26 INCH FRONT SUSPENSION BIKES
It was not long ago us adults were riding 26 inch wheel mountain bikes. Now, with the development of frame design, you can get kids as young as 9 or 10 on this wheel size. The benefits of larger diameter wheels is evident right away on rougher/rockier trails but its still important to keep in mind overall weight, rotational weight of wheelset, crank length, stand over and reach when considering 26 inch bike for your pre-teen. These are VERY capable hardtails that offer an obvious price advantage over a full suspension rig. Outside the lift access bike park, these bikes still make a lot of sense if you don’t want to make the price jump to a full squish.
Prevelo Zulu 5
The 2024 Zulu Five is here! At this price, this bike is now the bike to beat for a 26 inch premium hardtail. "Trail" Geo (66 HA, 74 STA, 415 mm chainstays), 11-48T cassette, 12 mm rear thru axle make this bike an absolute beast. The New 2024 100mm RST first fork is now best in class suspension for kids hardtails (it is now lighter and the air spring works amazing). Microshift clutch derailleur, 152 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), Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, the Zulu 5 is home railing corners and blasting jumps on the mountain bike trails
Weight: 23.3 lbs | MSRP: $1399 | Min-Max inseam: 27.6"-35" | Where to buy: Prevelo
Spawn Yama Jama 26
One of the nicest dedicated 26 inch trail bikes we have seen. The Yama Jama pushes the envelope with wide tubeless capable rims and rebound adjustable 120 mm Reba fork. Light Weight, nice geometry with a 68 degree HA inspires fun riding (415 mm Chainstays, 72 Seat Tube Angle). With an 11-42 T sram NX drive train and 160 mm cranks, Spawn put together a raging 26 inch hardtail. Stealth dropper compatible.
Weight: 26.5 lbs | MSRP: $1625 | Min-Max seat inseam: 24"-30" | Where to buy: Spawn
Woom OFF AIR 6
Same great frame and spec as the OFF 6, this bike includes the new and amazing 90 mm RST First air fork with rebound control. Amazing compound 2.35 in Schwalbe tires let you dump tire pressure out on the trail for a little bit of extra squish. Good geometry (69 HA), 150 mm cranks, awesome pedals, great 9 spd 11-34T drive train and hydraulic disc brakes. Everything you want in a beginner hardtail MTB. OUR FULL REVIEW HERE
Weight: 24.3 lbs | MSRP: $1199 US | Min-Max seat height: 30.7"-38.2" | Where to buy: Woom
Vitus Nucleus 26
This has had big price increases over the last few years but still offers value. 67 degree HA , 73 STA and 430 mm Stays, 100 mm spinner air fork, 160 mm cranks, 9 spd 1X drive train (32T, 11-36T), clutch derailleur, hydraulic brakes, and Maxxix 2.25 tires all get our seal of approval at 24.75 lbs. Chain Reaction ships this bike to North America.
Weight: 24.75 lbs | MSRP: $929 USD | Min-Max inseam: 25"-28" | Where to buy: Chain Reaction
Saracen Mantra 2.6
This this bike has good geometry and offers great value for such a quality bike. You get a good working 100 mm air fork (no external rebound control), hydraulic brakes, kenda tires, 165 mm cranks and a 1X9 Shimano drive train with 12-36T cassette. This machine will handle any terrain your little shredder can dish out.
Weight: 29.2 lbs | MSRP: $869 | Fit: 150-170 cm | Where to buy: WeeBikeShop | FreeWheel UK
Giant STP 26
Available in two sizes and two builds, Giant has upped their game. Well done. 67 degree HA, 374mm reach (smaller size), 155 mm cranks, 435 mm chainstays, Giant has made an impressive 120 mm front travel all rounder. 11X46T cassette, Tektro hydraulic brakes, RockShox Recon air fork (heavier steel stanchion fork but good damper and air spring) and maxxis ardent tires...Giant does right by the 10 plus crowd.
Weight: 29 lbs | MSRP: $950-1020 | Fit: 4'9 + | Where to buy: EVO | Giant Dealer
Trailcraft Timber 26
A beautiful 26 inch hard tail for 9-13 year olds available in three builds. Carbon lower fork with 100 mm of travel and rebound adjustment, 11-42T rear cassette, 152mm custom cranks, tubeless 2.1 inch wide tires, great geometry (68 HA, 74 STA, 419 mm CS) and light weight make this an exceptional little machine. Stealth dropper compatible.
