The combination of all the key components listed above, define the location of the 3 contact points for any rider: their feet, bottom and hands. By selecting the correct components, you can achieve the best bike fit for your rider which will maximise their comfort, confidence and power.
(It's worth reading this, in conjunction with our advice on BikeFit and what you are trying to achieve with the correct components - CLICK HERE). So let’s take a look at the next key components, starting with;
Road shifters are an age old problem for kids, only very recently solved by the advent of SRAM eTap, as long as you are happy with the costs! So eTap aside, the next best option is Microshift Short-Reach. Why? So we already know that reach is a key problem on kids bikes and when it comes to stopping the bike or changing gear, reach is everything. This isn’t just about finding the best possible fit for comfort or power, it's also about confidence and safety too.
Let’s take braking first. To reduce reach for short fingers, their ‘Short-Reach’ versions (they make non short-reach too, so be careful) have a shifter casing that is 10mm shorter than the standard casing, which is a big difference. Due to this, we find kids as young as 6 can be fine with the reach required to brake safely.
But don’t forget, that’s on a frame that has the correct top-tube, stem, handlebars, seat post and saddle, to allow them the reach required. If their bike has the wrong components, they will seriously struggle to brake safely. Changing gear is slightly more complicated. Again, overall cockpit length needs to be right to put the child in the right position to operate the gear lever, if they are not - they will really struggle. Be ready for them to unexpectedly turn left at the foot of a climb, as they attempt to change to an easier gear, but start steering left instead!
This is where their smaller hands and short fingers become the issue. Shimano ‘STi’ road shifters, developed for adults are the worst offenders, using the entire lever to change to an easier gear, in an arc shape moving towards the bike. Little fingers (usually between 5 and 11yrs old) struggle with this, with the effect that they simply won’t bother to try, continuing up the road grinding a big gear. Microshift differs from Shimano’s STi shifters, by having a separate, smaller lever to shift to an easier gear - which is both nearer to the handlebars (reducing reach) and uses a smaller arc of travel, helping shorter fingers. About as good as mechanical road shifters get for small hands.
Recently the design of STi shifters has been improved by Shimano with the addition of ‘reach adjustment’ screws in the shifter casings. However, it's worth noting that when set to the minimum setting, they match (but are no shorter) the reach required for the brake lever on a Microshift Short-Reach shift - BUT they still use the full leaver to change gear, on the full arc of travel - so remain difficult for small hands/short fingers. Step in the right direction though!
If you are looking to reduce weight, our preferred choice is SRAM double-tap shifters, as these use separate levers for the gear shifting - not the whole leaver like Shimano shifters do. Offering great control and performance from the Apex, Rival, Force or Red range.
The story is much easier on straight-bar bikes, as short-reach child-specific brake levers have been made for a long time by people like Tektro and are very simple to fit and adjust for the rider. The same can be said for gear shifters on straight-bar bikes, as modern Trigger shift designs are usually a nice and light action for little hands. Gripshift is best avoided, nice idea, but in practice they very quickly become stiff and unusable by kids. We recommend Box Components, the lightest action shifter we have used to date for young riders.
Traditionally Microshift Short-Reach has only been available in 8, 9 and 10 speed, but now it's available in 11-speed with the launch of the new XCD 1x groupset, making the convenient sharing of wheelsets between parents and kids even better. Additionally, its designed for use with wide range 11-40t, 11-42t and 11-46t lightweight cassettes, absolutely perfect for kids Cyclocross or MTB bikes - mated to the short-reach drop bar road shifters or straight bar MTB shifter.
Take a look at all the short-reach shifter options: CLICK HERE...
Top Tip: kids will struggle with brakes and gears, if the other components are incorrect, putting them in the wrong position to operate the shifters. Shifters must be short-reach, but the other components need to be correct too!
This may not seem relevant to component selection, but it it’s all relevant. We know that lighter is easier, adults or kids, but it is actually more important for the kids. In the grand scheme of things, especially when building a 700c bike for young children, wheelset weight plays a big part - rotational weight and gearing. Once on a 700c, you have a real opportunity to use quality, lightweight wheels that don’t exist in the traditional kids bike sizes of 20”, 24” or 26”. A nice 1450g wheelset will be a much bigger boost to the performance of a 4st, 7yr old, than it would be for a 16st, 45yr old!
