Best 24 Inch Mountain Bikes for Kids

Our resident kid bike testers have shredded on some pretty amazing 24 inch mountain bikes over the years. From lightweight rigid rides for beginners to front suspension bikes with high-end air forks, we’ve personally put in hours on the trails and watched these bikes consistently deliver on a variety of elevations and terrains.

While there is a diverse array of kids 24 inch mountain bikes, ranging from lower-end recreational mountain bikes (click through to see our list) to high-end, super niche, full-suspension mountain bikes, we’ve curated this list to focus on bikes between $550 and $2,000.

As parents with multiple young riders in the house, we’ve found this price range to be ideal for offering top-notch performance without breaking the bank. From Bentonville, Arkansas to the Wasatch mountains of Utah, we’ve put these bikes to the test and can attest to their performance and durability.

The Best 24 Inch Mountain Bikes for Kids

THE BEST 24 INCH MOUNTAIN BIKES

RIGID MOUNTAIN BIKES

Commencal Ramones 24

Comfortable geometry with plenty of room for growth

MSRP: $520
DRIVETRAIN: 7-speed, Sunrace short cage derailleur with trigger shifters, 30t chainring with a 13-34t cassette
STANDOUT FEATURES: Comfortable geometry with plenty of room for growth, Tektro mechanical disc brakes
COMPLETE REVIEW: Commencal Ramones 24

Not too much and not too little, the Commencal Ramones 24 offers the perfect mix of performance and affordability. Fully equipped with mechanical disc brakes, trigger shifters, grippy, wide 2.6″ tires, and coming in under 25 lb., the Ramones is an ideal rig for beginning to intermediate riders just getting started.

With a taller stack (essentially the front portion of the frame), the Ramones isn’t overly aggressive as it places the rider in a semi-upright position that most young riders prefer. It also keeps the cockpit nice and spacious, which allows riders to comfortably fit on the Ramones for slightly longer than more aggressive builds.

Compared to other bikes on this list, this 24″ Commencal is limited in gearing as it only offers 7 gears. With a gain ratio ranging from 1.9 to 5.0, the Ramones is still mountain worthy as it has plenty of granny gears for powering up hills.

Specialized Riprock 24

Aggressive geometry for ambitious riders, quality components

MSRP: $700
DRIVETRAIN: 9-speed, MicroSHIFT Advent with clutch and trigger shifters, 30t narrow-wide chainring with an 11-42t cassette
STANDOUT FEATURES: Aggressive, yet confidence-building geometry, quality components, sticky and cushioning Ground Control tires
COMPLETE REVIEW: Specialized Riprock

For young riders anxious to hit the hero dirt, the Specialized is a killer bike with a reasonable price tag. Updated by Specialized in 2022, the Riprock is dialed in from top to bottom to create a comfortable and capable ride for progressing groms.

Ready to rip right out of the box (or your local LBS), the Riprock comes standard with powerful Promax hydraulic disc brakes, a 9-speed MicroSHIFT Advent drivetrain, and traction obsessed 2.6″ wide Ground Control tires.

With a 68° head tube angle, the Riprock is an agile climber but is also dropper-post compatible for getting low on the way back down. With a large 11-42t cassette, the Riprock provides plenty of gears to quickly gain speed to hit the jump lines.

Pello Reyes

Most Versatile for On and Off the Trail

MSRP: $679 (rigid), $958 (w/ suspension)
DRIVETRAIN: 9-speed, Shimano Altus with Rapidfire trigger, 32t chainring with an 11-36t cassette
SUSPENSION: Optional RST F1RST suspension fork
STANDOUT FEATURES: Smooth rolling Kenda tires, can take a dropper seat post, mechanical disc brakes
COMPLETE REVIEW: Pello Reyes

The 24 inch Reyes frame is designed with versatility in mind. Your young rider will feel comfortable on or off the trail with Pello’s “ride right” geometry. It’s a well-balanced bike that is able to go wherever your kids decide they want to go – on or off the beaten path.

The Reyes can be upgraded with an RST F1RST air fork with 60mm of travel. If you order the Reyes with the air fork, Pello will still include the rigid fork in case you ever decide to put it back on. The frame of the Reyes is specifically tuned for this bike so that swapping out the fork will not affect the geometry at all.

The test rider above learned his basic mountain biking skills with the rigid Reyes. As he gained confidence and ability, we upgraded him to the air fork to make choppy terrain, jumps, and drops more comfortable for him.

