When children reach the 20 inch threshold, the world of kids mountain bikes really opens up. There are several reasons for this: kids this age are finally strong enough to deal with the extra weight introduced by suspension, they have a newly developed capacity to operate gears, and they have the focused interest to justify a higher-priced bike.
Kids reach the magical 20” threshold (and stay there) at wildly different times depending on their height and build. That said, 20 inch mountain bikes are generally appropriate for kids aged 6 to 8.
If your child is in that age range, use this list as a guide for picking the right bike for your child. We’ve included our top picks for both hardtail 20 inch mountain bikes and full suspension 20 inch mountain bikes.
If you’re not sure which is the right bike for your kiddo, keep reading. We’ve also included a comparison chart and tips on how to choose.
(Also, before you have a heart-attack over price and leave me a nasty comment, recognize that these are real mountain bikes for real mountain biking. If you’re looking for a something cheaper, check out our list of the best 20 inch hybrid bikes for kids).
Table Of Contents
Our Top Picks
Comparison Chart
What To Look For/How To Choose
Our Top Picks
| Bike | What We Love | Price |
| HARDTAILS | ||
| Trailcraft Blue Sky 20 | Lightweight, top shelf components | $1,399+ |
| Prevelo Zulu Three | Slack geometry, long wheelbase, beefy tires | $1,299 |
| Woom OFF / Woom OFF AIR | Lightweight, rigid carbon fork or air fork–options! | $849/$1,199 |
| Spawn Yama Jama 20 | Brood, kid-specific components | $1,425 |
| Early Rider Seeker X20 | Tubeless ready, internal dropper ready | $1,399 |
| FULL SUSPENSION | ||
| Spawn Rokk 20 / 22 | Brood components, convertible wheels | $2,500 |
| Commencal Clash 20 | Manitou Junit fork, built for downhill | $2,650 |
| Early Rider Hellion X20 | More affordable full suspension | $2,099 |
Trailcraft Blue Sky 20
Price: $1,399+
The bike that we’ve been dreaming of is here! Not getting your child this bike is basically child abuse. (Ok, not really, but it is a sweet bike).
Made by top-of-the-line kids bike manufacturer, Trailcraft, the Blue Sky 20 is their tiniest offering. But although it may be small, it is built with adult-quality parts including tubeless tires. It’s also crazy light (starting at 19 lbs!!!) making it ideal for smaller riders and families that take trail riding seriously.
Read Our Review: Trailcraft Blue Sky 20
Prevelo Zulu Three
Price: $1,299
The frame is designed with modern geo specs and a long wheelbase and is built up with a Microshift Advent 9-speed drivetrain with clutch, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, and custom-made in-house HEIR components including appropriately sized cranks, handlebar and grips. There are lots of options to further update the bike with colored grips, high quality HEIR pedals, and even carbon cranks.
They also recently redesigned the bike to add tubeless-ready wheels, routing for a dropper post, and a longer wheelbase. Proof that they are committed to continuously providing some of the best kids mountain bikes around.
Read Review: Prevelo Zulu Three
Woom OFF 4 and Woom OFF AIR 4
Price: $849/$1,199
The Woom 4 OFF is our favorite 20 inch mountain bike for parents on a budget and kids who are primarily riding mellow, non-technical trails.
The rigid carbon fork does a good job of absorbing trail chatter as do the high-volume Schwalbe 2.25″ tires. By forgoing a suspension fork, Woom has kept the weight at approximately 17 pounds (!!!).
Looking for something a little bit more hard-charging? The Woom 4 OFF AIR takes the same great bike as the Woom OFF but adds in a 60mm high-quality air-sprung supsension fork. For the price and weight, this bike really can’t be beat.
Read Review: Woom OFF and WOOM OFF AIR
Spawn Yama Jama 20”
Price: $1,425
Spawn has always prided themselves in making the best mountain bikes for kids, and their 20” hardtail, the Yama Jama 20, hits the mark. This sweet little bike has an 80mm Brood Bike Co. Eldorado fork, tubeless tires, and SRAM 1×10 drivetrain.
