[marcva]

On the surface, this seems obvious to me...

My 13 year old daughter is outgrowing her Trek 220 24" bike and is having fun riding singletrack with me in Northern VA. I have two bike options I'm considering for her. I don't anticipate her getting much bigger than 5'3' (She's a touch over 5" now) so I'm not concerned about her outgrowing her next bike. She weighs about 85 lbs, so I figure that bike mass might be an important factor in her trail riding development

There is a used 2010 Giant XTC advanced carbon. 26" wheels. XT groupo and disc brakes in good, clean shape. It belongs to a rider in Ft Collins, so I'd be buying it based on pictures. Frame is smail, which for Giant is 16" 24 lbs

Locally, I've tracked down a Trek Marlin 27.5" bike with Shimano Altus rear derailleur, hydraulic discs. The 15.5" frame is a good size for her, and I figure the 27.5" wheels will be a plus, though I'd anticipate having to upgrade the drivetrain over time. 28 lbs

Am I better off getting her on a 27.5" drivetrain to start? realizing that if she really gets into this, she'd make a major upgrade in a couple years? Or do I go to better quality components in a used bike?

Thoughts?

Marc

PS, I rode a 1999 cannondale F700 forever before upgrading to an XTC 29er last year. It feels like a hummer after living in a CJ. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.

 

[tfinator]

My vote is for the modern bike. 2010 is pretty dang old and I barely want to worry about carbon when I ride, so I definitely wouldn't want a 13 year old to have to.

When I was that age I loved having a super durable surfboard. It saved me from many dings that would have been a headache otherwise.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[eb1888]

24 lb. bike.

 

[Battery]

Have you taken her to a bike shop for sizing? I highly recommend that. My daughter is 11 and 5' tall and she fits perfectly on a 13.5" Trek Marlin WSD. I ended up buying her a Marlin 6 WSD and it's a perfect fit. She can mount and dismount is easily and has no issues with pedaling the bike.

She can ride on that bike until she is 5'4" and have plenty of fun!

 

[marcva]

The local shop sized her between a small and medium Marlin. 15.5 it 17.5. was spent been much anymore. Grips and seats. The 17 send a bit of a reach to me. For that, I can put her on my Cannondale after I pull the motor off.