I bought this for my nephew a year ago, and he was almost already too big for it but it was a good deal and he was just learning. Is there a way to swap the fork to hold a bigger front tire and somehow modify the tail for a bigger tire as well? I keep thinking I could maybe raise the seat and handlebars to get another year or two out of it, but I don’t know if it’s even possible to upgrade the tire size. I don’t know the exact model but it’s a Specialized hard tail with 20” tires. Also, I understand this isn’t the best picture but he doesn’t live close and I’m trying to surprise him and his parents with whatever I end up doing. Oh and if it matters, he’s 8 years old, 50 pounds and about 4 feet tall. Lastly, if I have to suck it up and buy him a new one then I’m open to suggestions. Thanks!
by MajesticAntelope4359
8 Comments
Your simplest options are raise the seat and handlebars. Anything else you will approach very rapidly “new bike territory” in cost. Changing the fork won’t do anything.
Keep your eye open for a so-called girls bike from Specialized. They’re step through design makes them very suitable for a wide range of sizes.
Specialized made a ton of them so they’re everywhere and nobody wants them so they’re cheap. The parts are easy to get and the bikes are easy to work on.
You are likely to find one for less than 100 bucks in your local area.
Good luck.
That bike doesn’t look horribly small for him. I’d raise the seat and call it good for now.
being 8 years old,its a total crapshoot how long this bike will work for him. He could grow 6 inches in the next 6 months, or he could stay the same size for 2 years. in case he goes on a growth spurt soon, I would not recommend throwing any money at this bike.
A longer seatpost (carefully determine the diameter) may stretch things while you look, but a 20″ bike is pretty small, and you can’t change that.
Deals on 24 inch bikes are all over for next to or literally free, some of them won’t be as solid as that, but many are serviceable.
Kids grow so fast, you’ll be shopping for a smaller frame 26 pretty soon too – I’d almost say if you see a good deal on something that’s not just another cast off big box faux MTB styled thing, grab it in advance of need.
Hope the 20 passes on to a younger sibling or another kid in the community who can get good use from it too.
He doesn’t want another year out of it, he wants a new bike, just ask him
Raise the seatpost and put a longer stem on it.
Get a longer seat post, slightly longer stem/45° rise and or a riser bar. Just look at the seatpost diameter and order that but longer than the current one, should be about $20+ and same for the handle bar.
Though it looks like if you get a longer seatpost it’ll start throwing off the handling since he will be further back.
Eight years old, 48” height on a 20 inch bike is OK. Just raise the seat post and maybe swap out the handle bar for one with more rise, although that can require redoing the cables for the brakes and shifter
my son is nine years old and about 4 foot 3 inches and he just went up to a 24 inch bike this year.
You can usually find a decent used 24 inch bike for about $100-$150