But by fitting larger wheels to take advantage of this (along with better ride/more control) you are also ‘gearing up’ the bike, so the chainring and cassette you fit are especially important. Whearas most adults are happy with a 28t cassette for Cyclocross, the kids will be far better served on a 34t, 40t, 42t or even a 46t cassette with the larger wheels.
If we build a CX specific drop bar bike, we fit a 30T or 32T chainring with a 34t cassette linked to the Microshift Short-Reach shifters as a minimum, unless they specifically want a bike to cater for road racing too, which is always a compromise! A 28t cassette will do both, but they will have to be prepared for more dismounts and running on hilly cyclocross courses.
Straight bar bikes have more scope for larger gearing from the MTB world, with a popular choice being 11-46t cassettes. There is not a lot, that even the smallest rider on a 700c can’t get up with a 30T chainring and a 46t sprocket!
For road events the 700c wheelset choice presents slightly different issues, mainly around tyre profile. The common age groups to first use a 700c bike are U8, U10 and U12 riders using British Cycling gear rollouts of 5.1m, 5.4m and 6.05m respectively. The key age group the requires caution here is the U10’s, as their rollout is very sensitive to tyre choice...
So you will see, particularly for U8/U10’s, the tyre profile is critical to staying legally under the gear rollout limits. If you don’t want to be one of the parents panicking to let the tyres down before a scrutineer checks your childs bike, the above combinations should be fine.
For detailed advice on gearing: CLICK HERE or all Cassette, Chainring and Wheel/Tyre options.
Top Tip: Lighter is better, so invest in the best. Once they are on a 700c wheel, they could be using that same quality wheelset 15 years from now - they won't grow out of it!
The final component choice to make is the pedal and cleats, perhaps the most important contact point of all! The most popular choice of system is Shimano’s SPD’s - a mountain bike system, but used widely by kids road racing, cyclocross racing or mtb xc. As a dual-sided pedal it helps kids to engage the cleat, without having to turn the pedal over as you would with a single-sided road system like LOOK.
SPD’s offer simplicity, reliability and durability, especially in muddy conditions. They are relatively heavy though, certainly compared to systems like the 3-bolt LOOK road pedals, or even the 2-bolt Crank Brother’s ‘egg-beaters’ which are another popular system.
Our philosophy with clipped-in pedals: the younger they're on them, the safer they are. Experience with our own kids left us in no doubt, cycling is safer once they are securely clipped to their pedals. We found the biggest cause of mishaps on a bike, is wet shoe soles and/or wet pedals. The feet slide off on the pressure stroke and the child loses balance. An accident as a result of wet pedals, is far worse than one resulting in them forgetting to unclip!
Another reason is simply how efficient pedalling becomes when you are attached to the cranks, wearing stiff-sole cycling shoes. All the riders leg power is transferred to the road! Kids especially notice the benefits when cycling uphill.
Key to good bike fit, is to move the foot position (by virtue of the adjustment built-into the cleat to shoe attachment) towards the knee position, so you achieve the best alignment of knee-over-pedal. This usually means locating the cleat as far inboard as possible on younger riders. However, pedals are only sold with Adult length spindles, making it difficult to correctly position for kids - often leaving the cleat on the outer edge of the foot (not ideal) and the foot positioned as much as 10mm from the crank arm (especially the smaller shoe sizes).
Most brands pedals are also not designed to be serviced, unlike CrankBrothers Eggbeaters, so they are perfect to modify for use by children, by fitting shorter pedal spindles - resulting in a significant improvement in their Q-factor for better bike fit. In just a few seconds with basic tools, you can swap out the spindles and make a big difference. They also happen to be super-lightweight (reducing all-important rotational weight), the best in muddy conditions and in our experience the easiest to release too! It's important to setup the Eggbeaters correctly using the shims/sleeves as required, depending on the shoes worn!