Uniquely, they also make a 22″ version of the bike which could be convenient if your child is already on the bigger end of the 20″ spectrum.
Read Our Review: Spawn Yama Jama
Early Rider Seeker 20
Price: $1,399
Early Rider has always made beautiful kids bikes, and in the last few years they’ve started making highly functional kids mountain bikes as well. The Early Rider Seeker X20 is their 20 inch hardtail option.
The geometry of the bike is forgiving with slack geometry and a long wheel base. As far as components go, the Hellion has a RST 100mm air fork with both dual and rear thru-axles, a Shimano Cues drivetrain.
Both the wheels and tires are tubeless ready, so it’s an easy conversion should you choose to go that way. There is also internal routing for a dropper if you want to add one.
Read Review: Early Rider Hellion
Spawn Rokk 20/22
Price: $2,500
Do you spend your summers riding lift-served laps at the bike park? If so, your kiddo NEEDS the Spawn Rokk.
My son got to ride the bike at Whistler and his skill level went through the roof. It’s pricey but worth every penny.
100mm of front and rear travel, SRAM Level brakes, and in-house Brood brand everything makes this the bike worth splurging on. But the coolest thing about the bike is the fact that the frame can accept 20 inch or 22 inch wheels allowing the bike to grow with your child
We can’t rave enough.
Read Our Review: Spawn Rokk 20
Commencal Clash 20
Price: $2,650
The Commencal Clash 20 is marketed as the ultimate bike-park rig, and it has the specs to back it up (although some of the components have been downgraded from prior year models).
The little 20” package includes a Manitou Junit 120mm fork, ROCKSHOX Deluxe Select rear shock, and Tektro hydraulic disc brakes.
Just be careful because you might not be able to keep up with junior on this bike!
Early Rider Hellion X20
Price: $2,099
Not to be confused with the older Early Rider Hellion hardtail, the Early Rider Hellion X20 is the full suspension version. At just around $2k, it’s also one of the more affordable full squish options around.
It the price isn’t attractive enough, consider the full package: 100mm of air sprung travel, thru axles, tubeless ready wheelset, and Shimano Deore hydraulic disc brakes. It also has our favorite kids saddle, the SDG Fly Jr.
20 Inch Mountain Bike Specs and Comparison Chart
Want the complete specs for each of these bikes and how they stack up to one another? Use this comparison chart to help you choose the best 20” mountain bike for your child.
Note: I had trouble finding weight data for some of these bikes. If you have any of the missing info, shoot me a note or comment below. Thanks!
| Bike | Weight | Frame | Fork | Brakes | Drivetrain | Rear Shock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spawn Rokk 20 | 25.5 lbs | Alloy | Brood ELDORADO, 100 mm | Hydraulic disk brakes (Sram Level) | Sram GX 1×10 | RockShox Deluxe 100mm |
| Commencal Clash 20 | 26.8 lbs | Alloy | Manitou Junit 20, 120mm | Hydraulic Disk Brakes (Tektro) | MICROSHIFT Acolyte 1×8 | RockShox Deluxe 100mm |
| Trailcraft Blue Sky 20 (Pro Build) | 18.75 lbs | Alloy | Trailcraft TC130 80mm | Hydraulic disk brakes (Shimano Deore) | Shimano Deore, 1×10 | N/A |
| Spawn Yama Jama 20 | 21.5 lbs | Alloy | BROOD ELDORADO, 80mm | Hydraulic Disk Brakes (Tektro) | Sram GX 1×10 | N/A |
| Prevelo Zulu Three | 22.2 lbs | Alloy | RST 80mm travel | Hydraulic Disc Brakes (Tektro) | MICROSHIFT Advent 1×9 | N/A |
| Early Rider Seeker X20 | 21.16lb | Alloy | RST 100mm travel | Hydraulic Disc Brakes (Tektro) | Shimano CUES 1×9 | N/A |
| Woom 4 OFF | 18.9 lbs | Alloy | Rigid carbon | Hydraulic disc brakes (Promax) | SRAM X5, 1×9 | N/A |
| Woom OFF AIR 4 | 21.7 lbs | Alloy | RTS, 60mm | Hydraulic disc brakes (Promax) | SRAM X5, 1×9 | N/A |
| Early Rider Hellion X20 | 22.5 lbs | Alloy | RST 100mm travel | Hydraulic disk brakes (Shimano Deore) | Sram GX 1×10 | DNM 95mm |
Things to Consider Before Buying a 20” Mountain Bike
If you need a little help choosing between bikes or stuck on what your child really needs, read our tips below. We’ll help you pick the right bike for YOUR child.
