OMG, a Kiddie Rivvy!

[cyclotourist]

http://rivbike.tumblr.com/post/12528275911/mini-bike-for-7-to-9-a-back-burner-deal

This is just soooo fantastic.  I totally obsess on kid bikes and have sequential bikes from 12" to 24" for pretty much the whole neighborhood.  Coming up on 26" (and looking hard for a 90's 13" Hoo Koo E Koo or Trek 950 if someone has one stashed somewhere...) now, then on to 650b and 700c/29er territory!

I looked long and hard to find a GREAT 20" KHS Montana.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclotourist/4302651574/  I moved my kids on to hand brakes and gears as soon as I could (this bike is ridden by my 5 y.o.).  But ohhhhh how I would have loved to have a semi-lugged Rivendell for them! 

Hey Grant, consider a 24" version as well, that's the perfect kid size (here's my take on the best option out there: http://cyclotourist.blogspot.com/2010/05/found-perfect-kid-bike.html).  You can get kids all different sizes on that, and the 24" tires roll sooooo much better than 20" tires do.


--
Cheers,
David
Redlands, CA

[Joe Bernard]

Ya know what would be really swell? A semi-lugged straight-guage 20-inch wheel "urban bike" at a lower price point from Rivendell.

 

Joe Bernard

Fairfield, CA.

[Peter Pesce]

I am SO in on this. And I don't even have kids yet!

[Marty]

or this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8379107@N03/4349945352/in/pool-1240367@N24

double eyelets up front for that kross kountyr kiddy ride!

[Sean Whelan]

Wow. that bike is brilliant! Sean --- On Tue, 11/8/11, Marty <mgi...@mac.com> wrote:

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[dougP]

Now we know where Yehuda Moon went...to Walnut Creek to pursue the
"Grow Bike" project! A Grant-Yehuda collaboration should be
brilliant.

Seriously, that is so nicely done. So much of what's aimed at kids is
such junk. +1 for rack eyelets; even kids understand the usefulness
of a rack, if only to make their bike a tandem.

dougP

On Nov 8, 6:19 pm, cyclotourist <cyclotour...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://rivbike.tumblr.com/post/12528275911/mini-bike-for-7-to-9-a-bac...

>
> This is just soooo fantastic.  I totally obsess on kid bikes and have
> sequential bikes from 12" to 24" for pretty much the whole neighborhood.
> Coming up on 26" (and looking hard for a 90's 13" Hoo Koo E Koo or Trek 950
> if someone has one stashed somewhere...) now, then on to 650b and 700c/29er
> territory!
>

> I looked long and hard to find a GREAT 20" KHS Montana.http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclotourist/4302651574/ I moved my kids on

> to hand brakes and gears as soon as I could (this bike is ridden by my 5
> y.o.).  But ohhhhh how I would have loved to have a semi-lugged Rivendell
> for them!
>
> Hey Grant, consider a 24" version as well, that's the perfect kid size
> (here's my take on the best option out there:http://cyclotourist.blogspot.com/2010/05/found-perfect-kid-bike.html).  You
> can get kids all different sizes on that, and the 24" tires roll sooooo
> much better than 20" tires do.
>
> --
> Cheers,
> David
> Redlands, CA
>

> **

[Allan in Portland]

Yeah, dibs on one of the samples. :-)

Though, from my experience, what boys really want are knobbies, gears, and handbrakes in that order.

When he started 1st grade our neighbor gave my son a hand-me down Trek 20" coaster brake bike. I replaced the imitation moto-cross tires and fenders with Schwalbe Marathons and full-coverage Wald chrome and gave it a nice brass bell. (The cheap jingle-bell didn't last as my wife got sick of listening to it everyday, twice a day, for ~2 miles each way.) I was going to put some mustache bars on it to complete the look, but never got around to it. I really should.

Of course, he has no appreciation for it and vastly prefers riding the 30+ lb full-suspension Walmart special yet another neighbor gave him. Of course I let him choose which he rides. That is, until the rain comes then it's "sorry, gotta ride the 'fender' bike."