Top Tip: Always start them on a multi-sided pedal system (SPD/Egg Beaters etc) to make clipping-in as easy as possible. Save the single-sided LOOK style road only pedals until they are a bit older. Most parents go for the SH-56 'multi-direction release' cleats initially - giving valuable added safety for first timers.
For all our pedal and cleat options for kids - CLICK HERE...
For more detail on Pedals and Cleats for kids CLICK HERE. It's also worth reading this, in conjunction with our advice on BikeFit and what you are trying to achieve with the correct components - CLICK HERE ]]>The combination of all the key components listed above, define the location of the 3 contact points for any rider: their feet, bottom and hands. By selecting the correct components, you can achieve the best bike fit for your rider which will maximise their comfort, confidence and power.
(It's worth reading this, in conjunction with our advice on BikeFit and what you are trying to achieve with the correct components - CLICK HERE). So let’s take a look at the next key components, starting with;
Drop handlebars in particular have always been tricky for young riders. Like all components, manufactures produce parts that have the biggest demand, so that’s adult components then! Producing in low-volumes for the kids market is always more expensive and less profitable, hence the scarcity of suitable parts. It’s quite common to see cheaper kids bikes, using adult handlebars, usually a nightmare for the rider! Rules to apply here are simple. The width of the handlebars should ideally be around the same width as the distance between their armpit creases. Often that’s not practical with very small riders. For these riders, the bars shouldn’t be wider than their shoulders. By matching their shoulder width, you build in some ‘growth room’. If their arms ‘splay’ out at an angle, they are on the wrong bars.
Drop and reach are another consideration. Reach (distance from the top bar at the stem, forward to the shifter position) is obvious as this affects the overall ‘cockpit’ length of the bike. A short rider, will need a short reach. The same can be said for the drop (vertical distance from top bar, down to the drop bar) as a ‘compact’ drop will give the small rider more comfort, control and confidence. If they use an adult drop, they will be over-stretched and unwilling to use the drops very often, which also compromises their ability to reach for the brake leaver/gear lever.
As there were no dedicated children' drop handlebars available on the market, we developed our own HUPcc bars, which use a correct 100mm drop and a short 65mm reach, using a standard 31.8mm bore and coming in at a very svelt 270g in 320mm, 340mm and 360mm widths.
Straight handlebars are a little simpler to size. Type of riding is a consideration, downhill usually favours wider bars for more high-speed stability, cross-country tends to go with narrower bars for more manoeuvrability. A popular technique to size the width of bars required, is for the rider to get into a comfortable 'press-up' position and match the bar length to this. Our 600mm raise bars (can be shortened by 30mm) and usually fine for most 7-11yr olds for MTB XC.
Top Tip: select a drop bar based on Shoulder Width, size straight bars on comfortable 'press-up' width.
Take a look at all the Handlebar options for kids: CLICK HERE...
The stem, like the handlebar reach will also affect overall ‘cockpit’ length, which in turn affects the riders BikeFit position. To achieve the correct back and shoulder angle, you will need the right length stem to create a ‘cockpit’ length to suit your rider. In general, stems for drop handlebar bikes (Road and CX with a flatter back, more aero position) tend to be longer than straight handlebar bikes (MTB and CX with a more upright back angle, less aero position).
This rider position and the sensitivity of steering input should be considered, drop handlebars are more responsive, so stems shorter than 40mm tend to produce a very ‘lively’ feel. On the flip-side, longer stems on a straight bar bike tend to create a more dull front-end.
Selecting the correct length is a judgment thing in the beginning. If they are going onto a new frameset and they are right at the bottom of the framesets size range, a shorter stem would be better, and so on up the size range. We tend to fit very small riders on 40mm stems for a drop bar bike, but defiantly not all riders! 50mm is the most common size used. On straight bar bikes, again it is rider size dependant, but commonly we use a 40mm or 50mm stem.
Again like the drop handlebars, no short stems were available on the market, so we developed our own HUPcc stems in 3 popular lengths for kids bikes, 40mm, 50mm and 60mm in a Road/CX design. Best of all, they start at just 95g! Get the fit right and make the bike lighter, win-win!
