14" 29er?

[Nick]

Hello.  I am new to the forum and I haven't found any other info on this.  I commented in another thread a little but thought maybe I should get the question out to the masses. 

I have a son that is 4'8" tall.  12 yrs old.  Little dude, light weight.  He likes to ride and wants to join the jr high club next year.  So I am trying to build as light of a bike as reasonably possible without breaking the bank. I am loving the world of chinese carbon. 

A traditional size small (15 / 15.5") is too big for him still. 560ish mm TT is still too long.  I have come across some chiners that make a 14" 26ers.  14" is small enough to be functional yet will still allow some growth.  Then his younger bro can inherit it. 

I came across a "brand" that does a 29er in a 14".  This strikes me as a little weird and I would like to know people's thoughts on the geometry of such a small frame with 29er wheels.  I absolutely love the possibility but am curious if this raises any red flags for anyone. Also, it seems like every one of these "brands" have the same pictures and graphs that I want to be sure this isn't just a typo (I need to contact them directly).

Finally for all you chiner veterans, with a hundred bikes that seem to come from the same place, same photos, but with different names, how do I choose the best one?

 Here is the link for reference:

http://www.hengliu.en.alibaba.com/product/60037954481-214337256/Cheap_and_factory_directly_selling_29ER_carbon_mountain_bike.html


Thanks for any suggestions.

[MTB2223]

Hi Nick,

I've also a son with the same height, but 6 yrs old. We're in the same situation. He's now riding a mountainbike with 24" wheels. He's training his technique day by day. Sur place, bunny hop, pick up stuff of the ground sitting on the bike, you name it.
What I wanted to say, don't buy him a bike that is to bike for him. He have to learn a lot of techniques. That's more important than riding fast. Don't go for a 29-er 14", stay on 26". It's better for him right now.

We already bought a 26" bike with size 14" for my son, but that bike is waiting for him. Maybe we will doing a ride this month, but the 24" is still his primary mountainbike.

He has got a sister, also very tall 5'3", and she is riding a 15,5" carbon specialized Stumpjumper. For her is the perfect size right now.

[Nick]

Thanks MTB.  I appreciate the recommendation.  Wow!  I've been riding and racing bikes for 25 yrs and I feel like I should get some lessons from your son!  Good for him.  Your points are well taken.  The only thing I would disagree with is that we aren't really in the same situation.  The fact that my son is 12 yrs old and wants to be part of a casual club team plays into my decision.  His age certainly doesn't make him better on a bike (very unlikely from the sounds of it), but since I can't turn back the hands of time, I am interested in getting him going on something that he will enjoy and be motivated by its performance.  I ride a big name top of the line carbon mtb.  My experience on this bike has absolutely changed mountain biking for me.  Handling and efficiency have opened up a new world of riding for me. I want to give him a little of that same sensation.

A little bit of devils advocate:  In regards to your recommendation, why do you feel the 26er would be better at this stage than the 29er?  Is it a question of agility and handling?  Its true that the 29er lets us all get away with being a little more sloppy when we ride.  But, is there a downside to him having a bike that has the characteristics of the bike he'll likely be riding in the future anyway? Is there a problem with him having the speed advantages of the 29?  Maybe the speed isn't worth the trade off for handling at this point. Maybe the handling of 29 inch wheels on a 14" frame would be really weird.  There are a lot of 26" chiners out there to get him started on!

 Thanks for the input.

[MTB2223]

My recommendation for the 26er is indeed of agility and handling. Of course he will ride a 29er in the future, but the different between the future and now is his size and power. It's a little bit heavier to get the 29er on speed than a 26er. Imagine, you have work hard to get the bike rolling, 'hard' to handle, 'less' agility. All together, give him that much fun you want him to have ? I don't know. The important thing is having fun. A lot of fun. And fun is related to his skills. Technique, as I said before, is so important. With good basic skills, it's so more fun to ride. Think about loose sand, without the correct technique, it's no fun to ride trough loose sand. Even on a 29er.

Let him start on a 14" 26er. Let him work on his skills. And when he wants a 29er after a year 'hard' training (=playing) on his 26er, that shouldn't be a problem. There's a big market for 14" bikes. Here in The Netherlands is hard to get a descent 14" mountainbike.

As I said, my son now rides a 24er. It fits him perfect now. He have a lot of fun with the bike. He's learning a lot, he's working on his physical fitness, he can ride trails of 30 km without problems. When he's home, he's tired with a good feeling. It gives him so much fun. And I think he wouldn't have that if he had a bike that was hard to handle. His new 26er is now waiting for him. Soon, we will make a ride together, first on the road, second off road, third single tracks.

bottom line: FUN! It's all about fun!

[Nick]

MTB-  excellent points. I think I agree. I had a lot of fun on a 26er long before the 29ers ever existed!  I need to decide which of all the brands are best. I can't imagine they are all the same but it's hard to know when I look on their websites.

[brmeyer135]

Also, I looked at these for sizing in general.
I like the idea of 27.5" bike for myself but since I am 6'1" I went with a 29"
Yes, bikes ride differently but some part of it was about sizing...29" women's bike....in the beginning, was just a man's 15.5 or so...now, it is still a small frame but to make it work for a woman the TT is dropped/dipped...depending on her height she may be better off with a 26" or 27.5"
I guess I am getting at, the bikes sizes are for sizing.