# What bike? xs womens frame or a 24in kids bike?



## chimpwars (Jun 8, 2013)

DD has way outgrown her 20in bike. She is 54in tall, we went to 3 nike shops today. 1 said a 24in bike and 2 said a womens xs frame.

if it helps the 24in kids bike would be a Canondale (http://www.cannondale.com/2013/bikes/kids/girls/street/24-f-street-matte-black)

or the xs womens frame a Trek Skye S

Any recommendations of what to go with? She didn't ride either but did sit on them. She liked both. Price point is about the same. It appeared the kids canondale seemed big for a 24in bike, but I don't want to spend the $ and need a new bike next year as we already had to raise the seat at the shop. But I also want her comfortable riding her bike after a really serious crash last summer.


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## evandy (Oct 3, 2012)

Your daughter is about 3 inches shorter than my wife, who is 57" tall. She is currently worknig with a local bike shop to find something that fits her, and is thinking about a 24" tire, as the 14" Raleigh frame they had in stock is still a little big for her. However, plans on hold until they get one in stock that she can try out. There don't seem to be a lot of choices in this size... which really stinks.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

chimpwars said:


> DD has way outgrown her 20in bike. She is 54in tall, we went to 3 nike shops today. 1 said a 24in bike and 2 said a womens xs frame.
> 
> if it helps the 24in kids bike would be a Canondale (GIRL'S 24" STREET 21 SPEED - Street - GIRLS BICYCLES - Kids - Bikes - 2013)
> 
> ...


I would say it depends on the riding you do. I tried a XS 26 for my son, but it was just too big since he is into trail riding, jumping etc... Now if he was just riding around the neighborhood, I may had gone ahead with the XS26.

Really only you can be the judge. I know as far as mountain biking, if I were in between frames I would rather go a little smaller than larger.

Do you have another younger child? That way you could justify the 24 since it can be handed down. That's how I looked at it.


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## kuan (Oct 18, 2008)

Get the 24" bike. My kid is 54" tall and he just grew into his. You might get a good two years out of it.


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## Billinsd (May 10, 2012)

TwoTone said:


> I would say it depends on the riding you do. I tried a XS 26 for my son, but it was just too big since he is into trail riding, jumping etc... Now if he was just riding around the neighborhood, I may had gone ahead with the XS26.
> 
> Really only you can be the judge. I know as far as mountain biking, if I were in between frames I would rather go a little smaller than larger.
> 
> Do you have another younger child? That way you could justify the 24 since it can be handed down. That's how I looked at it.


I concur and got a Myka xs for my 54" daughter. She rides lite xc and around the neighborhood and the bike is fine for her. It is nice that the larger wheels have more momentum. She does not like to pedal, so this works out well.
Bill


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

With out a doubt I would go with a 13" frame in 26"!! That is what my son is on and what I am currently building for my daughter. My son rips it up on his at 7 1/2 yo people are blown away when they see him on the trails. Granted I didn't build it and then have him on the trail the next day, I let him get good at shifting and using hand brakes and just in general get comfortable on the bike around the neighborhood.

Durango








Klondike Bluffs (Moab)








Going down the river off of White Rim








And a short video from our trip to Moab last month


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

clarkrw3 said:


> With out a doubt I would go with a 13" frame in 26"!! That is what my son is on and what I am currently building for my daughter. My son rips it up on his at 7 1/2 yo people are blown away when they see him on the trails. Granted I didn't build it and then have him on the trail the next day, I let him get good at shifting and using hand brakes and just in general get comfortable on the bike around the neighborhood.


Also age means very little, how tall is he? Not to be rude but is he lifting the front to get up and over obstacles or jumping and getting some air?


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

TwoTone said:


> Also age means very little, how tall is he? Not to be rude but is he lifting the front to get up and over obstacles or jumping and getting some air?


He is currently 53.5" but was smaller when I built it for him. He is definitely lifting over obstacles, jumping, and dropping smaller ledges. He also just made the transition to clip pedals. I am running a 1x9 drive train and shorty BMX 145mm cranks.

As you can see from the pictures I am able to run a dual air fork on low psi which allows good travel for his weight too.

I have helped a few others in my area into similar rides for their sons and even though older about the same size as my son and all are doing very well with the setup.


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## kuan (Oct 18, 2008)

My experience is totally different, but here's a video of mine on a 24" bike. He is about 54.5" tall and he just got big enough to get on top of the bike instead of "inside" the bike.


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## stom_m3 (Jun 28, 2011)

Hi Kuan, What is your son riding? A 24" Kona with a Cannondale Lefty fork? Is the fork a 26" or 24"?


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## kuan (Oct 18, 2008)

stom_m3 said:


> Hi Kuan, What is your son riding? A 24" Kona with a Cannondale Lefty fork? Is the fork a 26" or 24"?


Yep it's a Kona. Fork is a DLR2 carbon 110 fork with spacers to lower the crown and decrease the travel to about 70mm. Shockspital did the work. The wheel is a Velocity Aerohead 24" and the hub is standard Lefty.


