, and looking to get him on a legit DJ build.


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## cakemonster (Sep 30, 2012)

Flow sells machined down cranks through axle ~ 105 mm range as part of the 16 inch kit. Website just isn't clear on that, but they do have them.


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

cakemonster said:


> Measured my 5 yo today. 46 inches. What is transition for a DJ type build (as opposed to trail) from a 16 to a 20 inch setup for a Flow? Want him to be able to put his feet down flat/low standover. He is used to 130 cranks on his RL Pitboss and prefers it to his lower bb/short crank Banshee for parks. But is is starting to send it a bit and definitely would benefit form front susp. Pitboss also has totally different geo (high bb) to accommodate cranks etc, and looking to get him on a legit DJ build.


I'm not really sure what you're asking. Trail build = gears and F/R brakes. DJ build = SS and rear brake only. Standover should be no problem at 46 inches.



cakemonster said:


> Flow sells machined down cranks through axle ~ 105 mm range as part of the 16 inch kit. Website just isn't clear on that, but they do have them.


Cool, good to know.


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## cakemonster (Sep 30, 2012)

"I'm not really sure what you're asking. Trail build = gears and F/R brakes. DJ build = SS and rear brake only. Standover should be no problem at 46 inches."








Yeah, that wasn't clear. Here is my 5 yo standing over his older brother's Kotari 20. He can ride it, but not much clearance (feet not flat, for a DJ would like at least a couple inches under him). Wondering if Flow with 20 is a "smaller" bike or if I need to go with the 16 to get the clearance for a "DJ". For example, his brother has a 24 trail bike, but still likes his 20 Kotari for park/DJ despite being 54 inches tall (almost ready for 24 DJ).

That is what I am getting at, and why I was looking at a 16 for my 5 yo now. In a year the Kotari will be fine for him, so just looking for something to bridge. Or maybe he loves his Flow and we sell his brother's Kotari. He keeps landing hard on his pitboss trying to keep up with his brother, and front quish and a real geometry would help him.


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

Spawn doesn't list standover in the Kotori geo table, but it's probably very very close to the 19" Flow lists for their bike. I don't know man, it seems like he'd be on the 20". The 16" kit for the Flow isn't super expensive but it's not cheap either.


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## shandke (Mar 31, 2017)

RMCDan said:


> 6.5, about 40 lbs. He had already outgrown 16" wheels so we never tried out the small wheel kit. But, the 16" bike this replaced was a Cleary Hedgehog that weighed 17 lbs and he rode that thing everywhere.


Wow! I thought I had decided to get my youngest the Spawn as a birthday gift. But this bike really rocks! He's also been riding a Hedgehog, and he can ride his brother's old Cleary Owl. But he really needs some gears and is loving the pump track/singletrack now. Beginning to wonder if we should build one of these up and if we love it, preorder the 24/26 for my older guy later this year.


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## Acrophylos (Jun 10, 2018)

My little guy just turned 5 and got a Flow Kids Bike with carbon upgrades for his birthday - absolutely loving it! The 20+ 2.8" Kenda tires are nice for traction. It is wonderful watching him ride singletrack and enjoy trails together.


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## svinyard (Aug 14, 2017)

Are those carbon bars? If so which ones?


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## Acrophylos (Jun 10, 2018)

svinyard said:


> Are those carbon bars? If so which ones?


Answer carbon bar.


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## svinyard (Aug 14, 2017)

Excellent, how big were they stock, what rise and how far are you able to cut those down? Lots of bar options but I worry that I won't be able to cut them down to 580 or 560 if they start at 700mm. Thanks again!


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## Acrophylos (Jun 10, 2018)

Answer Carbon 750 SL cut to 580mm, but that is about the limit with standard grips. With a super short stem that works well. 

Just as adult bikes have gone to short stems and wide bars for leverage, kids benefit from leverage...within reason (of course).

Lizardskins small grips give fine diameter for little hands.


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

Nice looking ride!


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## WTomlin76 (Jun 13, 2018)

I just bought a Flow 16 10 spd for my son based on the reviews, modularity, and price point and so far my experience has been nothing but negative. The bike shipped a week later than I was told it would, I spoke directly to the owner twice prior to shipping and both times he told me the bike would ship that day; it didn't. Flow eventually stopped returning my calls and emails (but of course not my money) until I posted directly on their Facebook page. The bike shipped that day, go figure. Finally when I received the bike the non-drive side crank arm was so badly stripped that the threads on the pedal barely made contact with the threads on the crank, and no, I didn't strip it out. It was like that straight out of the box. I immediately called them and asked for a new crank arm, the owner (John) seemed nice and said that he would ship a new one out as soon as he had one. Well, it's 5 days later and I still don't have one so basically three weeks after paying $1200 for my son's MTB he still can't ride it. To put that in perspective, I ordered myself a new bike from JensonUSA the day after I ordered my son's Flow and I had it on my porch before Flow shipped his, and it actually works. I'm almost at the point that I would have preferred to buy a Spawn or even pay more for a lil shredder. 

