The first in a series of articles intended to help with the process of buying bikes from casual rigs to performance-level mountain bikes, focused on kids&#; bikes but hopefully helpful for anyone.

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Snack Sized

This subject is sliced from the mortadella of my mountain bicycle passion and, as such, the flavors will be rich and familiar, and the helpings will be hearty. I&#;m sorry, there are no samples at this deli counter, but I do have a little something-something for the TL;DR crowd. I do not think you can go wrong buying your kid, or yourself, a hardtail mountain bike with good geometry. Get the best Shimano drivetrain in your price range, hydraulic disc brakes from a reputable brand, a serviceable air-sprung fork, good tires (which may require an upgrade), and a grippy pair of pedals. And then get out there and ride, ride, ride. Getting the absolute best bits for your bucks matters a lot less the more time you spend riding &#; amortize your life!

In this series, I&#;ll be discussing bikes that are significantly less expensive, and significantly more expensive than that rig. And I&#;ll be serving it all up in much greater detail. Bon appétit.

One of the key things to think about in the suspension vs. rigid fork discussion is weight. Specifically, the ratio of rider weight vs. the weight of their rig.

Photo: Andrew Major

Assumptions

The first bike I went off-road riding on was a complete piece of crap. Steel rims. Rock-solid forever-brake pads. Wire-bead hard-rubber Comp 3 knock-off tires. Aspirational-at-best braking & shifting performance, and a one-thousand-pound frame two sizes too big. I fell head-over-heels, multiple times, and also in love with the activity. The hot take? Get the best bike you can afford and go into the forest.

Still, to bring this piece into some level of manageable focus, I&#;ll be talking here about what I call &#;bike-shop level&#; bikes. From the most basic v-brakes and rigid fork setups to the multi-thousand-dollar full suspension grom ripper rigs with hydraulic discs, there are a few features these bicycles share, first and foremost being assembled and tuned by a professional bike mechanic. The gears will shift, the brakes will stop, and the grips will stay in place.

Depending on the terrain and conditions, the stock tires may or may not grip, but that&#;s a conversation for the knowledgeable and helpful folks at the shop you choose to work with. 

With gearing, it is key to remember your grom will be in their lowest (easiest) gears a lot. Up, across, and down. 

Photo: Andrew Major

At the budget-friendlier end of the scale, this would include rigid bikes like a Kona Hula, Cannondale&#;s 24&#; Trail Plus, maybe a Trek Wahoo Trail, or Specialized&#;s exciting RipRock 24&#;. A middle ground would be bikes like Marin&#;s SQ24&#;, which adds a tuneable, serviceable RockShox air fork. Or maybe Spawn&#;s Yama Jama 24&#; for the NX drivetrain over MicroShift. On the upper echelon, I live in the Shore-To-Sky corridor region so I&#;ve seen a fair few examples of Chromag&#;s Minor Threat, and all sorts of other full-suspension rigs too.

That&#;s a wide range of budgets from below US$500 to US$ and beyond. Plus, a helmet, plus pads, plus pedals. Plus, progression parts, like tires. Plus, ongoing maintenance. Mountain biking is an investment, whatever sort of bicycle one begins with. But I feel that the price spread is realistic and also manageable as we navigate comparative purchasing decisions. 

One of my key goals with the 20" and 24" bikes is to have them be lightweight enough that my kid can do as much of the pushing and lifting for herself as possible.

Photo: Andrew Major

Suspension &#; Why Not & When Not

Suspension is all about addition. Add a suspension fork to a rigid mountain bike and it becomes a hardtail. Add a rear shock to a hardtail and it becomes a sag-wagon. Assuming the same level of bicycle, suspension worth having adds traction, it adds comfort, adds weight, adds setup complexity, adds cost, adds service requirements, and it adds speed.

A decent entry-level, serviceable, air fork like a RockShox Judy adds significant cost to a rigid bike. But at the same time, it will add comfort and control in exchange for the weight and treasure and for the speeds and terrain a 24&#; or 26&#; kids&#; mountain bike can achieve. It&#;s a good investment, for folks that can afford it. 

I wish every 24" wheeled bike was designed around the axle-to-crown height of a 26" fork. It opens up a lot of used options, like this decade-old Fox 32.

Photo: Andrew Major

Dropping below the Judy, there is a whole sea of boat anchors descending in orders of magnitude in terms of quality and performance. Many of these are coil-sprung with spring rates that mid-sized adults can&#;t compress, so when it comes to kids all they add to a bicycle are weight and cost. This is why so many great 20&#; and 24&#; trail-worthy bikes, like the Specialized RipRock mentioned above, will rely on higher-volume tires and hydraulic disc brakes for control but sport a lightweight rigid fork.

Making a decision around a suspension fork is relatively easy and comes down to application and budget. For example, my grom&#;s 20&#; bike was fully rigid. At that size, and at the speeds 20&#; wheels roll on technical terrain, I decided to invest in a much lighter weight bike &#; in her case an Early Rider Seeker 20&#; &#; was the superior choice. It worked out well. 