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## stom_m3 (Jun 28, 2011)

Very cool!


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## Fitnessfun (Jun 3, 2014)

I would get a women's bike so that she can ride it longer. I've been looking at a few myself on the page below and I'm kinda leaning toward the Novara Mia Cruiser Best Women?s Bikes Reviews 2014.


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## Fargo1 (Oct 19, 2012)

I'm kind of in the same boat looking for bikes for my boys. I like the idea of a small 26" frame so they can ride it longer. But I have pretty much decided on the 24" wheel instead. I think getting the proper fit is more important as they are still learning. I also think the smaller 24" wheel is more manueverable. Its not just the larger size of the 26" wheel but also the gyroscopic forces of moving a 26" wheel. So for tight single tracks I think the smaller wheel will be advantageous for a young rider. But if you are doing long flowing XC trails, I can see where a bigger 26" wheel might be better. Its a lot like the 26v29er debate. Only on a kids scale.


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## Deslock (May 23, 2010)

I want to upgrade my younger son's $90 24" Walmart kids mtn bike, and have been considering a better 24" bike or an extra small 26er (men's or women's).

The Walmart bike is a good size for him now, and has served us surprisingly well for years (was first ridden by his older brother). However, we're doing less pavement and more single track these days, and its limitations are becoming more apparent.

Details:


Rider: Almost 10 years old boy, 4'9" tall.
Budget: ~$300-$600 (might spend more if I find something awesome).
Terrain: Jeep roads, single track (sometimes smooth, often roots and rocks), and lots of hills. Some bike paths too.
Group: Him, his 13-year-old brother, mom, and dad (me). Sometimes also with a couple of the boys' friends. 
Priorities: Low weight, disc brakes. 
Optional: Front suspension (depends on cost/weight). 
Comments: I ride at a relaxed pace (especially when with my family) and don't pressure anyone, but even so he sometimes struggles to keep up on distance rides, technical stuff, and hills. He's a trooper and doesn't complain, but I don't want to see his enthusiasm diminished.
Some bikes I'm looking at:


13" Men's Motobecane 450HT. Weight unknown. A bit too large (but he'd grow into). Reasonably priced. Disc brakes.
13" Women's 26er Terry Susan B. Weight unknown (presumably lighter than the 450HT). Good size. Reasonably priced. More of a hybrid (maybe put on wider tires). No disc brakes. No front suspension.
Islabike Creig. More than I want to spend. Lightweight.
Islabike Beinn. Very lightweight. More of a hybrid (maybe put on wider tires). No disk brakes. No front suspension. At upper end of my budget.
Nishiki Pueblo. Cheap. Probably only marginally better than what he has now. Might outgrow soon.
Hotrock 24 XC disc. At 27 pounds, I doubt it's much lighter than a 13" 26er. At upper end of my budget. Might outgrow soon.
XS Hardrock Disc SE 26. Weight unknown. A bit too large (but he'd grow into). Costs more than bikesdirect offerings and has inferior components.
XS Myka Disc SE 26. Weight unknown. A bit too large, but not as much as the men's version (and he'd grow into). Costs more than bikesdirect offerings and has inferior components.
I'm leaning towards the 450HT. Posted because (1) I was writing it down to think things through anyway, (2) in case anyone has other suggestions, and (3) in case this info is useful for anyone else.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Deslock said:


> I want to upgrade my younger son's $90 24" Walmart kids mtn bike, and have been considering a better 24" bike or an extra small 26er (men's or women's).
> 
> The Walmart bike is a good size for him now, and has served us surprisingly well for years (was first ridden by his older brother). However, we're doing less pavement and more single track these days, and its limitations are becoming more apparent.
> 
> ...


One of the problems with buying a complete XS 26 would be the cranks. Those XS 26er you listed all have 170mm cranks, that's what I run and I'm 5'11'' with a 32 inch inseam.

No way I put my kids on that. Buying a XS complete is way different than buying a XS frame and building it up with appropriate components.

It all depends on what you're after. A bike they can get on, pedal and control sure a XS 26er would work or a bike they can learn proper skills on?


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## tekkamaki (Mar 3, 2007)

The islabikes creig is your best bet if you are doing serious riding.

My 9 year old has been riding a specialized era comp in a 13.5 since he was 8. Many components have been switched out.

Good luck finding one. They are sought after. 

We have an islabikes luath 26 cross bike & love it. No regrets.


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## Deslock (May 23, 2010)

TwoTone said:


> One of the problems with buying a complete XS 26 would be the cranks. Those XS 26er you listed all have 170mm cranks, that's what I run and I'm 5'11'' with a 32 inch inseam.
> 
> No way I put my kids on that. Buying a XS complete is way different than buying a XS frame and building it up with appropriate components.
> 
> It all depends on what you're after. A bike they can get on, pedal and control sure a XS 26er would work or a bike they can learn proper skills on?