[Philip Williamson]

I love it. Scale it up for 29er big apples, and sell one to me.

I like the 20" mini/junior bmx race wheels on my son's Redline. He
rode that bike for 4 or 5 years, from barely straddling it at 5, to
"dude, you need a new bike." Which was met with "I hate riding bikes
anyway." Peaked early, I guess.

I think the bike could be a good rider for longer than two years,
especially if the seat tube was excessively slack, or changed
direction mid-tube like Jeff Jones' bikes.

Philip

Philip Williamson
www.biketinker.com

On Nov 8, 6:19 pm, cyclotourist <cyclotour...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://rivbike.tumblr.com/post/12528275911/mini-bike-for-7-to-9-a-bac...
>

> This is just soooo fantastic.  I totally obsess on kid bikes and have
> sequential bikes from 12" to 24" for pretty much the whole neighborhood.
> Coming up on 26" (and looking hard for a 90's 13" Hoo Koo E Koo or Trek 950
> if someone has one stashed somewhere...) now, then on to 650b and 700c/29er
> territory!
>

> I looked long and hard to find a GREAT 20" KHS Montana.http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclotourist/4302651574/ I moved my kids on

> to hand brakes and gears as soon as I could (this bike is ridden by my 5
> y.o.).  But ohhhhh how I would have loved to have a semi-lugged Rivendell
> for them!
>
> Hey Grant, consider a 24" version as well, that's the perfect kid size
> (here's my take on the best option out there:http://cyclotourist.blogspot.com/2010/05/found-perfect-kid-bike.html).  You
> can get kids all different sizes on that, and the 24" tires roll sooooo
> much better than 20" tires do.
>
> --
> Cheers,
> David
> Redlands, CA
>

> **

[Philip Williamson]

Agreed on the priorities of the Boy Child. My original idea for my
son's Redline was to pimp it out with recumbent fenders and moustache
bars, but that was rejected out of hand. He didn't want a miniaturized
version of Dad's bike, for some reason.

Philip

Philip Williamson
www.biketinker.com

[danmc]

That looks great. I was just starting to plan a first bike for my 2
month old. Hope to see it in production but I (we) would be happy with
a proto.

On Nov 8, 8:29 pm, Allan in Portland <allan_f...@aracnet.com> wrote:

[newenglandbike]

Lugged BMX!    :)

Seriously this bike looks awesome.    

Regarding the market for kids bikes, many boys (and some precocious/daring young girls) do actually want BMX bikes*, which are usually CrMo, except for the expensive racing ones.    They are simple and do not capture the rivendell aesthetic-  no gears, no racks, etc-   but tons of fun and an excellent introduction to riding without gadgets (not that racks/gears are gadgets).

-Matt

[Leslie]

Awesomeness!

My first thought was:  it's a year late!  My younger, 9-yr-old daughter was outgrowing her previous bike, and I bought her a ladies' Trek Skye, for her to grow with.

But:   I still want one of these.   Thing is, my older daughter is about to have a daughter:   My younger one might ride it for a bit, too, maybe not, but then when my granddaughter is ready, there it'd be...  



I hadn't thought about the urban-bike slant for adults, but, watching Danny MacAskill videos again, a Rivish bike of sorts would be very cool, too....  

HMMMM........

[Smitty-A-Go-Go]

My wife has a sparkly green Betty Foy. My 5-year-old daughter often laments that she too would like a "sparkly green pretty bike with hand brakes." This could be that bike. The capacity to attach a real rack/basket would be great. She (daughter) has a little flowery plastic basket zip tied to the h-bars, but it's not nearly big enough to carry the ensemble of dolls and doll accessories that she consistently wants to bring to the park. $250 for a whole bike sounds like a deal... even if racks, fenders, and front brake are aftermarket add-ons. One more on the Kiddie Riv waiting list!

