# Just got my 5 year old her first real mountainbike!



## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

20" Hotrock off Ebay. about $50 shipped!

Needs grips, (already ordered) and at least a new rear tire. Probably will replace both tires and tubes. and will replace brake pads too.

Since I need to replace the tires, does anyone have reccomendations for light weight tires? My little girl needs all the help she can get. This bike probably weighs more than her!

She's been beating the 16" princess bike pretty hard, so she was definately ready for an upgrade!


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## dmboarder (Jan 13, 2011)

The biggest thing you can do for weight is to change the handlebar and stem. You'll drop over a pound. 

A Schwalbe Mow Joe is pretty light.


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## tlcrouch355 (Aug 2, 2008)

Small block 8s. Dropped a little over a pound of rotational weight on my sons KHS 24".


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## Cinq (Jan 2, 2003)

The Schwalbe Mow Joe's are great. The 20*2.0 weighs only 380 grams. My son has them on his bike and is very happy with them.

As for the brakes: I swapped them completely for Avid Single Digit 7's with Avid Speed Dial brake handles. They work like a charm and you can adjust both the reach and the pressure point.

Kind regards,

Clemens


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## tlcrouch355 (Aug 2, 2008)

Have to agree on the brake as well. The stock ones are junk.


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## essjss (Aug 16, 2008)

You mind if I ask how tall she is? My girls are too big for their 16s and I'm wondering if they will be better on a 20 or 24. Congrats on getting her a "real" bike, hope you can have some great times!


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

You need close to a 20" inseam (19.x") for a 20" bike. A hair shorter depending on what you modify. The same for a 24". Some have a swooped top tube, which allows a lower standover, but at the same time the ETT is longer, and the rider stretches out.

I have my 5yo daughter on a 20" (just turned 5 last month). Her back hurts a bit on longer rides (5+ miles). She is too stretched, and I needed to put back the original riser bar and bend it inwards for a shorter reach. A non-setback seatpost may help too.

FWIW, it looks gigantic on my daughter, but the 16" was too small for her, ETT wise. It was an older hotrock 16" with a shorter top tube, when they made that variation.

If going from a 16" to a 24", they would have to be extremely cramped on a standard kids 16". I'd gather they'd more likely fit a 20" than a 24".

OP re: tires. I use Small Block 8 in 20x1.95. You can go narrower, but I think the width helps for trail rides. I could be wrong. There are SB8 20x1.75" tires. Other brands have narrower like 20x1.5".

Small Block 8


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

tlcrouch355 said:


> Have to agree on the brake as well. The stock ones are junk.


More the lever than the brakes. The stocker brakes are fine as they are some Tektro arms, I have them in the garage somewhere. There's not much tech to a v-brake. I replaced the stockers with the Tektro 930AL as the used bike had a stripped cable retention bolt. I never noticed much difference with the Avid brakes on my own bikes. The levers, yes.


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## morningmist (Mar 15, 2011)

You got a great deal on that bike. Riding with my kids is one of my greatest joys.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

I'm not sure exactly how tall she is without measuring her. She fit her 16" bike fine, but was going to destroy it riding it like she did. I set this one and her 16" side by side, and the seat tube height was about the same from the ground. I did however, have to cut 3" off the seat post to be able to drop it low enough for her. I think after a couple days riding, the only thing I may do is swap the stem for a shorter one, swap an aluminum handlebar (both aluminum to shorten the reach, and lighten it up in the process. I also notice the crank arms seem pretty long. They almost hit the ground when she leans into a turn, and also send her knees way up on the up stroke. You can see this in the picture. See how close her toe is to the ground. and how high her knee is? I raised her seat a little since that pic, and it doesn't seem to bother her. Just doesn't look comfortable. May look into some shorter cranks.
She's been riding the heck out of this thing, and won't park it long enough to go to the bike shop to get new tires. LOL
If your kids is riding a 16" BMX bike, and the seat is raised even a little, chances are they could ride a 20" mountain bike. They seem to be built longer and lower. You just may need to play around with stem lengths, and maybe crank arm lengths.
Thanks for the advice on tires. The Mow Joes are a little pricey for me... Might do the small block 8s in the wider version for some air volume/cushion.