Top Tip: the most difficult to advise on selection, as it depends on a riders Torso length - shorter the body, usually the shorter the stem and vice-versa.
Take a look at all the Stem options for kids: CLICK HERE...
For some reason, decent kids saddles have presented a real problem for component manufacturers over the years, still can work out why! Basically, as already mentioned children’s hips are narrower than adults, so the saddle needs to be narrower to match. You tend to find the children are a little more ‘mobile’ on their saddle too, moving their position forward or back regulary. From that perspective, we tend to find that a ’narrow nosed’ saddle works best, giving them the freedom to ‘find’ their preferred position.
Again, as it affects overall cockpit length, you will tend to start with the saddle all the way forward on its rails, on a bike where the child is at the bottom of the bikes size range. In this situation, it's also wise to use an Inline (zero offset) seat post, as this also helps to create a shorter cockpit length, to get their bike fit comfortable.
As the child grows, it will still be possible to swap-out an inline seat post for an offset seat post, to increase the cockpit length as their torso grows. Much like fitting a longer stem will also increase the cockpit length.
We specifically created our HUPcc saddles for children's bikes, in a lightweight construction starting at just 220g with a narrow width, shorter overall body, long nose and comfortable padding. How kid's saddles should have always been.
There is also the option to use the new #HUPcc Carbon Rotary seat posts, which let you shorten the bike's cockpit even further (very useful on non child-specific framesets and smaller riders) due to it's single bolt fixing. Normally, seat posts will only allow you to level the saddle, when installed in one orientation, however our #HUPcc Carbon Rotary seat posts use a single pivot fixing that allows you to orientate the seat post with its 25mm offset forwards (and still level the saddle) considerably shortening the effective length of the top-tube. Very light too, from 195g, they also improve bike fit increasing the range of the saddle position, making it easier to locate their knee over the pedal effectively.
Top Tip: small riders (especially if they have a short torso) benefit from an inline seat post. Riders with a longer torso, benefit from an offset seat post.
Take a look at all the Saddle & Seatpost options for kids: CLICK HERE...
(It's worth reading this, in conjunction with our advice on BikeFit and what you are trying to achieve with the correct components - CLICK HERE)
]]>The combination of all the key components listed above, define the location of the 3 contact points for any rider: their feet, bottom and hands. By selecting the correct components, you can achieve the best bike fit for your rider which will maximise their comfort, confidence and power.
(It's worth reading this, in conjunction with our advice on BikeFit and what you are trying to achieve with the correct components - CLICK HERE). So let’s take a look at each of the key components in turn, starting with;
It might seem trivial, but it all starts with the frameset, no amount of clever components will make up for a frame that is too big, or too small. Why are adult XS frames no good?
Generally, small adults are short in the leg and long in the torso, hence the vast majority of adult XS bikes may have a low-standover, but they will also have a long top-tube. This is a real problem for children, as they are usually long in the leg and short in the torso, due to the order in which their bodies grow. Whilst they can stand over the top-tube, they end up in a permanent ‘time-trialling’ position, due to the length of the top-tube, heavily compromising comfort, confidence and often power too.
We only stock the unique HUPcc range of short top-tube framesets (beware of 'similar yellow' framesets that have 51cm top-tubes for 7 year olds!?!?). The HUP evo, straatrace, azure and enduro frames are the only brand with sizes and the correct geometry specific to youth and small adult riders - CLICK HERE for Framesets.
With the correct frame size identified, component selection is relatively easy. Get the frame size wrong, it will be a constant problem, namely pain in the small of the back and the hamstrings from over-stretching. Not all manufactures supply precise sizing data, we do for each model - listing a minimum inside leg dimension and a typical height range.
Top Tips: carefully check a framesets 'Standover Height' & 'Top-Tube Length' before buying! Sizing Guide Here...
Children have narrow hips, so it’s important to take this into account when selecting a suitable crank and bottom bracket (the BB is the main crank bearing). Cranks with a narrow Q-factor (width between the inside of each crank arm) achieve as straight a leg as is possible whilst pedalling. There is more to consider however, as whilst the length of the bottom bracket axle affects the Q-factor, it also affects the chainline (alignment of the chainrings, to the cassette and the resultant angulation of the chain itself). Ideally, you want to line the chainring up with the middle cassette sprocket, for an equal chain angle at either end of the cassette, to maximise durability and smooth operation of the rear derailleur.
