20 INCH FRONT SUSPENSION BIKES
This is one of our favorite categories although the waters start to muddy. Big brands start to compete but often don't match the weights and fork/parts spec of kids specific brands. Avoid coil forks and look for hydraulic disc brakes to get the most out of these amazing little bikes. Also, no bike in this category should be over 25 lbs in our opinion (under 22 lbs if no drive train) or have cranks over 130mm long. While we start to see full suspension available in 20 inch bikes, its tough to ignore the weight and efficiency benefits of a hard tail in most circumstances. Here's our picks for the 5-8 crowd. We repeat: weight and fast rolling tires really matter in this categorey.
Prevelo Zulu 3
The 2024 Zulu Three is here! This bike is now the bike to beat for a premium hardtail. "Trail" Geo (66 HA, 74 STA, 335mm chainstays), 11-38T cassette, 12 mm rear thru axle make this bike an absolute beast. The New 2024 RST first fork is now best in class suspension for kids hardtails (it is now lighter and the air spring works amazing). Microshift short cage clutch derailleur, 120 mm cranks, small 19mm bar diameter grips, tubeless 2.2 inch Kenda tires on tubeless Rims, dropper post routing for optional pivotal seat dropper (firs time we have seen pivotal seat dropper), hydraulic disc brakes, the Zulu 3 is home railing corners and blasting jumps on the mountain bike trails.
OUR FULL REVIEW HERE Previous STANDARD BUILD
OUR FULL REVIEW HERE Previous HEIR BUILD
Weight: 20.5 lbs | MSRP: $1199 | Min-Max seat height: 21.7"-26.1" | Where to buy: Prevelo | Prevelo Canada | Ready Set Pedal
Forth 20 X2
Building on the frame of the X1, the X2 gets a really nice micoshift drivetrain with 11-38T cassette and shimano MT200 hydraulic brakes. Same air fork with rebound and compression adjustments. This is great value in a 20 inch MTB. OUR FULL REVIEW HERE
Weight: 24 lbs | MSRP: $600 USD $795 CDN | fit: 46"-54" | Where to buy: Forth Bikes
Forth 20 X1
This is a value hardtail in a 20 inch platform. 2.1 inch wide tires, mechanical disc brakes, 127mm cranks, 36 T front chainring, 11-34T 8spd, 80mm Atlas air fork. 69 degree head tube angle and 340mm chainstays.
Weight: 24 lbs | MSRP: $500 USD $665 CDN | fit: 46"-54" | Where to buy: Forth Bikes
Early Rider Hellion 20
This 10 spd (11-36T) hard tail is a top bike. Shimano deore disc brakes, 80mm suspension fork, 127mm cranks, clutch zee derailleur, crown gem 2.25 tires, this little trail machine sits in the premium bikes in this class.
Weight: 22 lbs (w/o pedals) | MSRP: $1,300 USD | Min seat height: 22 inches | Where to buy: Early Rider
Spawn Yama Jama 20
One of the nicest dedicated trail bikes we have seen. The Yama Jama pushes the envelope with wide tubeless capable rims, 130mm cranks and a carbon lower/rebound adjustable 80 mm fork. Light Weight and great geometry with a 68 degree Head Angle. With an 11-36 T 10 speed sram drive train, Spawn has pushed kids bikes to a new level. OUR FULL REVIEW HERE
Weight: 21.5 lbs | MSRP: $1375 | Min-Max seat inseam: 19"-24" | Where to buy: Spawn
Woom OFF AIR 4
Same great frame and spec as the OFF 4, this bike includes the new RST First air fork with rebound control. Amazing compound 2.25 in Schwalbe tires let you dump tire pressure out on the trail for a little bit of extra squish. Fantastic geometry (68 HA), 110 mm cranks, awesome pedals, great 9 spd 11-32T drive train and hydraulic disc brakes. Everything you want in a introductory hardtail MTB. OUR FULL REVIEW HERE
Weight: 19.8 lbs | MSRP: $999 US | Min-Max seat height: 22.8"-28.7" | Where to buy: woom
Cleary Scout 20
The all new Cleary Scout 20 is here and ready for singletrack, the bike skills park and the cul de sac. A great alloy frame with 80 mm Suntour air sprung fork, this little bike is ready for everything a 5-8 year old can throw at it. Sun Race 10 spd 11-36 T drivetrain, 127 mm cranks, hydraulic disc brakes, tubeless compatible rims and 2.25 inch wide tires...it's ready to rip out of the box.
Weight: 24 lbs | MSRP: $578 | Min-Max inseam: 19"-23" | Where to buy: Cleary Bikes
Pello Rover Suspension fork
All the same features of the rigid rover (tubeless rims, cane creek headset), this dirt oriented bike sees the addition of 50mm travel RST fork, 127 mm cranks and optional kenda small block 2.1 inch tires. There is a lot of value in this bike at $639. We would like to see and be willing to pay a bit more for hydraulic disc brakes (less fatigue for little fingers) and a trigger shifter in the Rover Spinner Air build but these are easy upgrades should you choose to change yourself.
Weight: 22.3 lbs | MSRP: $649 | Min/Max seat 22.5-27.5 inches | Where to buy: Pello Bikes
Trailcraft Cycles Blue Sky 20
This bike is amazing. Carbon arch lower fork with 80 mm of travel and rebound adjustment, 127mm cranks, 11-36T rear cassette, tubeless 2.25 inch wide tires, great geometry (68.5 HA, 73.0 STA, 340 mm CS) and best in class weight make this an exceptional little machine. Words can't describe this bike, it must be seen to be truly appreciated. OUR FULL REVIEW HERE
Weight: 18.75-20.2 lbs | MSRP: $1,699-$2,099 | fit: 3'9"-4'2" | Where to buy: Trailcraft Cycles
Transition Bandit
Transition enters the 20 inch market with their first kids hardtail. Kids specific SDG seat, bar, grips and 100mm Manitou machete fork. Very nice Shimano short reach brakes, maxis minions, 9 spd Cues drivetrain(11-36T) and 135mm cranks with 28T chainring. 310 mm reach, 457 mm stack, 66 HA, 350mm Chainstays.
