Seriously?

[lefrancais]

this is photo-shopped for sure.
People get really excited...funny

 

[oldborn]

I think that cycling should not be a "early specialization sport", like swimming, gymnastic etc.
Emotional burnout, injuries, less well rounded athletes are some factors.
Kids should participate in many sports until 13-15 years old when some ,training could be introduce.
Training for race is not really good idea for kids.

Fun, training for training, training for competition, training for race that is how i see it.

 

[JA.Tri]

Nice bike! I was bemused by the bike and helmet in contrast to the shoes and pedals. Not to mention the "jumped start".

Interesting thoughts from all with special mention to "Red Headed Dane".

 

[usedtobefast]

the better your equipment at any level, not just in sport, will make your job
more fun and interesting.
a better quality guitar plays and sounds better than a piece of what we call
"firewood". spoiled children are a different matter, as are the parents.

 

[RedheadDane]

But very few children think it's fun standing out. You can say whatever you want; this kid does stand out quite a lot.

 

[alpine_chav]

don't see anything wrong with this (apart from the toe clips and trainers lol)... I knew a kid back in the day that had bikes like this ... now he is on the verge of a pro tour ride. A bit quick to judge??.....

 

[alpine_chav]

the better your equipment at any level, not just in sport, will make your job
more fun and interesting.
a better quality guitar plays and sounds better than a piece of what we call
"firewood". spoiled children are a different matter, as are the parents.

Dunno... cheap old guitars (40/50 years old) play better than expensive brand new ones.

 

[unsheath]

Correct, it's Di2. And no, the photos aren't doctored. See here for the details: http://www.kirkleebicycles.com/2010/09/kirklee-custom-650-di2-lightweights/

Photo looked too detailed to be photochopped.

Here it is at the NAHBS. Covered by CN nonetheless. The caption explains it all.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features...-american-handmade-bicycle-show-part-7/162652

 

[TheDude]

Of course this bike is exaggerating, but so what. Spending 10k on a kids bike makes a lot more sense to me than all the fancy cars I see people driving around in.

Yes, maybe there is a sad storyr about parents pushing their kid. But maybe not, so lets not judge without knowing the story.

What I do know is that at the age of 3 my son had to ride a bike weighing more than mine. True it cost only 200CHF (~USD), but I would have happily paid 2-3 times more (his sister would inherit it). However, there exist no nice light bikes for kids. And before you comment that heavier bikes makes kids stronger, think about what heavy loads to to development of bone-structures etc, and the fact that some people live in hilly terrain.

So albeit the bike on this photo is over the top, I am very happy to see that someone is actually willing to do something about it. I wish they would make 12" and 16" bikes that weigh less than 4kg - which I think should be perfectly doable for, say, 500CHF~USD.

Edit: if anyone actually do know of better children's bikes available commercially south of 10k, please post links.

You want islabike. You may need to make a trip to the UK to get one, I'm not sure about CH, but they do not ship to the US, I tried.

Nice thing is that they are great bikes for less than $1,000 - not this crazy over-the top monster.

 

[oldborn]

It is difficult to be realistic and cool about own kids when in sport, but i am not sure that any coach recomended that bike.
Toe clips, or clipless are forbiden here for kids under 15.
It is absouletly irelevant equipement issue at this age. On how many km is that race? 5km top, and competition is awesome too.
Those parents live their dreams through that poor kid with "El Gaddafi bike" look a like.

Maybe, i am wrong, but that kid is on good way to be spoiled, and parents should change Oprah channel for while. It is a different story between solid and that Gaddafi bike.
It is sick

 

[flyor64]

Photo looked too detailed to be photochopped.

Here it is at the NAHBS. Covered by CN nonetheless. The caption explains it all.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features...-american-handmade-bicycle-show-part-7/162652

Guess that puts the photoshop comments to rest...

I actually "guffawed" a little when I saw the article today.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

whats the smallest sized shoe you can get that will hold a cleat?

as for the bike, when they have the kids races in exeter prior to the tour series there were kids ranging from a 12 year old on a brand new cervelo to a kid on a plastic trike.

Thats funny - I remember seeing the exact same thing somewhere in the UK (probably Isle of Man) in the early 2000's - under 12's starting a race on full carbons.
I hadn't even a carbon bike back then.

When I first saw the photo the thing I reacted to was the TT helmet, not the bike. That helmet is by far the most ridiculous thing in the photo.

Ya - as well as impractical I was wondering is that helmet even a 'legal' safety helmet.

 

[usedtobefast]

Dunno... cheap old guitars (40/50 years old) play better than expensive brand new ones.

you are wrong. no they don't. an uninformed statement for sure.

 

[therhodeo]

you are wrong. no they don't. an uninformed statement for sure.

Indeed. They might fit your fashion sense better so you convince yourself that its true but its not.

 

[usedtobefast]

Indeed. They might fit your fashion sense better so you convince yourself that its true but its not.

i do guitar for a living. built guitars for Fender and Rickenbacker. fashion?
they are work tools for me. go play an old Harmony if you want. a new
Chinese built Yamaha blows it out of the water.

 

[overgeared]

that kids parents cannot be serious! i mean, where's the SRM?!

 

[Archibald]

Guess that puts the photoshop comments to rest...

not really, that just proves that there's pics of the bike to photoshop into the other photo...

the pick looks photoshopped

 

[kiwirider]

Here's the bike that James took a photo of:
http://www.kirkleebicycles.com/2010/09/kirklee-custom-650-di2-lightweights/

... and here's the kids bike that Kirklee built (as per the link that Krebs posted way back when):
http://www.bikerumor.com/2010/04/02...8000-dollar-20inch-triathlon-bike/#more-16237

Read each piece - particularly the description of the 20" bike - and then play a game of "list all of the reasons why the 650c bike can't be ridden by a 5 year old - no matter how rich Mummy & Daddy are" ...

... and then have another look at the photo and notice the really bad cutting, the poor attempt at using the dodge tool to create a shadow by the back wheel, the fact that the adult officiating is standing with his back to the kid "on" the Kirklee, the amount of space between the "spoiled rich kid" and the rest of the race, the size of the "spoiled rich kid" compared to the others (ie., limbs, feet - even allowing for perspective/depth of field) ...

Oops, should stop before I spoil everyone's righteous indignation ...



(Can you tell that I'm two days away from changing jobs and am getting bored with sorting through out all my old work stuff? )

 

[biff47]

I love that he has toe clips.... w/out straps.