Weight: 21-22 lbs | MSRP: $1899 + | Min inseam: 24" | Height Range 4'7-5'2 | Where to buy: Trailcraft Cycles
Trailcraft Timber 26 Carbon
A serious bike for serious XC kids. One of the lightest production 26 inch bikes available, this Carbon frame bike fits for 9-13 year olds and available in three builds. Rock Shox Reba or TC32 fork with 100 mm of travel, 11-46T rear cassette, 152mm custom cranks, tubeless 2.1 inch wide Rocket Ron tires, great geometry (69.5 HA, 73 STA, 420mm CS, 320mm Reach) and best in class weight make this a bike that dreams are made of. Stealth dropper compatible.
Weight: 19.29 lbs | MSRP: $2499 + | Height Range 4'7-5'2 | Where to buy: Trailcraft Cycles
Cleary Scout 26
The all new Cleary Scout 26 is here and ready for singletrack, the bike skills park and the cul de sac. A great alloy frame with 100 mm Suntour air sprung fork, this little bike is ready for everything a 9-12 year old can throw at it. SunRace 10 spd 11-42 T drivetrain, 152 mm cranks, hydraulic disc brakes, tubeless compatible rims and 2.25 inch wide tires...it's ready to rip out of the box.
Weight: 26 lbs | MSRP: $1090 | Min-Max inseam: 25"-29" | Where to buy: Ready Set Pedal
Hi, my son just turned 8 he’s about 4’6” 65 pounds and I was going to buy him a Forth Park 24. I really like the weight and read your positive quick review. However, we went to our LBS tonight and he tried out the Cannondale 26” Trail. The bike shop owner thought it would be good to get him the 26” so he can ride the bike longer. I just don’t want to get him too much bike. I like the weight of the Forth Park 24”. About 6 pounds lighter.
What do you think?
Where will he riding the most? Trails? Around the neighbourhood? Its nice to get on bigger wheels when its manageable but at 8 years old, weight still matters.
Thanks for getting back.
Mostly around the neighborhood and trails close to our house, and our own 6 acre property. And we have a bike park that’s dirt, slightly rugged close to home with some hills but nothing extreme. He’s a confident kid.
Throw his leg over the cannondale in the shop but I would avoid the Trail version with the coil shock.
Thanks. That is the only one they had. With the shock. I might just go with the Park 24 and when he outgrows it I can give it to his younger brother.
I’ve been researching 24” bikes so much I never thought he’d be ready for a 26”, I’m still not sure he is ready for that considering his current bike is a 16”.
Definitely don’t go to 26. That is too big a jump.
Hi, the Vitus Nucleus cant be shipped to Canada / Usa anymore.
My 7yo daughter is extremely tall (140cm) as is at the upper end of the height chart for her current Marin SQ24”. I want to get her onto a bigger bike, but am nervous about her strength moving around a larger 26” or 26/27.5” bike. She weighs ~30kg. I am looking at the Spawn Yama Jama 26”, some size small and extra small 27.5” bikes (Trek Roscoe 7 and Chromag Stylus) what bike would you recommend and what approximate reach is appropriate for her age? Thanks for your answer and for your amazing website resource!!
My 8.5 yo has been on. 24” silverback for 2 years, it’s become too small, but given the price of bikes I am reluctant to buy a 24 inch and want to jump to 26”. Which bike could anyone recommend that has a low stand over height? Even not on this list if it’s a big lower spec – 500-1000 usd?
Weight of the bike becomes the issue when squeezing on 8 year olds on 26 inch bike. Depending oh his/her height and strength a bigger fitting 24 might be the way to go. Avoid heavy coil suspension forks and low spec’s with heavy wheelsets/cranks. Make sure to measure inseam and compare standovers to make the right choice between 24/26. The jump from 24 to 26 in terms of rollover and ability to carry speed is not nearly as big as 20 to 24.
My son is hopping off a 24” hotrock that’s been In the family a while.
He’s a hair under 60”, 95 lbs or so, shin is 15” and inseam at 27”.
We live in mostly flat areas but take it to hilly trails sometimes, but really flat hills.
I just ordered a 26” specialized rockhopper… did I undersized his bike? I still have a chance to change my order but $500 is my limit unfortunately, and they have a sale going on now at that price…. Thoughts?