With a rigid bike or hardtail a lot of traction and comfort is coming from the tires. I highly recommend a tubeless setup. Claire is running 13-14psi in 24x2.4" DHF tires.

Photo: Andrew Major

When it came time to transition to a 24&#; bike, the extra weight and complexity of a suspension fork were warranted. The beauty of her Marin SQ24&#; is that it is suspension corrected around a 26&#; fork, so my wife&#;s decade-old Fox 32 swapped on nicely. She rides a ton, on technical terrain, and this choice was within our budget; however, I find myself regularly suggesting the rigid fork option for 24&#; bikes as well. If you, as an adult, can&#;t use the travel on a fork then it&#;s of no value to your kid. Save weight and money.

If the goal is for your grom to pedal themselves then, regardless of budget, the rigid fork makes the most sense for the 20&#; wheeled rig. For the 24&#; wheels, I&#;m sold on a hardtail if budget allows. 

Photo: Andrew Major

Regardless of upper-limit budget, I&#;m firmly in the rigid bike camp for 20&#; wheels, the hardtail category for 24&#; bikes and I&#;ll make slightly different arguments for hardtail 26&#; & 27&#; bikes as well. At the end of the day, it&#;s all about do-it-yourself (with support) parenting. My kid pushed her 20&#; bike up and down all sorts of technical terrain she couldn&#;t ride, and the lightweight helped make that possible. Even with a relatively lightweight build, her 24&#; rig is the riders-vs-rig equivalent of me pedaling a 70lb bike. She muscles it uphill out of the saddle all the time like only a hardtail can be ridden and at the same time she&#;s developing good form and instincts riding the hardtail down progressively more difficult terrain.

With the larger wheel sizes, I like the idea of my kid, no different than my teenage riding years, learning to maintain her bike, and working part-time to help cover the costs of the activity. That&#;s significantly more plausible without the added bearing pivots and rear shock.

However, if full suspension is the name of your game, here&#;s an important thing to test on any bike you&#;re considering. This is true for groms and also lightweight riders. This is true regardless of bike manufacturer claims about size-specific bike tunes.

• Step 1 &#; Let ALL of the air out of the shock.
• Step 2 &#; Have the rider stand on the bike and check sag.
• Step 3 &#; See how far the rider can push through the travel without any air pressure.

Lighter riders - kids or adults - considering full suspension bikes need to consider if their rear shock is tuned for them. It's not just about the shop setting sag. How much of the travel is usable?

Photo: Andrew Major

I regularly see sub-100 lb riders with full suspension bikes &#; little kids, big kids, small adults &#; set up with proper sag percentages, say 30% rear, who cannot use more than 50-60% of their bike&#;s travel. This requires setting up the fork to match for both safety and performance and this means the rider is pedaling around significantly more potential travel than they can use.

It&#;s true that with some shocks custom valving or decreasing IFP pressure at a suspension tuning center may improve performance, at an additional cost. A shock upgrade could also be another option, though more expensive yet again. Either way, it&#;s a factor worth considering when making the equivalent investment in a hardtail will generally deliver a lighter-weight bicycle with better components and lower service costs.

Rise & grind. The rider to rig weight ratio means your grom is going to have to learn to climb out of the saddle sometimes, even with a low-low gear.

Photo: Andrew Major

 Check Your Shift

Want more information on Kids Mtb Bike? Feel free to contact us.

I chose this witty header as an excuse for a brief segway to link to an entertainingly well-written, necessary, terrifying, listen to your body, fighting for every sunset, PSA article by Lacy Kemp called Check Your Shit. Before you click the link, I think it&#;s a beautiful piece but having experienced the one-more-feint-hope-after-one-more-feint-hope process in my dad&#;s cancer battle I do want to fully warn anyone who&#;s been through it that the piece wields emotional tonnage. So, if there&#;s any question of how you&#;ll manage that right now, save it to read when your heart&#;s feeling stronger. 

With her 20" rig my kid almost never left gear #1 or gear #2 on the trails. Yep, that's up, down, and across. 

Photo: Andrew Major

Back to the very, very serious topic of buying kids&#; bikes. I want to briefly discuss two factors about shifting gears. The first is that, in my experience, again looking at rider-vs-rig weights, if you live somewhere with climbs your kids&#; bike is probably over-geared. If the crankset has a replaceable chainring then buying a smaller ring will give them more usable gears, spreading out wear over more cogs, and more ground clearance when it comes to rolling over roots and rocks with their pedals level. Your grom is going to be in their low gears a lot and chances are, even on the road, they won&#;t be spinning out their highest options.

If their chainring is not replaceable that leaves the expensive option of replacing the crankset if you&#;d like to downsize the chainring. Generally, to source arms in the correct length, may be too expensive of a purchase, relative to the price of the bike, to make it worthwhile. But if you&#;re eager to pursue it I&#;d recommend an option that uses a SRAM 3-bolt chainring pattern like the Trailcraft Direct Mount, Spawn Styx, or, if you&#;re feeling fancy, the Canfield AM Cranks.

Cranks like these Samox kid units using SRAM 3-bolt chainring mounting allow for easy swaps to smaller rings. Smaller rings mean more usable gears for trail usage. 

