20” kids bikes recommendations

[Bob B]

Hoping to come by a secondhand Cleary Owl 3-speed. I’m not up on what non department store kids bikes are good these days that dont also have disc brakes and a suspension fork, which are especially overkill for a kid whonis less than 50lbs. Any other good options, new or used out there that should also be on my radar?

Riv Content: I vaguely remember riv recommending Cleary back in the day, probably for the reasons above. Am I wrong?

[matt miller]

Hi Bob,

We had a Cleary 15” but I couldn’t find an Owl locally.it was no longer pandemic, so I looked into other brands and then found a Cannondale Quick locally. No suspension, V-brakes. Not as nice as Cleary, but it’s still overkill for my kid. And lighter, which helps because she’s small.

For next, I’ve seen Trek,Woom, Soecialized and Cannondale have non-suspension offerings.

As much as I’d like to see her rides Riv, I mostly look for a bike that fits her well, gives her confidence, and builds a love of cycling.

Matt in STL

[Steve]

What will be my granddaughter's 4th Woom (predictably, a Woom 4) is hanging in the garage awaiting Christmas. I've been nothing but impressed with each of the Woom bicycles we've gifted her, starting with the Woom 1 balance bike. They're very well built with decent components, but maybe most importantly, they are comparatively light weight. They are a bit pricey, but used ones, if not quite abundant, are out there.

As a bit of an aside, to my mind, weight is a critical attribute for a kids bike. Consider that a 30lb bike for a 160lb adult equals ~ 19% of their weight,  while a 12lb bike equals 30% of a 40lb child's weight.  A comparably heavy bike for that same adult would weigh in at 48lbs. 

Steve in AVL

[Patrick Smith]

I really like the Specialized Jett 16" that my 48" tall 5yo rides. About at the height limit and really hoping to find a 20" Jett used since they don't make them anymore. Great components and design. 

Smitty in DC 

[Piaw Na]

We've been Woom users since their early debut in the USA. I can vouch for them being great kids' bikes, plus the owner has been very responsive to feedback (the first few years were particularly significant as each iteration of their bikes changed in response to my emailing the owner). What's more their resale value is great, despite my kids' propensity for riding their bikes hard. (The Woom Off 4 and 5 saw a lot of offroad action) My only complaint is that the owner's response to my asking for a road-oriented version of the Woom was a very curt "no". Of course, that's what led to us having a Salsa Journeyman and a Rivendell Roadini instead of a  Woom 6.

[Michael Baquerizo]

my kid is on an islabikes cnoc now. it was free, but after owning it I would have paid for it too. the best part about them is theyre worthless on the secondary market so, as long as theyre around, theyll be cheaper than whatever else is being pumped.

before that he was on two different sizes of Kokua bikes. 

[Jeffrey Zelevansky]

My daughter is now on a Guardian 20" bike, which has been good. It's got a 5-speed grip shift. She learned on a Guardian 16" but grew out of it with shocking speed. They don't sell bikes with coaster brakes...rim brakes only. The bikes have an interesting system that actuates front and rear brakes with only one lever. As a safety measure, the brakes are balanced so the rear brake gets more pressure.

The Guardian bikes seemed pricy to me until I looked at what else was available! 

[Michael Baquerizo]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bluelug/54762302374/in/album-72177720328794773/

perhaps this is going to be the answer to this question in the near future? 

i'd already written it off, because i'm not sure it'll fit by the time it comes out, but also because grant saying he wanted it to have a coaster brake. 

this new version seems no frills, but with that roaduno drop out, which looks great. v brake posts as well. 

we'll see. 

[Ed Carolipio]

I haven't seen it mentioned so let me share that our twins had Start 20s from Priority Bicycles when they were going through that stage. Aluminum frame so it's relatively light, 3 Speed IGH so they can learn when and where to use gears without having to be in motion, and the belt drive means no greasy spots on pants or legs. IMO build quality isn't as good as a Woom or a Cleary so it helps to be mechanically inclined, but it does cost much less.

https://www.prioritybicycles.com/products/start20

--Ed Carolipio

Redondo Beach, CA