St. Martin is a flatland BMX company, however this BMX would be perfect for flatland or any other style of BMX as the geometry is not flatland specific. This 14″ bike fills a gap between the 12″ and 16″ sizes. Here at BMX Groms we believe it is important to put kids on the right size of bike in order for them to stay safe and progress. If parents had their kids on a soccer team they wouldn’t buy shoes a couple of sizes too big, so kids could grow into them. Yet many parents buy their kids a 20″ BMX so they can grow into it. The large heavy cumbersome bike slows progression and can cause accidents. The following is the press release from St. Martin:
“Yes, a 14-inch bike, not 12, not 16. The original idea came from Taka at Delirium Distribution, St-Martin distributor in Japan. He realized that there was a big gap between 12″ and 16″ bikes. Some children feel unconfortable on 12″ and 16″ bikes because they are already too tall for a 12″ bike or yet too small for a 16″ bike. We’ve worked 6 months on that 14″ bike project to reach the best balance possible, in order to make kids happy when they ride. The bike uses modern technical solutions such as integrated headset, a headset stem, cassette hub on rear wheel, forged alloy crank, 4 alloy pegs, unidirectional tires and 1-pc seat/seatpost combo.
And it also uses specific solutions for small riders : 1″ headset, 19 mm O.D. handlebar and grips, 24×9 gearing with short crank arms. A too short gear ratio is not good when combined with short crank arms. Rider may loose bike control because body and legs move too fast.
This nice and small bike will be available in Japan in March and in Switzerland and France in April.”
Hit the link for complete specifications: http://www.stmartinbmx.com/products/2014-mini-darwin-bike/
Hi, is this bike available in Canada?
Hi Jeff,
I haven’t seen it for sale in Canada. Check with 3ride. Flatland Fuel in the USA currently has a 16″ Ares flatland, check that out.
The 14″ St Marin is a Japan only product and has not been produced in a while. Its a cool little bike but has some issues. For one, a child that needs a 14″ bike is very unlikely to be able to use hand brakes. This bike has a cassette hub while any bike in this size should have a coaster brake. Major safety issue there. No gyro or front brake routing so its not going to be able to be used for real flatland riding either. Its more of a flatland “style” bike in a 14″ size. Yes, it would be just fine for regular riding but the braking issue is a concern. If anyone is looking for a good 14″ bike in the USA your options are limited but there is one good one. The DK Aura 14″. It uses an aluminum frame to keep the weight reasonable (a huge concern in small bmx bikes) and has a coaster brake. We do not stock them at flatlandfuel.com but would be happy to get one for anyone that wants one. DK can drop ship it for us so there is no delay. Ready for a 16″? Check out our Ares STN.