Do they Make Kids Road Bikes

What is the smallest real road bike available for young riders? My 9 year
old son is about 54 inches tall. Would like to introduce him into road
cycling. He wants to go with us on longer rides. His "huffy" dirt bike
with knobby tires just doesn't cut it on the road.

He wants to go with us on longer rides. His "huffy" dirt bike
with knobby tires just doesn't cut it on the road.

You can get kids' road bikes over here in the UK - proper ones, not MTBs ;-)
BUT they are expensive and as rare as hen's teeth to find when you need one :-(


Cheers, helen s


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Fuji makes one, as does Trek. Cannondale and others make versions of
their road bikes that would certainly fit. Go to a reputable bike shop
and tell them what you feel you want and get their advice.

Alexander Gilchrist

On Tue, 22 Jul 2003 02:44:36 GMT, "Privatelife"
wrote:

His "huffy" dirt bike
with knobby tires just doesn't cut it on the road.

Start by fitting slick tyres - makes an amazing difference! My
9-year-old has a Dawes Kokomo steel MTB (no suspension) and has done a
47 mile ride on that no problem. It's still considered adequately
cool in the playground :-)

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony.
http://www.chapmancentral.com
[currently offline awaiting ADSL transfer to new ISP]

Devinci in Canada used to make them. They were pretty cool.

http://www.devinci.com

Not sure if they still do? e-mail em?



Robert M. Hammel,
Commercial & Residential Mortgage Specialist
Direct: 403-589-7381
Fax: 403-730-2134
e-mail:
The MORTGAGE Centre

"Privatelife" wrote in message
news
What is the smallest real road bike available for young riders? My 9 year
old son is about 54 inches tall. Would like to introduce him into road
cycling. He wants to go with us on longer rides. His "huffy" dirt bike
with knobby tires just doesn't cut it on the road.

Privatelife wrote:
: What is the smallest real road bike available for young riders? My 9 year
: old son is about 54 inches tall. Would like to introduce him into road
: cycling. He wants to go with us on longer rides. His "huffy" dirt bike
: with knobby tires just doesn't cut it on the road.

Check out:

http://www.chucksbikes.com/cbpihta.htm

Cheerz,
Lynzz

"Privatelife" wrote in message
news
What is the smallest real road bike available for young riders? My 9 year
old son is about 54 inches tall. Would like to introduce him into road
cycling. He wants to go with us on longer rides. His "huffy" dirt bike
with knobby tires just doesn't cut it on the road.

You might try him on a 46cm frame bike, i.e.:

http://www.brittonbikes.com/bikes-20...02/veloce.html

or something like the Susan B.

http://www.terrybicycles.com/Bikes/susanb.lasso

though it's a little big for him since its recommended for
58"

You might want to head off to Europe and look around
for something suitable.

I gave up on finding something for my 9 year old, if you
find something let me know. It has to have a triple.

I'm going to fit some Vee Rubber K-52's onto the wheels
of a 24" mountain bike.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/tires/index.html#507

I guess there is no market for a kid's road bike.

Steve

After much research, I purchased a 44cm Fuji Roubaix Womens
(http://www.fujibikes.com/) for my 8-year-old daughter earlier this year. The
650c wheels make quite a difference.

She's rather short (don't remember exact measurement, but is the shortest of
all her 3rd grade friends) and it fits her great. I did have to trade in the
90mm stem for a 60 I found at the LBS, though.

We ride about 60 minutes every day before school/work.

I also put home-made rubber spacers in the brifters to bring the levers closer
in to the handlebars.

She has a real problem shifting the front deraileur to larger chain-rings, but
I attribute that to weak hands; anytime we crest a hill, we stop and I shift
back up to the middle chainring for her.

This bike cost me just under $1000 at a quasi-LBS, but the Finest Womens and
Newest Womens use the same geometery and are much less expensive.

I highly recommend any of these small Fuji's.

Let me know if I can help you any more...


"Steven M. Scharf" wrote:
"Privatelife" wrote in message
news
What is the smallest real road bike available for young riders? My 9 year
old son is about 54 inches tall. Would like to introduce him into road
cycling. He wants to go with us on longer rides. His "huffy" dirt bike
with knobby tires just doesn't cut it on the road.

You might try him on a 46cm frame bike, i.e.:

http://www.brittonbikes.com/bikes-20...02/veloce.html

or something like the Susan B.

http://www.terrybicycles.com/Bikes/susanb.lasso

though it's a little big for him since its recommended for
58"

You might want to head off to Europe and look around
for something suitable.

I gave up on finding something for my 9 year old, if you
find something let me know. It has to have a triple.

I'm going to fit some Vee Rubber K-52's onto the wheels
of a 24" mountain bike.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/tires/index.html#507

I guess there is no market for a kid's road bike.

Steve

After much research, I purchased a 44cm Fuji Roubaix Womens
(http://www.fujibikes.com/) for my 8-year-old daughter earlier this year. The
650c wheels make quite a difference.

She's rather short (don't remember exact measurement, but is the shortest of
all her 3rd grade friends--I suspect she's areound 50" tall) and it fits her
great. I did have to trade in the
90mm stem for a 60 I found at the LBS, though.

We ride about 60 minutes every day before school/work.

I also put home-made rubber spacers in the brifters to bring the levers closer
in to the handlebars.

She has a real problem shifting the front deraileur to larger chain-rings, but
I attribute that to weak hands; anytime we crest a hill, we stop and I shift
back up to the middle chainring for her.

This bike cost me just under $1000 at a quasi-LBS, but the Finest Womens and
Newest Womens use the same geometery and are much less expensive.

I highly recommend any of these small Fuji's.

Let me know if I can help you any more...


"Privatelife" wrote:
What is the smallest real road bike available for young riders? My 9 year
old son is about 54 inches tall. Would like to introduce him into road
cycling. He wants to go with us on longer rides. His "huffy" dirt bike
with knobby tires just doesn't cut it on the road.

"Eurastus" wrote in message
...
After much research, I purchased a 44cm Fuji Roubaix Womens
(http://www.fujibikes.com/) for my 8-year-old daughter earlier this year.
The 650c wheels make quite a difference.

snip

This bike cost me just under $1000 at a quasi-LBS, but the Finest Womens
and Newest Womens use the same geometery and are much less expensive.

Yes, I think I know the quasi-LBS you're referring to because that same
shop near me carries a lot of the Fuji bicycles. I really hate to buy bikes
there, but my extended family has bought several there since they seem to
carry models and brands that are shunned by the "real" LBSes. Fuji seems
to have made a real comeback and they offer products you just can't get
from Trek or Specialized, which are the only mass market brands that the
LBSes seem to carry.

Steve