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

20" bikes usually have a 140mm crank. I used 140mm on my son's 20" as well. The stocker on hotrock is 140mm as well, IIRC. The trouble with used is that sometimes people swap things out and don't restore to stock before selling.

I thought she was on her tiptoes in the picture for balance, you're right, that's way off.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

I'll measure the cranks. Her pedal is tipped forward, but it still seems very close to the ground. Went for a 2-3 mile ride today though, even without a grip on the right side. She had a great time.
I didn't think of it at the time, but I ordered grips for grip shifters. Just occurred to me that her bike has the grip shifter only on one side. Doh!


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## Cinq (Jan 2, 2003)

IAmHolland said:


> ..The stocker on hotrock is 140mm as well, IIRC...


My son has a Hot Rock 20" from 2009 (black and white frame) and the stock cranks are closer to 130 mm. When I swapped them for Sinz cranks of 135 mm, I found out they are a bit longer even thought I had measured them correctly at 135 mm. I think 140 is a bit too long for the bike, already with the 135 mm cranks he has to take care when cornering.

Kind regards,

Clemens


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## texacajun (Jan 20, 2004)

indianadave said:


> I didn't think of it at the time, but I ordered grips for grip shifters. Just occurred to me that her bike has the grip shifter only on one side. Doh!


Most of the ones I found locally seemed a bit too big around for my kid's hand so we still have the thin OEM one's on it. She does fine when she's wearing her biking gloves and I'm under orders, pink or don't touch them so I'm still shopping for "the" grips. 

If you have a bmx shop locally you may find some 20" SB8's, that's where I found them for my daughter. I run them fairly low since they're much bigger volume than the OEM's to give her a little extra suspension.  That and some ultra thin tubes will knock a 1 lbs chunk out of the rotating mass.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Well the grip on the shifter side was missing when I go this one, so I need something.
SB8's are the winner I think as far as good tires without breaking the bank. $48/tire for the mow joes is a little steep.


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

Cinq said:


> My son has a Hot Rock 20" from 2009 (black and white frame) and the stock cranks are closer to 130 mm. When I swapped them for Sinz cranks of 135 mm, I found out they are a bit longer even thought I had measured them correctly at 135 mm. I think 140 is a bit too long for the bike, already with the 135 mm cranks he has to take care when cornering.
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> Clemens


Interesting. My son's 2006 Hot Rock 20" with 6-speed stock crank arms are 140mm. I just pulled it out and measured it, and it is even stamped 140.

I first replaced it with FMF 140mm arms, and then replaced them with shortened 140mm cranks to get 32/22 in front, with a bash guard.

I wonder if they shortened it in later years. Given the picture though, I think 140mm is about right. It looks right for my son who is probably a bit over 50" now.


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## Tusin (Jun 4, 2011)

Right on! I just got my 6 year old girl a Giant AREVA 20

Out of everything we tried, it was by far the lightest. I think it already has SB8's on it, so I need to figure out what the next weight saver would be too.

And if anyone is curious, she is 48" 's tall (4ft). We tried to go 24" but it was just to big, on some of them the Stand Over was fine, but she was to stretched out trying to get to the handle bars etc.... I will be lucky if she keeps it for 2 years.... Maybe I will be REALLY lucky and she will be a very tall 8 year old and I can do a extra small 26" (with some mods)


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

Tusin said:


> Right on! I just got my 6 year old girl a Giant AREVA 20
> 
> Out of everything we tried, it was by far the lightest. I think it already has SB8's on it, so I need to figure out what the next weight saver would be too.
> 
> And if anyone is curious, she is 48" 's tall (4ft). We tried to go 24" but it was just to big, on some of them the Stand Over was fine, but she was to stretched out trying to get to the handle bars etc.... I will be lucky if she keeps it for 2 years.... Maybe I will be REALLY lucky and she will be a very tall 8 year old and I can do a extra small 26" (with some mods)


The Giant 20" bikes are the lightest geared bikes I know of, due to having a rigid fork.