Weight: 23.6 lbs | MSRP: $1399 USD | Min/Max height: 3'8-4'4 | Where to buy: Transition
Marin San Quentin 20
This bike is almost there. The geometry is fantastic and has great features like clutch derailleur and hydraulic brakes. However, the build is heavy with a 2800 gram (over 6lbs) fork (its a 24 inch fork so the stack is high as well), too long 140mm cranks and some other heavy parts like wheelset and cassette.
Weight: N/A lbs | MSRP: $749 USD | Where to buy: Bikes Online | Evo | Jenson USA
Propain Dreckspatz
This bike is amazing! Super light, a 68.5 HA, 11-34 rear cassette, and 80 mm travel fork makes the Dreckspatz a single track 20 inch destroyer. North American distribution is here!
Weight: 19 lbs | MSRP: $1399 USD | Where to buy: Propain Bikes
Flow Kids Bikes 20
Available in 16 and 20 inch wheel sizes and adjustable geometry (reach adjust plus HA 67/68), this bike also has a big fit range. You can basically set it up as a dirt jumper or trail bike; It's awesome. An 80mm air fork with rebound adjust, grippy maxxis tires and 11-36 cassette, the suspension works with even the littlest of riders. Home mechanics will love the adjustable drop outs, easy to bleed mineral oil brakes, threaded BB and standard sized parts. This bike is fantastic.
Weight: 19-23 lbs | MSRP: $950-$1400 | Where to buy: Flow Kids Bikes
Nukeproof Cub-Scout 20 Race
Very nice bike here with 355mm stays and 66.5 HA. A really great 80 mm Manitou Machete air fork, hydraulic brakes, 2.4 inch Vee tires, and bang on 127mm crank arms. 32 T front chaining with a 8 speed 11-42 T rear cassette. A lot of Value here at this price but a tad heavier than the higher priced bikes in the category.
Weight: 23.76 lbs | MSRP: $1099 USD | Where to buy: Chain Reaction
Rocky Mountian Vertex 20 Jr
Good value in this hydraulic disc brake, 65mm air fork enabled, 68 degree head angle hardtail. We love the 2.25 inch wide Vee Grown Gem tires, 11-36T cassette and 28T front chaining. We have not tried the 20 inch Suntour XCM fork but it should even out big impacts for a 6 year old.
Weight: 23.0 lbs | MSRP: $859 | fit: Stand Over 552 mm | Where to buy: Local Rocky Dealer
Commencal Meta HT
An interesting bike now that it dropped the plus tires and has the really cool pro-taper kids bar but its still heavy compared to competition at this price point. A 100 mm Manitou Machete Pro air fork, 135mm cranks, hydraulic brakes, Sram Gx drive train, maxxis minion 2.3 inch and weighing in at 23.5 lbs, this little machine is a good offering. Short chain stays and 67.5 degree HA, 73 STA and 350mm stays.
Weight: 23.5 lbs | MSRP: $1299 | fit: 3'9"-4'5" | Where to buy: Chain Reaction
Dirt Jumpers
Prevelo Bravo Three
This dedicated 20 inch dirt jumper is top shelf. Pivotal seat/post combo gets the seat low, bomber 80 mm travel Manitou Machete takes the edge off the big hits, 127mm cranks, kendo booster tires, bang-on DJ geo, hydraulic tektro rear brake.
Weight: 19.8 lbs | MSRP: $1199 US | Min inseam: 20.5" | Where to buy: Prevelo
Spawn Kotori 20
This is a great 20 inch dirt jumper. Alloy frame, spinner air fork and great part spec, this little bike will raise any little grom's jump game. It also makes for a great trail bike as you can bolt on a derailleur and ad a front disc brake. Versatile and well built, this is a great 20 inch offering.
Weight: 22 lbs | MSRP: $1175 US | Min-Max inseam: 19"-25" | Where to buy: Spawn
Norco Rampage 1 20
A really nice 20 inch DJ with 127 mm cranks, Maxxis Grifter 20x2.3" tires and 100 mm manitou machete fork. Comes with kids specific SDG pedals, bars, grips and seat. Rear hydraulic and front mechanical disc brake. You can order online and pick-up at your local bike shop.
Weight: 21 lbs | MSRP: $1,499 USD | $1,599 CDN | Where to buy: Norco Bicycles
Little Shredder Icon
With two top tube lengths available and the ability to run both 16 and 20 inch wheels, this frame is truly amazing. The smaller frame in a 16 inch wheel format will accommodate a rider as small as 3 feet tall. The larger frame and 20 inch wheel setting will fit up to 4 foot 6. You also have the ability to customize the bike as a dirt jumper or a trail bike complete with drive train. We have this bike and its on kiddo number three, it is truly incredible.
Weight: 18- 22 lbs | MSRP: $1950-$2250 US | Where to buy: Little Shredder
Slater Gateway
Many options for this rad little frame. 16/18/20 inch wheel builds with the option for rigid or suspension fork, you can also go with a single speed DJ build or opt for a 7 spd trail killer. Another family pouring the passion of shredding bikes into amazing kids bikes. Reach out and these guys can get your kin railing berms and airing doubles in no time.
MSRP: $900-$1500 US | Where to buy: Slater Bikes
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What about the Orbea Laufey Junior 20 H20 and H10? Any thoughts?
I don’t see Cannondale Trail 20 on the list here but for the money it’s intriguing. Any opinions about that bike ?
Not fans of the heavy sprung fork.
