Best Kids 20 inch Mountain Bikes Review
bicycles reviews | bicycles videos | bicycles online
Boys Youth Kids 20 inch Mountain Bikes So, my 6y/o has quickly out grown his Trek Jet 16 bike and wants to join his dad on the trails. This means he is going to need a 20 inch boy's mountain bike. As it turns out, finding a decent 20 inch boy's MTB for a price that doesn't break the wallet is not an easy task. First of all, the 20 inch MTBs in the big box stores are nearly all made of steel instead of aluminum. The last thing you want to do to a kid just starting off is to give him a bike that is too heavy. He will just give up on the first uphill climb. So, to get an aluminum frame in the 20 inch size, the bike will have to be name brand. I did look into a few, like ... Scott has four MTB models at 20 inches. Two are for kids with a short frame, so I skipped them since that will just shorten the ownership time. However, the other two are impressive. The Scott Spark JR 20 is an impressive with a full suspension, 12 speed and 40 mm travel fork. It retails about $475. The Scott Scale JR 20 is an impressive 12 speed hard tail with a 40mm suspension fork. It is priced retail at $450. The price was a little high for a bike my kid is likely to outgrow in just 2-3 years. I decided to keep shopping. Trek MT 60 it's a 6 speed with a 30mm suspension fork. But MSRP priced at $329.99, Looking over at Jamis, I found the X.20, it is also a 6 speed 40 mm travel front fork with MSRP of $295.00. We are now under the 300 dollar mark. The diamondback Octane 20 is also a 6 speed with an aluminum frame and 30mm travel front suspension. It retails at $260. Diamondback has another 20 inch, but it has a steel frame, so I didn't bother with it. But then I stumbled onto something unusual. It turns out that in the Ferrari store, yes THAT Ferrari, they sell quality bikes. At first I thought it was just a gimmick... some Chinese bike maker has a license to put the Ferrari name on their subpar bikes. But I was wrong. Ferrari actually has a little more pride in their name. There was a 20 inch for kids called the cx 30. It's an aluminum frame 12 speed. But what caught my eye was it had a 50mm travel fork and disk brakes. None of the other 20 inch kid's bikes I have seen come with disk brakes, let alone the 160mm 6 bolt disks that are the standard for MTBs. The joints appear to have quality polished welds, not the robot welds we see on most mass produced bikes. What turned me off was the over $500-$900 price tag plus shipping. The average price for this kid's bike was more that I was willing to pay. But as luck would have it, a handful got into the overstock.com inventory and in overstock.com fashion, went on sale for $199.99 with free 5 day shipping. The bike has just arrived and I will be carefully inspecting it and with give my review in the follow-up video. Thanks and have fun out there.
Comments
-
My 6speed BCA
-
I have a muddyfox download 6 gears dual suspension and I love it
-
why am i watching this?
i don't have children or even a girlfriend -
Well guess what, suspension on a kids bike sucks ass. It only adds weight
-
thanks for this video. I found a brand new scott spark jr. for my daughter! she loves it!
-
Hi guys i need a bike that fits me im 14 years old but im short can anyone replay for the best road bike for me
I love cycling i cycle with my bmx but its not made for this and its extremely heavy
I have a good budget 400 dollars -
Thanks for the review. I'm going to buy my son the Giant XTC JR 1 20. It looks the goods and cost is $300. Its better than mine ;)
-
You got a killer deal Just saw the Lil shredder 2 grand wooo! Not much to chose from for Aluminum kid's mountain bikes. seems like a trade off between having gears and not having the weight of the gears clunking around when it's low end components.
-
Really not bothered about suspension for my kids 20" bike. Weight (for my son) and resale value (for me!) were top priorities. Islabikes are almost unbeatable in this regard. My son's Benin 20 large, only weighs 7.8kg (17lbs).
-
just picked up the ex 30 for my 7 year old going to be a Christmas present, tons of trails in Tennessee
-
It is really hard to find a quality FS 20" mtn bike. If the bike is simply a neighborhood cruiser that may see a dirt road then save the money. But if your child is a competent rider and mtn biking is a constant activity, then the money will be well spent to get a FS. We bought the Scott Spark Jr 20" and my son has already maxed its capacity at Trestles in Co. A good kid rider will easily use 4" of travel. They actually need it more with small wheels. 1.5" is just not safe enough on some trails.
-
Thanks for the review. My son is on a Trek Jet as well and wants to get out on the trail with Dad and older brother. This is exactly what he needs. I was able to find one at Walmart.com for $209. Should arrive soon and be ready to go by the weekend. Thanks again!
-
Of I had a bike like that I would have a gods biking career
-
Good catch! The only Specialized that is comp is the "Hotrock 20 6 speed Boys" MSRP $360. The Specialized is only 6 speed, has V brakes (not disc) and plastic pedals. The cx-30 has many standard parts found on brand adult sized bikes, so maint and replacements parts are easy to find.
-
For me, it was part safety and part proper use. Adults don’t need suspension and fancy brakes either, but they still buy them. My son’s first bike was a Trek Jet 16 and he could not clime hills/mounds and every rock/root nearly tossed him off the bike. So, he did learn the hard way. Also, our local trails require proper off road bikes for safety reasons. Why do adult riders think these thing are important for them? It's all about having a good time.
-
I don't see why kids need suspension and fancy brakes. I mean, those didn't even exist when I started mountain biking and I did just fine. Better they learn the hard way then they'll appreciate the plush features available these days. Why do you think they are important?
-
Cool I ride a 24 inch giant but hope to get a Scott spark 26er
-
Giant makes great bikes!!! But they no longer make a 20 inch youth MTB. The Giant Revel Jr. Boys 20 is nice, but doesn't even have front suspension, so it didn't make the list.
-
Awesome find. Good for you... and your son.
4m 35sLenght
84Rating