# 20" bike questions- Whats your experience?



## essjss (Aug 16, 2008)

Hi all,

My 6yo twins are outgrowing their 16" Hotrocks so its time for the next bike. I would love to skip the 20" frame for a 24" but they just aren't big enough yet. I'm looking for your experience with 20" bikes and insight on how long they lasted for you. They are 41" tall with a 17" inseam.

Here's my list;
Hotrock 20 single speed- Light, least expensive, rigid fork, no gears, $200
Hotrock 20 6 speed- Not much heavier than the ss, susp fork (extra weight), geared, $300
Giant Areva 20- 6 spd, rigid fork, $300
Raleigh Lily- 6 spd, rigid fork, $240

There are some easy trails right out our back door so they are getting into the dirt. They have to walk some of the hills on their 16s so part of me thinks the geared bikes would be good but I'm not totally convinced that the cost and extra stuff to break is worth it.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.


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## SuperJETT (May 28, 2008)

Buy used. I picked up a 2 year old Fisher Precaliber 20" for our 5 (almost 6) year old son last week for $85 in excellent condition. It's just an intermediate bike to get him by until a 24" or XS 26". 

We did buy a 24" Kona new last year for our oldest but got a smoking deal @ $280 and it was actually a little late for her since she outgrew it quickly and is on a S 26" now and the 24" went to our middle daughter.


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## essjss (Aug 16, 2008)

Trust me, I'd love to buy used but the market is thin for 2 similar (don't have to be identical) bikes. The closest major market is 2 hours away and there aren't many bikes there that don't suck. I'm definitely going to keep looking for used but my choices are fairly limited.

I like the Precaliber line, nice pickup. Looks like they aren't building them anymore.

How long do you anticipate the 20" lasting your boy? One of my questions now is how long to anticipate a 20"er lasting. I know all kids are different but I'd like to see this summer and at a very minimum one more ideally 2 more.


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## Aresab (Mar 27, 2007)

I bought my son a Specilaized Hotrock 20, a year ago in January. I immediately upgraded the freewheel to 7-speed with a 34t granny, the derailleur to a deore, and shifter to a older 7 Speed Alivio. It's lighter than a k-mart bike, pretty tough, but I can't wait until he gets to the new bike I built him (B-Day August). Even with the upgrades, the small tires and fixed front sprocket don't do him justice on climbs. But, we have shared many a mile in the trails over the past 18 months and nothing in the world can be better than that...


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## SuperJETT (May 28, 2008)

Our 7.5 year old daughter is average height and has moved up to the 24" Kona but if we had a 20" geared mtb she could stay on it a while longer easily. Our almost 10 year old daughter is fairly tall for her age and doesn't fit a 20" at all, that's why she's on the small 26" GT (women's version).

Our son is almost 6 fits the Precaliber great with the seat all the way down, so I can imagine him getting 2 years out of it easily and maybe even push it so he can move up to a 26" frame.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

I got my son a 20" Gary Fisher Precaliber. I swapped it from 6 speed gripshift to 8 speed trigger with some old XT parts I had layin' around. Also made it 32 tooth rear with a 34 tooth chainring so he could climb. Lightened up other parts with my parts bin and e bay. 
Word of warning... The suspension forks on most kid's bikes are heavy junk. The one that comes on the Hotrock is probably the best of them. I swapped the useless one that came on the GF with Spec's RST.
I also picked up an excellent Trek MT60 used for my nephew and while the bike is nice, it weighs a ton.


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## SuperJETT (May 28, 2008)

Going a little off topic, but I shortened the threads inside the spring cap on the Precaliber to not put so much preload on it and it's quite a bit softer now.


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## essjss (Aug 16, 2008)

Hmmmm, sounds like I might be better off waiting on a 24" bike. I guess I need to get them on one again and see how much growth will be required before they are really ready. They are tall for 6yos and the summer feels like its half over already  so it might be best to leave them on the 16s until they can jump to the 24.

Thanks for your responses so far and keep the inputs coming.


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

My 5 year old is on a 20" Hot Rock. I think she'll get this summer, and probably at least next summer out of it. It's kind of wierd geometry though. With the seat low enough for her to touch the ground, The crank length is long enough that her knees are up into her chest on the up stroke. I taught her to just drop one foot when she stops, so I was able to raise the seat more, but the pedal stroke is still long. I'm pretty sure I'm going to swap the cranks out for some shorter ones.
I will say that the Hotrock is an older one with a rigid fork. It also has aluminum stem, and seatpost, but stell handlebars. Don't understand that at all. Why skimp there?


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

essjss said:


> Hmmmm, sounds like I might be better off waiting on a 24" bike. I guess I need to get them on one again and see how much growth will be required before they are really ready. They are tall for 6yos and the summer feels like its half over already  so it might be best to leave them on the 16s until they can jump to the 24.
> 
> Thanks for your responses so far and keep the inputs coming.