Hi, Looking for your thoughts on dirt jumpers vs mountain bikes. We live in Ontario, Canada so pretty flat. We ride a mix of trails, in town and now going to our local bike park often. Would a dirt jumper like the spawn Kotori work well for that (upgrade to gears) or would the Yama jama be better?
If trails are in the mix, we would probably stick with the Yama Jama. If kiddo is 90% at the bike skills park and around the cul de sac, we would go Kotori.
Any opinion on the Cleary Scout vs Forth x2? They are about the same price right now, leaning towards the Cleary for the fork (can’t find much info on the Forth atlas fork? The only mention online other than here was negative) but it looks like the Forth has better components (38t cassette, Shimano brakes, etc.).
My kids are very light for their height, if that matters. I realize something with the Prevelo/spawn/Trailcraft fork would be best for that scenario, but I can’t swing the price premium right now.Thanks
The best 20 inch forks are the mekken (spawn, Prevelo Heir, Trailcraft etc) and the new RST forks (found on the new woom offs). All other 20 forks work just for big hits and this is highly dependent on how aggressive kiddo is and how heavy kiddo is. Lower tire pressures work better for small pump dampening and sometimes it might be more advantageous to go lighter weight 20 inch rigid bike, save the money, and invest in a 24 inch hardtail for next bike. Overall Weight and rotational weight (wheelset, tires, tubes) matters in a 20 inch bike so make sure to take into consideration.
Hi, I’m debating whether it’s okay to stay fully rigid for my 5 year old. We do lots of trail riding in the northeast. A used Seeker 20 is a fraction of the cost of the nicer hardtails (which don’t seem to come available used very often). Should I snag one for $400 or keep waiting? Would it make sense to add a fork to it instead of buying new for over $1k? Thanks!
Save weight and money and snag a used seeker. At his size/weight forks only work for bigger impacts. The only 20 inch forks that really work for 5 year olds are the Prevelo Heir/Spawn Brood/Trailcraft TC and the new RST first fork. Tire pressure does more for the small bumps. Save the $ and invest in a 24 inch with suspension fork.
I like Propain 20 Drepsketz 3 for my son however they are delivering in 4 months and thats a pain waiting for a bike for 4 months + time. Now I am stuck between two bikes which have very similar specs. I like Nukeproof scout cub race 20 and Commencal Meta HT 20 , both have great specifications. But I am not sure do I want to wait for 4 months for Propain or buy one of these. On the other hand my son who is 7 years old is already riding Norco Fluid Ht 2.3 20 inches and I should have never bought a bike like that on the first place as the coil fork is only decelerating his bike handling skills. I planned to change that fork to Manitou Machate JUNIT though looks like I need to get the Sunringle Duroc 20 inches wheel in order to fit that as the current wheel has got Skewer. I know there are so many things here. As Manitou and Sun ringle are same umbrella company so they might fir together however even if I upgrade his Norco the drive train on that bike is Altus which is horrible. Any recommendation to solve this conundrum will help.
The weight and the Fork on the Propain are superior to both he commencal and Nukeproof, we would wait if you can. Double check the steer tube on the fork and the hub spacing in the Norco. The machete is a tapered steer tube with boost wheel spacing. I believe the Norco is boost spacing but a straight steer tube fork.
Looking for some help sizing up from a 16 (Park 16x). Little man rides all single track and may toe dip in lift park access this year. looking mainly at the Prevelo Zulu Heir 3 and Spawn Yama Jama. They seem largely comparable in spec but my 5 y/o is on the smaller side 19 in inseam 42 in height. It looks to me that the seat height is lower on the spawn, so leaning that direction but then the cranks on the Prevelo are 120 vs the 130 on the spawn. The other measurements aren’t consistent. Is the spawn a better bet for a smaller rider or is the size difference negligible?
Both great 20 inch hardtails. The fork is the same on both bikes and is the best fork out there for light weight kids like your 5 year old. The Spawn does have the edge with that minimum seat height with the low profile pivotal seat/post and the Heir wins out for the small kids with the 120mm crank length. Ideal world, you would have both the pivotal seat and 120mm cranks.
Hi, what’s your thoughts on yama jama Spawns new 22-inch wheel size mtb, I am looking at a 20inch for my 6 year old although he might get more time on the 22inch before moving to a 24 ?
Its a great way to bridge the gap between 20 and 24 in the Spawn line up. We like transitioning to bigger wheels as soon as possible when mountain biking with the kids.
Yes this is also the reason I am considering the spawn22, I feel like my son outgrowing this bike as quickly as a 20 won’t be a case.
Do you have an opinion on the Forth 20 x2 yet? I know it’s the park 20 but upgraded. Is it a good mid range or still a large deficit compared to some of the other bikes?
We just received our tester, stay tuned.
Any chance the X2 review is coming soon? Would love to know your thoughts on the weight – looks like a solid overall package as long as its manageable wrt weight. I know our 3 year old loves his Park 14 so my fingers are crossed for these new models for my daughter to hit the trails! She isn’t quite invested yet for a Trailcraft/Spawn.
We are hoping to get some time on our review bike as the weather improves. The fork looks really decent and for the price, the bike has great value. The tires would a potential upgrade as they are cheaper lower quality rubber. They really refined the bike with improved geo plus micro-shift drivetrain, shimano hydraulic brakes and 127mm cranks. With pedals its close to 25 lbs.
Any updates on Forth 20×2?
Value is great, geometry is really good. The fork performs similar to the spinner forks (works for the big hits but low tire pressure is more effective for small bumps). We would probably swap tires right away for something more premium if majority of time spent on trails.
I have the option to buy either a used 2021 liv stop fs 20 or a 2015? Spawn savage 2.0 for my almost 6 year old daughter. She is coming off a prevelo alpha16”. I feel like the savage will probably be a bit lighter and have better performance from the air fork, but the head angle is slightly steep (70 deg) for the kind of riding I want to do with her this season. The liv will be a bit heavier I imagine and has a bit longer chainstay….. as well as a coil fork. It has however been upgraded to a 12-42 Cassette and trigger shifters. I’m a bit torn, the spawn is $750 and liv $650, hoping to negotiate down on both.