Something that is somewhat of a standout for the Pello is that it comes with Alex tubeless wheels as a standard feature. This is great for kids’ bikes as they are always finding some type of thorn or puncture weed. If you convert to tubeless, you can run the tires at a lower pressure for lighter weight kids without risking pinch flats on tubes for more aggressive riders.

woom OFF 5

Lightweight XC Rider’s Dream Pony

MSRP: $899
DRIVETRAIN: 9-speed, SRAM trigger shifters and SRAM X5 derailleur, 28t chainring with an 11-34t cassette
STANDOUT FEATURES: Feather lightweight, high-volume, wide Schwalbe Rocket Ron tires, hydraulic disc brakes, low q-factor crankset, tubeless compatible tires and rims, internal dropper post routing
COMPLETE REVIEW: woom OFF

The woom OFF 5 is a lightweight, nimble masterpiece that is the ultimate gateway mountain bike for beginning and intermediate riders. The components have been especially well thought out for kids, which is one of woom’s specialties as a kid-focused bike brand. woom does an exceptional job at sizing everything just right, giving their bikes a great fit and feel that’s truly specific to kids.

In addition to being thoughtfully specced out for young riders, the woom OFF is insanely lightweight. Coming in at a mere 22 lbs., the woom provides plenty of technical brawn while still being light and nimble underfoot. Through varied terrain, our testers found the OFF to be fast and easy to throw around and fly through corners.

As a result, the woom OFF is truly outstanding for timid, petite, or beginning riders. Intermediate cross country riders taking on large elevation gains will also quickly reap the rewards of the OFF’s featherweight build.

For extended use as your little grom progresses, woom sells their kid-specific woom OFF AIR fork as an upgrade to help smooth out the chatter on more advanced trails.

CROSS COUNTRY/ TRAIL MOUNTAIN BIKES (80+ mm travel)

Polygon Xtrada 24

Quality build without breaking the bank

MSRP: $899
DRIVETRAIN: 1×10 speed Microshift with trigger shifters, 30T chainring, 11-42T cassette
SUSPENSION: Suntour XCR AIR, 80mm travel, Lockout Adjuster, QR axle
STANDOUT FEATURES: Responsive kid-specific Microshift drivetrain, frame ports for internal dropper post, hydraulic disc brakes, 80mm air fork, Vee Crown Gem 2.25″ wide tires

If your young grom is ready to hit more challenging trails, but you’re not quite ready to spend top dollar, the Polygon Xtrada 24 offers the perfect mix of quality components and a lower price. Well-built MTBs with an aluminum frame, air fork with lockout, hydraulic disc brakes, quality tires, as well as a 1×10 drivetrain don’t come cheap, but the Polygon Xtrada 24 makes it more affordable.

When put to work on single track, the Xtrada didn’t skip a beat and eagerly tackled green and blue trails without hesitation. Its slack 65º head tube angle easily takes on chunky rock gardens and rooty trails when pointed down. When headed up, the slacker head tube angle isn’t the most efficient, but our testers had no complaints on trails with mild elevation changes (less than 500ft gains).

Compared to the Prevelo Zulu and woom OFF AIR, most of its components are pretty on-par, but the Xtrada’s cost savings are evident in lack of tubeless compatible rims and tires as well as its heavier weight. The Xtrada comes in at 28 lbs., which is about 3 lbs. heavier than the Zulu and 6 lbs. heavier than the OFF AIR. For kid shredders who regularly tackle more elevation, the extra pounds on the Xtrada will be much more noticeable, but for those riding more level terrain, the difference won’t be as apparent.

Prevelo Zulu 4

All-mountain geometry with a wide gear range and a 100mm fork

MSRP:$1,049
DRIVETRAIN: 10-speed, Microshift Advent, 30t chainring with 11-48t cassette
SUSPENSION: Spinner 300 AIR with 100 mm travel, lockout, and adjustable compression
STANDOUT FEATURES: Wide gear range over 10 gears, hydraulic disc brakes, aluminum alloy custom formed & multi-butted tubing frame
COMPLETE REVIEW: Prevelo Zulu

Durable, rugged, and ready to take on every drop, rock garden, and rowdy root section your little shredder can find, the Prevelo Zulu is a true warrior at heart. With a 66° head tube angle and an 100mm air fork, the Zulu bombs downhill for breakfast and then pulls out its 10-speed, 11-48t cassette for a power climb back up for lunch.

When things really get rowdy, the Zulu’s hydraulic disc brakes with dual 160 mm rotors are equipped for the task, while its tubeless-ready setup allows for lower PSI’s to keep traction flowing. As icing on the cake, the Zulu is dropper post compatible.