In John's defense he did say that he would send me the 20" upgrade wheels and dropouts for free but to be honest I don't even really care about that anymore. I just want to ride.


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## svinyard (Aug 14, 2017)

Hey man, I mean I'm not sure Id be that upset as long as John took care of you and it sounded like he did with the upgrades etc. I would be frustrated a bit because waiting sucks but you are buying from a little family boutique shop and really nice people who are dedicated to making a great product and do. He even gave me a phone call whilst out on family vacation and I wasn't even buying at the time. 

It's like a contractor being a 3 weeks late on your house make over thing. It's worth the wait. 

Don't think that Max and Spawn are all that different (Ive enjoyed working with them fyi). Being in Canada and getting the stuff to process through their LA warehouse wasn't ultra fast but it was WELL worth the wait. (we have two spawn bikes).

I don't think Little Shredder is making bikes anymore fyi. (I live just down the highway from them about 45mins).

Jenson is McDonald's of bikes. Flow/Spawn/Shredder etc are my buddy Ricardos Mexican food truck that secretly makes the best burger in town because he grinds the burger out of Chuck steak every morning. (I'll see myself out now....)


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## WTomlin76 (Jun 13, 2018)

svinyard said:


> Jenson is McDonald's of bikes. Flow/Spawn/Shredder etc are my buddy Ricardos Mexican food truck that secretly makes the best burger in town because he grinds the burger out of Chuck steak every morning. (I'll see myself out now....)


I hear ya and I REALLY want to support the up and comer, but basically I brought my son to Ricardos and he got food poisoning.

I know Jenson has a big box reputation but I was blown away by their attention to detail and quality control. I could go on and on but it's for another post another time. I build most of the bikes for my BMX race team and for what it's worth I'm not easily impressed.

This is what Flow sent, straight out of the box:


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## svinyard (Aug 14, 2017)

Lol. I hear you man. Alls well that ends well I guess but hard to disagree with the poor experience for a spendy bike. I've also heard that Jenson runs a tight ship and particularly is really cool about part swapping when buying a complete bike (I don't get that from Lbs without getting hammered on the price). Cool that you are doing all the BMX builds, must be a damn good time. We lack any local BMX options despite living in a little MTB town. Cheers. Let us know what you think of the bike when you get it squared away.


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## Crashtestdummee (Sep 14, 2015)

I bet they don’t have any crank arms in stock and that’s why they were dragging their feet on the shipment. Probably just through something together with a bad crank arm they had lying around so you would not pull back the charge. 

A lot times small businesses do not have enough capital or resources to provide good service even if they intend to.


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## WTomlin76 (Jun 13, 2018)

Crashtestdummee said:


> I bet they don't have any crank arms in stock and that's why they were dragging their feet on the shipment. Probably just through something together with a bad crank arm they had lying around so you would not pull back the charge.
> 
> A lot times small businesses do not have enough capital or resources to provide good service even if they intend to.


Possible, but I'd rather not speculate in an open forum. During one of my many conversations with John I did tell him that I think most of his customers would understand small business challenges and would be patient as long as they had candid responses. This was after he told me the bike would be shipping on two separate occasions, 5 days apart, and it still hadn't shipped.

When I was talking to him about the crank arm he said that they don't check those prior to shipping and they also don't spend much time on the non-drive side of the bike.

As I've been going over the bike I've noticed that I've had to make a lot of corrections to the build that I didn't expect. Definitely more than I've ever had to when buying a complete.

He did also mention that he hired a new mechanic, so...


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## Acrophylos (Jun 10, 2018)

What is the problem? Looks nicely milled and drilled/tapped. Are you grumbling because it isn't black?


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## svinyard (Aug 14, 2017)

Acrophylos said:


> What is the problem? Looks nicely milled and drilled/tapped. Are you grumbling because it isn't black?