Some things to try. Seat, seat post, handlebar, and stem. You can keep the riser bar for the time being and tilt it all the way inwards, and use a very light 60mm stem. You can take a look at the bottom bracket and crank, but they are usually normal weight already, and wouldn't save much weight if any at all unless you went the expensive Ti route. Do it for the gearing, if you need. To save additional weight, would be a wheelset and going tubeless. You can also look at the derailleur (and shifter). I have not weighed that one, but with the large jockey wheels it's got to be more than a short cage SRAM X7/X9/X0.

I'm skipping the 24" for my son and building a 26" bike from frame up for him. I will build a temporary set of 24" wheels to drop the height a bit. He should fit next year, though he can get on a 24" now.


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## essjss (Aug 16, 2008)

Anyone know anything about the Raleigh Ivy? Its got a 3 ring crank (don't need) but a rigid fork (good stuff). I looked at one today and thought it seemed pretty light for a 24" bike but I didn't get it on the scale. Maybe I'll go back tomorrow and check it out more.

http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/youth/ivy-11/


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

That looks pretty nice... Better than a Walmart bike for sure. What does it retail for?


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## Axe (Jan 12, 2004)

Folding small block 8. 1.95" is good, maybe 2.1 in front.

My daughter rides Giant XtC 20, new 135mm Sinz crankset with 34t and light bashguard and light BB, stem, handbar and seatpost dropped like a couple pounds. Removed stand, got a new derailleur. All in all made quite a whole bit lighter and easier for her to handle.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

I ended up getting a good deal on Kenda K50s and Maxxis ultralight tubes. Tires were only 30 grams heavier than the small block 8s, and 1/2 the price. They will probably hold up better to the way she rides (no finesse whatsoever!)
Will get a shorter crankset soon, and new brake pads then let her just ride it. I'm watching out for some aluminum pieces to replace the bars, stem, and seatpost at some time, but weight isn't a hinderance right now, so I'm just watching for cheap ones locally, or a parts bike or something.


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## SuperJETT (May 28, 2008)

Dave, I checked Dawson's Precaliber and it has 140 also, though I think he's a little taller than K.

In the process I checked all of our bikes: Kona has 155, the pink GT has 175 and my wife's 29" has 170. I'm going to switch the 170/175 this weekend.

I may be coming up to Brown County with Dawson in 2 weeks, we'll see.


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## essjss (Aug 16, 2008)

indianadave said:


> That looks pretty nice... Better than a Walmart bike for sure. What does it retail for?


LBS has it for $270.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Finally got around to measuring them. Kayleighs bike has 152mm cranks.


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## SuperJETT (May 28, 2008)

That explains it.


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## khaotom (Mar 14, 2011)

Is the frame aluminum? I've seen a lot of these on sale, but some of them are older model with steel frame. Are the hotrock coaster the same geometry as the mtb?


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## essjss (Aug 16, 2008)

khaotom said:


> Is the frame aluminum? I've seen a lot of these on sale, but some of them are older model with steel frame. Are the hotrock coaster the same geometry as the mtb?


No, the 20" Hotrock coaster is a different AL frame than the 6 spd.

They have a "street" version of the 6spd mtn bike with a rigid fork and "slick" tires. I almost changed my mind from the coaster to the street bike when I saw it at the shop yesterday. Throw a set of SB8s on it and that would be a good trail bike.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

If you're asking if mine is aluminum, I'm pretty sure it's not. It isn't too terribly heavy though. I did check and the seatpost, rims and stem are aluminum. Handlebars are steel though, so I'm swapping them out. My girl has been riding the heck out of this thing since we got it. Got the Maxxis Ultralite tubes, and should have the new tires tomorrow. Also have the new grips, but am waiting to find some handlebars before putting them on. she actually hasn't even mentioned the missing grip. she doesn't seem to care. LOL!