If I go with a 26er, I was thinking I'd swap the cranks, suspension springs, and possibly the brake levers (but now that you mention it, I'm not sure how easy it is to modify those throwaway suspensions).



tekkamaki said:


> The islabikes creig is your best bet if you are doing serious riding.
> 
> My 9 year old has been riding a specialized era comp in a 13.5 since he was 8. Many components have been switched out.
> 
> ...


You guys are making me reconsider my budget.


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## Fargo1 (Oct 19, 2012)

Cleary bikes has a 24" bike in the works that might fit your needs. There is a thread here about a geared 20" cleary that talks about the upcoming 24". They will be showing some prototypes on their website after the holidays. If your not in a rush, I would keep an eye on Cleary.

Bikes | Cleary Bikes


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Imo cannondale is still not putting any effort into kids bikes. Trek has something nice for girls, Neko. Its a mtb, 12.6" frame but 26" wheels, kind of a 29er for kids look. Been looking at the womans version for my wife if she picks up riding with us.

And just cause u have to raise the seat a little instead if down as far as it goes means nothing, look at how far all us mtbrs (and some of our kids bikes) have the seats set way up outta the frame.
Sent from my Nokia Stupid Phone using Tapatalk


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## Deslock (May 23, 2010)

I dismissed the kids Neko due to the component set and skinny tires. But I'll take another look at it. 

Didn't know about the upcoming 24" Clearly. My plan is for the bike to be a Christmas present, but if I decide to postpone things, that could be another option. 

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Happy Turkey Day!


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## Deslock (May 23, 2010)

Also, I forgot to mention the Trailcraft. Same price as the Creig, but a couple pounds lighter.

Five years ago, I might've been willing to shell out $1200 for a 24" kids MTB (knowing my oldest son would ride it for 4 years, and then my youngest son for another 3). At this point we'd only get a couple years out of a 24" bike before my youngest outgrows it.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

tigris99 said:


> Imo cannondale is still not putting any effort into kids bikes. Trek has something nice for girls, Neko. Its a mtb, 12.6" frame but 26" wheels, kind of a 29er for kids look. Been looking at the womans version for my wife if she picks up riding with us.
> 
> And just cause u have to raise the seat a little instead if down as far as it goes means nothing, look at how far all us mtbrs (and some of our kids bikes) have the seats set way up outta the frame.
> Sent from my Nokia Stupid Phone using Tapatalk


What do you mean by that? The Cannondale is the only one for $500 that has a real Air Fork.

The Race 24 is a better value than that Neko you suggested


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Deslock- just depends on the route you want to go. I've posted the methods I went with just for reference before.

My son is into jumping, tech trail riding bunny hoping and learning to wheelie/manual. I bought a Marin Bayview disc because it has the shortest CS length I could find. Bought a bunch of stuff on Ebay, XT drive train, BB7 brakes, carbon bar etc. Bought a 24'' air fork,some nice 24'' wheels built and shortened cranks. It's a killer bike for what he does.

My daughter on the other hand isn't into all that, she will ride milder trails with us. So I decided to go a slightly cheaper route- the race 24 since it already had an air fork. I paid around $200 for the fork on my son's bike, so $500 for a nice 24'' with one was a no brainer to me. I used his old wheelset and bough some BB7s and carbon bars off ebay. That said bike is longer than my sons.

There are a lot of people saying kids won't notice the difference- I guess it depends on the kid. Without any prompting from me, when my son rode his sisters bike, he asked my if it was bigger. He noticed the difference in the first few minutes.


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## Deslock (May 23, 2010)

Thanks for the great info.

I'd talked to a couple folks at LBSes who suggested moving up to a 13" 26er, but after reading comments here, I'm taking another look at 24ers.

I found the Marin Bayview Trail 24 Disc on sale for $450. The photo shows a 2014, though the listed $500 normal price is quite a bit lower than MSRP, and the listed specs include hydraulic brakes, 700x32c wheels (obviously a mistake), and various components that don't match either the 2014 or 2015. Not sure what's going on there.

There's also the Marin Bayview Trail 24 for $330.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Deslock said:


> Thanks for the great info.
> 
> I'd talked to a couple folks at LBSes who suggested moving up to a 13" 26er, but after reading comments here, I'm taking another look at 24ers.
> 
> ...


$450 is a good price. Depending on how far you want to take it, someone has post a shop in Germany where you can get the air fork for around $175 I believe.

I just trolled ebay for deals and upgraded slowly.


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## tekkamaki (Mar 3, 2007)

This is a bit larger 15in but may be worth it for that next bike.

Nashbar has the gt Xs gt avalanche 1.0 2011 frames for $120 in clearance for black Friday. 

Looks like a 15 inch but you will need to confirm sizing.


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## Deslock (May 23, 2010)

I ordered that Marin Bayview Trail 24 Disc, but got an email from gearx asking for an additional $200 for disassembly and shipping (the website has since been edited to reflect that it's only available in store).

I canceled the order and decided to go with a 26er after all. He'll roll over stuff more easily and it'll last longer. If needed, I'll replace the cranks and other components. 

Thanks again for the advice everyone.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Nevermind, just noticed it wasn't the disc brake version.


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