Opus Thunder for my boy OR a britsh eqiv.

[Adrian@]

http://opusbike.com/en/bikes/kids/20-inch/thunder

Frame Opus Al-6061
Aluminum Wheels
Formula Disc Al.
Alex DP-17 Disc, Double wall
Colour Jet Blue
Weight 22,00 lbs / 9,97 kg
Fork Spinner Grind 50mm
Alloy steerer and stanchions - 1-1/8
Headset VP-Semi Integrated - 1-1/8
Handlebar Kalloy 6061 PG, 25.4
Stem Kalloy 6061 - 60mm - 10 deg
Grips Opus Kraton
Shifters SRAM 1:1 3.0 Twist 7sp
1:1 Act
Brakes Tektro HDC-300 Short Reach
160mm rotors
Bottom Bracket 3 pcs Steel
Crank
Prowheel Alloy 127mm 32-22
Pedals Wellgo Resin
Front Derailleur Shimano Alivio
Rear Derailleur SRAM X-3
Cogs SRAM PG-730 12/32
7 Speed Chain KMC HG50
Tires Kenda Smallblock 8
20 x 1.75
Saddle Opus
Youth specific
Seatpost Kalloy SP-242
AL 27.2

Help required, for a purchase-able item like the Opus Thunder, here in the UK any suggestions please. My boy is a cochlear implant user and the squeal from brakes is ruining his riding experience, SO dual discs is A MUST.
Adrian@
Adrian@

[matt-ITR]

Check out Isla Bikes. Looks like a very similar company that specialises in kids bikes.

[anonymous-user]

http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/beinn20.html

No idea why a child would need a double chainset unless you are confident they can use the front mech at the appropriate time etc, just seems like a recipe for broken chains to me. Same for front suspension, its ineffective on a kids bike and adds weight, the islabike is over 5lbs lighter.... dont get obsessed with getting a scale version of an adult mountain bike, its probably more important that child gets the technique sorted and develops some rad skillz!

[vwsurfbum]

i bought No1 a isla Bennin 20" for Xmas, she hasnt looked back.
Propper mud tyres too

[Watchman]

That looks great. What sort of price do you expect it to go for?

[antspants]

Watchman said:

That looks great. What sort of price do you expect it to go for?

If you're talking about the Opus rather than the Islabike, which I think you might be as it does look much cooler imo, then a BikeRadar article from Aug said they were retailing around $710 in the states when launched which is about £440.

[Watchman]

antspants said:

Watchman said:

That looks great. What sort of price do you expect it to go for?

If you're talking about the Opus rather than the Islabike

Yes, I did mean the Opus, thanks.

While I agree Islas are quality items, their price is quite ridiculous.

I'll be after a 24" wheeled MTB later this year. The Isla Creig looks great but the price... Madness.

Edited by Watchman on Monday 7th January 23:09

[paulmon]

matt-ITR said:

Check out Isla Bikes. Looks like a very similar company that specialises in kids bikes.

Shock horror, isla bikes recommended. waits for numerous posts about getting your money back when you sell it. A 20" bike will at best last two years so get him something that first and foremost looks cool. Let him pick it, you will get far more browny points doing this than buying something with disc brakes and twin chainset. Then when he can ride a bike properly you can buy a decent 24" bike.

[Adrian@]

Reality is he will pay for this himself, as he does all his things, at 8, he rides horses, swim/trains with our local swimming club 3-4 times a week and bike rides with his mum 10k plus Sat/Sun, BUT is profoundly deaf without his implants on (he is not allowed to remove these)...the pitch of squealing brakes has him wanting to scream, so, DUAL DISCS are a MUST and I cannot find another 20" wheeled bike with them. £440 is not a problem ...it is just getting one here!
Adrian@

[matt-ITR]

What makes you think discs will not squeal? I'd say they are much worse than V-brakes for making a noise.
V-brakes that have been set up well will be more than adequate power wise as well. I appreciate that discs are the in thing, but cheap disc brakes are an absolute nightmare to deal with.

[matt-ITR]

If you really must have disc brakes, then Kona do the Shred 20. But I wouldn't recommend it over the Benin 20, which I personally think offers a better spec regardless of cost.

[gazza285]

Correctly adjusted brakes do not squeal.

[anonymous-user]

paulmon said:

matt-ITR said:

Check out Isla Bikes. Looks like a very similar company that specialises in kids bikes.

Shock horror, isla bikes recommended. waits for numerous posts about getting your money back when you sell it. A 20" bike will at best last two years so get him something that first and foremost looks cool. Let him pick it, you will get far more browny points doing this than buying something with disc brakes and twin chainset. Then when he can ride a bike properly you can buy a decent 24" bike.

good post about the realistic life of a bike that costs $710 and which you will be lucky to get 50% back in two years time. the point about islabikes is the fact that they are designed for children to develop skills, not to be look like scaled down 26" mtbs so dads score kudos at the park.

I dont think there is enough ground clearance on a 20" kids bike for it to be used in anger anywhere off road i know, one rock and that rear mech has gone and the pedals will bottom out on undulating paths

[Adrian@]

Just to update the post a little ..the Opus Thunder broke cover in the UK, Zane had a minor jolly in the road outside my friends house in Camberley then the next day did a round robin from home on a run around the city (via Coventry Catherdral) and a trail ride around the local Ryton pool all in 2 degrees with silly wind chill...one very happy boy,and as I don't ride, and my better half doesn't do kudos, I split the bill with him along with him selling his old bike (the Opus is his 4th bike).



Adrian@

Edited by Adrian@ on Tuesday 2nd April 21:15

[antspants]

Good photo

How were the brakes as they must have got wet on that ride, hopefully no squeaking?

[Adrian@]

Going back to the rhythm and rhyme behind buying this, my boy is profoundly deaf BUT with better hearing than most kids (his processors are tuned within hearing ranges, I could ask that they dial out certain ranges of sounds as they are a discomfort to him, almost like a graphic equalizer) and his previous bikes suffered from squeal... he tells me this is a different sound, which he does not appear to unhappy about, I cannot say he was ever worried about the sound of his mum's brakes when they were wet though.
Adrian@

[antspants]

Good result then

[DrMekon]

Sounds like a great purchase.

Bike for you next?

[Adrian@]

DrMekon said:

Bike for you next?

Now you are having a laugh, I grew out of my Diamondback Venom, but, I am just restoring it for boy when he wants to play BMX at a later date. I will stick with my TVR's.
Adrian@

Edited by Adrian@ on Wednesday 3rd April 13:07

[Adrian@]

An update on the Opus...and more.
So we have the Opus, which is a brilliant toy, 200 miles on the clock, which in turn led us to look to replace my good ladies bike (as I managed to spin the back wheel out of her bike and buckled the wheel and damaged the frame, moving it to the car!! and as the wheel had never been out the frame in 4 years of owning the bike, that was a shock!! LOL). With the view that boy would at some point grow out of the Opus, we purchased a Genesis Core 24, with a few tweaks and an adjustable stem, she will ride this until he is big enough to move up.
Adrian@
A comment on the brakes...on both these bikes, with the recent dry weather and a trip out to a local chalk trail, both got contaminated (leading to a duck like quacking on stopping!!) and a complete strip and clean of the pads/discs was needed, a nice intro to maintenance for my boy.

Edited by Adrian@ on Saturday 7th September 10:09