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Everyone that has kids that is.....otherwise it'd be just weird.
Normal sized 13 and 14 years olds.
Done the Islabike thing, to great success....alway looked after and sold on so currently cash neutral. Both are currently on Islabike Beinn 26 (large) which are getting a bit small so its getting close to moving on to something else.
What have other people done?
Whyte
I've just built this for my 12 year old.
Saracen Zen+ frame off eBay, cheap Recons from Wiggle, a second-hand cassette off here and a bunch of bits I had already. It's supposed to be a 27.5+ but 29" wheels work perfectly.
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keep it coming chaps.
I like the idea of building something (although it'll have to be 2 bikes :o)
I have a near mint 2006 stumpy fsr that they are almost big enough to ride, was going to sell it due to the 2nd hand market being mental but it might be worth keeping (family heirloom and all that).
We can't afford an Islabike so we just muddle through
I bought a used adult frame for his 9th birthday and he stole a shock and fork off one of my bikes
Got some rims for £30 and had some spare novatec hubs I'd got for £50 ... then he saved up for some spokes then his own shock and fork.
A year later he was stealing my 27.5 wheels either both together for XC or running a mullet for DH and he's just saved enough for a new rear wheel and I'm providing a front
At that age our two girls were on build ups from second hand parts from here and frames from ebay.
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Ten years later they usually just throw their leg over one in the garage
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Been mostly frog bikes for the first few then a rigid 20" giant I got for £40, now the oldest is 9 and on a commencal meta HT (24") I paid £150 which is the most expensive to date. Have 2 boys 18 months apart so they get a about 3/4 years of solid use between the 2 of them before getting sold.
Probably look for a cheap 26/650 frame after everyone is selling their pandemic panic buys to stash away and collect parts for the next stage.
Pinnacle until the last bike which was a Whyte, we were feeling flush. Pinnacle kids bikes are as good (or better) IMO and cheaper than Islabike.
These are hidden on Planet X website
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FBSUTEAM27/superior-team27-issue-27-junior-mountain-bike
But at that age ours were onto small adult bikes anyway. Initially old frames we had 14" then 17" 26ers then onto 29ers for xc racing.
My average nearly 12 year old girl is on an old XS Five diva. She needs some lighter wheels but loves the ride.
My shorter than average nearly 14 year old boy is on a S women’s Bossnut.
Both bikes bought this year specifically for our just cancelled Morzine trip. Last time we’d promised they’d both be on full sus bikes as they were getting beaten up on the rougher tracks on hardtails.
They’ve now got to slog them round lots of Welsh XC trails this summer instead...it’s going to get them strong if nothing else! 😀
Lad 13 is on a 16" Boardman Team FS, girl 15 on my old Mojo HD, now running at 140mm. They really need to swap, he's 5'10. They share a Cotic BFe, though daughter is currently mostly using that for for Zwift.
No modern geometry or big wheels here.
Boardman and BFe frames and most parts bought off of here, made the bikes respectably priced
9yo is on a repurposed/upgraded 24" Carrera blast - 1*10, stans wheels, Fox Float forks etc.
13yo is on a 26" NS Clash - frame was an eBay bargain and the rest is spares I had of my previous bike - Mavic Crossrides, 1*10 and Fox 32's.
My youngest went through Beinns and a Creig 24, but when that was getting a bit small, we decided to do a self-build. He's a bit younger than yours, but perhaps it'll give a good idea as to what can be done.
Parts sourced from online scavenging, mostly:
XS 650b Haibike carbon Frame from Facebook and sat in the garage for two years before I got around to building it! Extra-small, lightweight framesets don't come up very often.
32mm Fox Factory forks from eBay (noone wants 32mm now, so dirt cheap!)
Bars and post from garage stock
XT M8000 groupset picked up dirt cheap from CRC
155m SRAM NX cranks (great things for kids, apart from the crappy GXP BB)
End of line 26" carbon rims from Superstar (think I paid £50/pr - bargain!) laced to some inexpensive, no-name hubs.
Tyres from garage stock.
Saddle from Kids Racing - he has the same Hup saddle on all of his bikes and it fits him a treat.
He started out on it when he was 8.5, with offset bushings in the frame and the fork spacered right down to only 50mm of travel. He's now 11.5 and I've gradually rolled back the specific changes made for him. At some point, I'll swap the wheels for 27.5" and I reckon the same bike will easily see him through to 13-14, at which point I'll probably move the bits onto something a bit slacker.
Obviously, this wasn't done for £150, but it was definitely in Islabike-ish sort of territory. Given the length of service, amount of racing / riding, and the life left in it, it will unquestionably be the best-value kids bike we've ever owned.
Looking at the Nukeproof Cub Scout for my 10 year old daughter. Not much else around at the same price that has decent geometry.
Friends’ lads who are more serious both have the Commencal Clash 24, which is a great mini enduro bike.
JP
10 year old has a custom built NS bikes clash JR, teenager rides a mk1 transition scout (small).
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/brand-x-ht-01-hardtail-mtb-frame-27-5-2019/rp-prod130452
These aren't bad if you can get them in the right size. My 9yr old is on a small with a 2 degree Slackset, 26" wheels, Fox 32s and 150mm cranks.
All these little bikes are lovely but the Op's kids are 13 / 14 and outgrowing a large Beinn 26!....
All these little bikes are lovely but the Op’s kids are 13 / 14 and outgrowing a large Beinn 26!…
The OP still hasn't said what trails his kids ride or price range.... then the answer is whatever <discipline)bike is currently available in medium at your price point.
My 10 yr old rides his own size small 160/150 ... or my medium XC HT or more recently my size large mega or ML Bird... just swap the cranks out.
During lockdown he's been riding my HT XC so often I swapped the cranks for some solid Deores and gave him his own pedal holes... (saves swapping cranks every time he rides).
Just ordered a whyte 403 for my boy aged 9, seems to be decent size, geo, spec, price etc.
Will see how it goes.
We picked up the whyte 403 for the boy today, it seems decent.
The min height recommended by whyte is 135cm,but the boy is 132cm and fits just about.
The forks are OK ish, the rebound adjustment actually works, but there are no detents, the lockout works too. A 4 stone 9 year old boy doesn't need much air pressure, the forks are reasonably supple, but could be better.
The tektro hydraulic disk brakes are decent, with adjustable reach, which has allowed me to bring the levers in to make them easier for him to pull.
The shimano altus gears shift cleanly and crisply.
It came with decent wtb tyres with tubes, I'll probably set them up tubeless soon in order to save a small amount of weight.
The fork steerer has been left at a decent length, so there's enough room to lower them by about 3 cm if required.
All in all I'm quite impressed with it, wish I had a bike like that when I was 9