Emory (the Mayor's kid) Needs a new steed bad!

[TheMayor1]

Looking for ideas. Emory is in bad need of a new ride. He has way overgrown his current 20" bike. After the Battle I want to do him right and get him into something that fits him. Hopefully for a couple of years anyway.

Current Stats, changing rapidly at this age:
10 years old. Changes yearly
4' 7"
85 pounds
Ability, pretty good for his age and equipment.
Aggressiveness, average.

So do I go with a 24" or 26" bike? My thoughts are a 24" would do him for this year. Next year he would need to move up. I like bigger (giant) tires so I figure why not put him into a small or X-small 26" frame? Maybe this gets us a couple of years a fitting options with stems, etc. And therefore we can justify a nicer ride.

Prolly looking for a front suspended bike. I am not sure how much rear suspension does for his age. And he is not a racer-type. At least not yet. I would like something with trigger shifters. He has dealt with cheap grip-shifters on his current bike. Nothing against Grip-Shift but I think they are better suited to adult riders with bigger, stronger hands.

Interested to hear what others think. Also, if anyone has a bike available along these lines I would be interested.

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[farmguy]

I'd probably would go 24 if it was my kid, since he has younger siblings to hand the bike down to. Good luck finding trigger shifters on a kids bike though, it seems to me they just about all come with gripshift.
Might want to check out Dreambikes for a used bike and save a few bucks.

[blackbike]

xxxs 29er   

[Nate Woolever]

Chuck, you got any parts to use?

You could probably get him on an XXS or XS 26er hardtail.  I've got an older Manitou fork and a couple other parts that I could contribute.

[Nate Woolever]

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/bik/3013828398.html

Check it out!

[Nate Woolever]

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/bik/3002319390.html

Another!

[Nate Woolever]

Might be a good frame to go from...

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/bik/3074119464.html

[Nate Woolever]

http://madison.craigslist.org/bid/3042809263.html

[Nate Woolever]

http://madison.craigslist.org/bik/3074675747.html

[Nate Woolever]

http://madison.craigslist.org/bik/3076124757.html

[Nate Woolever]

http://madison.craigslist.org/bik/3037502761.html

[Nate Woolever]

Any of those would do the job if they're not too big...I'm sure we can find some replacement components for those that need it in our collective parts bin.

[TheMayor1]

xxxs 29er   

There was a girl in the juniors class last year at the Battle rockin' the 29er. Gotta say she looked over-matched by the bike. Though you know I like my giant tires

[TheMayor1]

Any of those would do the job if they're not too big...I'm sure we can find some replacement components for those that need it in our collective parts bin.

Geez Nate, thanks for all of the leads! You are a master of all that is Cragslist!

I am rally intersted in the Tarpon frame. This looks like a 24" frame. Do you know if they made it in 24"? I have a lot of the parts for it if it's 26". I am sure you guys can hook me up with anything else I need. It would be be a good project for Dad and son to build his first "real" bike. Could also be a 4-H project for him to document and enter into the Dane County Fair.

[Nate Woolever]

Geez Nate, thanks for all of the leads! You are a master of all that is Cragslist!

It's a disease, really.

I am rally intersted in the Tarpon frame. This looks like a 24" frame. Do you know if they made it in 24"? I have a lot of the parts for it if it's 26". I am sure you guys can hook me up with anything else I need. It would be be a good project for Dad and son to build his first "real" bike. Could also be a 4-H project for him to document and enter into the Dane County Fair.

I don't think they did a 24" Tarpon, but I could be wrong about that...a quick scan of the archives on Trek's website shows all the Tarpons being 26ers.  That said, the only difference would be the wheels since you already would have the frame and fork.

If that fork is bunk and it is a 24 incher, you could put on a different fork and run a 24/26er.  A 46er.  I'd bet it's a 26er though.