Threads look stripped


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## Demo9 (Nov 20, 2006)

"I don't think Little Shredder is making bikes anymore fyi. (I live just down the highway from them about 45mins)"

The above quote is not so truce. Lil Shredder Bikes is alive and well. They recently sold to a UK company and are ramping up production. Stay tuned for some cool new stuff. Cheers


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## svinyard (Aug 14, 2017)

Demo9 said:


> "I don't think Little Shredder is making bikes anymore fyi. (I live just down the highway from them about 45mins)"
> 
> The above quote is not so truce. Lil Shredder Bikes is alive and well. They recently sold to a UK company and are ramping up production. Stay tuned for some cool new stuff. Cheers


That's pretty exciting. Do you expect their bikes to compete with Spawn? I like the Little Shredder bikes I've seen but they are quite heavy and I didn't think they were that different than Spawn feature wise. The price was massive tho. Sad they got sold however. Their shop in Gresham was about 40mins down the hwy close to Portland.


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## WTomlin76 (Jun 13, 2018)

Acrophylos said:


> What is the problem? Looks nicely milled and drilled/tapped. Are you grumbling because it isn't black?


This is what it should look like:


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## jochribs (Nov 12, 2009)

Acrophylos said:


> What is the problem? Looks nicely milled and drilled/tapped. Are you grumbling because it isn't black?


I really never give negative rep, but I am a key stroke from doing it here.

This comment is nothing but insipid troll. The cranks ARE black, the threads look like ****, and you clearly just signed up this month.

Tape your hands to your desk and refrain from typing.

The timing of the sign up is moderately suspect...no?


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## WTomlin76 (Jun 13, 2018)

I wanted to post a follow up on Flow bikes since our experience started out a bit rough. The crank situation is squared-away and the bike has been completely gone through. We've been out on some local trails a few times and spent a ton of time goofing off around our neighborhood jumping curbs, riding down stairs, etc.

This bike rocks.

My son loves every part of it and chooses it over his park bike and his BMX race bike every time. He's even asked to race it, but I know that wouldn't work LOL.

The only changes that I've made to the bike were cutting the bars to around 630mm (720mm was stock and is WAY too big for a 5 yo) and then cut the grips to around 100mm which allows him to reach the brake lever easier.

I've also noticed that while the 16" wheels are fine for around the neighborhood, they're all but useless on anything remotely bumpy. I've already ordered the 20" wheels and we should have them in about a month. Flow is sourcing some lightweight wheel builds with Shimano Centerlock hubs laced to Sun Envy Light 32 hole rims - an upgrade to the options that they currently offer.

This pic is before I cut the bars. I haven't taken a new one but I probably will when we ride on Thursday.


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## Seb15 (Jun 15, 2018)

Glad to hear your son is enjoying his bike! Regarding the 16" wheels, I second that. My 5 1/5 year old has a blast around the neighborhood with his 16" bike but when going on our local root infested trails, he gets stuck all the time. I guess it is time to get him a proper 20" mountain bike.


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## rynomx785 (Jul 16, 2018)

Pretty sure I am getting ready to order my 5 year old a 16" Flow this afternoon. He is 3' 6" tall. That going to be okay you guys think? He is on a 14" Commencal now and it getting where it looks awkwardly small for him. I am little concerned about the weight but it is only a couple pounds heavier than his current bike. 

I am a little on the fence about whether to go with the standard 2.0 tires or the optional 2.6. Normally that would be an easy decision as high volume tires are awesome for beginner riders but it looks like they have to lock out the top cog with the 2.6s. I like the idea of him having the extra gearing for climbing but not sure I want that at the expense of the added stability of the 2.6s. 

Also, it appears they only offer 2 colors? Anybody ask for custom colors?


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## Acrophylos (Jun 10, 2018)

rynomx785 said:


> ...on the fence about whether to go with the standard 2.0 tires or the optional 2.6


I got both the 2.0 and 2.6 tires with the 20" carbon rims, but have only really used the 2.0. Setup tubeless, the 2.6 burp too easily. Installing tubes stiffens them up to the point of sort of defeating the purpose of the wider tire. Additionally, the 20x2.6 tire just barely clears the chainstays. With 16" this would be less of an issue.

For a 16" wheel 2.6 tires are proportionally like a fat bike tire - with the corresponding pros and cons...hopefully they stay on the rim better than the 20" version.


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## rynomx785 (Jul 16, 2018)

Acrophylos said:


> I got both the 2.0 and 2.6 tires with the 20" carbon rims, but have only really used the 2.0. Setup tubeless, the 2.6 burp too easily. Installing tubes stiffens them up to the point of sort of defeating the purpose of the wider tire. Additionally, the 20x2.6 tire just barely clears the chainstays. With 16" this would be less of an issue.
> 
> For a 16" wheel 2.6 tires are proportionally like a fat bike tire - with the corresponding pros and cons...hopefully they stay on the rim better than the 20" version.