Photo: Andrew Major

More importantly, when buying a kids&#; bike it&#;s key to recognize that the drivetrain &#; cassette, derailleur, etc. &#; wasn&#;t designed for purpose but rather adapted from an adult bike with the key difference being the rear center, the distance from the cranks to the rear wheel axle essentially, is significantly shorter on the smaller bicycle. This can create all sorts of headaches around the angle of the chain between the chainring, which is a fixed position, and the lowest (largest) cog where your kid is going to spend most of their pedaling time.

Where this issue gets compounded is product managers ordaining parts without actually mocking them up on the destined bicycle. Some popular drivetrain options work acceptably with the chainstay length of a 27&#; or 29&#; bike but make horrendous grinding noises in the lowest, easiest, gears when mounted on a frame designed around a 20&#; or 24&#; wheel. Horrendous and not easily/cheaply resolvable grinding noises.

Super short chainstays and wide gear ranges make for some awful chainlines. Unfortunately in the gears that your kid is going to be grinding in.

Photo: Andrew Major

 The easiest way to solve this problem is to simply not buy a kids&#; bike, at whichever price point, where the spec was an afterthought. Simple? Yeah, just get the respective shop to put the bike in a stand and shift through the gears for you. If the drivetrain sounds like it&#;s auditioning for the role of a chainsaw in a slasher flick in the easiest 1-2 gears, that&#;s not the bike for you. If forward pedaling checks out, now try backpedaling. Keep in mind that ratcheting our pedals is one of the first and most important skills we learn, climbing and descending, in technical terrain.

And that&#;s part one! Stay tuned for part two, Brakes & Fit, coming soon.

Buying Guide

How to choose a kids bike?

We know it. It can be a bit tricky to choose the right bike for your child. Different wheel sizes, dual-suspension bikes, hardtail bikes, and various intended uses to consider. That's why we've put together the perfect little guide to help you find the ideal bike for your little riders.

Just like adults, young riders need the right bike for the right kind of riding. At Devinci, we strongly believe that opting for a quality bike and choosing a model suited to their needs will ensure that their learning and first adventures on two wheels are as positive as possible. Whether it's for family rides, trips to the park, exploring the neighborhood woods, or their first mountain bike ride, we've got what you need. Because we're parents too, and we know what a reliable bike is all about!

Designed for safe progression

Devinci offers a diverse range of bikes for kids. From 20'' to 27.5'', including 24'' wheels, from our classic Ewoc to the Marshall 27.5, our kids bikes lineup is tailored to the realities of mountain biking and the genuine needs of your children while also considering those of the parents.

We understand that purchasing a mountain bike for your child involves a variety of factors, from price to safety considerations. All our children's mountain bikes are built to last, be visible, and withstand the rigors of the terrain, and probably a few falls too! Our kids bikes may be categorized as 'mountain' bikes but rest assured, they can do it all; pedalling in the neighborhood, going to the park, discovering the nearby woods, crossing the biggest mud puddles, and more!

Discover our range of kids bikes

Why choosing Devinci?

Quality Bikes

In addition to being equipped with powerful disc brakes, multiple speeds, and at least a front suspension, all our kids' bikes are covered by Devinci's renowned 'Ride in Peace' lifetime warranty.

The Devinci Ewoc FS shown here is our latest Kids Trail bike. Also, our most advanced kids' bike, it packs the legendary capability of our trail bikes into a smaller package that's specifically built for the needs of young riders. 

5 Reasons

why you won't regret your choice

• A local expertise
• Lifetime warranty on all frames
• Renowned customer service
• Safety is always our priority
• All our bikes are equipped with trustworthy components

What bike size should I choose for my child?

When discussing bike sizes, there are some differences between adult and children's bikes. For adults, we generally measure the frame, while for children, we measure the size of the wheels. For kids' bikes, the wheels range from 12 inches to 27.5 inches. At Devinci, our models range from 20 to 27.5 inches, as we mainly offer kids mountain bikes.

Generally, the child's age is a good starting point for determining the right bike size your kid will need. Then, considering their height and also their skill level, you should be able to make a good choice. If your child falls between two sizes, choose the larger size if they are more comfortable and skilled on a bike. And in the case of your kid just starting and being less experienced, we recommend opting for the smaller size.

Full Suspension Bikes

These bikes will take them to the next level. They have the same legendary Devinci capability as our adults' mountain bikes. Only smaller. Your kids will be unstoppable.

&#; Made-in-Canada Aluminum frames

&#; Hydraulic Disc Brakes

&#; 12-speed

Hardtail Bikes

Equipped with front suspension, these bikes are extremely versatile. Perfect for beginners, exploring bike paths, venturing onto trails, and building skills.

&#; Knobby tires

&#; Mechanical disc brakes

&#; 1x Transmission

With all of this, we promise that starting your mountain biking journey with a Devinci will be a smart choice for you and your family.

Let's go!

Still unsure about which bike to choose or what size to go for? Visit your local Devinci dealer with your child. You will be able to see our different models in person, try out the different sizes, and find the perfect bike for your kid.

Explore our full range of kids bikes

The company is the world’s best Kids Cycle supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.