If you are that particular parent who loved mountain rides right from the young age, then it is sure that you want your kid to have the same experience. Earlier mountain bike riding was something that was reserved only for adults and very few mountain bikes were available for children to try out. But time has changed and now there is a huge variety of mountain bikes for you to choose from. With our help, we are sure that you will be able to get the best mountain bike for your kid.
Having your child as your new mountain rider will be exciting for your child as well as for you. So, don’t miss out the opportunity to put that smile on your little ones face. MBK’s are now available in every budget so budget won’t be a big hindrance for you to make the decision.
Top 3 Mountain Bikes For Kids 2021
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You must have already bought a city bike for your kid and we expect them to be perfect for city rides. Don’t think that you can use them as a substitute for mountain bikes. The greatest thing about the best mountain bike for a 12-year-old boy is their built quality. Every second your child spends on it riding through the rough mountain path, it will be a joy to the kid because of how well his bike handles him through the rough terrain.
You don’t need to buy the most expensive mountain bike to get him the experience and joy. All you have to do is find a mountain bike that performs well and which he likes. And that is going to be the best mountain bike for him. There are a few things that you need to take care of. Anyway, we will explain in detail later like the weight of the mountain bike and the performance. All the innovation in the kid’s bike section has taken place in the past decade.
Until then exotic sports were considered a separate domain and parents didn’t think much of their kids as their ride partners but now they do and it’s good for kids. The ages of training wheels set on the bike for ride training are long gone. Now the technology has advanced and the new trend is using balance bikes for the same purpose. You might find this surprising but there are now children bikes that are fitted with suspension forks and disc brakes.
In a nutshell, children’s bikes are not considered to be beginner equipment but just a small sized version of an advanced adult bike. With features so advanced, the best kids mountain bikes 2021 will give a lot of pleasure to your kid while riding. Moreover, it has all the safety features to make sure that your kid rides safely on it. You must be super excited by now and we will deliver you enough details to make sure that you stay happy.
As we have told earlier, there is a lot of development taking place in the mountain bike section but the problem is some of them are more of like a luxury and aren’t a necessity for a good bike riding experience. We want our readers to make the best choices when it comes to fitness so our experts have put their time into preparing the best kids mountain bikes to guide to tell you about what is required and what is not needed in the mountain bike.
Initially let us start with getting the right size for your kid. Don’t think of getting an oversized bike in an attempt to make it future proof. This will make the bike unsafe to ride for your kid. We will advise you to read the guide well but if you are too lazy to do so then pick the best bikes as recommended by us. They are like instant choices that will suit almost all of the people. We have tested them out well so you can expect the best quality out of them. Whyte 403 is considered to be the best 26-inch mountain bike.
Buying Guide for Kids Mountain Bikes
If you have visited a store in search of mountain bike earlier, then you must have understood the plethora of choices available in the market right now. So unlike earlier, it is not the lack of choices that will bug you but the struggle in making the right choice. If you are in a crisis, then don’t worry because by the end of this guide we will make sure to educate you to make a wise decision. First of all, know your kid really well, his fitness and the kinds of bike sports he would like to engage himself in.
This will help you in selecting the features he would love most and need. There are specialized bikes for each category so you must take care of that. For example, if your child is interested in cross country racing then there are bikes that are dedicated to that. In other cases, your kid might be in need of a light cycle so that he can race well in the streets. Or they want the perfectly rugged best mountain bike for riding mountain paths. All these matters so get to know your child well before shelling out extra cash.
What to look for?
What we are trying to focus in here is on finding out the best mountain trek bikes so understand the features we will focus on. If your child has a different need, check out the review specific to your need. We have made reviews on bikes of two different categories including aggressive bike riding and also basic trail bike riding.
Apart from the looks of the mountain bikes which is obviously subjective, there are some special things that you need to look out for. The bikes which qualify under our best mountain bike category usually show extreme perfection in areas like braking, sizing, weight and the structure. And in the end, you will need to make sure that the bikes stay inside your budget.
1. Size: Apart from the categorization of bikes based on their use, the mountain bikes are having a basic classification on the basis of their wheel size. The higher the wheel size the taller the bike will be. So, choose a higher wheel size depending on the height of your kid. When we think of trek mountain bikes what comes first to our mind is a big bike with huge tires that are solid. This is normal for mountain bikes as it helps in keeping your bike healthy even in rough riding condition.
In effect, having flat tires will become an old story with these tires. But that comes with a big catch. The solid performance of your bike will dramatically decrease with the increase in the size of the tire. So, what we would advise our reader is to go for big tires that have air filled into it. This will give a cushioning effect when you are riding on rough terrain keeping child stay comfortably on the bike during the ride.
Of course, this will incur more expense in the future since they will get puncture very fast with harsh usage. This is something that you can’t avoid. All you have to do is stock some of the tires at your home. We think of it as a worthy sacrifice you must make. Every good parent wants his kid to get the experience and we believe that you are one among them and are willing to spend some extra cash for this.
