Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

MichaelB wrote:

mikesbytes wrote:

s-s-a wrote:Weighed it last nite without chain, grips or brakes = 11kg.

Will be interesting to see how much more the red one weighs with all the heavy bits on it!

Steph

11kg

I didn't realise that little kids bikes were so heavy

I'm afraid to weigh my daughters 16" bike. I've had to carry a few times, and bugger me if they didn't use Steam Pipe for it !!!!!

[For those that don't know, Steam Pipe is VERY thick wall mild steel tube]

Damn fine idea to reduce weight, especially if you have the bits, and it costs you a bit of elbow grease.

Does your daughter like to help ? Mine does, and often creates mire hassle, but I love it.

I didn't start riding proper until I was 12.... there is plenty of time she will get it.

My nephew's 12" Giant Animator bike feels nearly as heavy with training wheels as my road bike.

It's a flyweight though compared to some of the K-Mart kids bikes.

Oddly enough though, the most popular bike among his little friends is a cheap 2nd hand fixed gear bike, which has thinner tubes and is a fair bit lighter. It's popular because they can ride it backwards! (training wheels on).

On the gearing thing yes I haven't worked out the metreage for this bike's gearing yet but I will possibly blow out the budget by getting a new sprocket for it .

I bought grips today and the total cost thus far is:

$10 per bike for the red and blue ones = $20
plus $20 for bike shop grease to repack bearings = $40
plus $15 for grips and bar end plugs = $55





Still have to organise some stickers and a new saddle but will hold off on the saddle as long as possible because dropping the bike on the concrete will only wreck a new one.

Although I should talk - I recently got some Terry racing saddles for my roadie and lightweight mtbs and b*gger me if almost first time out on the mtb I don't have a SPD stack on tar and put a hole in the kevlar !

Steph

I started out getting hard rubbish bikes for my three year old last year. Now I've got a shed full of adult hard rubbish bikes!

For young children still trying to learn on training wheels (a hindrance to some childrens natural balance), try picking up a cheap 8"-12" wheeled kids bike and removing the complete crank/pedal/bottom bracket set, and lower the seat so they can put their feet on the ground, and VOILA!, you've got yourself a 'balance bike'. Just remember to start them on a flat area, unless they have brakes they can use!

My son at 2 1/2 years old took to a 10" balance bike whilst we were still in the bike shop umming and ahhing about whether to get the 10" or 12" version. "I want this one!" he said, freewheeling up and down the aisle, feet in the air!!

He has since progressed to a 12" hard rubbish 'bitsa' pedal bike for about a year, and now he is four months into riding his 4th birthday present - a new Apollo Wizard aluminium 16" bike! This seemed to be the best 16" (spec and price) we could find on the local market, with a very low standover height.

'Dadda' has already upgraded it with lighter, shorter handlebars and stem, stiffer, lighter v-brakes (he seldom uses the rear coaster brake), grippier pedals, and faster tyres, all sourced from hard rubbish (I must weigh it tomorrow)! He still manages, and enjoys, at 19kg, to travel in the Beto child seat occassionally for 'quick' trips, the hardly-used trailer is collecting cobwebs (waiting?), and we have just discovered the joys of a 'TrailGator'!

As for the shed full of bikes? Hmmm... too many projects..... plenty of time on my hands.... not enough cash flow!

EDIT/PS: I didn't start riding two wheels till I was about twelve. My nearly 50 year old sister has never ridden a bike.

kukamunga wrote: and we have just discovered the joys of a 'TrailGator'!

Then how about some feedback on the bloody thing. There are at least a couple of members who are getting sick of asking for this 'secret' information

Richard

europa wrote:

kukamunga wrote: and we have just discovered the joys of a 'TrailGator'!

Then how about some feedback on the bloody thing. There are at least a couple of members who are getting sick of asking for this 'secret' information

Richard

What's the 'secret'?

Try here, here, here, here, and here (my local bike shop). $139, + $30 for spare seat post mount bracket for wifes bike (minus 10% BV discount).

Any more info? Just ask nicely

Funny, none of those links are for here and we have been asking nicely. Read the forum. There are too few people putting up feedback on products and sometimes, we feel like others are riding off our efforts.