His size/height and the riding you describe, we would get him on 27.5 inch wheels.
Ok thanks I’ll make the change!
My daughter is 4’7″ with a 26″ inseam. She is 11. She rides with a local bike camp/team. She is good at climbing and a little more hesitant descending. She has been on a Woom off 24″. We are sizing her up to a 26.” Between the woom off air 6 and the Trailcraft Timber, which would instill more confidence. I see the trailcraft is more $$$ but she has two younger siblings who can also use the bike in years to come.
The Trialcaft has a lower min seat height, lower standover and lower stack height (Handlebar height). This all ads to more confidence descending and the ability to weight the front of the bike which ads traction.
Hi thanks for all the advice here, we’ve have recently got the Giant STP 26 in the medium for our 10yr old daughter. We’ve been really impressed with it and so has our daughter who has improved her riding and confidence hugely over the 3 weeks she’s had it! She came off a customised IslaBike Bienn 24, and this was a very natural transition.
I wanted to share some of the bike’s details also:
Set up tubeless, with pedals and a bottle cage it weighs 12.5kg/27.5lb. We are about to install a dropper as there appears to be good access over the bottom bracket. Also as the front fork is a standard 27.5” and the rear triangle has plenty of clearance we could fit a 27.5” non boost wheel set in as she grows. The bottom bracket is threaded and the crankset is hollow and not square tapered (sorry not measured it yet) room for future mods if needed. Hope this is useful. Cheers from Australia.
My daughter races XC and is just about ready to move up to 26″. She’s on a Vitus Nucleus 24, so I’m leaning towards the Nucleus 26 because of familiarity and she just really loves the bike. I upgraded her 24 with Trailcraft wheels and a Deore drivetrain. I’ll be moving the drivetrain over to the new bike, but don’t want to spend the money on a wheelset again if I can avoid it. According to their specs, the 26 is actually lighter than the 24. I want to get her the best race bike I can as she’s starting to take it pretty seriously, but I also don’t know if I can see the justification to moving up to the Trailcraft Timber for example. The $1800 Special Build is listed at 24 lbs. tubeless, only 3/4 lbs. lighter than the Nucleus. The drivetrain is irrelevant in my case since I have what I want on hand anyway. Woom Off Air 6 was the other one I’m really considering, but I’ve been on the waitlist for a bit with no restock notification. I guess I just want to get another opinion on purely race-specific standpoint – would you go with the Nucleus, wait out the Woom, or go a different route altogether? She has no interest in jump lines and just wants to win races.
We would go with any of those options which make the best financial sense as she will be ready for 27.5 bike really soon. 26 only lasts 1-2 years and the new xs small 27.5 frames will fit your average 5/6th grader.
I see your very positive comments regarding the Giant STP 26 and when I compare its geometry to that of the commencal Meta HT kids and the Spawn YJ 26 I see reasonable comparisons. That said, it is frequently discussed as a dirt jump bike. Do you think the giant is a comparable trail bike to the Spawn Yama Jama 26?
Geometry wise yes but the spawn has it beat on build spec and weight. The Giant is a value play for good geo bike if you don’t want to pay for something more premium.
My younger son is nearly 9 and 54″ with 25″ inseam. He’s a novice and a cautious kid. My older son is 11 and 58″ with a 28″ inseam and is more daring, although still a beginner. They both need new bikes. We’re looking for light to moderate XC to trail bikes erring toward longer rides (greater Pacific Northwest area) and maybe some flow track vs. downhill/highly-technical challenges – at least that’s what they say now but I expect that could change some as they get more of a taste.
After poring over your awesome site and videos (and the comments above) It seems like the younger kiddo could benefit from the light weight and controlling fit of a 24″ like a Prevelo Alpha Four to gain casual experience but he’s also knocking on the door of the smaller 26’s like the Cleary Scout (not currently available), Trailcraft Timber 26, or Spawn Yama Jama (although I don’t love the YJ’s 160 crank length for him). I could also see a Prevelo Zulu Four being a better fit than the Alpha as it claims to fit 1″ bigger than the Alpha – but it’s also more money than the Alpha if using it as a temporary bridge to 26″, especially if the Heir is best with the lower weight.
