[Timo]

How is this for the small wheel - big wheel comparision?

Details on the first ride together - small wheels smoked big wheels in tight, twisty rock garden, but had to spin like a banshee on the flats or moderate grades. Small wheels need to do ride arounds on embedded rocks or endos would occur, big wheels just rolled over them. Big wheels seemed to steer better. And the small wheel rider (my wife) smoked me when accelerating from dead stop leaving big wheel guy (thats me) having to build up head of steam a few seconds later. Like we knew any different though.....

 

[Timo]

some more pics (that should have loaded the first time. Hmmm......)

 

[Soupboy]

How tall is your wife, 3'12"? That's the first 24" wheeled MTB front-susser SS I've seen.

I thought maybe it was your DJ bike.

 

[rryyddeerr]

that little bike has monstrossus cool factor.
makes me want to go woo some tiny woman so I can get one for her.
either that or go buy myself a freestyle bike.


not really.

 

[Timo]

How tall is your wife, 3'12"? That's the first 24" wheeled MTB front-susser SS I've seen.

I thought maybe it was your DJ bike.

She's actually 5'1 but 6 years ago she felt the urge to try a 24-in. wheeled bike - really for reasons similiar to why many of us wanted to try 29" wheels. She runs 26" wheeled bikes now - she's got 2 others and prefers the "bigger" wheels.

The frame fits 26-in tires too and she ran it the last few years that way as her race HT bike. Dropouts are replaceable and it came with 2 sets; geared and sliding. However only the geared dropouts allow disk brakes (mounts are on the dropouts), and she made the mistake of having the v-brakes set up for 24" so when she asked me to covert it over to SS a few weeks ago, she had to get rid of her 26" wheels and go back to small wheels.

She was given the option of running a 26" wheel up front, but she wanted it all 24, and well, she really likes it.

DJ bike? Man I'd be out the door if I even joked about using it that way.

 

[Timo]

Best pic I could find right now of the bike setup for 26" wheels. Sorry, didn't have anything better. Bike on the LHS.

 

[Don Juan]

some more pics (that should have loaded the first time. Hmmm......)

Nice to see someone who understands that the ideal application of 29" wheels is not one-size-fits all, but size-specific.

Also, your front door is gorgeous.

 

[Timo]

Also, your front door is gorgeous.

Thanks for the comments. But I have a love-hate relationship with that door. I obviously like the way it looks when standing outside, but there is no natural light in our split entry front hallway. So I would really like to replace it with a partial glass door....but no such luck in convincing the wife.

 

[Nat]

I also like the front door. What's the story behind it? Was it handmade? I like how the color coordinates with the house color and the red brick walkway.

 

[IT3]

that little bike has monstrossus cool factor.
makes me want to go woo some tiny woman so I can get one for her.
either that or go buy myself a freestyle bike.

You know, your comments and those pics got me thinking.... when my youngest girl is ready to "graduate" from her 16" 1x8 GT (built back when they still made _real_ bikes) I'm thinking I'd like to build her a [email protected] bike to really show up the "stupid boys"(as she calls them ;-)

I'm thinking start with some Surly New Disc hubs laced into BMX rims running some avid mechanicals... are there even any BMX frames that _have_ disc drake mountings and a decent suspension fork?

 

[slocaus]

Also, your front door is gorgeous.

Spend less time on the bike and you could plant a couple nice succulents in that planter to enjoy while on the bench and alternately viewing the door and the planter. However, it does fit the "dirt bike" theme of the photos.

 

[Cloxxki]

You know, your comments and those pics got me thinking.... when my youngest girl is ready to "graduate" from her 16" 1x8 GT (built back when they still made _real_ bikes) I'm thinking I'd like to build her a [email protected] bike to really show up the "stupid boys"(as she calls them ;-)

I'm thinking start with some Surly New Disc hubs laced into BMX rims running some avid mechanicals... are there even any BMX frames that _have_ disc drake mountings and a decent suspension fork?

For a lightweight girl (unless a BMX'er), I would rate the Surly hubs overkill.
Could you try to skip 20", and then 29" for her? Just one 24" bike as an in-between
Then you could spend some dough on a custom 24" frame built to grow on her (low standover, long seat tube). Perhaps an EBB and room for a 26" rear wheel. EBB to put BB at height to match wheels, somewhat. Longer cranks when she'd go 26" though, like from 150 to 160mm. Then 170mm for her first 29"er, and 175-180 when she moves 2 framesizes up.

 

[Timo]

I also like the front door. What's the story behind it? Was it handmade? I like how the color coordinates with the house color and the red brick walkway.

The lady before us was an artist and she did have it handmade - carvings are by hand. I wish I could remember which part of California it came from - but I'm sure someone here might be to tell be the style. Bricks are cool...and we have brown ones all over the interior too - including second floor.

 

[Timo]

Spend less time on the bike and you could plant a couple nice succulents in that planter to enjoy while on the bench and alternately viewing the door and the planter. However, it does fit the "dirt bike" theme of the photos.

Ha! Yeah our ride time certainly cuts into our chores - but the best thing about having a spouse that rides as much as you do is that they can't complain about the lack of progress either. We just finished up a 3-year paint job - one the exterior! And obviously we forgot the planter. Interior needs painting too so I imagine that will be a multiyear deal too.

 

[Timo]

You know, your comments and those pics got me thinking.... when my youngest girl is ready to "graduate" from her 16" 1x8 GT (built back when they still made _real_ bikes) I'm thinking I'd like to build her a [email protected] bike to really show up the "stupid boys"(as she calls them ;-)

I'm thinking start with some Surly New Disc hubs laced into BMX rims running some avid mechanicals... are there even any BMX frames that _have_ disc drake mountings and a decent suspension fork?

It would probabaly be easier to just buy one of the production 24" bikes made now - like the Kona Hula. Or at least buy the frame and build up from there. Also pay attention to the 24-in rims - the ERD differs for 24" BMX and 24" MTB. If you run the BMX rims then you will be stuck with razor thin tires. Velocity AeroHeats are really lightweight rims and they have a mountain version.

If you run disk then a good quality 80mm fork will work in lieu of some worthless 24" specific fork.

Rest is pretty simple. Arrow Racing makes good tires too and might even have the most of his stuff in stock.