Kids 16" bikes

[twain]

Just bought my son a Ridgeback MX16.
Frame seems decent enough but I'll be replacing the vbrakes as the stock ones have seen better days.
Tyres need replacing too.
I'm doing it up to become a prezzie for my eldest.
Tyre choice seems a bit slim, but I think I'm settled on some schwalbe black jacks, the only decent looking tyre, next to a continental 16".

Has anyone else 'upgraded' this size bike? Looking for more inspiration....

I'm also in the market for a balance bike for my youngest. Not happy with the selection apart from the Mongoose Scan R12. Everything seems to have those horrid foam tyres or is wooden and stupid money.
I don't like them, aesthetically, and you can't adjust to help soak up the bumps/kerbs for the littluns!
Anyone found a decent source for balance bikes? I don't fancy shelling out for something they'll use for a year or 2 and it become scrap....the wooden one I had for my eldest got left out in the rain and turned into puff pastry....

 

[hamster]

Definitely recommend Islabikes for the balance bike. You lose virtually nothing at resale.

 

[Kerplunk]

Re:

If you can find a suitable short reach stem changing that, the bars and seatpost are probably the only things you can do. You'll get a decent weight reduction from doing that as standard ones are hefty steel ones.
As an aside whats the going rate for secondhand Ridgeback MXs? Got a 14 and 16 in very good condition that I need to move on.

 

[twain]

Re:

Picked this one up for £35. All original but well used. Knocked him down from £40 .