Do you see commensurate value in trying to eek out a little time on the 24″ for the little kiddo with the bigger one going with a 26″ before leveling them both up (younger into the older’s hypothetical new 26) in the nearish future or would you go with one of the listed 26’s for the younger one – I expect he’s gonna be a little timid on either a 24 or 26 to start – and right to an XS 27.5 for the older kiddo?
Thanks for the great and super-helpful content!
Our experience is to go with bigger wheels size if kiddo is capable of fitting it and has decent skill level. Making the wheelset tubless with light tires to lighten up the rotational weight helps a lot.But, they must be confident with the increased standover for more technical MTB trails. Bikes frames differ in standover and minimum seat height greatly. Buy a quality bike like those you mention and resale will be good.
Hi there- I’m noticing good deals on the Vitus Nuceleus 26 and nukeproof cub scout sport 26 at the moment-my son is just 140 and 55 lbs. would you recommend one over th other?
thank you.
Very similar bikes, the Nukeproof in the Race build is a better parts spec but you pay for it.
Hello! I have a tall 6 year old girl who is well outgrown her Liv 20″. She is 54″ with a 24″ inseam. I’ve been thinking of skipping a 24″ bike and going to a 26″, but she’s JUST shy of some of the minimum stand over heights. Do you have any recommendations? I don’t want to keep buying her bikes every year and hope to have something that will last for a few years.
Cleary, Spawn and Trailcraft here would all fit. Unfortunately, kids grow. Best to buy a quality bike with good resale and size up when needed.
Hi Colin I am looking for bike for my daughter who is 4′ 11″, I am trying to decide between Woom Off Air 6 or Yama Jama 26. She is moving up from Prevelo Zulu 4 which would you recommend.
Thanks
Hi Randy, at 4″11, I would probably look to a 27.5 XS/S adult hardtail. Take advantage of those big wheels. If not, the woom is the lighter more XC bike and the Yama Jama more trail oriented.
My daughters are also 4’11” ~80 lbs, but they probably won’t get past 5’4″ 110 lbs if they make it even that far based on their genetics. Do you have hardtails you recommend for their size? I’m also wondering if an adult xs/s would be the last size I would buy them. My gravel and road bikes are 28″ and I’m 5’4″ and 120 lbs… so I’m crossing my fingers that maybe these could be the last bikes I buy…. Curious about your thoughts.
Yes, we would go XS/S 27.5 inch adult hardtail for them. Something with a low standover and reach number around the 400- 415 mark.
very good information! I hesitate between the Yama Jama 26 and the Trailcraft 26. Is thee Yama Jama more towards down hill whereas the Trailcraft more toward XC ?
thanks,
They are similar geometry but the spawn has a longer wheelbase and top tube which will make it a little more stable when you can combine it with the extra weight and extra 20mm of front suspension. The trailcraft will a quicker more nimble bike and be a better climber with its steeper seat tube angle and low weight.
Hi Colin sorry to bother you, I was thinking either the nukeproof scout 26 race or the whyte 403 2022. Which would you suggest?
No bother at all. The Scout Race takes it with better fork, drivetrain and other parts. Similar geo on both frames but the build superior on Scout race 26.
Thanks for your help
Any thoughts on the Whyte 405 2022
Great bike. Not readily available in North America, the geometry and build look fantastic for a nice Trail hardtail and hitting the mountain bike skills park. The machete is finnicky for light weight kids on 20 and 24 inch bikes but in the 26 inch platform for bigger kids it should be fine to get the air pressure and full travel dialed in.
My son is soon to be 8 yrs and stands at 54.5 inches or 138cm, should I get him a 24″ or go to a 26″ so he can ride it for a longer time? I’m in California and would appreciate your recommends. Thank you in advance!
He’s right around the minimum height for some 26 inch bikes. He is tall for his age so although he will fit height wise, 26 inch bikes are generally 2-3 pounds heavier than 24 inch bikes which can be a handful so it really depends on his strength and skill level being so young…
Hi Colin,
I was wondering wether to get by son an orange zest or a giant stp. He is around 143 cm. We would definitely want the higher spec bike. What would you suggest.
Many thanks
George
Both good bikes. The Giant is more trail as it is slacker and has a longer travel fork. The Orange more on the xc side of the spectrum.
Thank you for your advice. I was thinking that the orange is a bit better quality than the giant as it is a bit more money. Do you think this is correct? Or is just that the giant has a better price?
