Kids DH bike

[Kntr]

Does anyone make a GOOD full suspension bike for kids? Something designed around 20" wheels and 4"-5" of travel.

Who would be interested in one for their young one?

HELP

[illflip]

5" would be a lot for a 20" bike i think.

stinky 2-4 comes to mind though...

[Kntr]

5" would be a lot for a 20" bike i think.

stinky 2-4 comes to mind though...

Too big for a 6-10 yo.

How about 4" of travel?

[ire]

Have Chumba build one :biggrin:

[ChrisKring]

Eveyone I have ever seen was a custom one off build. I think Frank the welder built the one that is Chain Reaction 3.

Logan Mullaly was on a Scott 20" a few years ago. Might want to try PM'ing his dad. masterofgroms I think.

[offtheedge]

Didn't BMW build a one off?

[Brian HCM#1]

My son is almost 10 and his small Armageddon is still a bit too big for him. I'm hoping within the next year he'll be able to ride it.

[Demomonkey]

KONA make a 20" full suspension bike, like a mini Stinky

[MrPlow]

what forks would you put on it? I think that is where things get messy for the little un's

[Gary]

it's XC but Scott spark jnr?

[DiRt DeViL]

My son started on a Small frame with 24" wheels, was too tall for a while but he learned to ride it in no time.

The Stinky 2-4 is great but isn't cheap.

[MasterofGroms]

I have build two of these bikes. The key for me was to find a frame that was not a URT. Most of the little bikes are. If you can find one with a swing arm of any kind, you can make it work. Understand that the angles won't be perfect, but it should work just fine for this level of rider. I considered bikes from Wal-Mart to straight up bike shop quality bikes, which at that price point they are pretty much the same. The bike shop bike will probably have better parts on it. That's not too important due to the fact that you'll probably end up removing most or all of those parts anyway.
Fork: I started with a fork that was air sprung but switched over to a Fox 36 to try to get a slacker angle. This worked out well. The downside was a very tall BB. I was worried about this but my riders never seemed to have any problems with it. The slacker angle and taller front end gave them some added confidence going into rocks.
Rear Shock: I bought a half dozen used air cans of a variety of manufacturers until I found one that fit the best for the bike I chose. I used a muck longer stroke shock which also contributed to a higher BB, but to increase the travel I had no choice. As it all turned out, the tall BB was not a bad thing mostly due to the bike just being so small it actually provided some added ground clearance. I imagine there was some tradeoff with stability and turnability here, but at this level, they did not appear to struggle. My focus was teaching them to maneuver rocky sections with confidence(probably the biggest challenge for the little wheels), and learning to jump a fully suspended bike. The bike accompolished this pretty well.
Parts: I used all my best spare parts and stole some from their BMX bikes to make it work. Answer makes a 4" rise carbon bar that is much wider than most little bars.
That's pretty much it. Of course I'd be happy to answer any questions you've got. I can even take a couple of shots of Logan's Scott if you think it'll help. Good luck and be creative.

[Kntr]

I was thinking a Stinky 24 with custom 20" wheels. My daughter is only 6yo and her Diamondback is just not enough. It has a front shock but doesnt even move under my weight. She rides single track with us already.



Here is a sequence shot and you can see her front tire hoping over the root. A real front fork would be a lot better.




Recenty Ive been getting her on some steeper stuff and she is doing real well. She always asks me why she cant have a better bike.

Please post some pics of the kids bike. Anyone have one they want to sell?

[Kntr]

KONA make a 20" full suspension bike, like a mini Stinky

I cant find it on their website. Link?

[offtheedge]

she looks fast!