mntbikedude

Son is 13 and wants a bike he can do serious riding on but this is about the limit of the budget. Store wants $365 for it.

dirtbikedude

You say he want to do serious riding, what do you mean by that? What type of riding, XC, free riding, down hill, dirt jumps, urban?

How experienced is he? Is this a first bike?

The bike is an entry level trail bike. The parts are just ok with the brakes and fork being a bit lower then that. If he really gets aggressive on it, jumping, doing drops and trying to ride technical DH then you will see parts being replaced often and soon as well as having to replace the frame. In the 300 to 400 price range you should try and find a good used freeride hard tail if he will really ride it hard.

If his mind is set on the Topanga then you should make it clear that if he starts breaking parts on it then he will have to pay for them or, if he is too young to make his own money, work it off.

DBD

mntbikedude

He has had a few walmart bikes and a decent BMX bike. We live in an area that has alot of cool places to ride. Just a few hours from Moab. But right across the street and he's in the desert. He has been using my 1988 specialized hardrock. In addition to that he and I are planning to ride our bikes down the pacific coast canada to calif. And it seems like it would be a good bike for that. I have done that ride twice before with my older son. He has a trek and I have a Raleigh M60. So I guess you could say that he would use it for everything from dirt jumps to touring.

He does have the chance to earn more money and I figure if he really gets serious about the mnt biking as far as jumps, drops ect he can get something nicer. He had been looking at a Raleigh M80 that was in the $550 range but they sold that.

MattP.

I read the title about and saw Topanga and then read your original post and you said your son wanted to do "serious riding". I'm laughing thinking your crazy. I have a Topanga, just use it to bum around, but then I look at the DB site and see what the 05 one looks like. My Topanga is way old and would not hold up on a trail but the 05 one is cool

Heres a pic of mine, not at all like the 05 one. I hope you can see why I thought it was funny....

Sorry just had to post this

koine2002

You might want to look at a KHS Alite 300 or 500. They're close to the same price and very well constructed. I've got the equivelant of a 150 and it has handled all sorts of abuse. The forks have a bit less travel, but I bet it'll do for what he wants to do.

mntbikedude

haha yeah glad you looked up the 05. Your old topanga color scheme reminds me of my 1989 circa Specialized Hardrock. It looked so cool back then.

mntbikedude

UPDATE: the son went ahead and bought the Topanga, we not only rode Canada to Cali that trip, we went on to Mexico. The son just two years later at age 15 flew to Alaska with my older son and together they rode Anchorage to Mexico again on the same Diamondback. Last year we did a short ride from Vancouver to mid Oregon and this summer he and I are doing yet again coastal trip and he is still riding this dam Topanga.......It's all good I can't begin to keep up with him. Here is he and my older son from the 08 trip.

https://alaska-to-mexico.blogspot.com/

BenzFanatic

That's ridiculously cool. It's awesome when kids get so passionate about something that isn't destructive or pointless. Envious.

mntbikedude

Thanks I'm very proud of these two boys, especially since they have had to earn the money themselves to pay for all these adventures. I'm also pretty happy over the fact that other than the ride from Anchorage to Vancouver (I met them in Vancouver) that I was able to be with them for all these crazy trips. I feel very lucky as a dad that they still like doing things with me, even though I slow them down A LOT.

Nickbnimble

I'm so glad your son purchased that back. I got one as a teen and loved it. I ride all over Georgia, Florida, So Cal and every beach in high tide that I shouldn't have. My bike was stolen in Thousand Oaks Cali and broke my heart. Manly because it was a gift from my mother and she passed. I am currently searching high and low to find another to bring back the good ol days. Take care!

bmthom.gis

Zombie thread, but really cool story! I just got a Topanga for free. It's cosmetically challenged but has an RST front shock and a Deore drivetrain.