Many thanks,
George
We actually prefer the Deore spec on the giant over the Sram NX on the Orange…but very similar.
My 8 year old boy is currently rocking the Cleary Owl 3-speed and I’m thinking of graduating him up to the Scout this coming spring. Thoughts on skipping the 24″ and going straight to 26″?
Usually don’t recommend it but depends on size of kiddo and skill level.
hi,
my son has got a whyte 403 but it is not good enough quality. when i was younger i had a very small good qaulity adult bike beacuse it was higher spec. i was thinking about him doing what i did. any ideas?
the trailcraft 26 timber is top notch build.
Giant STP.
I’m looking at the giant STP for my 10yo who is 147cm tall with a 71cm inseam. Should I get the regular size or the large? My only real hesitation with the regular is that he may outgrow is quickly.
You are looking at a reach difference of 374mm vs 401mm. He would probably manage fine on the large and you can always throw on a 32mm stem but it will be harder to weight the front for him until he gets bigger. Right now the regular fits perfect and would for a while yet. Unfortunately, kids grow and fitting bikes for the long haul is tough. Our preference is to buy a good quality bike like the STP and get the right size now, flip it for 80% what you paid when they grow out of it and move on to next size. I would go regular in your case and look to a 400-415 mm reach 27.5 for the next bike 1/2 years from now.
This is a great description/overview of some great 26” bikes. Thank you.
My 11 y/o is a tall boy. He’s 5’1” and has been riding since he could walk and is likes to ride pretty aggressively. No downhill or anything like that though. Mostly single track around here. He is maxing out his 24 in bike right now and not sure what to get him. Should I go with a 26” like the Giant STP? Or bump him up to a 27.5?
Thanks.
Both good options. Look to the reach number for similar sizing. The bigger 27.5 wheels do offer more traction and roll over terrain features nicely but the smaller wheels make it easier to move the bike around definitely more playful on the trail or jumping at skills park.
In case it is helpful for others, I got a Giant STP 26 for my 10 year old and I just weighted it at 29.3lb with pedals and a dropper post
Awesome thanks for the info!
Hi Colin,
My 8 yrs old has been riding a Rocky Mountain vertex 24 for the past two years. It will be small for next year. I am not decided whether to move to a full suspension, like the marin rift jr (26inch instead of 24?) or perhaps a hardtail like the Yama Jama 26. We ride mostly single tracks and some downhill.
What would you recommend? Thanks!
At 8 years old, if you are planning to go Full Suspension I would look at a smaller fitting 26 Full Suspension, something with a shorter reach like the Polygon D24x with 26 wheels or the Rocky Reaper 26. If downhill lift access bike park is in the cards, I would definitely look to Full Suspension. If you are European based, the VPACE Moritz 26 fits nice and small and is tough to beat for Light weight 26 inch trail bike if kiddo is climbing. The other bike for Trial riding would be the Trailcraft Maxwell 26 but with a 400mm reach I think it would be too big, the Maxwell 24 more his size. For Hardtails, its really terrain that would dictate if a good option. Flow Trails and XC style terrain, the do great.
Just looking for your guys opinion on sizing. My 8 year old boy is the same size as my 10 year old girl. I’m looking for a new bike for them. They both have Commencal ramons 20”. I’ve kept them on that bike too long I think. But jumping to a 26” bike seems like a big jump. Looking at the vitus nucleus 24 measurements they are too big but the 26” just seems like a big jump. I think I waited too long to upgrade to 24” and I’m in the weird window of transferring to the 26”. They are both 55” tall and have 26” inseam. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thank you!
Yep, they both would fit a 26 inch Nucleus nicely. Don’t go 24, you would get 6 months max and then they would start looking like a bear on a tricycle (probably what it looks like now on their 20 inch Ramones).
