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It was commented (during racing) that juniors bike - islabike Bienn - seems small. Time for a new one. He wanted a CX "like all the other kids" in his race, but ive convinced him he should have a 24" mtb, my reasoning being he can ride with me in the woods more capably as well as race it. Currently looking at a 24" chrome Charge cooker (because it has disks and is £350 and looks pretty cool both of us think) fwiw...
Please tell me Dad is right...?
You're wrong. Its his bike
Unless he likes it if course...
Surely the answer is n+1?
Has he ridden on drops yet? May. Let him try a CX first if not, he might not like it.
Get mini_K cycling with other MTB riders his age. Then he will realise there are cool riders with flats or risers. At present the cool riders he has met are on cx.
Surely the answer is n+1?
Two bikes - mtb and cx? Erm, no. He's 7 and still growing.
Kryton
If it helps I vetoed a CX bike for my eldest in the last few weeks. Slightly different in that he doesn't race and he likes his blue trail centre/rides off road in the hills stuff but cx bikes were cooler because they had dropped handlebars like Chris Froome but could still go off road.
Since the mew mountain bike appeared 3 weeks ago he seems to have forgotten about his previous request. He's 8 it's a new bike...until Le Tour hits the telly in July and then the "I want a road bike" will recommence. 😆
But all the cool riders are on cx bikes, flats and risers are so 2016 
This is an annoying decision. No one wants their kid to be the odd one out, and this has an element of "steering him down the right path".
Gaaaagh! Why isnt life as simple as when we were kids - raleigh chopper or nothing! Garage - dweller I suspect your route is where ill go. Hes too young - 8 soon - to be on the roads yet.
Get the cx and put a flat bar on it to sort your issue out?
Get both,
Fwiw I just looked at the photos of the u8 and u10 races in the last round of the cx league I race in, the fast magority are on flat bar bikes. Not being a parent yet I can't comment but would think versatility is key at that age?
I've just had an hours drive and have come to a conclusion. You're right Ferrals - all cycling is good, and he'll be able to use the MTB for school runs, woods and races.
Besides, we bought him a mini Mule for Christmas so he's already stereotyped. :).
Going to order him the chrome Cooker 24 when I get home. Cable discs!
Does a 7 year old get any benefit from cheap disc brakes? I wouldn't rule out a bike with cantis, and it opens up a wide choice.
If you can afford it (and how many bikes have you?), get him the cx bike. Later you can also get other ones.
At one time we had 6 kids bikes (an MTB each and a SS jump/bmx each).
They last for ever and can be sold or passed on easy enough.
What's the effective top tube and reach on the charge? Ms Markie Jr (tallish 7 year old) has just gone to a Beinn 24. She fits it well, unlike the other 24" kids bikes we tried (I liked the look of the Orbea MX24 team!).
Does a 7 year old get any benefit from cheap disc brakes? I wouldn't rule out a bike with cantis, and it opens up a wide choice.
It just happens that it comes with disc brakes and at £350 is lots cheaper than the Islabikes - he's currently in a Bien 20. There's loads around this price point, Frog, Giant Xtc, Merida, Orbea but the Charge looks Ace, and is also 1x7 rather than the weight and complexity of 21sp.
I had the same dilemma, but decided my lad could race on the mtb and built him a bike we could take to the alps. This was about a year ago and he loves it.
He then got the n+1 bug and saved his birthday money, sold a load of old toys and bought a road bike!!
He's 8 and rode 18 miles from Leeds to Huddersfield the other week!! It is a bit scary having him on the road with me sometimes though....
Many of the younger kids in the club struggle to work the flappy paddle gears on CX bikes - the lever span is huge compared to their finger length and, especially once they've had an off and got slime mud on their gloves, takes more strength than many have. I'm not sure about CX, but on the road the coaches spend a lot of time convincing them not to use the extra (chicken?) brakes on the top of the bars ALL the time. Unless he is really serious about CX then I see no harm in sticking to flat bar all-rounder bike.
when i was a kid i had one bike, it did everything. my dad told me so. I just rode it,
24" raleigh mob, with spare set of semi slicks for road riding. then went onto a 26"
question is will he enjoy it more?
Buy what you think he will get the most use out of and enjoy riding. My best biking memories are road loops round local villages and woodland loops.
I can sell you a nice islabikes beinn 24 for decent money buddy. We're going bouncy.
Get a Proper MTB if he's 50/50,
And then maybe keep an eye out for a used kids CX or even a cheap (V braked?) 24" MTB to convert to drops and skinny tyres some time in the new year if he still has a CX bike interest...
spannering his own CX bike with Dad might well be a fun exercise in itself...
Needs Di2 to be competitive in kids U10 cross this season. This is not a joke.
These guys are too busy concentrating to notice what they're riding.
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I just bought my 13year old a dialled alpine, the build is hope hoops, XT/xtr and pikes. Admittedly it's an immaculate used frame and the bits are all from my own bikes, but what the hell its a damn fine bike and at his age I had a Raleigh chopper.
So buy it for your kid I say, make the most of the days when they want to play with you.
Get whatever bike he'll use the most. Cross season is almost over anyway.
Went to a BC racing pathways evening with eldest lad (14) a few weeks ago. I'm not a BC fan, but was heartened by their stance on young kids racing. It was all about fun and mucking about on bikes. The BC guy actively made a point of never watching any under 12 races - specifically to stop parents pushing kids to train.
There is another evening coming up about starting to train, training diaries etc. Again, that was only open to the older kids (from 2nd year youth so 13plus).
Their final point was about core strength and balance - kids on x box not playing out, climbing trees etc meant that once older teens, they had 6 months catch up before physically able to start even basic gym / weight work.
So play out and ride bikes!
I took my two lads out the other day, & took one of his (non-cycling -Xbox only) friends along for the ride, using the Wife's 22lb hatdtail. Came to a long (tarmac) hill & my two totally destroyed this lad, to the point he was off & pushing while they did the hill twice. My eldest (aged 11), can destroy me on a long climb these days.
It's frightening the difference regular sport makes to children. I see it with my Beaver Scout Colony too.
On the bikes subject, I'd go with a 24" Frog. I wouldn't be too hung up on discs at that weight, the don't need them. What about a set of drops & stem, levers, shifters, cables etc; that could go on quickly for racing...
So i went sensible and order the 24" Frog - in Lime Green (his choice). My ethos was as above - discs and forks are gimmicks at that level really, and will just provide a heavier bike. Hes short and thin for his age, and tends to ride well in his age group (2 podiums in 2016) so lets not burden him with a heavy machine.
Plus the Frog comes with 2 x tyres and Guards which apart from the practicalities offer the opportunity for him to be spannering the bike ready pre race and learn some things (he already washes, lubes and fixes punctures) and back again for the school run.
Being short, this should last him until 11-12 , so if hes that age and racing seriously MTB or CX we make the appropriate decision then.