BB selection is a balance between both considerations - Q-Factor and Chainline. Often just inboard of the the middle sprocket is good to achieve the minimum Q-factor, however the style of riding has an influence. If the bike will see plenty of climbing, then a chainline slightly inboard of the centre sprocket would be fine, but for a road bike seeing lots of fast pedalling in high gears, a chainline slightly outboard of the centre sprocket would be sensible.
Just like adults, the crank length is very important for children. Cranks designed for adults tend to start from 165mm and upwards. As a general rule, for power and comfort you need to be sizing a riders crank length at approx 10% of their height. So, with the shortest adult cranks at 165mm long, riders tend to be in the U14’s before they are suitable.
U8-U12’s need child-specific cranks and often the answer comes from the BMX world, where manufacturers tend to produce cranks in a range of lengths. We tend to work on a formula of 10% +5mm, to allow for future growth. For example, we would usually specify a 145mm long crank for a 140cm tall U12 rider.
Something to bare in mind is the Bottom Bracket height of the frameset, the distance from the floor to the centre of the Bottom Bracket. In general, off-road bikes will have a higher bottom bracket height than a road bike. Therefore, its common to see a child on the correct length cranks and correct saddle height, but they still can’t touch the floor whilst seated. Certainly in racing circles with experienced riders, this is very common. It’s not recommended for general cycling with inexperienced cyclists!
Another important consideration for cranks, is the BCD layout (chainring bolts layout). Typical road cranks are 110mm bcd, 5-bolt. Typical MTB cranks are either 104mm bcd or 94mm bcd 4-bolt. However, the important consideration for kids is to be able to fit the correct size chainrings for their cycling discipline, especially if riding on larger 700c wheels. Historically the problem with the widely available 110mm bcd 5-bolt cranks from the BMX world has been the limit of the smallest chainring you can fit it is 34T, too big for most U8-U12 riders in Cyclocross and MTB in particular. To solve this, we developed our own #HUPcc Kids Cranks using a narrow Q-factor (road derived) design, but using a 104mm bcd 4-bolt layout, allowing the fitment of 30T chainrings (30T, 32T, 34T, 36T & 38T chainrings) so it can be used to create the correct gearing for all age groups and cycling disciplines.
We also have modified SRAM Apex cranks, made-to-order for your rider, with a narrow Q-factor and lightweight hollow tech axle for double chainring set-ups, which fits modern 86mm wide bottom brackets often found on full carbon framesets - CLICK HERE..
Top Tips: Crank Length (cm) = Height (cm)/10 + 0.5cm. Use as narrow a Q-factor as the chainline will take. We use HUPcc cranks with 107.5mm bottom brackets for smaller riders and 113.5mm bottom brackets for larger riders.
(It's worth reading this, in conjunction with our advice on BikeFit and what you are trying to achieve with the correct components - CLICK HERE)
]]>It all starts with choosing their new bike size. Its understandable – but do try to avoid buying a bike that is too big , so they ‘grow into it’. We see this often, yet it puts the child at a real disadvantage. The heavier bike, often longer than they can safely handle – risks accident, injury and one demoralised rider!
Whilst we offer a Free basic bike fit (we use the Paul Swift ‘BikeFit‘ System for full bike fits) for all bikes collected in-store, if you have bought online here is some basic fitting guidance for you to set up your rider in the best position possible, making ongoing adjustments as they grow.
As with all bike fits, it’s about achieving the best possible fit for the rider on that bike. Perfection is not always possible, compromise is common. Especially with kids, as they tend to move around on their saddle and pedals more than adults.
Basic Bike Fit Principles:
Saddle Height:
With the pedal at the bottom of the crank stroke, ideally a knee angle between 27 degrees (road bike) to 37 degrees (MTB) – see Photo 1. Riders sat on the saddle should be on tip-toes on the ground (not always possible, dependent on BB height) but stable. Too high = hip rotation (hips rock side-to-side when pedalling). Too low = potential knee issues and lack of power.