Thanks for a great overview. My son is 8 years old, 4’8”, 75 lbs, with a 26” inseam. He’s been on a Specialized Hotrock 24, but it needs new tires, breaks and a few other things. I could probably squeeze out a few more months on the Hotrock, but think I’m going to put the money into his next bike instead. My local store is suggesting the Trek Marlin 5 size XS (31 lbs and 27.5 wheels, with a 2 x 8 drivetrain). It’s tempting to skip the 26” youth bike and i like giving him a wider range of gears), but I worry he’d be wrestling the larger size/wheels too much for the next year +. He mostly rides around the neighborhood, but he hit up the single track with me in the mountains/desert 3-4 times this last year or so. He’s loving it and I expect him to get even more into this year. His Hotrock is a 1 x 7 (as I recall) and he got stuck charging a couple of medium hills a few times. The Vitus is a 1 x 8 at $630, then jumps up to over $1,000 for a 1 x 9. Do you think the overall weight of the bike is more important than the number/size of gears at this age? Any thoughts on sizing up to the XS and 27.5, or is it too early? Thanks!
I would not go 27.5 route. He is only 26 inch inseam and will struggle on any 27.5 from a fit perspective and as you mentioned managing the weight of a 31 lb bike and bigger wheels. It’s the range that matters more than number of gears plus you can always upgrade to bigger cassette with a standard free hub body. The Vitus is a smoking deal if you can get one, will blow the doors of the Hotrock for hills.
Hello Colin, what would you recommend for someone just getting into biking who loves to hit jumps but also do some tech. I am looking for a hardtail of full suspension $800 or less, what would you recommend? He seems to be a lot more confident on my giant trance 26 but that’s out of his price range.
Hi Lucas, the Vitus 26 or Cleary Scout are both great bikes for the price and are both very capable hardtails.
Hi,
I am looking buy a lightweight mTB for my 12 year old and was waiting for Woom OFF Air 6. It has been hard to get hold of that bike. I see that Vitus Nucleus 26 is now available.
I am novice when it comes to bike specs. Other than the weight what are other key differences between the two. Is it worth waiting for Woom OFF Air 6?
Thank you for your insights.
The benefit of the woom will be the light weight and upright riding position if he is a novice rider. If he is more experienced, the geometry of the nucleus will be better. Plus, it has a clutch derailleur to keep the chain on and quiet while on the trails. The Woom just got a hefty price increase so it makes the Vitus look even better from a value perspective.
Colin, thank you for sharing your insight! I think we will go with Nucleus.
I just Purchased the Vitus Nucleus 26″ for my son. I know how he treats his current bike and I’d like to get a kickstand so that he doesn’t damage it. Can you recommend one
Unfortunately, kick sands and mountain bikes don’t jive. They usually don’t have standard mounts and if they do are super noisy and will rattle. Teach him to lay drive side up when he puts it down and make sure he knows how important it is to protect the fork stanchions from scratches when laying down or using a wall/rack.
Out of the above bikes, which would you choose if buying for your son/daughter?
I’m torn between the spawn and timber 26
Depends on budget really and where/how you ride the most. The timber is significantly lighter and better STA for climbing thus kiddo will have an easier time ascending. Also, like the 152mm cranks vs the 160’s on the spawn for fitting smaller kids on. The spawn with the extra heft will be a little more planted while descending. Similar geometry otherwise…both great bikes.
Thanks Colin. Timber here we come then I think. Plus they’ll build it up with uk spec brakes for us👌🏼. It will be passed down to her sister so double the use for the price too .
My daughter is needing to step up from her orange zest 24. If you were to go for one of the above bikes, which would it be? I’m swaying to the timber 26 or spawn…help!!
Any thought on the Giant 24 STP FS? https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/stp-24-fs-2021. Also how do yo u get the $40 shipping rate from Chain reaction every time I look its $139.
Geometry is ok. Chainstays long for a bike like this at 410mm. It won’t be a playful DJ style rear-end bike like in the description, 69 HA is on steeper end for trail use. Cranks are a good length at 140 mm, brakes look good, fork is a heavy coil anchor. Overall bike weight would be another concern. Shipping prices change a lot, probably been 18 months since I checked.
Hey, I know this is older, but wanted to add some info. Just picked up a Liv STP 24 FS, and total weight it right around 28 lb. Not the best, but feels well-balanced, and the kid likes it.
I know you are not a fan of the Suntour XCT fork that is on it, but I’m not so sure I’d call it a boat anchor: the weight for the fork is 1940g, so max weight savings would be <300g swapping to a machete.
Overall, I think the combo of Acolyte drive train (wide range – no grip shift) and tektro junior hydraulic brakes (not c-star that specialized specced straight from alibaba) is a good value, even with setting aside a few hundred for a fork upgrade.