  

[PATRICK MOORE]

$250 is a steal. ("Steel"?) Too bad Catie is now almost 5' tall (at 10 years, five months and one day) and riding a much more expensive 24" wheel Electra Townie 3i (pink!) (heck, her 20" wheel Little Betty cost me $250 five years ago).

I dream of her going to middle and high school at nearby Bosque School and we two riding bikes to and from. (She put her foot down about a tandem -- ie, using that plaintive, indignant whine: "DA-aaa-AD!")

On Wed, Nov 9, 2011 at 11:09 AM, Smitty-A-Go-Go <54c...@gmail.com> wrote:

My wife has a sparkly green Betty Foy. My 5-year-old daughter often laments that she too would like a "sparkly green pretty bike with hand brakes." This could be that bike. The capacity to attach a real rack/basket would be great. She (daughter) has a little flowery plastic basket zip tied to the h-bars, but it's not nearly big enough to carry the ensemble of dolls and doll accessories that she consistently wants to bring to the park. $250 for a whole bike sounds like a deal... even if racks, fenders, and front brake are aftermarket add-ons. One more on the Kiddie Riv waiting list!

  

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Patrick Moore
Albuquerque, NM
For professional resumes, contact
Patrick Moore, ACRW
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[Allan in Portland]

Agreed on the $250 is a steal. The "free" Trek that I put tubes, tires, fenders, and a bell on cost me close to $100. And that was with the tires on close-out for about $20 each. You can imagine why I ended up hesitating over the mustache bars. Also, a Wald basket up front would be very a nice and very useful touch.

The thing is, most people don't want to spend money on a decent kid's bike. It's understandable as most kids don't ride them very much. But in the TCO (total cost of ownership), a good bike that can last through 2-3 of one's own children before being sold used for 50-70% of original purchase price is pretty cheap on an amortized basis. Not many people look at their budget that way, though.

-Allan

[Philip Williamson]

The cost-per-use being lower for more expensive kid's bikes is
certainly true in my case. I spent $120 on Max's first bike, a 16"
Gary Fisher "Jet Stream" or something. He rode it a LOT for a couple
years. It actually had moto-style fenders...
His BMX race bike cost $300+, weighs 15 lbs, and has lasted for years
of transportational riding. I could've gotten a used one for $150, but
I'd just tried to set him up with a thrift store BMX bike that cost
$10, plus $40 for a new rear wheel and he hated it. Cheap bike = money
thrown from a moving car; expensive bike = years of use, and I could
probably sell it tomorrow for $150.

Philip

Philip Williamson
www.biketinker.com

[cyclotourist]

Finding a "nice" kid bike has been an obsession of mine.  They're out there, but a bit hard to find.  My kids use them mostly for riding around the block, but put some decent miles on them going to grandma's, the library, parks, etc.   Gears came into play quite early.  They don't quite get them, but follow directions well when I holler:  "Two left, four right."

I mentioned originally how much I like the 24" tire size.  I think it's under-utilized!  It rolls over curbs and bumps sooooo much better than a 20" tire, but doesn't require a tall fork/handlebar height like 26" bikes do.  Even fairly small kids can ride them, limited more by saddle height and standover than anything. 

Right now, Redline makes the Conquest in the 24" size (actually an off-size 24", but that's another story).  If you're looking for a good all-round bike for your kid, check them out.  Drop bars, fat tires!  I found a good one on CL, and am not giving it up for a while!

Oh, and all this talk about kid bikes has forced me to go and buy a new one!  My son is at the point where he will actually benefit from a front sus fork, not to mention carrying around the extra weight from his previous bike.  It weighed 30lbs, which is about 45% of his weight.  That would be like my riding a 85lbs bike on the trails!

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--
Cheers,
David
Redlands, CA

[Smitty-A-Go-Go]

We looked long and hard for a reasonable 16-inch wheeled bike when my daughter out grew her 12-inch Specialized Hotrock. We finally found a Schwinn Gremlin on Craigslist for $40 and snatched it up. 

