I was searching for a decent 16 inch bike too since well before my kid needed one (the bike I did not have when I was a kid myself).
Early Rider was on my list because of the short enough chain stay , low weight and good quality.
Most of the kid bikes have a crazy long CS, bigger than the reach and I'm sure they ride like crap.
Other option similar to this was from Kubikes. These don't seem to have the same quality but not much behind either. Other than that they are also light, short CS and you can even put 2 speed Automatix hub on it. Plus you can get these in a lot of colurs.
Commencal Ramones 16 was also on my list as we had the 14 and I liked the wide tires from Vee.
What I ended buying in the end is the Canyon Offspring 16. I liked the head angle, disk brakes and Automatix rear hub but I was reluctant to buy it because of the weight and relatively long CS compared to others. But then my kid tested it and it was clear it was his next bike.
CS I managed to get about 1.5cm shorter by improvising a chain tensioner and now it's ok.
Having a second thought on weight , 8.2kg is not much more than the 7.4kg of his previous bike. And thinking in future, a good 20inch MTB starts at 9kg , so it's maybe even better for my kid to stay used to the weight for now.
I also got the bike 2nd hand and I sold the Commencal 14 so it did not cost me that much. Plus I'll be selling the Canyon next year. Will not be so cheap with his next 20inch bike , that's for sure.
The rear sprocket was a little too big and my kid was spinning like crazy to get the Automatix engage the top gear but this was really cheap to fix with a smaller one and a chain power link.
Another nice aspect is the 18inch front wheel .... reverse mullet bike is the future I've heard :)
The saddle is also the best kid specific saddle I've seen.
If I would keep the bike at least 2 years I would change the tires to Vee Crown Gem (I've read the folding bead ones are tubeless ready) and mount a wider handlebar.
We tested the Early Rider too afterwards and it's a really nice bike but my kid likes the Canyon more.
May 24, 2019, 1:30 p.m. - chrischris
I was searching for a decent 16 inch bike too since well before my kid needed one (the bike I did not have when I was a kid myself). Early Rider was on my list because of the short enough chain stay , low weight and good quality. Most of the kid bikes have a crazy long CS, bigger than the reach and I'm sure they ride like crap. Other option similar to this was from Kubikes. These don't seem to have the same quality but not much behind either. Other than that they are also light, short CS and you can even put 2 speed Automatix hub on it. Plus you can get these in a lot of colurs. Commencal Ramones 16 was also on my list as we had the 14 and I liked the wide tires from Vee. What I ended buying in the end is the Canyon Offspring 16. I liked the head angle, disk brakes and Automatix rear hub but I was reluctant to buy it because of the weight and relatively long CS compared to others. But then my kid tested it and it was clear it was his next bike. CS I managed to get about 1.5cm shorter by improvising a chain tensioner and now it's ok. Having a second thought on weight , 8.2kg is not much more than the 7.4kg of his previous bike. And thinking in future, a good 20inch MTB starts at 9kg , so it's maybe even better for my kid to stay used to the weight for now. I also got the bike 2nd hand and I sold the Commencal 14 so it did not cost me that much. Plus I'll be selling the Canyon next year. Will not be so cheap with his next 20inch bike , that's for sure. The rear sprocket was a little too big and my kid was spinning like crazy to get the Automatix engage the top gear but this was really cheap to fix with a smaller one and a chain power link. Another nice aspect is the 18inch front wheel .... reverse mullet bike is the future I've heard :) The saddle is also the best kid specific saddle I've seen. If I would keep the bike at least 2 years I would change the tires to Vee Crown Gem (I've read the folding bead ones are tubeless ready) and mount a wider handlebar. We tested the Early Rider too afterwards and it's a really nice bike but my kid likes the Canyon more.