Designed for more aggressive and adventurous riders, if your little daredevil eagerly seeks out jump lines and is waking you up bright and early to hit the trails, the Zulu is their perfect partner in crime.

woom OFF AIR 5

Lightweight XC beauty with an 80mm fork

MSRP: $1,099
DRIVETRAIN: 9-speed, SRAM trigger shifters and SRAM X5 derailleur, 28t chainring with an 11-34t cassette
SUSPENSION: Hydraulic air suspension fork with 80 mm travel, adjustable compression, rebound damping and lock-out
STANDOUT FEATURES: Feather lightweight, high-volume, wide Schwalbe Rocket Ron tires, hydraulic disc brakes, low q-factor crankset, tubeless compatible rims and tires, frame is dropper post compatible
COMPLETE REVIEW: woom OFF AIR

Featuring the same light and nimble build as the woom OFF (click here to jump to the summary above if you missed it), the woom OFF AIR 5 adds an extra level of air suspension goodness to the fun. Precisely tuned to work with lighter-weight kids, the confidence-building air fork of the OFF AIR will have your little one seeking out drops and jumps in no time.

ALL MOUNTAIN/ DOWNHILL (100+ mm travel)

Specialized Riprock Expert

Top-notch components with 100mm Manitou air fork

MSRP: $1,500
DRIVETRAIN: 11-speed, SRAM NX with clutch and trigger shifters, 30t narrow-wide chainring with an 11-42t cassette
SUSPENSION: Manitou J-Unit 100mm air fork
STANDOUT FEATURES: Aggressive yet confidence-building geometry, quality components, sticky and cushioning tubeless-ready Ground Control tires, hydraulic SRAM Level disc brakes
COMPLETE REVIEW: Specialized Riprock (we only tested the Riprock, not the Riprock Expert)

If the rigid and rugged Specialized Riprock (click here to jump to our Riprock summary above) doesn’t quite have enough bite for your ambitious grom, the Riprock Expert stands ready to serve. Kicking it up a notch, the Expert comes with a 100mm Manitou air fork, a SRAM NX drivetrain, a tubeless ready set-up, and SRAM Level hydraulic disc brakes.

Polygon Siskiu D24X

Full suspension for downhill enthusiasts

MSRP: $1,529
DRIVETRAIN: 10-speed, Shimano Deore and trigger shifters, 30t narrow-wide chainring with an 11-46t cassette
SUSPENSION: X-Fusion Velvet 120mm air fork, X-Fusion O2 Pro air spring rear
STANDOUT FEATURES: Full squish! Dropper post and tubeless-ready, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes
COMPLETE REVIEW: Polygon Siskiu Review (we tested the Siskiu D24, not the D24X – but prefer it based on its components)

The Polygon Siskiu D24X is the perfect pony for young riders ready for full squish, but without taking a heavy blow to the pocketbook. Providing that Goldilocks mix of great performance and value, the D24X comes standard with many of the features found on your bike, but at a fraction of the cost.

Tubeless and dropper post-ready, the Siskiu will help ease your young grom into full suspension riding. With Tektro hydraulic disc brakes providing plenty of stopping power and an 11-speed Shimano Deore drivetrain, the Siskiu is right at home at bike parks and on single-track jump lines.

While not as fine-tuned and fully kitted out as an XS or S adult bike, the Siskiu provides all the same features without “over biking” or intimidating young riders.

Commencal Meta HT 24″

All-mountain geometry with upgraded 120 mm fork

MSRP: $1,500
DRIVETRAIN: 11-speed, SRAM NX derailleur and shifter, 30t narrow-wide chain-ring, 11-42 cassette
SUSPENSION: Manitou Machete Junit Pro air, 120mm travel, lockout and adjustable compression
STANDOUT FEATURES: Lightweight at 26 lb., SRAM Level hydraulic disc brakes with dual 180 mm rotors

The Commencal Meta HT bike is designed for the rowdiest of kids tackling chunky trails and steep descents. With a comfortable yet capable 67° head tube, the Meta HT puts young groms at ease when pointed down without sacrificing too much on the way up.

Coming equipped with a 120mm Manitou Machete Junit Pro fork, the Meta HT provides plenty of squish for aggressive drops backed up by the stopping power of SRAM Level hydraulic disc brakes with dual 180mm rotors. On the way up, SRAM’s 11-speed NX drivetrain (11-42t) quickly goes to work in those granny gears.

Truly put to the test, the Meta HT didn’t skip a beat for our young testers in varied terrain on everything from desert single track with a lot of square edge drops and chunky rocks, to fast and flowy high alpine single track mixed with occasional roots, rocks and loose moondust.

ADDITIONAL 24″ MOUNTAIN BIKES TO CONSIDER

Cleary Scout

Newly update XC Scout

** The 2022 Cleary Scout is now shipping. We have not yet reviewed this latest version.**

MSRP: $1,060
DRIVETRAIN: 10-speed, Microshift trigger shifters, 28t chainring with an 11-42t cassette
SUSPENSION: Suntour Air with 80mm of travel
STANDOUT FEATURES: Hydraulic disc brakes, tubeless compatible rims, dropper post ready, but heavier than other options
COMPLETE REVIEW: Cleary Scout (older version – new update coming soon)

woom UP 5

Best Electric Mountain Bike for Kids

MSRP: $3,799
DRIVETRAIN: 11 speeds with SRAM NX trigger shifter and derailleur
STANDOUT FEATURES: Lightweight for an ebike, super low gear for climbing, pedal-assist Class 1 motor with 12 mph max assistance, high-volume, wide Schwalbe Rocket Ron tires, hydraulic disc brakes
COMPLETE REVIEW: woom UP

The woom UP might just be a game changer for your little rider! This electric bike for kids is designed to enable young riders to climb elevations and pound out long distances with a smile, rather than tears of frustration.