Top Tip: place the pedal a the bottom of its stroke, inline with the seat tube and their heel on the pedal. Set the saddle height so there leg is straight (with the heel on the pedal).
Shoulder Angle:
Look to achieve a 90 degree angle between the torso and the upper arms, through the shoulders. See Photo 1 for example of 90 degrees. Over 90 degrees = too long, under 90 = too short, so adjust saddle fore and aft and/or stem length to correct this.
Elbow Angle:
Look to achieve a 15 degrees to 25 degrees angle between the upper and forearm, through the elbow. Avoid elbow ‘lockout’, Photo 1 is a good example. Adjusting saddle fore and aft and/or stem length will correct this.
Riders In Cleat Shoes/Pedals:
Bike fit becomes more important for older riders (typically 8+ years old) wearing cleat shoes/pedals. The foot/pedal interface is fixed, so needs to be correct to prevent injury and ensure maximum efficiency.
This subject does get more advanced/complex, especially dealing with Leg Length Differences and Forefoot Tilt, but the basics can still be correctly achieved by yourself.
You don’t need a Laser for this task, but careful use of a plumb line will also work fine;
Cleat Position – Fore/Aft:
As seen in Photo 2, position the cleats to place the pedal spindle between the 1st and 5th MTP (Metatarsophalangeal – ball joint of the big and smallest toe!), ideally slightly closer to the 5th MTP. When correct, the KOPS (Knee Over Pedal Spindle) will be correct. Move the cleat forward/back on the shoe to correct this. Saddle position also affects this, by moving the knee forwards or backwards.
Cleat Position – Medial/Lateral:
This is adjusting the cleat on the shoe inwards or outwards to align the foot to the knee during the pedal stroke – see Photos 3 & 4. By observing the pedalling motion, you need to move the cleat towards the knee’s position, to achieve the best alignment possible. Getting the foot in-line with the knee is another common problem if the bike is too big for the rider, as a larger Q-factor will splay the legs.
Cleat Position – Rotation:
This is a check of the angle of the cleat on the shoe. Ideally you want as straight a foot (in relation to the bike) as possible. To test, push the heel in towards the bike, then pull outwards away from the bike. You need to feel that the ‘float’ in cleat is even in both directions. If not, rotate the cleat on the shoe slightly, until even ‘float’ is achieved.
Troubleshooting:
With all points considered above, ultimately the bike should be comfortable for the rider, so listen to any issues they may be experiencing and adjust to suit.
If they are having problems, here are some common issues and possible solutions;
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***UPDATES***
The NEW 12-speed Youth cassttes are now in-stock - CLICK HERE
Our new NEW HUP straatrace road racing (disc brake) frames have just arrived! CLICK HERE
The following advice is aimed at Road & Triathlon gear restricted racing (for MTB gearing, see bottom of the page).
British Cycling & Triathlon Youth Gear Restrictions – a guide to Rollback Limits & Locking Off Gears…the road season is back on, so if you are new to British Cycling road racing or moving up an age category, take a look at our reference guide. (British Triathlon are also continuing to roll-out gear restrictions to more and more events, it looks like this will become common place on kids triathlons in the near-future!)
Update - Disc brakes are now eligible to race in British Cycling events!
Unlike other forms of Cycle Racing which have no restrictions, Road Racing to British Cycling Regulations has limits based on Age Group category. These are important to protect the children from overloading their muscles during a race (pushing too large a gear) and to maintain a level playing field between competitors.
Each age group has a gear restriction in the form of a ‘Rollback’ distance (see table above). This is the distance covered for 1 full revolution of the crank, in the bikes highest (fastest) gear. It might sound complicated, but isn't in reality.