Type of riding
Identifying what kind of riding your child is going to be doing is the first step in shopping for a 20” mountain bike. Maybe your family is interested in doing some off-road riding on rail-trails. In this case, a bike like the Woom 4 OFF or the Cleary Owl is going to be the right bike for the mission.
On the other end of the spectrum, you might be the kind of family that is headed to the Whistler bike park for your summer vacation. Obviously, for this kind of riding your child is going to need a wildly different bike. To hit the big stuff, you’re going to want a bike like the Commencal Clash 20 or the Spawn Rokk.
Most families will be somewhere in between. Your kids plan on doing some trail rides, playing on the pump track, and maybe attending a summer mountain bike camp. You should consider a bike like the Trailcraft Blue Sky 20 or Prevelo Zulu HEIR.
Full-suspension vs. front-suspension vs. fully rigid
Whether you should be buying a rigid bike or a suspension bike is again largely dependent on the type of riding your child will be doing. If your kiddo is taking lift-assisted runs at the bike park, they need suspension (most likely, full-suspension). For trail riding, the answer is a little trickier.
Adding a suspension fork to a kids bike adds weight—often, quite a lot of weight. A nice fully-rigid bike like the Cleary Owl or the Woom OFF is lightweight and still perfectly capable on mellow singletrack. For kids who are new to mountain biking, or on the smaller size, the lower weight is particularly important.
If your child has already mastered mountain biking and is riding rougher trails, consider either front-suspension or full-suspension. Just make sure that you are spending the money to get them a bike with GOOD suspension so that the extra weight is justified by extra performance. Cheap suspension forks are a waste of weight and money.
Budget
Buy the best bike that you can afford. The nicer the bike, the more likely your child is to want to ride. The extra money buys extra comfort, performance, speed, and enjoyment.
Luckily the cheapest bike on this list, the Cleary Owl, is still a totally legit bike. If you can’t afford even that, don’t go to Walmart.
Instead, look for a decent used bike. Post on some local MTB Facebook groups. Find a local bike swap. Scour Craigslist and Ebay. Kids don’t stay one size for very long, so there are usually plenty of gently-used bikes out there.
Brakes
There are three types of mountain bike brakes:
- Hydraulic disc brakes
- Mechanical disc brakes
- V-brakes
Hydraulic disc brakes are the nicest and have the best performance. They are also the most expensive, and require the most maintenance. All of the bikes on list have hydraulic disc brakes.
Mechanical disc brakes come next. They offer most of the performance of a hydraulic disc brake in a package that is easier to maintain and adjust.
The cheapest option are good old v-brakes (rim brakes). Fortunately, kids don’t weigh a lot, so v-brakes do a pretty decent job of stopping them compared to an adult. Unfortunately, they don’t modulate, and they don’t work well when wet. This is again a matter of budget—buy the best you can personally afford.
Drivetrain
You probably have a good idea of whether or not your child is ready for gears. If they’ve mastered mountain biking without gears, they might be ready. If they have good eye-hand coordination, they might be ready. If they’re not ready, that’s fine—stick with a singlespeed.