Funny you mention wheel size, David. M 5-year old daughter tried to go up a driveway from the street at too shallow an angle and her front wheel was deflected by the bump. She went down pretty hard. I was tough 'cause there wasn't much I could do other than comfort her and explain how to avoid it happening again. She really wants a bigger bike but she can barely stand over her 16-inch wheeled Schwinn Gremlin.

Here are a few pics of the kids on their rides... https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/113148323994353762329/albums/5673253657816624801

[cyclotourist]

Start on the 20" search, it'll take awhile, too!   The wheel size really made a big difference.  Most noticeable in rolling off curbs (probably also why kid bikes are so over-built!).  She used to stop and straddle-step walk them over, now rides right off them.  I noticed the big difference for her going from 16 to 20" was the extra mass of the front end.  My daughter did not like having to move it around at low/no speed and that kinda' mentally freaked her out.  Once she got over that... watch out!

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[David Yu Greenblatt]

I hope Riv moves this from the back burner to the middle burner if not the front burner. I am ready to pre-pay for one now.

 

David G

Madison WI

[Jennings]

Here is the one I built up for my son a few years ago. I found the
frame on Ebay. Of course it is lugged. I put 20x1/1/8 wheels and
tires on it. The rear wheel is built up with a Shimano Sante' 7 speed
hub and there is a Shimano 600 rear derailler. It required standard
reach brakes. I think the handlebars are 38cm wide. I had to put
interrupter levers on it so he could reach. 7-speed bar end
shifters. The bike was completely Rivendell inspired. At age 8 I
paced him doing 18 mph.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22765148@N02/sets/72157627975934435/


On Nov 10, 1:31 pm, David Yu Greenblatt

<david.yu.greenbl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I hope Riv moves this from the back burner to the middle burner if not the
> front burner. I am ready to pre-pay for one now.
>
> David G
> Madison WI
>
>
>

> On Tue, Nov 8, 2011 at 8:19 PM, cyclotourist <cyclotour...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >http://rivbike.tumblr.com/post/12528275911/mini-bike-for-7-to-9-a-bac...

>
> > This is just soooo fantastic.  I totally obsess on kid bikes and have
> > sequential bikes from 12" to 24" for pretty much the whole neighborhood.
> > Coming up on 26" (and looking hard for a 90's 13" Hoo Koo E Koo or Trek 950
> > if someone has one stashed somewhere...) now, then on to 650b and 700c/29er
> > territory!
>
> > I looked long and hard to find a GREAT 20" KHS Montana.
> >http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclotourist/4302651574/ I moved my kids on
> > to hand brakes and gears as soon as I could (this bike is ridden by my 5
> > y.o.).  But ohhhhh how I would have loved to have a semi-lugged Rivendell
> > for them!
>
> > Hey Grant, consider a 24" version as well, that's the perfect kid size
> > (here's my take on the best option out there:
> >http://cyclotourist.blogspot.com/2010/05/found-perfect-kid-bike.html).
> > You can get kids all different sizes on that, and the 24" tires roll sooooo
> > much better than 20" tires do.
>
> > --
> > Cheers,
> > David
> > Redlands, CA
>

> > **- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Joe Bunik]

That is cool, J.!

With the busy days of a 5 and a 3, we are still sorta getting back
up-to-speed with the family biking... lately, it's been Trail-A-Bike
commuting, or- more fun- the Jeff Lyons trailer cycle:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_bunik/6099977077/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_bunik/6179111759/

... so, I will most certainly entertain what Riv is working on now!
But, a pet project waiting in the wings is this little Urago frame
which I rescued from the bottom of a pile at a bike coop in PGH, PA.:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=URAGO+BAMBINO
I just need to find a good/cheap set of 28h hubs to go with some nice
24" rims...

=- Joe Bunik
ought take my daughter down to RBWHQ to see if she can get in on the
test-pilot-program
Walnut Creek, CA

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> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
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[cyclotourist]

That is one cool bike!

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