A Li’l bit o’ Hope

[Corduroyboy]

Dark times.
So to help take my mind off things I built these up for Corduroybrat. He’s coming up 8 and almost ready to graduate from 20” wheels.
Was hoping to have a bike ready for him to debut at Retro North but, like everything at the moment, not going to happen.

Spec:
Hope titanium hubs, splined for discs (might go that route)
24” single wall 36 hole rims (all I could find)
Araya double-butted spokes
Alloy nipples (obvs)
Hope titanium skewers
Weight: approx 1740g - should save a bit of weight on the usual crap found on kids bikes.

 

[2manyoranges]

Re:

Really excellent. When my Grom got to ten, he started to show genuine interest in mountain biking. I built up a Kona 12inch alloy frame into a hardtail 9kg xc rig, with very similar 24 inch wheels to yours. The most startling object on the bike was a KCNC scandium seat post and Clarkes ti 175g saddle, which was a stupidly light combination which confused your brain when you picked it up. It's not cheap doing all this, but it really pays off. I involved him in the build, and went 1-9 with 140 cranks. Suspension was coil, but I used OEM Judy springs in X soft to tune them perfectly to his weight. I then go some 26 inch red SIDs with air springs, 1200gms, which were ideal.

The first time we went out, we went hardcore on the South Downs. I could not believe this tiny person hanging on my back wheel on very steep, long climbs, and popping out of the exit from the singletrack only seconds after us. He loved it.

Too many kids have to grapple with gas pipe frames, ultrahard suspension, and useless brakes - all in an 18kg package. Absolutely not a way to start, and no way to carry on.

Needless to say. at 14 and riding a COTIC or Ragley he now thrashes me. Regularly.