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## SuperJETT (May 28, 2008)

Like I always say, kids just ride to have fun, missing grip or not. Awesome to hear, Dawson is doing the same on his Precaliber. We should schedule a race.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

LOL sounds like a challenge! Warning you though. Kayleigh's a little terror on this thing! You saw her on her princess bike! She's even using the gears when she needs to!


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Got the new tires on. Maxxis ultralite tubes and Kenda K50s. Bike went from 26.5lbs to 27lbs... Maybe since the rear tire was completely bald, it was pretty light? Almost left the rear deralleur gaurd off. That would probably get the 1/2 pound back. May also design a simpler lighter chain guide. That contraption that is on it is bulky, and heavy, I'm sure.
Still. 27lbs isn't too bad for a kids bike. The Walmart 16" bike she has weighs more than that!


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

IAmHolland said:


> More the lever than the brakes. The stocker brakes are fine as they are some Tektro arms, I have them in the garage somewhere. There's not much tech to a v-brake. I replaced the stockers with the Tektro 930AL as the used bike had a stripped cable retention bolt. I never noticed much difference with the Avid brakes on my own bikes. The levers, yes.


I do think the levers are junk. The adjustable reach allen screw is so tiny, and close to the bars, it's hard to get to. Seems to be a lot of play in them and they're flimsy also.


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## Rhinofly (Aug 30, 2010)

I have built two 20" mountain bikes for my kids so far. The latest one was an Ibex Alpine 320k for my 5yo son and it came with 152mm cranks as well. The best things you can do are replace the cranks with Sinz 135mm and the brake levers with Avid SD7. The cranks make a huge difference in rideability and the brake levers can be adjusted very close to the bars so that little hands can work them with little effort. Some things to lighten the bike....use kenda small block 8 20x1.75 tires. Remove the front shifter and deraileur if it has them. Go with a single 34 tooth ring in the front. Dump the rear deraileur guard. Get light and smooth pedals. I used Dimension Pro Mountain pedals.


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## Axe (Jan 12, 2004)

Rhinofly said:


> Dump the rear deraileur guard.


That one I kept. I have removed the kick stand - that thing weights ten pounds, and installed a twice lighter derailleur in place of Tourney, but the derailleur guard lets the bike be thrown around and dropped without worry.

On the next size up I would just use Shimano Shadow, which is not sticking out. Maybe Saint short cage.

But you are right - Sinz 135, light Rennen 34t ring and light BBG bashguard, and Sinz ti BB, saved a pound and really help my daughter to pedal.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

I am getting a 135mm or 140mm crankset for her. I may even modify hers and shorten the arms. Need to do some measuring. I was going to get SB8's for it, but weighed the difference in weight versus durability, and price, and decided on the K50s. The SB8s are a thin race tire, and are better for someone with finesse or a smooth BMX track. She has none yet. She bashes over curbs, rocks, etc and I don't want to have to deal with un-seated tire beads or puctures all the time. The K50's aren't that much heavier, and are more of a cross country tread and were 1/3 the price. I almost left the rear derailleur guard off when swapping the tires, but will wait and remove it once she learns to lay her bike down gently instead of dropping it. LOL She also won't let me remove the kickstand, even though she only uses it 1/2 the time. It's also good for the garage organization for now until I build a bike rack along the one wall. I don't need 4-5 bikes laying around.
So I know I have 1-2 lbs in the kickstand and derailleur guard I can remove eventually. plus swappng the handlebars for aluminum ones.
Rhinofly... May I ask how much money you spent on the two 20" bikes you've built? Just curious.


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## RDOwens (May 30, 2011)

That is awesome! I can see my boy tearing down the trails in a year or two. I hope he waits for his old man. 