Thanks for the response. I just got off the phone with him. He said they do a 2.25 wide tire now that clears the chain in the lowest gear. His 14" bike has 2.25s now and they seem to work pretty well for him.

I think I am more excited than he is going to be! LOL


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## TimTucker (Nov 9, 2011)

rynomx785 said:


> I am a little on the fence about whether to go with the standard 2.0 tires or the optional 2.6. Normally that would be an easy decision as high volume tires are awesome for beginner riders but it looks like they have to lock out the top cog with the 2.6s. I like the idea of him having the extra gearing for climbing but not sure I want that at the expense of the added stability of the 2.6s.


Something to keep in mind -- nothing says you have to run the same size tire front and back. Production adult bikes mix different tires all the time.

You could run the 2.0 (or a 2.25) in back for better chain clearance in lower gears and run a 2.6 up front if you wanted.


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## rynomx785 (Jul 16, 2018)

TimTucker said:


> Something to keep in mind -- nothing says you have to run the same size tire front and back. Production adult bikes mix different tires all the time.
> 
> You could run the 2.0 (or a 2.25) in back for better chain clearance in lower gears and run a 2.6 up front if you wanted.


Good point. Thanks.


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## fitek (Nov 25, 2014)

2.6" seems excessive for kids. Gotta weigh a bunch too.


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## rynomx785 (Jul 16, 2018)

I agree the more I think about it.


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## TimTucker (Nov 9, 2011)

fitek said:


> 2.6" seems excessive for kids. Gotta weigh a bunch too.


Most of these sizes are exaggerations. The Vee Crown Gem is the only 20" plus tire I've seen so far that looks like a real plus tire.

For weight, it's a lot less of a difference than you might think:
Maxxis MaxDaddy 20x2.0: 540g
Maxxis MaxDaddy 20x2.25: 580g
Kenda Slant Six 20x2.6 (actual 2.35"): 570g -- ours were ~600g
CST Fringe 20x2.8 (actual 2.45"): 560g -- ours ran close to spec

If you want light, Spawn's Brood Maxtion 20x2.2 @ 440g is probably the best option.


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## WTomlin76 (Jun 13, 2018)

I’m willing to bet your son can ride the 20” just fine at his height. I’d recommend the 20” setup with the short reach option. It’ll save you a few hundred bucks. Your son wouldn’t be on the 16” wheels for long and I found that my son was hindered by the lack of derailleur clearance, pedal clearance, and rollover ability. 

I’ll measure my son’s stand over on his 20” Flow when I get home.


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## WTomlin76 (Jun 13, 2018)

Stand over on my son's 20" with MaxDaddy 20x2.0 is about 21.5".

If you check out Bike Like A Tike on Facebook you'll see plenty of pics and video of him riding. He's currently 6 y/o, about 46" and 48 lbs.

The 20x2.0s are just fine, have less rolling resistance, corner great, etc. We ride everything from our backyard trail, local XC trails, dirt jumps, BMX tracks, and any blue trail on every lift access park we've been to.

https://www.facebook.com/Bike-Like-a-Tike-435020747312080/


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## rynomx785 (Jul 16, 2018)

WTomlin76 said:


> Stand over on my son's 20" with MaxDaddy 20x2.0 is about 21.5".
> 
> If you check out Bike Like A Tike on Facebook you'll see plenty of pics and video of him riding. He's currently 6 y/o, about 46" and 48 lbs.
> 
> ...


Thanks for feedback.

Going straight to 20" wheels had definitely crossed my mind but I am a little concerned about throwing too much at him at once seeing as he has no experience with gears and shifting. I want him to be as comfortable as possible while he is figuring that out. I am hoping to have him on 20s in a few months though.


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## TimTucker (Nov 9, 2011)

rynomx785 said:


> Thanks for feedback.
> 
> Going straight to 20" wheels had definitely crossed my mind but I am a little concerned about throwing too much at him at once seeing as he has no experience with gears and shifting. I want him to be as comfortable as possible while he is figuring that out. I am hoping to have him on 20s in a few months though.


I wouldn't worry too much about the gears / shifting -- just set it somewhere in the middle of the cassette and let him know that he's free to ignore the shifter until he wants to give it a try.


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## WTomlin76 (Jun 13, 2018)

TimTucker said:


> I wouldn't worry too much about the gears / shifting -- just set it somewhere in the middle of the cassette and let him know that he's free to ignore the shifter until he wants to give it a try.


Tim is spot on. Shifting will come with time. At best he'll stop when he gets bogged down or over spins and let you shift for him. My 6 y/o has been on his Flow for almost 2 years and he's just now starting to shift effectively on the trails.


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