One another advantage of doing this is that your kid will easily learn to fix the tires on his own. This may become really useful for him in the future. To make the job easier for you we have made a table with the average height of each age group and the wheel size suitable for them. Just choose the right size for your kid from the table and you will be good to go.
| Wheel Size | Age range |
| 12-inch | 2-4 |
| 14-inch | 3-5 |
| 16-inch | 4-6 |
| 20-inch | 5-8 |
| 24-inch | 8-12 |
It wouldn’t be that wise to use the age as the only method to find the right bike size for your kid. As children, they won’t be having an equal growing pattern from the bottom to the top. So what you must take care of is the size of their legs. Manufacturers provide the inseam range to reach bikes. This is the inner leg size so it will be better to measure the size of your child’s inner leg length and find a good one for him. You can buy Cleary Gecko.
2. Brakes: Now, this is an important topic of discussion. The bike you are buying is to be used by your kid so it must have all the features to ensure that it is safe to ride on. And the most important thing to check is ensuring that it has a good braking system. If you are living in the U.S, then you must already be under the law of regulating the brakes on children’s bikes. According to the law, you are required to install coaster bikes in all children bikes.
Anyway, ensure that the bike stops when your kid wants it to stop. Most of the experts in the field have recommended the usage of freewheels along with the hand breaks. We too feel that hand breaks will be enough for the kids because most of them know when to stop when they face danger. Moreover, this will be a learning experience for them too. because when they grow up what they will have on bikes will the hand brakes. So, it is better to get used to it from a young age.
3. Geometry: For most of the people who are ignorant about bike systems, this will be new knowledge. Bikes are not a piece of a vehicle built with two-wheels connected by bars together with a seat to sit and a pedal to ride. They are made after a lot of research to get the perfect angle and perfect length at each place. This is the reason why people are getting a comfortable and efficient riding experience on bikes.
To make a geometrically perfect bike on a really low size is somewhat difficult but still, you can get some features if you check them carefully. The specific things that you must look out for are the head tube angle, wheelbase, bottom bracket placement, and the crank length. All these can affect the performance of the bikes positively and negatively. For example, if you need extra stability and good control over the bike during downhill riding, it will be better to choose a bike with a slacker head tube angle and long wheelbase or the best downhill mountain bikes.
4. Weight: This is by far the most important specification to get the best mountain bike for your kid. The children’s bike should never be more than 40% of the total weight of your child. This might not look important now but remember it is your child who has to take care of the bike. If he falls with it and can’t pick himself up then he will be in a terrible condition. So, if your child is weighing around 40 pounds or so then buy him a bike that weighs less than 16 pounds.
I am not asking you to measure each and every bike but know the consequence of getting a heavy bike for your kid. At least what you can do is just pick up the bikes in your hand check their weight on your own. If they are heavy avoid them at all costs. Nothing matters more than your child. You can prefer the Islabikes Creig bike.
5. Fit: Your child is in a growing phase so you always buy him/her clothes that are a little bigger than his present size because you feel that they will soon get fit to that size. Sounds like a good idea but this is total nonsense when it comes to choosing bikes for your kids. It is not just that your kid will find it difficult to ride on them but might even getting into accidents because of the incompatibility with the bike. There is just one question we have for you.
What do you love most of your kid or your money? We know what your answer will be to that question. Then you must be willing to spend extra cash on your kid’s bike and know that he/she will find it too small to use in a year or two. As we have told earlier, you can find the perfect size of the bike comparing the size chart with the inseam length of your kid. Taking the age group might give you inaccurate results so go with the right measurement and get the best mountain bike.
6. Frame Material: Frame material will contribute to the strength of your bike and that will decide how much your kid’s bike is going to last. As we have discussed in the previous section, your kid will outgrow the bike in no time. So, there is no point getting the most durable material for the bike like choosing an expensive mountain bike for your kid. Do this only if you can afford it but it is not needed. But make sure that can hold your kid’s weight and little bumps here and there otherwise it will be totally unsafe to ride on.
The material has to be lightweight otherwise your kid will have a tough time with the bike. Like we told earlier the weight has to weigh less than that of the kid. Otherwise, it will become a common scene for you to view your kid struggling to move around with the bike. And this will worsen if he falls down with the bike and cannot get up on his own. This will also make the experience considerably different when he riding down the hill. You can look forward to buying Meekboyz Mega Beast (24-inch).
7. Tires: This is the most striking part. The factor that keeps a mountain bike apart from the traditional bikes is the designing of tires. Unlike the normal thin tires that are found on normal bikes mountain bikes tend to have thicker tires. This is for increasing the endurance capacity when riding on rough terrains. Thin tires will easily get punctured and damaged on mountain tracks. Moreover, mountain terrains are not well formed and smooth so a greater grip is necessary for making your stay on the track.
There are two different kinds of tires used in the best mountain bikes – Solid tires and air-filled tires. Both of them have their own advantages and the choice between them is your discretion. If you want the tires to last for a long period without damages, then it will be better to go for the solid ties. Since they don’t have air holes they will never get punctured. It will be better to choose this kind of tires if the path is too unruly and the chances of a puncture are a lot. From what we feel tires with air holes are much better for the mountain bikes.