I enjoy hearing about the upgrades you are making to this bike. Thanks for sharing.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

indianadave, first I have to apologize for this slight hijack of your thread.

I came across this while Googling for some upgrade advice for my son's bike and joined the forum but cann't start new threads yet.

I've enjoyed reading everyone upgrades and already plan on implementing some of what I've read.

Here are my questions for those of you that have already gone through this.

I have a Marin Hidden Canyon 20inch. 

He found the grip shifters difficult to use so I bought some Shimano JL-MC40-7r trigger shifters

But he is still having trouble shifting up to the second chain ring. I guess he doesn't have the hand strength yet. Dropping down isn't a problem.

Has anyone solved this for their kids?

If not I was thinking about adding this cassette -Shimano 7-spd Megarange Freewheel, 14-34- to help a little with the steep hills. 
Anyone tried this.

Thanks for any advice.


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## Aresab (Mar 27, 2007)

I added a Megarange 14-34, Deore M510 R-Derailleur, and and MC40 7speed shifter to a my son's bike, a Hotrock 20 a year and a half ago. You will need a longer chain and a derailleur that can handle a 34th granny. When he was 5, shifting on the larger rings was tough, but as he gets older, much easier. The 34th did help with many clims, but on his bike, the fix 36th front sprocket still limited him.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

I got a deal on 115mm Sinz cranks, and someone locally has a 36T Salsa chainring for them... The 115mm should be great for her short legs, and I may move up to 135mm or 140mm as she gets a little taller.
Took some cheap Ritchey grips and trimmed the one side to fit with the grip shift, but they are a little fat for her hands. I'm going to look for something smaller and change them once we get an aluminum bar for it.
We've been on 2 rides on Brown Countys Pine Loop and she's doing great. She always leads the way, and has a blast.
I finished the kids spots on our bike rack and she's learned to respect her bike, so I may remove the kickstand and deraileur guard soon.


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## SuperJETT (May 28, 2008)

Dave, I'll be redoing the gearing on Dawson's Precaliber soon too. He's great on flats in 1st or 2nd gear but any hills bring him to a halt quickly.

Capitol View 2 - YouTube


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

SuperJETT said:


> Dave, I'll be redoing the gearing on Dawson's Precaliber soon too. He's great on flats in 1st or 2nd gear but any hills bring him to a halt quickly.
> 
> Capitol View 2 - YouTube


That's what I've been advocating for a while, gearing for climbs. It's why I have a double in the front for my son, and he can get up some pretty tough climbs now on a 20" with 140mm cranks. Ideally I would use a single 28T with 11-34 in the rear, but I can't find cranks that will work with that and have a decent chainline for the rear, without pushing the Q-factor larger with a longer spindle BB (122+). Most of the time he's on 32T but goes to the 22T now and then for the steep stuff.

@indiandave, I am curious about this 26T ring with the Sinz crank. I thought Sinz cranks were 110BCD, which couldn't go below 32T? How does the 26T fit?

Is this them? Sinz Crank


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Sorry. Typo. Meant 36T chainring.
Actually ended up ordering a 34T off a Ebay store along with chainring bolts.
Can't wait till they get here!
I'm going to try running it without the elaborate chain guide with this chainring. Supposedly it may hold the chain better that the original gear.
Been resisting putting her original parts back on temporarily until they come in. Fortnately (or unfortunately) we've been too busy with back to school and other stuff to do any riding this last couple weeks.
And yes. Those are the cranks I got her.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Got all the parts, and put it together. The pedal positions look much better. Unfortunately, the bottom bracket is too wide. The chain line is good when it is on the outermost rear gear, but way off when on the inner gear. Crap!
I'm going to take the rear wheel off and see if there are some spacers I can mess with, but I don't think I can gain that much.
Was hoping to not have to change the bottom bracket.
This project is snowballing...


