Mountain Bike for 11 YO
Discussion
If you know nothing about bikes, perhaps you're not the best person to be buying it for him.
I don't mean that in a rude way at all, but it's a very easy thing to get wrong then he's stuck with it.
Sounds like he'd be fine with a decent spec hardtail mountain bike. Canyon do the Grand Canyon AL5 for £749. Would be a nice starting point that could be easily upgraded in the future. Or stretch to the AL 8 for the better forks and groupset. Also better colour options with the AL 8.
They also do the Exceed which is aimed more towards long distance riding / cyclocross.
There are countless other brands to choose from, but Canyon offer decent prices due to the fact they sell direct to the consumer and not to bike shops.
For what it's worth, I'd avoid anything with SRAM Eagle components, try to get Shimano Deore 4 pot hydraulic disc brakes (at least 180mm rotors) and a dropper post. Fox are the suspension bits you want but they come at the higher end.
The thing with cycling, is that people will no doubt completely disagree with my recommendations above. It's very subjective and a bit of a minefield. We haven't even got into sizing the bike to your grandson and making sure it fits - something quite tricky with a direct to consumer bike brand.
I don't mean that in a rude way at all, but it's a very easy thing to get wrong then he's stuck with it.
Sounds like he'd be fine with a decent spec hardtail mountain bike. Canyon do the Grand Canyon AL5 for £749. Would be a nice starting point that could be easily upgraded in the future. Or stretch to the AL 8 for the better forks and groupset. Also better colour options with the AL 8.
They also do the Exceed which is aimed more towards long distance riding / cyclocross.
There are countless other brands to choose from, but Canyon offer decent prices due to the fact they sell direct to the consumer and not to bike shops.
For what it's worth, I'd avoid anything with SRAM Eagle components, try to get Shimano Deore 4 pot hydraulic disc brakes (at least 180mm rotors) and a dropper post. Fox are the suspension bits you want but they come at the higher end.
The thing with cycling, is that people will no doubt completely disagree with my recommendations above. It's very subjective and a bit of a minefield. We haven't even got into sizing the bike to your grandson and making sure it fits - something quite tricky with a direct to consumer bike brand.
My boys don't use them as much as I'd like, but they have Vitus Nucleus bikes.
The soon to be 11 year old is on a 26 inch wheel kids one, the soon to be 13 year old is on a 27.5 inch wheeled adult one.
They are hard tails with hydraulic disc brakes, 1x9 / 1x10 (I think) drivetrains and Suntour bouncy forks.
Solid, mid-range bikes. If you wanted to go fully bouncy, would this go on the list?
https://vitusbikes.com/products/vitus-mythique-26-...
The soon to be 11 year old is on a 26 inch wheel kids one, the soon to be 13 year old is on a 27.5 inch wheeled adult one.
They are hard tails with hydraulic disc brakes, 1x9 / 1x10 (I think) drivetrains and Suntour bouncy forks.
Solid, mid-range bikes. If you wanted to go fully bouncy, would this go on the list?
https://vitusbikes.com/products/vitus-mythique-26-...
Discendo Discimus said:
If you know nothing about bikes, perhaps you're not the best person to be buying it for him.
I don't mean that in a rude way at all, but it's a very easy thing to get wrong then he's stuck with it.
Sounds like he'd be fine with a decent spec hardtail mountain bike. Canyon do the Grand Canyon AL5 for £749. Would be a nice starting point that could be easily upgraded in the future. Or stretch to the AL 8 for the better forks and groupset. Also better colour options with the AL 8.
They also do the Exceed which is aimed more towards long distance riding / cyclocross.
There are countless other brands to choose from, but Canyon offer decent prices due to the fact they sell direct to the consumer and not to bike shops.
For what it's worth, I'd avoid anything with SRAM Eagle components, try to get Shimano Deore 4 pot hydraulic disc brakes (at least 180mm rotors) and a dropper post. Fox are the suspension bits you want but they come at the higher end.
The thing with cycling, is that people will no doubt completely disagree with my recommendations above. It's very subjective and a bit of a minefield. We haven't even got into sizing the bike to your grandson and making sure it fits - something quite tricky with a direct to consumer bike brand.
I'll rephrase that to, I'm paying for one. And based on the next reply it sounds like it might only last 2 years. I don't mean that in a rude way at all, but it's a very easy thing to get wrong then he's stuck with it.
Sounds like he'd be fine with a decent spec hardtail mountain bike. Canyon do the Grand Canyon AL5 for £749. Would be a nice starting point that could be easily upgraded in the future. Or stretch to the AL 8 for the better forks and groupset. Also better colour options with the AL 8.
They also do the Exceed which is aimed more towards long distance riding / cyclocross.
There are countless other brands to choose from, but Canyon offer decent prices due to the fact they sell direct to the consumer and not to bike shops.
For what it's worth, I'd avoid anything with SRAM Eagle components, try to get Shimano Deore 4 pot hydraulic disc brakes (at least 180mm rotors) and a dropper post. Fox are the suspension bits you want but they come at the higher end.
The thing with cycling, is that people will no doubt completely disagree with my recommendations above. It's very subjective and a bit of a minefield. We haven't even got into sizing the bike to your grandson and making sure it fits - something quite tricky with a direct to consumer bike brand.