I don't know... My son is an absolute moose for six. He got the bike when he was 5 and now it fits perfectly. I can see him getting another year out of it before I either search out a 13" 26er frame or maybe a 24".


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

Ok... Hope this helps. I measured my son and he's 50 1/4 inches tall. He rides a 20" wheel Gary Fisher Precaliber with about 6" of seatpost showing. 
At the LBS this morning, I pulled out a 24" wheel bike and sat him on it. With the seat all the way down, he could ride the bike on pavement, but I certainly wouldn't bring him in the woods on it. Then I looked for the smallest 26er frame in the place. I was hoping to find a 13" frame, but no dice. A 15" frame on 26" wheels was huge. 
I was hoping to bypass the 24" wheels and go right to 26 so we'd have better forks and components, but it doesn't look like that'll happen. The fork on the 24" bikes was pretty cheesy.


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## essjss (Aug 16, 2008)

Well, its a done deal. A shop gave me a little discount on two 20" single speed Hotrocks so we brought them home. They girls both rode them around a little bit at the shop and they will be jamming on them in no time at all.

I finally decided on the SS bikes as a cost saving measure. I'll keep them on these as long as possible and start looking for good used 24s in the next year or so. That way it won't sneak up on me and "force" me into new bikes when they outgrow these.

NY- I'm totally with you on skipping the 24" bike but the more I look at the kids on these different bikes the less I see it as a possibility. There was a 12" Hotwalk at the store and none of us could believe that the girls were ever small enough to ride those! They really do seem to fit onto each of these sizes at distinct stages. Here's hoping we can skip it, if I come up with a winning solution in 2 years I'll be sure to let you know.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

Thanks. I'm already facing the reality that I'll be tearing my hair out trying to find/build a light, responsive 24" wheeled bike. I thought the 20 was hard.


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## Aresab (Mar 27, 2007)

There is a another alternative, buy a small 26'er frame, lace up some 24" disc based wheels. That's what I did for my son. He get's the bike listed below in early August on his birthday. Then, when he gets bigger, I throw 26" disc wheels on. The bike below has some pretty decent components and w/ 24" wheels, around 24" stand-over and w/26" wheels, approx 25" of stand-over. I built a similar bike for a friend last October, but his son was already 53" tall where as my son is around 51". I expect he will have this bike for a long time.


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## khaotom (Mar 14, 2011)

I finally laced up my 20" Nitrous Ring Rim, and now I need a 11" frame to fit it in. Any suggestion where I can find some cheap Aluminum MTB frame? There's a 06' Kona Makena, but it is advertised as 13", I am afraid my just turn 5 yo would have problem controlling it.


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## essjss (Aug 16, 2008)

I like that 26" frame with 24" wheels. I might have to begin sourcing parts for something like that. I should have ~2 years to get 2 bikes built up. Great idea!


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## Aresab (Mar 27, 2007)

It's a 14" Sette Reken from PricePoint.com. I don't believe they are selling them anymore as a frame only but Nashbar does have a 14" house brand. Performance bike had a 14" as well, but I'm not sure what the deal is there. If you see a 14" frame you like, I'd recommend grabbing it. I'm probably more excited than my son will be and he love to ride singletrack with me every weekend...

*** UPDATE *** Pricepoint appears to have the Reken in 14" back in stock in black!


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## essjss (Aug 16, 2008)

Hmmmm, that is tempting to order a couple of those and hang on to them as I get components and the kids grow a bit bigger.

4.5 lbs is probably as good as it gets in a $100 frame. Esp one that is only 14". I might have to paint it pink but again, its only $100 so that's probably not a big deal. Any chance you want to trade a red for a black? ;-)


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## Aresab (Mar 27, 2007)

Hi ESSJSS,
My son loves the Red color, so unfortunately, it going to stay. The 4.5 lbs is for the medium 18", the 14" feels almost like nothing. They are very well designed frames with very good reviews. It's really worth it and fun to build. I'd hang back a bit and wait until their summer or even fall sale, they may be cheaper. I've had mine hangin around for a year and 1/2 before I built it. It big enough that he does not know it his (hanging upside down in the garage). They have a RED model as a complete bike if that appeal to you more, then you can buy spokes, rims and tires. After they finish with the 24", revert them back to 26".


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## essjss (Aug 16, 2008)

Sweet, I'll definitely keep my eyes open for the sale. Every little bit counts when you have to buy two!

Enjoy the riding with your son. Some of my best memories are of riding with my dad.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

essjss said:


> I like that 26" frame with 24" wheels. I might have to begin sourcing parts for something like that. I should have ~2 years to get 2 bikes built up. Great idea!


I agree. That IS a great idea. I gotta get started.


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