7 Little Bikes That Make Me Want to Be a Kid Again - Taipei Cycle Show 2018

Nov 2, 2018
by Mike Levy  
Back when I was knee-high to a 26er, there weren't many - or any - kids bikes beyond department store death traps made with lead tubes and their forks on backward. Come to think of it, if you were a parent who wanted a reasonably lightweight and reliable bike for your offspring, you pretty much just had to wait until they could barely stand over the toptube of the smallest adult bike. Standover clearance? Nope. All the weight? Yup.

What sounds like me sitting on my porch yelling at kids to get off my singletrack is really just jealousy, though. I mean, a few of these are cooler than the bikes in my test stable right now. I know I shouldn't reproduce, but today's kids' rides are so neat that I almost want to try and convince someone to make a baby with me. At least, I'm retroactively angry at my parents for not waiting longer to have me.

And before you ask—no, there aren't a lot of MTB kids' bikes at the show. But who cares, these are fun.


Taipei Cycle Show

Taipei Cycle Show
Taipei Cycle Show
Want to make sure your kids send you to the good old folks home instead of the crooked one they saw on the news? This gratuitous carbon fiber run bike might do the trick. With carbon wheels, a carbon fork, carbon steerer tube and stem, and all hung off of a carbon frame, your kid won't have any excuses for not crushing the competition.


photo
Sure, carbon is cool but titanium has that distinguished air about it that'll make your little one the classiest rugrat at the playground. It even has a one-piece, titanium stem and 'bar combo, and they've used some sort of elastomer out back for squishiness.


Taipei Cycle Show
More into projecting your own youth onto your kid? These little rigs should do the trick.


Taipei Cycle Show
There's no carbon or titanium to see here, but it does have a dual crown fork.


Taipei Cycle Show

Taipei Cycle Show
Taipei Cycle Show
X-Zone wins my imaginary 'Coolest Kids' Bike' award with this beautiful creation. The X-Mini has a CNC machined aluminum frame, but the real trick here is how it can grow with your kid thanks to an adjustable toptube length and standover height.


Taipei Cycle Show
If you don't want your kids to beat you, you might not want to get them this carbon fiber speed machine. Cable management needs work though.


photo
If you can spring for a carbon fiber or titanium run bike, you can probably spring for a baby Lambo, too. It's a single-seater, though, so you can't tag along.


Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Taipei Cycle Show


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45 Comments
  • 29 0
 Is there space for a baby bottle though?
  • 23 8
 Alternatively, you could stop throwing money at your kids and start spending quality time with them. Just get them out on the trails on any bike.
  • 69 2
 Sounds like hard work.
  • 2 0
 @brianpark: Hahahaha
  • 3 0
 If you willing to buy yourself a Jefsy and Sommet its only fair the kids get good, competant bikes. I've bought both my groms halfords specials and now theyre big enough theyre both rockin Orbeas. Right tools for the job and all that. They ride grown up trails so need mini grown up bikes.
  • 2 0
 @cragus-t:
I agree, my 4 and 6 year old have a Frog bike and Islabike and ride all the local trails with me a couple of times per week, both have the correct tools for the job and are developing the skills. They don't need carbon or titanium yet though. I have met parents on the trail with kids on £600+ bikes that can't ride for shit, it's all about the time you give them for me, not how much you spend on their bikes. Both my boys bikes were bought second hand for under £150 for the record.
  • 2 0
 @cragus-t: just a shame their dad can't ride grown up trails yet Smile
  • 2 0
 Nonsense, that's what the TV is for.
  • 1 0
 @LUCKYMULLEN: nothing like teaching them early to be bitter about what other people are riding.
  • 1 0
 @DrPete: Ha Ha! No bitterness here fella! I just love seeing kids getting into the sport.
  • 2 0
 @LUCKYMULLEN: unless that kid’s bike costs more than your kids, then you ridicule their riding skills on the internet.
  • 6 2
 If you guys are going to post "stuff" from Taipei, why dont you actually do some other coverage?! your pics and reporting have sucked so far this year. It can't be that dead... do another series of obscure things, make a post about things that just missed the mark?! Hell I don't know... but you are there... make yourselves useful Razz
  • 7 2
 “At least, I'm retroactively angry at my parents for not waiting longer to have me.” Nah man! Dont wish to be in these times as a child or young adult. Shit sucks out here!
  • 7 1
 My kid is growing up happy and healthy in the woods. Biking, hiking, hunting, fishing, skiing, canoeing. She has a lower chance than any time in history of dieing from preventable disease or violence and has access to education and heath care.
  • 3 9
flag chillrider199 (Nov 3, 2018 at 8:48) (Below Threshold)
 @RoverDover: Okay? Shit is still messed up. Big picture. Look
  • 2 0
 @chillrider199: sorry it is you who is missing a big picture. It’s your role to guide your kid in a good direction. You can’t steer it but you can show it the way. If a set of dumb toys makes you genuinely question the civilization, you have some issues to solve.
  • 5 1
 nah, unless it’s made of unobtanium, not good enough for my kid. My kid’s going to set me up with a bunch of hot nurses to feed me stem cells for breakfast at my own place, no old folks home for me. You PB guys thought you could sell that !?!
  • 3 0
 stem cells and viagra!
  • 7 0
 Rad! Are there any adult sized titanium running bikes?
  • 4 0
 Just remove the cranks and you're good to go!
  • 2 0
 That yello’ Lambo is the only thing in the article that makes sense. I’d rather have a golden toilet paper holder than carbon fibre push bike. Cool if you work with composites and want to do something for your kid. But anyone who buys it is the epitome of a dork. Also too bad it has no platforms to stand on so your kid won’t learn to bunnyhop or pump on it.
  • 1 0
 Ok... That CNC adjustable one is cool...ok, they're all cool, but in different ways... The rest of the article... "DA HECK?!" Carbon. Titanium. More carbon. ???? Those must be the other bikes of people like the tiny kid on MTBR whose dad made him a custom Nomad, Fox Factory, the works. You know the builds. The Kona Dream Build kids bike with everything colorcoded and matched highend parts... Etc. This boggles my mind. ???? Edit: Apparently my mindblown emojis came through as question marks. Redface
  • 1 0
 My 3 year old just turned 4. He’s incredible on his early rider bike. Been peddling for a year... but he’d rude miles on trails with me when 2 on his strider. All of them beat the hell out of training wheel bikes they gave us as toddlers. But, the revolutionary thing for him on the strider was the rear hand brake! I bought that for him in Prague, some off brand for $80 with real tires and a rear brake. These models are all cool looking but learning a skid before you’re peddling is the most valuable lesson besides balance. Note to the makers of these bikes - @mikelevy, if you talk to these guys at the next show tell them to add a rear brake!
  • 2 0
 in a similar topic but the modification of an old children's bicycle:


www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9dqNPvdt-c&t=22s
  • 4 1
 Carbon, titaniun and dual crowns...but none thought to a platform where kids put their feet...shit marketing everywhere..
  • 1 0
 Spec for the beginning and Commencal for when they grow enough.
Ramones 12's minimal height is quite high so smaller kids can't ride it, and Spec is just way too small for serious riding all the way until they reach 100+ cm (minimum height required for Ramones 16). Wink
  • 1 0
 Craigslist is cheap place to start! Why would anyone buy kids new stuff when they don’t have attention span for 5minutes before they put these things down and move on to something else?
  • 3 0
 Super down with the mini sting rays
  • 3 0
 This aint about kids it's about ding bat parents .
  • 1 1
 If you want a well considered kids bike with proper frame and parts, check out www.littlebigbikes.com. The LittleBig's frame grows and it can be used as a balance bike or pedal bike.
  • 2 0
 No platforms no care.
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: whats your preferred kids bike? looking into buying one for christmas...
  • 1 0
 @laxguy: hotwalk with custom high bars
  • 1 0
 Next tiny bikes for highly trained squirrels. First they used three inch wheels. But found the 3.75 inch wheels to be superior. Thanks Mike . These bikes are cool!
  • 1 0
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9dqNPvdt-c&t=22s


in a similar topic but the modification of an old children's bicycle
  • 1 0
 Kids bike these days are so bad ass!!! I had nothing available like this when I was in my youth
  • 1 0
 That ti balance bike is a total rip off of a kokua bikes like a bike jumper!
kokuabikesusa.com/likeabike
  • 1 0
 Grandkids will be stoked the year.
  • 2 0
 Karboner.
  • 1 1
 This is more bicycle advertisement, I'm not feeling bad, I just think your kid's going to be so mad when he grows up.
  • 1 0
 still waiting for an adult's bike that can fit a kid in the front triangle
  • 1 0
 Karbona not gluuuuuue.....
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