Any advice?
Hands down the Savage. Don’t worry about the Head Angle (a difference of 1 degree is nothing). Make sure to due a lower service of the fork, basically lube those seals up (check our fork page for service instructions). The only advantage of the LIV is the hyro brakes.
Awesome thanks
Apologies if this question is already asked above, but I didn’t see it. I’m torn between the woom off air 4, the Zulu heir 3, and the spawn yama jama. Almost all of our riding is in the Colorado Front Range, so typically some climbing involved. Which is going to be the eastiest to climb with?
The Woom may have the slight edge for climbing weight wise because of overall weight but the spawn and prevelo can both be set-up tubeless which will bring the rotational weight down and cancel out the small overall extra weight. The spawn and prevelo also have wider range cassettes thus having an “Easier” climbing gear.
Hey Dads,
Just realized the Park 20X is on sale and I am thinking on upgrading my sons Rocky Mountain Edge JR 16 2021. Any Red Flags I should consider on the Park?
Thanks
We have not tried the 20X yet. The atlas fork is light and has rebound control but we are not sure how it does for the lighter kids. This bike is a great budget play but make sure your expectations reflect that. Great for toe dipping into MTB.
Thanks for the reply. I think I wont be going for the Park 20X. I managed to find a BMC blast 20 (Hardtail) and a Rocky mountain Vertex JR 20. I am trying to decide what direction I should go. My son is doing jumps on a wood ramp I built for him and I also take him the “Bobsled” and “Roadside Attraction” over at From in North Vancouver. Do you think he would find benefit with the Air fork or at this age and size its just a gimmick? (He just turned 5 but he is built like a 6 y/o). Thanks again!
only if it is the mekken fork (Spawn, Prevelo Heir, Trailcraft, propain) or the manitou machete is it worth is in a trail bike for a five year old. Even then, they really have to ripp’n to see the benefit. Tire pressure low is better for small bumps, fork for big hits (jumps/drops).
Hey Guys!
Thanks for all of the great info – You’ve changed the game in kids bike research! I’m about to pull the trigger on a new 20″ for my 5 year old. Currently deciding between the Norco Fluid HT+ 2.3 or the RM Growler Jr 20… any insight to sway one direction over the other? Thanks so much.
Jeff
They are very similar but to be honest they both have a heavy coil fork. In 20 inch bikes, you get more small bump dampening out of tire pressure than the fork. There a couple premium air suspension forks that are light and will take out bigger hits. For 20 inch bikes, we like fully rigid bikes with bigger volume front tire than coil forks.
Hi Colin and all,
Has anyone got any weight info on the Orbea Laufey 20 H10?
Here in down in Oz the range and availability of 20″ hardtails is very limited. Was Looking at a Patrol C20S, and while it is light, the frame may have been a tad too big for my 5.5yo 115cm (45″) boy right now, and that Carbon… I just see him leaning it into a boulder and Crack! (that’s the very reason I ride a Titanium road bike now).
Other contenders were Commencal Meta HT, or the Nukeproof Cub Scout Race, however I have decided to bite the bullet and lay down a deposit for a Orbea Laufey 20 H10 which will arrive mid October. Brakes and driveline not as good as some others, and Zee RD & Shifter are on the cards to swap out as soon as that long cage RD gets smashed out of alignment.
The only only thing I am uncertain of is the weight – however geo is all around the same as the others I was looking at so weight should be also around the same (apart from added expected weight from included dropper post).
considering he’ll only be on this for 2 years max, have I made the right choice???
Hi Robert, we don’t have the orbea kids Bikes here in North America but they look really good. Like you, I’m unsure of the weight but the build looks pretty nice. The other concern I would have is how well that dropper functions with the light weight kids (you could always pull it out and save some weight if you were not finding it useful). He will probably be ready for a 24 inch in 18-24 months but I think the Orbea would be a great choice til then.
Robert hows your young fella riding the OREBA? I have been looking at buying one for mine, still 20″ not much variety.. Can you offer some assistance here?
Put company name for easy reference if theres any chance of giving me some advice! thanks
Thanks
Danielle
Hey Robert, what did you end up buying for your son?
Hi, I have a 5 yo (will be 6 in October) who has been riding a Cleary Owl for last 1.5 years. He is 47″ tall now. He loves the pump track and easier trails but doesn’t really use the 3 gears on the Owl as the shifter is kind of stiff, but also maybe he is not seeing much difference with just 3 gears? Also he has to stop pedaling to shift on the Owl which seems to be yet another small barrier. I use the TowWhee on hills with him a lot but was thinking that he might do more climbing if he had a bike with more gears and that were easier to shift. We do not live in a super mountainous area but most trails do have some elevation change (Philadelphia, PA). As most bikes require a pre order at this point, I’m trying to plan ahead to when he is 6. Is front suspension fork worth it at this age? Was looking at Woom 4 off/ off air and Trailcraft but also open to other ideas. Don’t want to go heavier than the Owl (21lbs) and would love to go lighter. Anything you’d recommend?
Hard to beat the trailcraft 20 for a climbing bike with a suspension fork but you pay a premium. The woom 4 is also great for xc style terrain as it is light but the components and fork are lower spec, hence the lower price. Other premium bikes are the propain,spanwn and prevelo in the 20 inch full suspension category and all worthy for consideration.
I just bought the Rocky mountain vertex 20, pretty happy with the purchase. My son had a Trek precaliber 20 previously and the difference is litteraly night and day compare to the Rocky mountain . The XCM fork work pretty well, i like the fact its an air fork. The wide gear ratio help him to climb. Bike has hydraulic disc brake which is good. Also like the fact it come with tubeless ready wheel, i will probably do the tubeless upgrade when his tire wear out.