Common Component Combinations for BC Categories
There is a huge number of possible component variations to match gear limits, but here is a short list of the common, easily achieved set-ups using our stocked cranks, chainrings, cassettes, wheels and tyres:
20″ wheels;
406mm wheels (28c tyres) use 38T chainring and 11t sprocket for U8’s/TriStart*
451mm wheels (28c tyres) use 38T chainring and 12t sprocket for U8’s/TriStart*
451mm wheels (21c tyres) use 38T chainring and 11t sprocket for U10’s/TriStar1*
24″ wheels;
507mm wheels (28c tyres) use 36T chainring and 13t sprocket for U8’s/TriStart*
507mm wheels (47c tyres) use 32T chainring and 12t sprocket for U8’s/TriStart*
507mm wheels (47c tyres) use 34T chainring and 12t sprocket for U10’s/TriStart*
520mm wheels (25c tyres) use 34T chainring and 12t sprocket for U8’s/TriStart*
520mm wheels (25c tyres) use 36T chainring and 12t sprocket for U10’s/TriStar1*
540mm wheels (25c tyres) use 40T chainring and 14t sprocket for U10’s/TriStar1*
26″ wheels;
559mm wheels (28c tyres) use 36T chainring and 13t sprocket for U10’s/TriStar1*
650b wheels;
584mm wheels (650b x 25c tyres) use 30T chainring and 12t sprocket for U8’s/TriStart
584mm wheels (650b x 25c tyres) use 32T chainring and 12t sprocket for U10’s/TriStar1
584mm wheels (650b x 25c tyres) use 36T chainring and 12t sprocket for U12’s/TriStar2
700c wheels;
622mm wheels (25c tyres) use 36T chainring and 15t sprocket for U8’s/TriStart*
622mm wheels (25c tyres) use 38T chainring and 15t sprocket for U10’s/TriStar1*
622mm wheels (25c tyres) use 34T chainring and 12t sprocket for U12’s/TriStar2*
622mm wheels (25c/27c tyres) use 36T chainring and 12t sprocket for U14’s/TriStar3*
(Above recommendations on 1x cranks (riders shorter than 155cm), below on 2x cranksets (riders 155cm+)
622mm wheels (25c/27c tyres) use 48T chainring and 16t sprocket for U14’s/TriStar3*
622mm wheels (25c tyres) use 52T chainring and 16t sprocket for U16’s/Youth*
622mm wheels (25c tyres) use 52T chainring and 14t sprocket for U18’s/Junior*
Alternative and popular U10 set-up...
For those using a bike for CX and Road/Tri gear limited events is: 30T chainring and 12t sprocket on 27c tyres on the HUP evo frameset - using the standard 10-speed 11-34t Microshift cassette. Perfect gearing for CX at this age and accurate Road gearing for the U10 category, using 27c tyres compatible on the HUP evo frameset.
Additional Popular Track Gearing on 700c;
622mm wheels (25c tyres) use 38T chainring and 16t sprocket for U8’s*
622mm wheels (25c tyres) use 38T chainring and 15t sprocket for U10’s*
622mm wheels (23c tyres) use 40T chainring and 14t sprocket for U12’s*
622mm wheels (25c tyres) use 42T chainring and 14t sprocket for U14’s*
(Above on HUP 4-bolt cranks (riders shorter than 155cm), below on Miche 165mm cranks (riders 155cm+)
622mm wheels (23c tyres) use 49T chainring and 16t sprocket for U14’s*
622mm wheels (23c tyres) use 49T chainring and 15t sprocket for U16’s*
*Component manufacturing tolerances can affect your actual rollout, especially tyres. Always physically check before heading off to a race!
As you can see above, kids up to and including U12 usually run 1x single chainring setups, in U14 and above they usually run double chainring setups - however, correct length crank arms for double chainring setups are few and far between. Taking a typical 12yr old at 152cm tall for example, they would ideally run a 155mm long crank (10% rule) but standard adults cranks usually start at 165mm at their shortest.
**Fashions for wider tyres mean wheel widths are increasing, something that isn't too helpful for the kids! Be careful in the U8 and U10 categories, as your choice of wheelset will dictate your choice of tyres and gearing options. You cannot fit a 20c tyre to a 16c inner width rim. Similar issues are arising with modern trends in frame design towards wider, press fit Bottom Brackets and their lack of compatibility with square-taper short cranksets!
