Bullpup
Senior Retro Guru
Since I bought my son a small 1996 Pantera I am very pleased to say his riding has improved significantly.
The down side is the endless number of buckled wheels as he is at that no fear / ride it like he stole it stage! This may in part be because the Pantera is fully rigid - partly so he has to improve his technique while his previous bike was fully suspended - a Hotrock A1FSR.
Most of the damage seems to occur around the woods etc i.e. off paths or trails.
I don't want to dampen his enthusiasm but the constant trips to the lbs to get his wheels straightened are cause for concern.
So do I buy him reasonable suspension forks for the Pantera or build him a second bike e.g. a jump frame and fit some of the old Suntour or RST forks that are lying around the garage together with wheels etc from the spares box?
I suppose the other option would be to try and get him to take more care by paying for his own repairs but that doesn't seem right to me.
If I go down the fork for the Pantera route, I would prefer they are canti compatible, and can be tuned for an 11 year old! Does anyone have some Z1 / Z2s with a canti brace please? Seriously though what alternatives should I look?
An advice please?
Many thanks
The down side is the endless number of buckled wheels as he is at that no fear / ride it like he stole it stage! This may in part be because the Pantera is fully rigid - partly so he has to improve his technique while his previous bike was fully suspended - a Hotrock A1FSR.
Most of the damage seems to occur around the woods etc i.e. off paths or trails.
I don't want to dampen his enthusiasm but the constant trips to the lbs to get his wheels straightened are cause for concern.
So do I buy him reasonable suspension forks for the Pantera or build him a second bike e.g. a jump frame and fit some of the old Suntour or RST forks that are lying around the garage together with wheels etc from the spares box?
I suppose the other option would be to try and get him to take more care by paying for his own repairs but that doesn't seem right to me.
If I go down the fork for the Pantera route, I would prefer they are canti compatible, and can be tuned for an 11 year old! Does anyone have some Z1 / Z2s with a canti brace please? Seriously though what alternatives should I look?
An advice please?
Many thanks