Good buy overall in my case, my son love it.
Great time in the trail to come for sure.
Thanks for all the suggestion.
I have an opportunity to buy a used 2017 Spawn Kotori for my 5 year old but I’m curious to get your take on it being more than just a DJ. He is currently on a Yoji 14″ and has definitely outgrown it. He loves the local pump track but we also ride some of the local trails and I’d like his bike to be versatile enough to handle some trail riding (PNW, North Bend area). Do you know if the 2017 model can also take a front disc brake and a rear derailleur?
Snap it up, Yes the fork will take a front disc. Double check the front wheel has disc mounts (6 screw wholes on the front hub) otherwise you will need a new front wheel. Also, while the new 20 inch has a derailleur dropout I can’t say the 2017 model 100% has the hanger mount (I’m pretty sure though). You will see it on the drive side rear dropout, A derailleur mount (whole). It’s a great trail bike with front disc and derailleur.
Thanks. I contacted Spawn directly and they are unfortunately sold out of the 2017 dropout hanger (different design than current) and the manufacturer has stopped making them. I found a slightly older Savage 1.0 and will be adding a front fork to it though so we will be rocking in no time!
Hi,
Looking to get my son a 20” for his birthday in a few months. I’m in Australia so a lot of the recommended bikes listed as not really an option. One bike that came up is the patrolmountain 020 or C020 and their corresponding S Variants.
It fits a lot of the criteria you have listed here but one standout is their ~150mm cranks.
Have you heard about this bike and perhaps have opinions on it? My understanding is that there is no US distributor yet so I imagine it would be purely based on reading the specs.
Great bike, I think it comes with 145mm cranks, still a tad long but the rest of the spec is great.
Great info on your site, really appreciate it.
I’m in Australia, and have limited options.
I can choose between 2021 Marin San Quentin 20 and 2019 Norco Charger 2.1 (new old stock) for my 6yr old.
He will be upgrading from a 16inch Islabikes Cnoc. Enjoys a decent pedal, and is building confidence on steeper and sketchier stuff (ie Blue XC)
Appreciate your thoughts, Cheers!
I would take the 2019 charger. The Marin has too long of cranks at 152mm and a heavy coil fork. Plus at, 65 HA and its heavier weight it will be flop side to side on XC terrain and slower speeds. Cheers!
Thanks for this awesome summary, one of the best I’ve found. I have pello rovers for my twins and want to upgrade the forks from rigid. They had 14” spawns before and I like the pellos but they need some suspension up front for the trails they are doing. They weigh 50 pounds. What’s a good air fork that fits the rover, takes disc brakes, is available, and is relatively affordable since I’m building out two? Do you recommend a particular trigger shifter upgrade? They aren’t loving the grips shifts. Thanks again!
Hi Laura,
The Suntour XCM-JR-AIR-SL 20 inch would be a good fit.
https://thebikedads.com/kids-forks/
Any 1:1 Sram trigger shifter would work. The X4, X5 or X7 would be a good choice.
Thanks!
We’ve got a new Early Rider Seeker 20, and my son has really enjoyed getting to grips with it (from his old 16″ wheeled model) However I feel like he would really benefit from some proper forks. Just spoken to Early Rider about the difference between Seeker & Hellion, and clearly frames a a little different (slacker, with extra strengthening on the Hellion)
I was also advised against adding aftermarket forks (E.G RST SPEX 20) as it would void my warranty. Frame looks like it will take it for some basic flow trails, and also benefit from a slight slackening of the head angle with the taller forks. But Early Rider were hesitant – Any thoughts?
Hi Ollie, if kiddo is rip’n enough you think he deserves a fork, I would totally go for it. ER response makes no sense as I have never heard of a mtb company say changing the fork voids the warranty (I think theie warranty is only a year anyway). The “seeker 24” frames used to be the “T24” frame that came with a RST air fork…we had one and the bike ripped with a fork. I would have not worry about putting on a suspension air fork on your 20 and the geo won’t change of any significance (Just make sure you get 9 mm QR spacing if you want to use existing wheel). You actually will have a better climber than the hellion with a wider cassette and will only be a few hundred grams more at a less expensive package….
Hi Colin, apologies for the delay but wanted to say thanks for your guidance here! Europe is totally out of stock on many decent bike components due to Covid demand, especially for kids. Have ordered from RST Spex with 9mm drop out from Risse Racing, can’t wait to get them fitted! You guys are the best, Bike Dads is an invaluable resource and the content/layout is perfect, thank you!
Hi!
I am considering Hellion for my 5yrs old. Already have a plan to bring the weight down a little but I am wondering how does compare RST Spex fork found on Hellion to the fork found on Propain/trailcraft/spawn/vpace etc.?
The RST spex is an unknown for us as we have yet to try it. There are two versions…one with compression damper and one without. We have tried the the RST synper 24 which uses the same Open Bath compression damper and air spring and it was a really nice fork. I suspect the SPEX AIR should be just as good…but I don’t know for sure.
I noticed you didn’t mention anything about a dropper post. I believe none of these come with one as an option out of the box. I did reach out to Woom and Spawn, and they said they can both be installed with aftermarket dropper posts. Any thoughts if any of these come with it?
Hi Chris, the Trailcraft and Prevelo offer droppers at checkout (both have internal routing). Spawn has internal routing but you will need to install yourself. Most the others can take and external routed dropper. KS LEV is best after market post for kids on a 20 inch.
Thanks again for all the great info. About to order a Trailcraft Blue Sky 20 for my lightweight 5.5 year old daughter. Debating between ridged fork and suspension fork. The price difference is only about $175. Seems like a no-brainer except for the fact she’s so light. I also plan to run it tubeless. Any input? we live in the Atlanta area. Quite a bit of singletrack in the area. Also like messing around at the pump track. Thanks for your opinion.