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Received this today... Sinz Expert 113mm BB, Sinz 34T chainring, and Sinz 115mm crank arms.
Much better! The old BB crumbled when I took it out. It's amazing it even spun at all.
I'm going to let her ride without the chainguid for now, but plan on using the wheels from the original contraption, and making something much lighter and less ugly.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Notice I left off the big bulky chain guide contraption. She's been riding it around ton without dropping a chain.
The real tested was riding some singletrack yesterday. No problems at all, and she was bombing some downhills faster than ever, and bounding over roots and rocks...
I'm probably going to shorten the chain some, but not until I upgrade the shifters, and maybe switch to an 8 speed cassette at the same time. She has a tough time turning the twistgrip shifter. The only times she had to stop was when she stalled out on a climb because she couldn't downshift.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Additional info...Just weighed it today. 25lbs with the new bottom bracket and cranks, and without the original chain guide and rear derailleur guard, but still with the kickstand and steel handlebar. Most of that was probably removing the chain guide and rear gaurd... Not sure the cranks and bottom bracket weighed much different.

On a side note, my other daughters 24" GF Tyro weighs exactly the same as the 24"MT220 Trek I just picked up... Granted, the Trek is missing the fron brake setup.


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## Creavis81 (Sep 6, 2011)

I just picked up my son a Trek MT60 for his birthday. It will be a good surprise for him. I picked it up $100 in CL it is a 2010. One little scratch and that's it. Was this a good deal?


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Sounds like a great deal! If he rides it and has fun, it's worth every penny!


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Just received a carbon fiber handlebar... Debating on putting it on her bike, or keeping it for myself... Also gathering parts for a 8 speed trigger shifter conversion. Thought about doing the 9 speed, but don't have any hubs laying around... This should be more straight forward.
I'll probably go ahead and let her have the carbon bars and swap them on when I do the conversion. also. The Ritchey grips I got her are a little fat for her hands... Gonna swap them out too.


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

I'm not sure a carbon bar is worth it for that size, FWIW. An AL flat bar, cut to fit, should come in around 100g. Carbon may be a bit less, but not really worth the extra expense for 10g or so. 580mm wide is too much for kids. I forget what I have mine cut down to, but it started at 580mm. It's probably more like 510-530 or so.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

$20 shipped from Ebay... I may put the carbon bar on mine, and move my aluminum bar to hers. I just know the stock steel bar on her bike is rel heavy!


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Couldn't resist. Weighed her old bars and they were 425grams. Carbon bars were 141 grams uncut. They're about 1: wider overall right now than her originals, but I left them like that for now.
Also replaced Tektro brakes with Avid Speed Dials...
Added it all up, and I think I dropped about a pound off the bike, while also giving her much better brakes.
Going to swap the grips out for something thinner soon, and replace the plastic pedals with aluminum ones.


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## Cinq (Jan 2, 2003)

I upgraded the pedals on my sons Hot Rock to aluminium ones too but he has hurt himself pretty bad a few times already. There are high quality plastic pedals too and if I had to do it again, that would be my choice.

Kind regards,

Clemens


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Just added a shorter45mm stem. The original measured 65mm I believe. The flat bars were a little bit of a stretch for her. They're much better now.


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## Surfpoodi (Sep 14, 2011)

Probably not the best place to post this, but I'm looking to do a bit of work on my kid's RL Pitboss. I'd like to get v brakes up front and slacken the HT angle by putting an 18" fork on the front. 

Anyone know of an 18" fork out there with canti studs on it? 

Don't want to spend much on the effort, as I figure this is just stop gap till he can fit on a 20" bike when he is 5.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

You'd probably be better off starting your own thread. This has nothing to do with a 20" Hotrock.
On another note, My girls participated in a youth clinic this weekend, and Kayleigh rode her little Hotrock on a pretty cool trail with kids much bigger than her. She ripped it!
Her bike got many compliments.
I do need to add longer screws in the brake levers, as I can't screw the allen screws in far enough to adjust the reach in close enough.
I also may need to switch her back to riser bars. Even with a shorter stem, she's pretty stretched out. She really thinks it's cool she has carbon fiber bars, so I may need to search out some carbon risers on Ebay.