There are solutions to these problems however: CRANKSETS, CHAINRINGS, CASSETTES & WHEELS/TYRES
Cassette selection is another key decision, so a couple of points to understand. Mechanical rear mechs can usually only 'lock-off' 2 sprockets as a maximum (so a 12-28t can have it's 12t & 13t locked-off, to use the 14t for U10 gearing on 20c tyres for example). Electronic rear mechs cannot 'lock-off' gears, so need the correct smallest sprocket on their cassette for the rollout. If they use the bike in non-race situations, being able to 'unlock' their gears can give them added flexibility. Conversely, using the correct cassette (without the need to 'lock-off') will allow them to use all their gears.
Our unique range of Miche Primato 10-speed and 11-speed cassettes for youth/junior racing fit every requirement!
This is how to check your bike…
To lock any gears off and make your bike legal, simply follow these steps. Put the bike in its correct front Chainring and correct rear Sprocket to comply with the relevant Rollback…
The same procedure can be used to lock-off the larger front chainring too.
British Cycling Events...
During all British Cycling events all riders bikes are checked by the Scrutineers prior to the race (after signing-on) to ensure they are within the age group’s Rollback limit. Never attempt to cheat this, Podium finishers (and others selected at random) are re-tested immediately after the race is finished.
Why are very few bikes sold, at or near the gear limits? There are several reasons why bikes are rarely manufactured to match the BC Gear Restrictions;
Because of this, its not uncommon to upgrade/modify gearing to get closer to the age groups limit, especially in the more competitive U12/14/16 and Juniors.
Finally, bear in mind the individual components that affect Rollback. Alongside front Chainring size (No of teeth) and the rear cassette Sprocket sizes (No of teeth) the overall diameter of the tyre and pressure are also critical. Not all 23c tyres are the same profile, so this can affect Rollback! Because of this, whilst you can manually calculate your Rollback mathematically (Front Teeth/Rear Teeth x Tyre Dia x π) there is no substitute for physically checking it before you race. See the tables above for age group gearing limits. Adititionally;
Don't forget, youth cyclo-cross events do not have wheel depth restrictions of 35mm, only the Road and Track events.
British Triathlon Events...
Gear Restrictions for Elite Tristar and Youth Draft-Legal Events
After a successful trial in 2015, British Triathlon amended the 2016 Rulebook for certain Elite level, draft-legal Youth Triathlons – imposing gear restrictions for the different age groups (matching the British Cycling Rollback limits, for the corresponding age groups). For 2017, the scope has increased again to cover all tarmac events for TriStar 2 and upwards age groups on SWS events.
2019 Update - Disc brakes are now eligible to race in British Triathlon events!
For 2018 it was been further extended to include all Tristar age categories on Draft Legal (tarmac) events. In addition to applying gear restrictions (which match British Cycling's limits in the table above) they have also introduced wheel restrictions, just to make the issue more complicated!
Will ride on standard or traditional wheels ONLY. A traditional wheel for this age group is defined as:
Will ride on
EITHER
A standard or traditional wheel defined as:
OR
Wheels that are found on the UCI non-standard approved wheel lists (includes HUP CD35, TD35, CD50 & TD50 UCI approved wheels)
Its only a matter of time before all events are gear-restricted. We think this is good news, as the same benefits will apply to young Triathletes, as they do to young Cyclists. We also hope they expand this to all age groups in the near future.
MTB Gearing Advice
Depending on the type of riding you will be doing, there are several options for MTB gearing...
XC: smaller/lighter gearing is common using 11-34t or 11-36t cassettes, but noting wrong with using a larger cassette, but they do get heavier. Chainring size is always dependant on rider strength - typically a younger rider is better off using a small 30T chainring, older and stronger a 32T or 34T chainring.
Enduro: larger gearing is more common, for those longer, sustained climbs: 11-42t, 11-46t & 11-48t are most popular. Chainring size is always dependant on rider strength - typically a younger rider is better off using a small 30T chainring, older and stronger a 32T or 34T chainring.
Take a look at the different models: Cyclo-cross | Road | Triathlon | MTB | Gravel | Track
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