WTB: used bike for a 5/6 year old....

oobaa47

Well-Known Member
Looking for a bike for my 5 year old (just turned 5). He's currently on a 16" giant and he's outgrowing it. It seems like right around this age is when the jump is made from 16" wheels to 20" wheels. 18" choices are few and far between and doesn't seem like a common standard. It does seem like it is a pretty significant step up in terms of bike size however. He might be a tad too small for a 20" but hopefully by the spring/summer it will work. He is 44" tall with a 19" inseam. Has anyone else previously made the jump to 20" wheels for their little grom and no longer have a need for it? What were your experiences going from 16" to 20"? In no particular order, these are the bikes I am interested in:

scott scale jr 20 plus
trek roscoe 20
cannondale cujo 20
orbea mx 20 team disc
specialized riprock 20
spawn raiju/yama jama 20
norco samurai 20
marin hidden canyon 20
gt stomper prime 20
giant xtc jr 20 lite
prevelo alphathree
vitus 20 plus
cleary owl 20
flow bikes 20

thanks...
 

Tim

aka sptimmy43
We gave my son a 20" bike for his 5th birthday last November. He is tall for his age and at the time he was 46 or 47" tall if I remember correctly. He was at the small end of the recommended height range for the bike but he could ride it comfortably. He's now 6 years old about 49" tall and the bike fits great. I'm hoping to get a couple more years out of it before moving up to a 24" bike.

Your list has some good bikes on it. I think you are on the right track looking at 20" bikes. He'll outgrow an 18" in a year or two tops. The most important thing to consider is weight. Giving a child a bike that weighs nearly as much as they do just makes riding it difficult. Imagine if you were riding a 150 pound bike. Also consider that suspension forks on 20 inch bikes don't do much other than add weight.
 

mtbiker87

Well-Known Member
I have a 20" scale jr in good shape. I'd consider trading it for some of the items you have listed for sale.Im in Vernon, so not to far from you.Im open to letting your little guy see how it fits, so even if you dont want this one, at least you know if 20" is the way to go. PM me if you'er interested.
 
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oobaa47

Well-Known Member
I have last years GT stomper Prime that my daughter outgrew in a hurry. She's 6, but tall.

175$ in good shape. Maxxis tires and a Carbon fiber bar on there too. This color:
View attachment 86123
great! thanks jdog, I'd like to come check it out. Was your daughter five when she rode it? Were there any issue with using the hand brakes regarding her hand size or strength? Some of the issues I hear is that the brake levers aren't reduced in size so kids have a difficult time grabbing the lever. thanks....
 

oobaa47

Well-Known Member
I have a 20" scale jr in good shape. I'd consider trading it for some of the items you have listed for sale.Im in Vernon, so not to far from you.Im open to letting your little guy see how it fits, so even if you dont want this one, at least you know if 20" is the way to go. PM me if you'er interested.
thanks....pm sent
 

mtbiker87

Well-Known Member
Here's a few pics of the scale jr
 

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jdog

Shop: Halter's Cycles
Shop Keep
great! thanks jdog, I'd like to come check it out. Was your daughter five when she rode it? Were there any issue with using the hand brakes regarding her hand size or strength? Some of the issues I hear is that the brake levers aren't reduced in size so kids have a difficult time grabbing the lever. thanks....
She rode it when she was 5. The issue was the rigid fork was beating her up. I got her on a Salsa timberjack instead. Still no shocks, but the oversized tubeless tires make for a much smoother ride.
 

Mathers

Well-Known Member
What Did you end up getting?
I’m looking for my 6 year old he’ll be 7 in September and I’m looking to get him a good bike for his birthday.
 

oobaa47

Well-Known Member
Nothing yet....He's still on his 16 in. I think he needs to grow just a tiny bit more before we make the jump. Maybe in the fall or over the winter....
 

tonyride

Don't piss off the red guy
FYI, my son had a Commencal Meta HT 20 and he loved it. He finally grew out of it but didn't want to let it go until we rode Swatara and the little 20" wheels had trouble getting over the roots.
 
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