Featuring a 3-speed internally geared hub, the ByK allows for quick and easy shifting, but without a finicky derailleur to worry about. With the gearing components located inside the hub of the rear wheel, they aren’t susceptible to being damaged like the gearing components on bike with traditional cassettes and derailleurs. Lightweight, quick, and ridiculously nimble, the Prevelo Alpha Four is the ultimate ride for young riders regularly riding on paved and non-paved surfaces. From pounding out the mileage on long rides with the family or hitting up the local DIY dirt jumps, the Alpha delivers an exceptional, confidence-building ride. The Start boasts beautiful lines and an impressive paint job along with multi-terrain tires that accommodate everyone from timid to aggressive riders. Its slightly knobbier tires also make the woom ideal for riding on various surfaces.
In the past few years, a select few budget-friendly brands have produced much needed change in the kids bike market. The Decathlon and Polygon bikes you see below are significantly better than any bike you will find at Walmart. They are lighter-weight, have better quality components, and are designed to make riding easier for kids. This ratio is more important when a child is younger and just learning to ride, but is still applicable for your 8 and 9-year-olds! The more aggressive and longer your child rides, the more important weight becomes as well. If trail riding or any type of riding with varied elevation is in your child’s future, aim for a bike that is less than 30% of their weight.
Standard V-pull brakes work just fine for the mass majority of 8 to 11-year-olds, but the quality and performance of V-brakes varies from bike to bike. High-quality, high-performing brakes are easy for kids to activate and don’t require them to exert a lot of pressure on the lever. You wouldn’t think that brakes on a kid’s huffy bicycle bike would be a big deal, but Guardian Bikes prove otherwise. Their proprietary SureStop braking system helps kids of all riding abilities feel more confident and less anxious, whether they’re riding to their friend’s house or across town. A 24″ mountain youth bike with modest components and mechanical disc brakes.
Hailing from bike enthusiast parents in the UK, Frog Bikes is another kid-focused bike brand that designs their bikes top-to-bottom for kids. For a more detailed comparison of these bikes, huffy beach cruiser jump down to our 24 inch Bike Comparison Chart below. This bike is also an affordable option for families who want a good “base bike” for upgrading to make it more trail-worthy.
Its uniquely designed handlebar allows for height adjustments to make the woom 5 a better fit for a longer period of time. Gears are not only fun to use, they’re essential to tackle long flat roads, hilly neighborhoods, dirt trails, and single track. By the time a child is 8 or 9-years-old, they’re probably tackling these terrains that make it beneficial to shift gears. They’re also at an age when they should be able to manage the complexity of shifting without too much trouble.
And as they grow with the bike at 10 and 11-years-old, those gears will eventually become second nature. As with all kids’ bikes, within a given wheel size category, the minimum and maximum seat heights of 24 inch bikes can vary. The average minimum seat height of a 24 inch bike is around 25″ while the maximum average is about 31″.