Since they have air pockets there will be cushioning effect every time the tire hits an uneven surface. This will give a comfortable riding experience for your kid. The only disadvantage is that they tend to get punctured really fast. So, you will have stock a lot of spare tires or tubes in your home if you want your child to always continue riding. This will increase the cost of maintenance of the tires but we think it is worthwhile to invest in it. Ultimately, you are doing all this for your kid so getting the best rocky mountain bikes and good riding experience is what you needed.
What sort of bike does your child need?
As we always say there isn’t any perfect equipment or mountain bike for anyone. There can only be the right choice for you. What we are trying to tell is that if you want to get the best mountain bike for your kid, then it has to be well tailored to your kid’s needs. Scott bikes are the best mountain bikes and are the preferred choice. To get something like that you need to find out what kind of sport your kid is actually planning to engage in.
Maybe your child may not even know how to cycle and this is his first bike. In that case, it should be having the facilities to keep him safe on the course of learning to ride the bike. Or else he might be a well-trained cyclist and this time you are buying him a gift to upgrade his cycling skills. If that’s the case, you will need something that has a lot of features and something that is superior to his present bike.
So, all you have to know is put your child in a scale to measure his cycling talent and find out what he is striving to achieve. This will help you narrow down options and help you select a mountain bike that has all the features he needs. If your child is just into this, we would advise you to get him a balance bike. They are much-advanced than the bikes with supporting wheels and it can help learn cycling with ease.
To know more about them check out our guide on the best balance bikes. When he has passed that level, upgrade his bike to something better like a single speed bike that can help him more. Those we mentioned above are the basic cycles for kids. They are only useful when the kids are in the learning phase. Once they are done learning it well, they can only hinder the development. So, as soon as they have developed the skill, buy them something better.
In higher categories, you will find mountain bikes that are having dual braking system and multiple gears. This ability will let your kid ride fast on their bike and he will stay safe on his bike too. Moreover, the stable construction of the bike will let you ride more comfortably in hilly regions. Check out our list of the best mountain bikes if you want to know more about them specifically.
Will your child outgrow a perfect bike too quickly?
We are warning you again not to buy an oversized mountain bike so that your child can keep on using it when he is older. That is a stupid logic if you want him/her to use it the next year. It is better to buy a bike at that time. Buying something oversized not only reduces the comfort of riding your bike but it also poses a risk to your child while riding. This generally happens when you are selecting a bike based on the age group table provided by the manufacturer and your kids fall at the upper end of the table. If you want the bike to be suitable for your kid for a long while, then what you can do is go for a bike that has a method for adjusting the size.
This way you will save your money and keep your kid safe. The age group categorization must not be taken as the ultimate tool for measuring the compatibility of the bike instead go with measuring the inseam of your kid. Most of the manufacturers will note down the inseam size required for a specific model so this will be easy for you to check out. When a specific category is put out, place your child in the lowest end so that even if your child grows fast you can still adjust the seat size and handlebars to suit him.
The best method for buying the perfect is taking your kid to the shop this way there won’t be any confusion. Let your child try out different sized bikes and let him decide what’s perfect for him. this way your kid will be happy and you will not have any regrets of buying the wrong product. Just make sure that all the features you need are in it.
How much do you need to spend?
Whatever the best mountain bike is, if you can’t afford it then there is no point in craving for it. So, first of all, decide on your budget. Please don’t be a miser and make sacrifices on the bike that’s all. You can easily get a single speed bike by spending under $200. This will be more than enough if your kid is new to cycling and just wanted a cycle to learn to ride. But if he is already learned and wants to explore with the bike, then you may need to increase the budget well over $200. You can easily get the best mountain bikes under 1000 dollars, which has all the required features.
By spending this much, you can easily get a cycle with multiple gears and a good braking system. This will let your kid ride at higher speeds with total safety. But if you have no limit on your budget and want to give your kid something without any limits then you may get the best mountain bikes which are less than $1500. The best hardtail mountain bike at this price point will have a lot of features including adjustable frame sizes, hydraulic brakes, and full suspension. This will make the whole experience better but you can easily get a good enough experience in a lower price range too.
Conclusion
We have made this guide for the dedicated parents and enthusiastic riders and we are sure that we have given you enough information on getting your child the best mountain bike and a good companion rider for you. Mountain bikes for children are comparatively cheaper than adult bikes so make sure not to make many sacrifices while buying one. If you check out for the features mentioned by us, you will be able to sort out the best bike out of all the other varieties.
If you only wanted a suggestion for the best mountain bike variant, then you must have got it from the list and since they are made by our experts you won’t regret the decision. The most important thing we have to remind you is regarding the size of the bike you buy. Never buy an oversized bike for the sake of saving money as it will pose a lot of risk for your kid. Find the perfect size bike for your kid and this will guarantee his happiness throughout the rise.
Children will love to choose their ride so it will better to take them with you for buying their mountain bike. Don’t’ think that your expenses are done with the purchase of the bike. Proper maintenance of the bike is required for making it healthy throughout the ride. Proper oiling and frequent checking of the tire health is necessary to ensure that your child is on the safe side. So that’s it. Get your kid the best mountain bike as a gift and keep him happy. Have a wonderful and exciting riding experience with your kid.