Fair enough, we first thought to upgrade the rigid version to a fork if you needed. But I suppose, at the FS price, if you want the acolyte drivetrain and hydralic brakes it may be better to swap the fork out of the FS version. Kids forks in 24 inch bikes and even more so in 20 inch are really dependant on skill level, terrain and weight of kiddo of weather the benefit out ways cons. The problem is some parents bend to the kids insisting on “shockers” up front and end up with something that might not work well for the application (be it an air or coil fork).
Any idea if approx weight of Giant STP 26?
no idea, let us know if you find out. My guess would be in the 27/28 lb range as its their lower end alloy and the build doesn’t look the lightest.
Any thoughts on a XS Trek Marlin for my 4’6 10 year old? He is slim & around 60 lbs. According to their sizing, he is just big enough to fit the bike. Other option for budget and availability is Cannondale Cujo 24. We are not mountain bikers at this time, but do have trails that we go on.
I would get him a 26 or xs 27.5.. He will outgrown Cujo 24 in a few months. The Marlin is pretty heavy at 31 lbs and has the unnecessary for kids front derailleur. If you are not mountain bikers and not planning on riding trails, I would look to something like the woom 6.
Hi Dads,
Seems all the bike stores/sites stop the kids’ bikes at 24″ rather than 26″, and my daughter is now jumping from 20″ to something just larger than 24″. What’s next? A bit confused as there are options in inches and centimeters and letters (XS, S…) for adults. I guess this is where inseam measurement and in-person fitting come in.
Hi Michael, it is very confusing as all the manufactures give suggested fit in all kinds of different parameters (inseam, height, seat heights and sizes; XS,S,M etc). When you categorize by wheel size it is a rough estimate as some 24’s fit similar to 26’s and some 26’s kids bikes fit similar to adult xs 27.5’s…this is where reach and standover come in. The jumps can sometimes be big between wheel sizes so best to reach out to someone like us to help. Tell us the age, height, inseam and riding terrain an we can point you in the right direction. That said, your daughter should definitely go to a 24 from a 20, we never advise skipping wheel size unless you kept them on something too long.
Quick question: do you think the Woom Off Air 6 can handle a kid that wants to tackle all the blue trails at Duthie Bike Park in Issaquah, WA? My son is a super tall 7 year old that just tall enough to ride a 26″, so he’d benefit from a light bike, but he also is working on clearing the jumps at the bike park and is starting to work on drops.
The woom off is a bigger fitting 26 that is good bike for introducing kids to MTB. If he is sending jumps at Duthie, I would look to a 24 inch Full suspension or lower standover 24 inch hardtail. Going to a 26 may not be best for him as its better to smaller wheel size for jumping.
Do you not recommend rigid bikes at 26”? Trek Wahoo 26? They have one in our LBS and it’s nice and lightweight, but I can’t find opinions on if it’s worth it. It’s for a 9 year old tooling around the neighborhood and occasional light trail rides. I will say he’s a bit rough on things and is a confident rider. Thanks for any insight.
For sure, that would be a great bike for ripping around the neighborhood and light trail use.
I also noticed the 27.7 weight of the bible us 26 from CRC. Teapot Tempted to get that one for my nine year
Old
I meant to type nucleus 26 not Bible US 26 and I can’t figure out how to edit it
We are looking at a XS Trek Marlin 8 and the spawn Yama Jama 26″ for our 9 year old, any experience with that Marlin? Or recommendation on which one to choose?
Hands down the Spawn. Lighter, better geometry and much better components.
Thanks for the great and helpful reviews. If helpful for your specs, On the Vitus Nucleus 26, the folks at ChainReaction list the weight as 27.7 lbs without pedals in the Q&A
Would love to get your thoughts after reading through your reviews. It looks like the Cleary Scout and Vitus Nucleus are the ones that resonate the most right now for my 8yo son (initially based on price point and weight of bike).
In terms of geometry and other factors, which one would you suggest is the easiest for climbing? Please and thank you!
The cleary has a 28T chainring with a 11-42 T cassette so a much lower climbing gear than the Vitus 32T 11-40T. We do like the shorter 152mm cranks on the cleary. Geometry wise, the cleary 69 HA, shorter top tube and 73.5 STA makes it more XC/climber than the Vitus 67 HA and 73 STA. The Vitus will be a more confident descender at speed and steeper terrain.