Bikes for Older Kids

20-inch kids' bikes

While we found a decent number of reviews for tricycles, reviews of 20- and 24-inch bikes for older children were few and far between. Several bikes get good user reviews, but there's little consensus. The only professional review of bikes for older kids comes from Bicycling magazine, which recommends the 20-inch Marin Hidden Canyon 20 (*Est. $330). It's one of the few kids' bikes that has a lightweight aluminum frame, so it weighs 24.5 pounds, which is lighter than comparable bikes. It also boasts multiple gears to help kids tackle more varied terrain than they could on a single-speed bike. The Marin Hidden Canyon 20 has a simple design, and it comes in silver for boys or light blue for girls. Christine Bucher at Bicycling says the Marin Hidden Canyon is a safe and reliable choice, and she says the linear-pull brakes are powerful and offer good control. Marin bikes are sold at independent bike dealers, but the Marin Hidden Canyon 20 is also available online at REI.com.

The Trek MT 60 (*Est. $280) is another 20-inch option that gets high marks from owners. Like the Marin Hidden Canyon 20, the Trek MT 60 sports an aluminum frame and comes in versions for boys and girls. However, the Trek bike adds front suspension and SRAM components. Buzzillions.com collects two dozen reviews of the Trek MT 60, and the bike gets high marks overall. Parents say it's a good first full-sized bike for kids who have outgrown their two-wheeler with training wheels, and they report higher quality than with bikes from big-box stores. At nearly 30 pounds, it's not exceptionally lightweight, but it's certainly not as heavy as other 20-inch options. Some parents report that the front shock could be improved.

The 20-inch Mongoose Ace Boy's BMX bike (*Est. $140) also gets high marks at Buzzillions.com, but only about a dozen owners leave feedback at the time of this report. Reviewers don't go into a lot of detail, but one kid says the bike makes it "easy to pop wheelies." The Mongoose Ace weighs nearly 45 pounds, which is the biggest downside cited. This is a common problem for inexpensive kids' bikes. The Mongoose Ace is designed for boys ages 7 and up, and it features aluminum wheels, freestyle tires and alloy pedals. The Mongoose Ace bike is produced for big-box retailer Toys "R" Us, so it's not included in Mongoose's regular product catalog.

24-inch kids' bikes

We found very few reviews for 24-inch bikes, which is the size recommended for kids with an inseam of 26 inches or longer. Reviews for these bikes may be scarce because many kids at this age can fit on an adult bike. Bicycling magazine has one recommendation, the Kona Kula 2-4 (*Est. $800). This bike has an aluminum frame, Shimano components and a triple chain ring that provides lots of gearing options for hills. Christine Bucher at Bicycling says the Kona Kula 2-4 is a great choice for kids who are serious about cycling and want a bike that looks like what adults ride. She also says the parts can be replaced easily, because they are the same components used on regular bikes. Kona bikes are only available at independent bike shops.

Some parents recommend the 24-inch NEXT Boy's Power Climber bike (*Est. $90), a dual-suspension mountain bike sold exclusively at Wal-Mart. More than 80 reviewers give it an average of four stars (out of five) on Walmart.com. Most reviewers say it's a decent option for the price, but we also saw several reports of components breaking or simply falling off the bike. Even those who like the bike overall say it's designed for casual riding rather than serious off-roading.

For girls, the 24-inch Tiara All-Terrain bike (*Est. $90) also gets good reviews from shoppers at Walmart.com. This bike sports a dual-suspension aluminum frame, Shimano grip shifters and linear-pull brakes. Most reviewers are very happy with the Tiara All-Terrain, saying it's a good entry-level bike for girls. Some owners find the saddle too hard, and we found a few complaints about durability, but a majority of reviewers give the Tiara All-Terrain four or more stars. The Tiara All-Terrain is also sold exclusively at Wal-Mart.