The other thing to consider is the type of shifter. A lot of kids bikes come with grip shifters, but we far prefer trigger shifters, especially for mountain biking. They are easier to operate and to get clean shifts. That said grip shifters can be more intuitive for kids struggling to learn how to shift.
Weight
Weight is SO IMPORTANT when it comes to kids’ bikes. Lighter bikes are easier to maneuver, easier to climb on, and allow kids to have more fun. You want your child to enjoy mountain biking, right?
Unfortunately, many 20-inch mountain bikes are HEAVY. Most likely your child is currently riding a fully rigid 16-inch bike with v-brakes and a singlespeed drivetrain. Add on a suspension fork, disc brakes, and a geared drivetrain, and you’re adding a bunch of weight.
Obviously, if your family is primarily doing lift-served and shuttle rides, weight isn’t AS important. However, if your family does a lot of climbing OR if your child is particularly petite weight becomes very important. We specifically chose our son’s mountain bike to be the lightest bike we could find with a suspension fork.
Tire Size
Ah, the great tire size debate. For some reason this issue causes more upset than any other, so I’ll prepare myself for the fire that’s sure to come.
We believe the best tire size for kids this age is between 2.1″ and 2.3″. This provides plenty of traction and volume without adding rotational weight. The biggest issue with plus-sized tires for kids is that they tend to be heavy and as we already established the lighter the bike, the happier the kid.
Still, there are some legit reasons to choose a larger tire. First off, a higher-volume tire is often a better choice than a sub-par suspension fork for creating a plush ride. Second, plus-sized tires create the ability to ride a bike year-round since kids are light enough to ride plus-sized tires even in the snow.
The Extras
This stuff is less important….unless you’re a serious mountain bike aficionado (like I am). If you’re truly looking for the BEST mountain bike for your child, then don’t forget to pay attention to:
- Frame Geometry — What kind of riding is your child going to be doing? Pick a bike with appropriate geometry. Kids who plan on racing will be best off with a more aggressive design like that on the Trailcraft. If your kiddo is going to be spending most of their time at the bike park, look for slacker geo like that found on the Prevelo Zulu 4 HEIR.
- Internal Routing For a Dropper Post — Want to put a dropper post on your kiddos bike? A dropper can be hugely helpful for quick seat drops before a big downhill. But if you think you might add one, make sure to look for a bike that offers internal routing, because adding a dropper without routing, while possible, is a bit of a pain.
- Tubeless Tires — If it was up to us, every kid’s bike would have tubeless-ready rims and tires. It allows tires to be run at lower pressures for better traction. And nearly eliminates flat tires.
- Thru-Axle – Chances are, your mountain bike has a thru-axle. We think your kids mountain bike should have one too. Compared to a quick-release, a thru-axle provides greater stability and safety.
- Crank Length – The best crank length for kids this age are between 110mm and 130mm. The smaller you child and the shorter their legs, the shorter the optimal crank length. Anything over 130mm I would think twice about.
Gender: Is There A Difference Between A Boys 20 Inch Mountain Bike And A Girls 20 Inch Mountain Bike?
Unlike adult mountain bikes, where you can find women’s-specific bikes, there is no such thing as a “boys 20 inch mountain bike” or a “girls 20 inch mountain bike.” There are just kids mountain bikes.
Of course, you can always match your kids color preferences by choosing a frame they like, but don’t stop there! You can add extra bling by swapping out pedals, handlebar grips, etc.
Some girls (and even some boys) may also be uncomfortable on the existing saddle. In that case, we recommend checking out our list of the best kids bike saddles, and swapping out the existing seat for a new one.
More Stuff You Might Like
- Best Mountain Bike Brands For Kids
- Kids Mountain Bike Reviews + Guides
- Your Guide To Downhill Mountain Biking With Kids
About Us
The Rascals are a family of three. Kristen (mom), Blair (dad), and Parker (kiddo). We started Rascal Rides when Parker was born and we didn’t want to give up our passion for biking. As we learned, we shared. Over the years, we’ve tested hundreds of kids bikes, helmets, bike trailers, and more.