Discendo Discimus said:
For what it's worth, I'd avoid anything with SRAM Eagle components, try to get Shimano Deore 4 pot hydraulic disc brakes (at least 180mm rotors) and a dropper post. Fox are the suspension bits you want but they come at the higher end.
The thing with cycling, is that people will no doubt completely disagree with my recommendations above. It's very subjective and a bit of a minefield.
I don't think there is anything subjective in saying that there is very little wrong with Eagle and that 4 pots for an 11 year old is really not needed, nor 180mm rotors. The kid is bound to be no more than 40kg.The thing with cycling, is that people will no doubt completely disagree with my recommendations above. It's very subjective and a bit of a minefield.
In fact, and that's a properly subjective opinion, kids that age are better served by a light rigid bike.
nickfrog said:
Discendo Discimus said:
For what it's worth, I'd avoid anything with SRAM Eagle components, try to get Shimano Deore 4 pot hydraulic disc brakes (at least 180mm rotors) and a dropper post. Fox are the suspension bits you want but they come at the higher end.
The thing with cycling, is that people will no doubt completely disagree with my recommendations above. It's very subjective and a bit of a minefield.
I don't think there is anything subjective in saying that there is very little wrong with Eagle and that 4 pots for an 11 year old is really not needed, nor 180mm rotors. The kid is bound to be no more than 40kg.The thing with cycling, is that people will no doubt completely disagree with my recommendations above. It's very subjective and a bit of a minefield.
In fact, and that's a properly subjective opinion, kids that age are better served by a light rigid bike.
Fair point about the brakes, forgot I was talking about a kids bike.
I disagree with the rigid comment though, that would be rubbish for a kid wanting to do trails.
Discendo Discimus said:
Eagle was absolute crap on my Norco, it's been faultless since switching to Deore XT.
Sorry to hear that. When you say crap, what happened?I run XT on an X01 chain and cassette on one bike and it's brilliant. I would have been happy with the XT cassette but it just doesn't last even half of a GX or X01.
I run GX on another bike and it's equally brilliant.
As always, get on pinkbike classified.
I built up a Norco 4X race bike - bit heavy - but in xs size was perfect for my 7 year old I think he was at the time. Frame was about a hundred quid, and I replaced all bearings, and had it powder coated. Then built up using SH parts + bits out of my 'never throw any bike bits away' box.
All in was about 500 quid.
Then some thieving **** had it off the roof rack in seconds.
Age is a bit meaningless, it's height that matters though. Buy on that.
I built up a Norco 4X race bike - bit heavy - but in xs size was perfect for my 7 year old I think he was at the time. Frame was about a hundred quid, and I replaced all bearings, and had it powder coated. Then built up using SH parts + bits out of my 'never throw any bike bits away' box.
All in was about 500 quid.
Then some thieving **** had it off the roof rack in seconds.
Age is a bit meaningless, it's height that matters though. Buy on that.
My kids are heavily into biking. and if tall at aged 11/12 look for small or XS adult bikes. 27.5" wheels are easier to ride, but he might also be fine on a 29er depends on his current height.
Most important for kids we find is the reach isn't too big. Also helps having smaller crank length <170mm.
If only doing trails, look at a good lightweight hard tail, not a heavy full suspension. Look for something with an air fork, do not bother with a coil fork which are just awful and heavy.
Big fans of Mondraker, this is an epic bike for the money (if he can fit a 29er). My daughter is about 5ft 2 and rides a 29er in size small.
Mondraker Chrono
You might be able to put 27.5 wheelset on these, I can check with my contact if you are interested.
or 27.5 size small, cool colours for kids
Giant Talon
or 27.5 size small Marin (a great brand that kids like, as they can be like Matt Jones youtuber)
Marin Bobcat Trail 3
Most important for kids we find is the reach isn't too big. Also helps having smaller crank length <170mm.
If only doing trails, look at a good lightweight hard tail, not a heavy full suspension. Look for something with an air fork, do not bother with a coil fork which are just awful and heavy.
Big fans of Mondraker, this is an epic bike for the money (if he can fit a 29er). My daughter is about 5ft 2 and rides a 29er in size small.
Mondraker Chrono
You might be able to put 27.5 wheelset on these, I can check with my contact if you are interested.
or 27.5 size small, cool colours for kids
Giant Talon
or 27.5 size small Marin (a great brand that kids like, as they can be like Matt Jones youtuber)
Marin Bobcat Trail 3
TGCOTF-dewey said:
As always, get on pinkbike classified.
markcp said:
Specialized Rockhopper Comp
I am well out of the loop, having stopped biking 6-8 years ago when all my Morzine buddies got wifes and kids, and now have a nearly 4yo myself.However if you know what you are looking for, and to extent even if you just do some learning, used bikes on pinkbike can be an absolute bargain.
I have had Specialised almost all my life having grow up with the Chester store as my nearest bike shop, number of hardrocks, rockhopper, bighit, and pitch. Norco also make very nice bikes. Cannondale? Are Carrera still generally consider ok ish?
But yeah, inside leg length?
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