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My son, aged 12, needed a new bike over Christmas as his 24" Cube MTB was too small. No problem I thought, we'll buy him a new bike, he can have a 26" wheeled one. Much more choice. How wrong I was. Several bike shops visited and the same answer each time. "Trouble is mate they're all making 29er's now". These were proper bike retailers not your Halfords or ToysRUs types. We tried him on a 29er and the poor thing couldn't reach the floor even on the 15" famed bikes. He's tall enough when he's sitting on the bike its only when he stands over it that the problem arises. I finally got him a 2014 Specialized Hard rock with 26" wheels but it did make me wonder if the manufacturers aren't missing something here. I asked several of his pals what they thought and they all gave much the same answer. "Don't like 29ers, they look stupid on small frames". Hmm, best make him look after this bike and to be honest the speed he's growing he'll be needing a 29er soon anyway.
Lots of 650b/27.5s out there. Did you try any?
"Trouble is mate they're all making 29er's now".
You need to find new bike shops
Niner do a 14" frame.
Odd looking thing.
I picked up my lad a 12" framed Hotrock, with 26" wheels, that too looks odd too. Quite a rare beast too by all accounts. He's nowhere near big enough for it yet though, but he seems to prefer bigger wheels, so it's ready for when he's ready for it.
I'd have gone for a Beinn 26, from Islabikes if buying new, off the peg.
29ers don't sit you higer up off the ground - not by virtue of the larger wheels on their own, or at least mine hasn't. Comparing the two 29ers i've got/had with equivalent 26ers then the BB height, saddle height and handlebar height off the ground have been exactly the same on a medium 29er compared with a meduim 26er by the time i've set the bike up for me. No reason in theory why, if you could have got a 26er to fit, you couldn't find a 29er or 650b bike to fit.
Anyway, 26ers are not going away just as 24inch and 20 inch wheels are not going away!
My wife had a similar problem. She currently ride a 1999 GT Hardtail.
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To my knowledge the only other bike she can get get to fit her at a reasonable price is a Specialized as they do a XS frame size. No other manufacturers make one as far as I know at normal prices. I can get a full-suss Juliana for her but its expensive - even Juliana make the size she needs in a 26" when the rest of the sizes in the same bike are 650b.
Pinnacle has rigid/V or disc/SR fork versions of the Jarrah MTB due in soon in XS-S-M sizes with a dropped/curved top tube. 650B with good BB drop, 14.5" frame for XS size, 11.75" C-C. £375 / £450. Not really meant as a kids bike, just a smaller MTB, we wanted to scale down the Ramin 29er and that seemed a good way to go. Should be landing very soon, must check.
My Mrs has a Giant XTC in XS frame size which I think is about a 14"
Since upgraded with Decent Airsprung Rebas, Thomson 50mm stem and carbon risers 😀
Its a great little bike now
Same problem here recently, when my lad outgrew his 24er.
Much more option if you go down the 2nd hand route I found, so got him this Mondraker 26er - it's a tad on the big side for him (17 inch frame), but a shorter stem and a couple of inches off the seatpost and it'll be comfortable enough.
Decent spec components too, better than a bottom-of-the-range new bike and not much more ££
Here he is saying hi to a Llama last weekend:
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