For 175 difference, go for the fork. This fork is the exception as it really works for light weight riders plus your resale will be better. The bike is exceptional, enjoy!
Any thoughts about the Giant STP 20 FS? I’m worried it might be heavy and that a coil fork would be too stiff and not tuneable, but seems to be a good price and spec. Confused.
Yeah, the whole bike may be heavy with that fork and some of the other parts. The chainstays a tad long and the head angle a tad steep for the bikes purpose.
Hi there, i’m deciding beteeen the woom 4 off air and yama gama 20 for my tall 6 yr old girl.. i can get my hands on either in a good time frame.. but can’t decide. the yj seems to have a smaller min inseam than the woom which would suit us as we imagine the 6 year old will grow out of it in 2 yrs and hand it down to her little sister who is significantly smaller and on the shorter size for her age. Is there such a big difference in seat height or geometry between the two bikes or is it just down to how generous the manufscture is when interpeting the dimensions? we like that the woom off air is lighter and cheaper but happy to go with the yj if it offers some significant advantage for suiting.wider size rsnge of kids. Thanks for any advice you can offer
Yep, Spawn has lower seat height by over 2.5 inches…The woom with its higher min seat height, increased stack height and bigger stand-over is definitely a bigger fitting bike. Both bikes are great, depends on what terrain you will be riding and your budget really.
Hi there,
Thanks for all the amazing advice you give here! Would you be able to guide me a little with the following please?… I am totally lost between a yama jama 20, woom 4 off air or even the rigid fork woom 4 off. They all seem like really good bikes and are all available here but I just can’t seem to pick one! The bike will be for my almost 6 year old who is 48 inches tall and weighs about 50lbs so she’s big, unlike her almost 4yr old sister who is much lighter and shorter and will (in an ideal world if we can make the sizing work) inherit the bike at around the same age. We live in a generally very hilly area with mainly unmaintained single track in the national park around us, although at this stage my daughter is new to mountain biking and has just been riding road. We think the woom offs big selling pint is that it is really light and a great intro bike for her but we wonder if it will be able to last her as she progresses on to the rocky trails we have around. The yama Jama is attractive because it has great range in height, seems to suit from a much lower height and in seam then the wooms, so the younger one can have a mountain bike to ride on when her sister upgrades to the next level mountain bike..
Thanks for any help you can give!
Ami
I think the woom either rigid or fork would be a great choice as she is new to MTB and the Spawn will be great as well however much more expensive. I would consider looking at 24 inch bike as a 20 will last no longer than a few months before she should for sure be on a 24. Alternatively, buy a 20 with the plan to flip in a few months (resale on a wooms and spawns are great).
Thank you! I am already leaning Zulu, but that Woom has a really nice spec too. The zulu looks like a better bike park bike, the Woom looks like it could climb better and therefore keep him interested on days when we are not in Mammoth. I suppose it may come down to who has a bike in stock first. I would actually prefer to find a used bike for this transitional period and then get him into a proper 24 that will have a longer life, but as you know, the market is just crushed.
I will look at 24s to see if he fits. Watching him ride the Rocky Mountain rental bike in Mammoth made me think the 20 was the perfect size as he had great control and he wasn’t overwhelmed by the bike.
One final question. He really struggled pushing the downshift lever on the rental bike. It might have been just a mangled shifter, but I’m curious if you have an opinion on grip vs trigger for little riders. If there is a model that seems to work best, let me know. Thanks again for the great site!
Sometimes it just takes a little time for the kids to gain dexterity to shift with triggers. Also, being a rental bike it may just need some TLC (new housing and cable) to shift smoother. If MTB is your goal, I would stick to trigger, my 6.5 year old took a few months but now has shifting dialed on triggers.
FYI. Was on the pre-order list for Prevelo only to discover all the bikes were sold out before I came up for my orders. Luckily, the same day, a local guy showed up on Pinkbike selling a month-old Early Rider Hellion. Such a brilliant bike! The carbon lower air forks with rebound adjustment is definitely a game changer over tech terrain, and my son easily handles gear shifts and climbs with the short cranks and kid specific drive train. I converted the tires to tubeless after our first flat. My son has been riding 6-10 miles a day with me with up to 1K in elevation gain using the Towhee rope for assistance. I can’t stress the value of that device enough. Also, he got over confident on ride three, charged a fast downhill, and I had the presence of mind to immediately order a full face helmet. On ride four, he got confident again, and had a full speed over the bars crash on a descent, right onto the chin bar of the new helmet and still managed to bruise his nose and mouth. the bell sanction helmet did it’s job beautifully, as did the g-form knee and elbow pads. Not a drop of blood. Just some bruises to his legs, face, and ego. Finally, I just saw the new Hellion full suspension advertised and it’s only 22-23 lbs! Would LOVE to see you get your hands on that for a full review! Thanks again for the advice and such a great site!
This is a FANTASTIC list. Thank you for doing this. My 6.5 year old took a liking to mountain biking with Dad at the Mammoth Mountain bike park (we go to Mammoth monthly for snow and dirt). I am now shopping for a reasonable first mountain bike. The Prevelo Zulu Three has my closest attention. The Spawn looks best, but candidly, I think it’s out of budget and out of spec for where I think his riding will be by the time he outgrows it (let’s be honest, Dad started on a rigid 1989 Hard Rock back in college, and was riding bike parks on Trek hard tail in 1998 both with WAY less kit than that beautiful little beast). The Woom looks excellent too. I don’t see the Rocky Mountain Growler which looks great for the money. Curious if you have tested the Specialized Riprock. Looks like a reasonable affordable bike for learning trail skills, and perhaps easier to find in a pandemic. If you had to pick ONE bike under a grand to teach your kid trail skills both on local singletrack and on bike park days, what would you buy? If you had under $800, what would you pick? Thanks!