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

try a 0 offset seatpost.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Kayleigh has grown in to her bike some. I noticed her headset was pretty loose, and it turns out it was really worn out. I replaced it with a Chris King headset I had off my old bike. Also took the opportunity to mill out some weight of the short DH style stem. Probably took 1/4 pound of material out of it.
She did a 5-6 mile ride with me on some hilly singletrack last weekend, and had a blast. Can't wait to get out with her again.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Winter upgrade time.
Changed out the grips for some black/red flamed thinner grips.
Replaced 6 speed freewheel with 8 speed, and a new chain.
Also ordered up a 8 speed Sram X.7 grip shifter cheap off Amazon.
Have a Sram X.9 rear derailleur on my bench that may go on, but I may need to get a med. or short cage instead.
Also ordered up a red brake and shifter cable kit.
Swapped out beat up plastic pedals for some Sinz pedals also.
Will get pics and weight once I get the shifter
After a couple years riding, and getting kicked around in the garage, the bike is showing some battle scars. Thought about repainting it, but I have a newborn in the house, and might not have time.
She love her flamed bike though, so I might just get it back rideable since we're starting to get some nice days lately.


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## xterrafreak (Jan 14, 2010)

Hey Dave, Instead of painting it, pull everything off the bike and strip it down to the aluminum! It's actually a very easy process, looks good and is low maintenance. I stripped one this winter for a cheap single speed project bike I built, it was fast, easy and now I don't have to worry about scratching the paint when the kids knock it over or when I crash (which is more often than I'd like to admit). I'm sure you could find some cool "girly" flame decals to throw on it too. Oh, and you'll shave some weight too!


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Thought about it. She likes the hot rod look though. I'll talk to her about it.
Right now I'm waiting on her new cables, and then I'll get the 8 speed shifter/derailleur working.


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## griffter18 (Jul 3, 2009)

Have a very close look at the picture.
you say "I also notice the crank arms seem pretty long. They almost hit the ground when she leans into a turn, and also send her knees way up on the up stroke. You can see this in the picture. See how close her toe is to the ground. and how high her knee is?

Shes actually using the heel on her trainer/shoe to grip the pedal to turn it, and thats because her leg is over stretch. Youve lowered the seat tube to get her to reach the pedal and that has brought the pedal closer to her on the up stroke which is why her knee is close to her chest.

The bike is unfortunately too big for her, and this combination is causing her to reach for the bars and be out of balance. This will lead to her being unstable and not fully in control of the bike. She has no chance of getting her weight over the back of the bike when descending.

Move her back to the 16" and let her destroy it, shell have fun in the process and be much more comfortable in doing so.
Keep this for another 6-12 months and it should fit fine as she will be taller, stronger and a more skilled rider.

Before you flame me I made the same mistake with my own daughter and nearly put her off riding.
She's just turned 4 (tall for age) and is now properly riding the 16" I bought her 18 months ago. Shes been riding with pedal since 2 and has never had stabilisers.
She had a 12" hotwalker to start and the local bike shop persuaded me to move straight to the 16". Despite my better judgement I went with it and then watched her struggle with overstretch and knees to chest.
I managed to get a 12" Hotrock with pedals and guess what, with the seat in the right place she rode for hours and followed me on local trails.
Now shes grown a bit more she just fits the 16" and more importantly has the strength to ride it.

As for gears forget them until 10+, kids need to concentrate on position, observation and braking. Adding gears is too much for them to understand what to use when. A lot of adults struggle so what chance has a 5yr old.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

Griffter,
That original post was 2 years ago. She's been riding it since the adjustments with no trouble whatsoever. I'll probably leave her on this for this summer and next unless she goes thru a growth spurt.


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