Ok..need some help from you experts..he is ready to come moutnain biking with me

[TiGeo]

My oldest is 10 and is 55.5" tall. ready to hit some trails. He actually did years ago on his 16" bike and did *ok*. I am torn between 24" or v. small 26". What say you? He has 2 younger bros. so they will get use out of whatever I buy.

[NYrr496]

I just measured my 8 year old before he fell asleep. He's 54 inches tall. I have him on a 24" wheeled bike I built for him and it fits perfectly.
Last year, he was beginning to look too big for his 20" bike. I tried to sit him on some small 26" bikes in the bike shop but they were too big, so I did the 24". He's been on this bike since July. He'll probably be ready for a 26er by the spring. Since you have two younger ones, you can't lose starting with a 24" bike in my opinion. This one's my youngest.

[GSJ1973]

My oldest is 10 and is 55.5" tall. ready to hit some trails. He actually did years ago on his 16" bike and did *ok*. I am torn between 24" or v. small 26". What say you? He has 2 younger bros. so they will get use out of whatever I buy.

He could "fit" an XS 26" bike - but it will not be confidence inspiring trying to push big wheels up the hills unless you get some sort of 1200g wheel set and light tires. I'd go for a 24", let him ride it this season then think about the next level if he is ready or has a big growth spurt.

[IAmHolland]

Yeah, I'd go 24" first as well.

[brianW.]

My daughter is 4'-4" and we bought her a 13" specialized Hardrock which fits her good. Originally we were going to get her a newer 24" bike but figured this one sporting 26" tires would give her more years of riding.

[CDMC]

He is at the cusp. A 24" will fit him well, a 26" a bit large. My Son is the same height and on a 26" full suspension bike, but he is also comfortable with the lack of stand over height.

[Billinsd]

My daughter is 4'-4" and we bought her a 13" specialized Hardrock which fits her good. Originally we were going to get her a newer 24" bike but figured this one sporting 26" tires would give her more years of riding.

My daughter is also 4'-4" and I just bought her a Specialized Myka 26 HT. It is a little big for her, but she is extremely confident riding it. Also she does not ride agressively, or anything technical or difficult. The jump from a 20" wheel to 26" is huge in that she does not have to pedal as much to cover the same ground. In fact she was delighted a how much her Myka coasts where she used to have to pedal.

I do have a younger son and thought hard about buying a 24 inch bike that my daughter and he could use. However, when I decided I wanted a 13" Specialized Hotrock 24, I saw that the standover and reach were almost the same as the Myka I went with the Myka. The Myka is like a 29er for my daughter.

Also, the Myka is a girls bike and it will be her bike for many years. Depending on how my son grows I may or not buy him a 24.

I think your decision would depend a lot also on how technical and difficult the trails you are riding. If my son rides real aggressively I would probably buy him a 24.

FYI
Bill

[md247]

I also just picked up a new 13" Myka 26" for my 10yr daughter. It's an upgrade from a 13" hotrock 24". She rides single track with me and loves it.

The Myka actually fits her way better, and since its a 26" wheel it allows for a longer usage period. plus i put a Reba air fork on it. (Sweet)

Have her ride several bikes, see if the LBS has any demos. Ask if they have any good customers that would let you trail test a bike. I would and have let others ride any of our bikes.

Good luck

[coldbike]

Owning the 24" bike makes a lot of sense when there are siblings down the road. He may only get one year out of it, but it will be worthwhile.
I upsized on the early side since about 60% of the biking that I do is on snow, and the kid needed a snow bike to come along.

[samantha_r_l]

I think I'd go with the 24" as well.

[TiGeo]

Bought a used Specy Hotrock 24 A1 FS on eBay. Thanks for the advice. I can use it for all 3 of my boys so I will get my money out of it.

[indianadave]

Good choice. He'll have more confidence on a smaller bike.

[traffic002]

I'm in the same boat. My lean is towards allowing for confidence building.

In a similar manner, I was trying to get him into dirt bikes. He's a little big for a TTR 50. But the TTR 90 would only be good if he was an experienced rider. Basically it just intimidated him and he didn't want to ride.

With the 50, he felt a lot more confident and had fun.

My guess is that if I took him on the trails on a 26", he might lose interest before he even gets a start. I might get less mileage from a 24" if he hits a growth spurt, but that's probably a lot more miles than I'll get from a 26" that sits in the garage because he doesn't want to ride it.

[islandertek]

I agree..it's all about gaining confidence in riding your bike.....bigger bike = less handling/control.....meaning them not pushing themselves and growing in the sport as quickly as other friends and peers....which leads to a mental block and could lead to them not wanting to ride....my son rolls a 24" wheel old Specialized Hemi and finally fits it perfect and can "handle" his bike now and do tricks. You can always sell the bike and buy a new one as they grow.

Here's my son riding on his 24" wheel bike. He is 4' 5" and fits it now....probably still has room to grow and then really throw his bike around?

https://vimeo.com/58014994