At that price, you should also look at the Giant or Orbea, which come with disc brakes and mm of travel. However, unlike many of the cheaper kids mountain bikes, the Giant ATX2 does come with the benefit of Tektro disc brakes, which for this year appear to have been upgraded from mechanical units to hydraulic. This is one of the differences between cheaper and more expensive mountain bikes. In addition, there is a Prowheel triple chainset at the front, which means that unlike all the other bikes on this page your child will need to use two gear shifters - one for each hand. The ATX2 has 21 gears and it uses Shimano Tourney thumb-operated shifters for changing through the cassette. However, it does come equipped with Shimano hydraulic disc brakes and Shimano thumb shifters for changing through the gears. Now, this is a coil spring rather than our preferred air fork, so the options for adjusting to suit the rider is less with this one. The MX Dirt is a Junior bike sporting a It comes fitted with 2. The Trace 26 has 7-speed gearing and uses a Shimano M thumb shifter to swap cogs on the T cassette. The Cuda Trace 26 is a lightweight aluminium bike ideal for both on-road and for also venturing off-road. Buy new: Orbea MX Buy now: Giant Talon 3. Tyres: WTB Ranger Buy now: Cannondale Trail 7 Ltd.īuy now: Specialized Rockhopper Sport. A Suntour XCR fork will give some help at the front, while braking comes courtesy of hydraulic discs.
The Nzumbi is no exception, with a pretty good setup for the cost. Voodoo has developed a reputation for building good quality mountain bikes at a very reasonable price. Sr Suntour XCTīuy now: GT Avalanche Sport. The thick, 2 inch wide Bontrager XR2 tires are built to endure bumpy terrains, with enough traction to survive well in muddy or messy conditions, acting quite well as a trail bike! A helpful tip to consider! As a great entry level bike, the Marlin 5 offers compatible features for a beginner, such as its quality Shimano drivetrain and components.More expensive kids mountain bikes will have much more simple gearing than many of the cheaper ones. The 5 comes with double walled, Bontrager Connection rims and have 32 spokes to enable it to endure bumpy riding. The larger wheel size on the 5 are wide enough to accommodate tires up to 29 inches, whereas the S and XS frames can accommodate 27 5 inch tires. You will also find that with hydraulic disc brakes, you will require less finger pressure and strength for braking power. The disc brakes also make the bike a good performer in any weather condition, and even on rougher terrain. The hydraulic disc brakes also have a better power output and better precision than other brakes used. One con that we found was that the coil spring on the fork made it just a bit too heavy, especially for entry level riders who might not be used to this weight and who may be more accustomed to road bikes. You get up to mm of travel suspension on all models except the XS one, which offers up to 80mm on travel suspension. The standard larger frames M and ML are made with a straight top tube, which would suit you just fine if you are a taller rider. This would be the best bike for cyclists of smaller stature as the brakes are easier to grip, making this smaller frame a better option for children as well! Our review also found that the head tube on the frame is also built at a The Trek Marlin 5 has frames that also come in sizes S and XS, and these frames have short reach brake levers, making it ideal as an entry level bike for beginners. You will also find it equipped with chainstay brake mounts and rack and kickstand mounts which are easy to customize, so that your bike can double up as a commuter as well, serving the same purpose as most road bikes. Its internal shift cabling is further protected by brake hose routing, which gives the bike a nice, sleek finish. Like most mountain bikes in the Trek series, The frame of the 5 is durable and lightweight, made of Alpha Silver Aluminum and equipped with a semi integrated head tube. Now, you may be wondering whether the 5 really is as great as it claims to be - check out our Trek Marlin 5 review on this hard-hitter from the Marlin series.īuy on Trek. Garnering a lot of hype, which comes as no surprise following its predecessor the Marlin 4the 5 has been described as ideal for both on and off trail cycling. The Trek Marlin 5 is another popular, good quality hardtail mountain bike favoured by trail riders, entry level riders, avid cyclists and off-road riding enthusiasts.