Richard

Balance bikes and Trail-gators are being discussed in this other thread.

Richard stand by for some feedback when I locate our torque wrench ...

Steph

s-s-a wrote:Balance bikes and Trail-gators are being discussed in this other thread.

Richard stand by for some feedback when I locate our torque wrench ...

Steph

Torque wrench? Oh shock, oh horror. Actually, I've got one of them. I've even used it ... on the MG, but I've also had to use the impact wrench on the MG, and the taps and dies. Funny, don't need any of them with the pushies.

Richard

europa wrote:Funny, none of those links are for here and we have been asking nicely. Read the forum. There are too few people putting up feedback on products and sometimes, we feel like others are riding off our efforts. Richard

Mate. I don't really get your drift. If you want to copy my post and paste it in this other thread that I have never seen before, go right ahead. Otherwise, link that thread to this thread. I posted here, ok, and I am not going to spend days searching and reading every topic?

If you want my own personal opinion of the TrailGator.........

kukamunga wrote:

europa wrote:Funny, none of those links are for here and we have been asking nicely. Read the forum. There are too few people putting up feedback on products and sometimes, we feel like others are riding off our efforts. Richard

Mate. I don't really get your drift. If you want to copy my post and paste it in this other thread that I have never seen before, go right ahead. Otherwise, link that thread to this thread. I posted here, ok, and I am not going to spend days searching and reading every topic?

If you want my own personal opinion of the TrailGator.........

I think that's what Richard was asking for... maybe. Who knows what Richard thinks, really...

yup

Talking about kiddie bikes, I've decided that I'll try the 2nd hand route for my son's (8yo) next bike, a 20" wheeler. Given the speed by which they grow and the prices LBS charge, it's becoming a bit of a no-brainer.

Any suggestion? I note that they come with a variety of FD and RD combos but thinks that the FD is probably too much for such a bike. RD is probably all he'll need. Any experienced parents?

sogood wrote:... FD and RD combos but thinks that the FD is probably too much for such a bike. RD is probably all he'll need.

Showing my ignorance here, but Say What is an FD or a RD? Foot down? Front drive/rear drive? Front disc/rear disc?

Just twigged. It's Front derailleur/rear derailleur right?

lemmiwinks wrote: Showing my ignorance here, but Say What is an FD or a RD? Foot down? Front drive/rear drive? Front disc/rear disc?

Sorry for using acronyms.
Front derailleur and rear derailleur.

BTW, Say What is Say What?

green_commuter wrote:yup

Seems to be a bit of a thread necro Whole lotta crap posts on very very old threads, with the seeming intent of getting the post count up.

Hmmmmmmmm

sogood wrote:Talking about kiddie bikes, I've decided that I'll try the 2nd hand route for my son's (8yo) next bike, a 20" wheeler. Given the speed by which they grow and the prices LBS charge, it's becoming a bit of a no-brainer.

Any suggestion? I note that they come with a variety of FD and RD combos but thinks that the FD is probably too much for such a bike. RD is probably all he'll need. Any experienced parents?

You could get one for free from the nunnary.

mikesbytes wrote:You could get one for free from the nunnary.

Good idea. I should pay them a visit and see what I can find.

sogood wrote:

mikesbytes wrote:You could get one for free from the nunnary.

Good idea. I should pay them a visit and see what I can find.

Got a feeling they may of moved from Newtown to Redfern. Not sure

mikesbytes wrote:Got a feeling they may of moved from Newtown to Redfern. Not sure

Unless they haven't updated their web site, they are still there in North Newtown. Moving their stuff to a different location would be quite a deal I'd think. In any case, Mon evening is good for me too.

There is a similar topic on the Tri WA Web Page Classifieds.

http://www.triwa.org.au/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2455

My problem with BMX bikes is that once people learn that I have a couple & want to restore some, they want to give me some more.
I now have about eight & can't bear to actually throw the unrequired ones out.
I just need to find someone that wants some 'old school' BMX's for their youngun's'

After nearly a year now, I think I am almost qualified enough to give some feedback on the TrailGator...... (Richard?)

Now if only my son would slow down enough so I can bloody well catch up to him to use it !!!