Kristen is a USA Cycling certified coach and loves to share her passion for biking with other families. Blair is a bike geek, mechanic, and mountain bike junkie. Parker is our resident tester and inspiration.
If you see us out on the trail, make sure to say hi!
->
Kristen
Nice article with some really important information for parents. We have just recently launched our MAD6 Series II which we believe trumps everything on the market. It is a purpose built 20″ wheel bike for all level of kids. The MAD6 is the only bike the standover height can be changed as the child grows. Our design and tuning combined with a bike weight of less than 8 kg (under 17.5 pounds) gives kids the best possible riding experience. 10 speed ZEE and dual suspension that is designed and dialled in for lightweight riders. The bikes are made to order although we usually have 1 or 2 in stock and the pricing includes delivery in most countries direct to the rider. Take a look at our new website and we would love to be mentioned in your reviews. Thanks for your time Please let me know if you need any more information. PS – you may see one around as a bike went to Utah a few weeks ago
Wow, who knew shopping for a REAL 20″ mountain bike was so hard! First, knowing what is out there….then, getting your hands on one! If I would have found your site sooner, it might have saved me some hassle – we just had to return the 1st one we purchased. After about 30-40 miles, we realized we went too cheap.
So, we have our 2nd 20″ bike arriving on Monday. This time, using your reviews, I was more knowledgeable on what to look for and what was out there We opted for the Norco Fluid, but their hardtail – the Fluid HT 2.3+. The HT had a lower retail price (retails for $579, but we got a “leftover” from the prior year), which worked well given the cost vs our expected years of service – 1 1/2 – 2 years max….and he is our youngest, so no other siblings to hand it down to. So my little shredder’s bike can be like “Dad’s bike” and some of the higher-end full suspension 20″ bikes, we are upgrading the fork to an air fork. …and yes, as hard as it is to shop for REAL 20″ mountain bikes, it’s even harder to shop for REAL air forks for a 20″ bike!
Thanks again for all the info – this is the only place I found this stuff!!
I’m a fanatic road cyclist. Paying thousand of dollars for a kid’s bike is totally insane. Fuck all those greedy companies.
I believe in thid case the “you get what you pay” for does apply.
Any thoughts on offerings by Marin? Specifically the San Quentin 20″?
Hi, I emailed Woom bikes US and was told the woom rigid fork 20″ is good for lift access bike park, but my neighbor who is a mtb enthusiast said hell naw. Can you help? Thoughts?
Hi Bredan,
You COULD take it to a lift accessed bike park if you are riding mellow green trails. That said, once your child has progressed beyond that, you’re going to want a bike with good suspension.
I stumbled onto a Propain Dreckspatz from Europe. It is a fantastic 20″ bike. It weighs 17lbs. Excellent fork. Great option when Propain gets their youth bikes to the states.
Yes! We are excited to test these out!
I am about to buy a used GT Aggressor 20 inch Mountain Bike Kids Aluminum Front Suspension.My son soon be 7yo, he is small in size for his age. He have not learn to ride yet but I want him to get all the equipments need to enjoy biking. Or should I buy a GT bank slammer BMX 20? Please help
I scrolled to the bottom of this just to say how ridiculous this article is. Perhaps this is a relevant article for people making $500k per year, but to even insinuate that most readers would be considering a $1500 bike that will be outgrown in 2 years… I found myself laughing at the out of touch-ness..
These are quality, performance bikes for kids and families that are seriously into riding. Of course they’re not “cheap”, like the literally cheap bikes you can pick up at Walmart or Target.
Those bikes won’t last on real terrain, and they’ll hold the kids back because of their bad components, bad weight, and bad geometry.
As Oz says above: You get what you pay for.