If you are going to be in lift access bike park with it, I would go Prevelo Zulu 3 due to its geo and build. Keep in mind at 6.5 you might be able to get him in to a 24 inch. My smallish 6.5 rides a 24 inch. Not fans of the Riprock’s heavy coil fork and heavy plus size tires, would not recommend. The woom is a great little bike especially for the price and for Rocky we prefer the Vertex.
Hey Colin – Curious about the Pros/Cons between the Woom OFF Air 4 and the Prevelo Zulu 3 Heir? My son will rides in both extremes. Flat Flat trails in Florida and also Steep climbs in the mountains of Crested Butte, CO.
I’de say the Woom would perform better on flat florida trails due to steeper HA and lighter weight. The Prevelo Zulu Heir will be a better descender in Crested Butte as its slack at 66 HA, longer and you can run tubeless tires. The Prevelo with the bigger 36T and steeper seat tube angle rear cog will climb well in the steeps as well. Both will work for both conditions just pick the one for where you ride most.
Meant to say a pello rover with an air fork
Hello! My daughter who turns 7 in november needs a 20″ mountain bike, she started MTB lessons with her woom 4 and she’s loving it. We’ve been riding fire roads together and she’s getting very confident and gaining miles every week.
She weighs 42 lbs and is 46″. Our local trails have a lot of hills, roots and rocks.
Should we buy the woom 4 OFF or the pello rover with a fork?
Both those bikes will work really well. I wouldn’t necessarily look to an air fork for either bike unless she is really moving on the descents. At her weight tire pressure can be adjusted for some dampening.
Cheers
Early Rider Hellion 20 is now available in the US. I just picked it up after striking out on pre-orders for Prevelo, Woom, and Spawn. It looks like they’re still available on the website. It arrived super quick in Washington, shipping out of Portland. Their customer service was great too. I’m super excited to give it to my kid for his birthday next week!
Colin – What do you think about the Slater Gateway for a kid that loves to ride trails and do jumps? I found one used and but it’s a single speed DJ build. I’m wondering if I need to go with a more versatile bike like the Rocky Mountain Vertex
Amazing little bike. I would go for it and add drive train for trial riding.
Trying to decide between multiple bikes for my kids – tough spot b/c I likely need to buy two. Have a 6 year old girl and 4 (almost 5 year old boy) both little rippers. I like what you say about the Woom but all I can think of when I think of Woom is their little push bikes. But the Off Air does look good. My 4 year old only wants to do jumps but my 6 year old loves trail riding and downhill. I like the Woom Off Air, Rocky Mountain Vertex and not on your list but looking at the Kona Honzo 20. Not sure I can manage the price tag but my 4 year old would love the Lil Shredder bike and would be nice to go from 16″ to 20″ for him and we do live outside of the PDX.
Honzo is not on the list for a couple reasons. Chainstays too long, cranks too long and cant get a weight on the bikes. You will have to look to used market for lil shredder as I think they have ceased frame production. Cheers!
Thank you very much Colin, Spawn seems to be the only available bike, will go with them. Will let you know how it all works out. Thanks again !!
Hello Colin
Once again, your reviews are like biking bible for me :), Appreciate the time you put in. I am planning to get my little one, 40lbs, 5.5 Yrs old, riding Slopes/downhills is his obsession and jumping bumps. He is on Yoji 16″ and will need gears to climb hills and suspensions to ride downhill, So thinking of a 20″ bike, considering the following, can you please suggest a bike for him? We are in San Diego and its sandy and hilly.
1. Spawn Yama Jamma 20″ (Pros; he like the colors, low seat height, cons: 22.5 lbs, heaviest, longer crank length 130mm, 32T chain ring for climbing)
2. Trailcraft blue sky 20″ (20 lbs, lightest and may be agile, but not available till end of aug, cons: expensive)
3. Woom off air (Pros: cheapest of the bikes & short crank length,cons: not that good fork/parts and cannot find them in stock)
4. Prevelo Zulu heir :(cons: only red color available)
5. any other?
Thank you very much once again.
best regards
–Deepak
Hi Deepak,
Anyone of those bikes will fit the bill. Crank lengths are all good for geo of each bike. The spawn, trailcraft and Zulu Heir all use the same fork (the best 20 inch fork going). The woom fork is also really good and the value is of course there. The Zulu is more stable descender while the others more poppy/jumpy geometry. All good climbers, with the trailcraft being best due to weight. Go with what fits your budget and really…whats in stock.
HI,
I am comparing ER Hellion 20 HT with Commencal Meta 20 HT and there is also Woom 4 Off Air on the radar. Weight vs front fork/tires. Kid is 6y old, 19kg. Loves jumps, trails, pumptracks. I did some research and it seems main driver is bike weight. Does little kids really use front suspension? He would have to ride really aggressive – rihgt? What would you recommend?
19 kg with the forks on the mentioned bikes would work. Not necessary by any means but if the kids are mountain biking and jumping, it takes the edge off for sure. It really depends on budget, strength of kiddo, inseam and the terrain you would ride the most which would fit your needs best.
I’m comparing the Flow 20 with Lil Shredder Icon and Slater Gateway who all have the possibility of swapping to at least 2 wheel sizes and the trail/DJ use. They are all nicely packaged!
A few questions on the Flow 20 :
1) Does it work well as a geared trail bike?
2) Does the rear interchangeable dropouts work well with heavy use? Especially since it’s simple bolts-on holding the rear wheel?
3) Any experience on the reach adjustable headset?
Making the selection for a 5.5 YO who is small in built with a height of 3’5” and been racing BMX for a year.
Yes, works well as a geared trail bike. The reach adjust is through the head set cups which you turn 180 degrees. The dropouts are super beefy and we had no problem with heavy use. The compromise on all these adjustable bikes is crank length if you are going to switch between 16 ad 20 inch wheels and a high stack height in 16 format as the forks are all 20 inch. Cheers.
