Rockin' the teeter totter on a 26" bike
In order to have a fun and successful experience at Fairfax Cycling Camp, your child should come with the right tools! This includes a well-fitting helmet, proper clothes, sunscreen, water bottles or a hydration pack, and the right, well-tuned bike. We understand that purchasing the right bicycle can be expensive, but we encourage you to see it as an investment - not just in your child's summer camp experience, but to get to and from school, and as a fun family activity.
For our youngest campers, we strongly recomend a minimum 24" wheeled mountain bike with a wide range of gears. For the last thirteen years, we have required that all of our riders have at least 24” wheels. Their larger size gives our little riders much more traction and they roll over rocks much better than bikes with 20” wheels. However, we recognize that some eight year olds who are strong enough and coordinated enough to enjoy our camp are not big enough for 24” wheeled bikes. If your rider will be using a 20” wheeled bike, it may be necessary to upgrade their bikes tires or gears to set them up for success. Please feel free to reach out to us for advice!
There are a few ways that your rider's wide range of gears can be set up. They can have the traditional three chainrings up front with a smaller range cassette or a single chainring up front with a wide range cassette in the back.
The large wheel size allows your child to roll over obstacles with more grip on the trail, and the large gear range allows them to climb the many hills they will be conquering. Trust us, your child will have a much more positive experience at camp, and with mt. biking in general if they are adequately equipped.
For our middle-sized campers (9-12), we recommend a 26", 27.5" or 29" wheel for all of the above reasons. How do you know if your child has outgrown their 24" bike? When their seat post is nearing its maximum extension, take your child out and carefully watch them pedal. When their foot is in the down stroke position, their knee should still be slightlybent. If their knee is more than slightly bent, it's time for a bigger bike!
Our local bike shops like Sunshine Bikes, Splitrock Tap and Wheel and Marin Service Course can help answer any questions you may have. Remember to tell them that we sent you!
Rascal Rides and The Bike Dads are both great online resources for information on kids' bikes and riding with kids.
If you have further questions, please feel free to email us - we're happy to help in any way we can.