Any thoughts on the Norco Charger 20? Here in Australia we pretty much have this, the Commencal Meta HT (almost twice the price) and Kona Honzo (a few hundred $ more) really available. I’m interested in the Woom Off Air 4 but landed it’s twice the price of the Norco too, and just can’t tell if it’s really worth double the charger?
Charger is a good little bike. Other than wanting the cranks a tad shorter, it’s got all the build dialed pretty good for the price. The woom is considerably lighter and proper crank length and this does make a difference in the 20 inch category. If it is worth the price differential…that’s a personal decision.
Not a fan of the honzo, Cranks way too long and stays too long.
My son is going to be moving up from his Cleary Hedgehog, to a new 20″ bike. A lot of the bikes he likes are currently on backorder. He’s really liking the Nukeproof Cub-Scout 20 Race. Do you have any experience with it. It seams like a decent kit for the price. Looks a little heavier then some of the others brands. Any thoughts are appreciated.
No experience but looks solid geometry, good crank length, really good fork and a fun bike. $900 is good value but it is on the heavier side at 24 lbs…
Hi. Trying to figure out WOOM OFF AIR 20. Is going to be durable? It doesn’t seem like they are using high end, light components, so how do they manage to pull off the sub-20lb weight? The price seems good, but is is a serious trail bike? How would you compare it to another value bike —the Rocky Mountain? I would love to get a lighter trail bike for my 6 year old, under 23lb would be nice. Which one would you go with if you wanted to spend less than $1000? Thank you.
The woom off air is very much a solid serious trail bike. They keep the weight down with light alloys and well thought out frame design. For under a 1K its the woom off air, prevelo zulu 3, pello reyes and the rocky I would look at. The woom off air has the best fork out all those…
Can you say anything about the new Commencal Meta HT 20? It’s specced with a Manitou Junit fork and probably around 100 $ more expensive. Commencal tells me their Ride Alpha Fork is from an Asian manufacturer and it might be a pain in the ass when there is a problem with the fork, so they – of course – would reccomend the Manitou. Have you heard anything about the Manitou fork? I’m a little torn between those 2 options for my 5 year old. cheers!
We have never tried a commencal but I think the Ride Alpha fork is the same fork available on Prevelo, Trailcraft and Spawn/Propain 20 bikes (not 100% sure). If so, we use these forks a ton and they are great, its easy to work on and I believe seal kits are available. We also have a a Manitou J Unit fork and they are legit. The weights are similar and the performance as well…
Gday, 5.5yr old he’s about 115cm going from Scott 16”, looked at the Giant ARX 20” any thoughts? Or similar options to look at? Frustrating no weights published on them, advertised as lighter frame.
It’s light, 7.8 kg (17.2 lbs). Geometry is so so…really long stays so stable but not sporty. Will do the job just fine for around the neighborhood.
Our son is currently on a 16″ commencal Ramones. He is almost ready for a 20″. Our local trails are flowy single track with root drops, occasional jumps and punchy climbs. We are looking at the Spawn Yama Jama, Trailcraft Blue Sky, Commencal Meta 20 or simply buying a Rocky Mountain and upgrading it (it seems to offer a lot for the $$). We need help limiting our choices. There seems to be a lot of good ones out there.
What’s his inseam and how old is he? Comnmencal is heaviest and longest cranks so may want to look at others if he is small. You cant beat the fork on the spanwn and trailcraft. Both tubeless as well. You may spend more upgrading the Rocky so I would price out what you want to spend.
I’m torn between the Yama Jama and the Zulu Three. My daughter has a few months to go before she hits 5 and is already 46″ tall with a 20″ inseam. I’m wondering if she might actually get longer use out of the Zulu Three? Either way she’s going to be happy but man do I feel indecisive.
The spawn has a 19 inch minimum seat height so it would fit her now where as the Prevelo is 23 inches, might take a few months before she fits it (although she may be able to manage on tippy toes). What are you concerned about besides fit?
What do you know about Giant’s XTC JR 20 LITE? Thanks!
Not that good. Likely heavy (they don’t publish weights) and the part spec is not very good. A much better option would be the Cannondale listed above and its less expensive.
Good evening. Just checking in if bike dads has happened to review the Norco Fluid 2.3 + in a 20″? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Jake, we are not fans of the fork on the Fluid 2.3 and we are not sure about plus size tires for kids. A friend has the bike and the fork and tires add extra weight and minimal benefit. We like the Charger 20 from Norco better.
I am currently deciding between a rigid and 20″ suspension bike for my girl who will be 5 next year.
We ride trails and she is doing well on her rigid early rider. my thoughts to date is that with a rigid bike it will be lighter, low PSI will be adequate smoothing out of the trails.
but I would like to hear some points of view in this regard.
Yes, go rigid and use tire pressure as suspension. Only if they are riding rooty/jumpy trails do they warrant a suspension fork. And even then, there are only a few bikes with decent air forks that work with light riders (i.e. 5 year olds). Weight and geo most important factors….don’t worry about disc vs v brakes unless she is descending longer trails. Cheers, Colin
Thanks for taking a look at the bikes. Our little shredder tried out the Scott 20+ and even though she can barely fit on it she took to it and loved it. Thinking I am going to see if I can set the HT up tubeless. I didnt see a weight number for the Spawn, do you happen to know?
Hi Carey, its about 21.5 lbs. Gotta love tubeless tires and carbon lowers.
Torn between the Meta HT 20+ and the Yama Jama. Either way a happy 5 year old ant the end of that rainbow…..
Totally, those two bikes are great and very similar. Can’t go wrong with either. Spawn might have HT on weight with tubeless setup and a little extra range in cassette.
Have you had the chance to look at the 20″ selection from Commencal? I like what I am seeing from those folks
Hi Carey, Yeah. Commencal look really attractive. Have not seen most of the bikes first hand but the spec and value looks great.