While not ideal for technical shredders who love to hit every feature on the trail (you shouldn’t jump or drop more than 12″), the woom UP is a perfect tool for kids who want to go higher or farther but don’t have the physical or mental stamina to do it on their own.

Read our full review for a full explanation of the benefits and limitations of an ebike, as well as the lowdown on all of the woom UP’s impressive specs.

Things to Look For When Choosing a 24″ Mountain Bike

There are a lot of things to consider when looking for a mountain bike for a kid. This list of items is not necessarily in order of importance, however all of these things are important to consider.

Wheel Size

What size mountain bike is your kid going to need? Like standard kids’ bikes, mountain bikes for kids are sized according to their wheel size and are available in 16”, 20”, 24”, 26″ and even 27.5″.

As parents, we tend to want to get our kids the biggest size of shoes, clothes, snowboards, and especially bikes due to how much you can end up spending on your kid’s two-wheeled ticket to happiness. However, this can lead to your child actually having less of a good time and wanting to go back inside to playing video games.

Be sure to pick out the right size for your child. That means a bike that fits them right now, not in 6 months. They learn easier, progress faster, and have less crashes by having the right-sized bike.

Geometry

The best geometry for a mountain bike is entirely dependent on what type of riding your child will be doing, as well as the terrain they’ll be tackling.

XC: For flatter trails and more XC oriented biking, you should be looking for something that has a bit steeper head and seat angles, around 65°to 67°. This will aid them on longer climbs and help them feel more stable and planted as they are cruising along the trail.

Downhill: As the terrain gets going downhill with steeper descents, and/or lift-served bike park riding, you’ll be looking for slacker numbers in head angle (in the low 60’s), shorter chain stays, and lower bottom bracket heights and lower stand over numbers. This will give your kid more confidence by helping them to maneuver the bike easier on steeps, jumps, and rougher sections of trail.

Bar Width & Stem Length: Most bike companies are catching on, but look for wider bars and shorter stems. This will give kids more control at the cockpit with more direct steering feedback. As kids grow, you could also look into getting a bit longer stem to give them more time on a bike before having to pony up for a new bike in the next size.

Girls and Boys 24 inch Mountain Bikes

While there are some differences in geometry in men’s and women’s mountain bikes, in kids mountain bikes, there really isn’t a difference when it comes to gender. All kids mountain bikes are gender-neutral. We don’t know of a company that makes a “girls 24 inch mountain bike”.

If your child does happen to have a longer or shorter reach, swapping out the stem of the bike can make a big difference in the reach of the bike. If your child has a shorter torso, they are likely to need a shorter stem and vice versa.

Weight

Weight is a huge factor to consider when getting the right mountain bike for your child. The lighter the bike, the better… obviously. Especially if you are expecting your kid to do any sustained pedaling uphill.

Rigid bikes will generally be the lightest. Full suspension bikes will be on the heavier side, especially with larger travel on more downhill-type mountain bikes.

Again, choose what bike you will get based on the type of terrain your child will ride. Some people think that full suspension is the only way to go. While full suspension can give more confidence, those bikes carry more weight. A couple of pounds can make a big difference to a kid that only weighs 60 lbs.

Kids are light and don’t need as much suspension as older, heavier riders. Lighter-weight kids tend to float and bounce through a lot of bumps that would really abuse adults. So while it may sound crazy, consider a hardtail, or even a bike without any suspension, depending on skill level.

Suspension Fork

Rigid: While certainly not conventional, a rigid fork on a kid’s mountain bike isn’t unheard of and they certainly have their place. For beginning kids riding flowy trails, the minimal amount of dampening a fork can provide is usually negated by the added weight of the suspension fork itself.  Kids are pretty darn light, so in most cases they don’t get the same benefits out of a fork as adults do.

For those purists, rigid forks can also help kids learn to feel the trail more and learn more quickly from mistakes.  Suspension forks can enable any beginning rider to be “sloppy” and delay their understanding of how to ride technically.  

Suspension: If you’re looking at a mountain bike with a suspension fork, there are a couple things to look for. (1) Travel, and (2) internals of the fork. Keep in mind that a kid’s bike is going to have a lot less travel than the bike you ride.

Travel: Travel will generally range from about 60mm-120mm. To give you an idea on a 24″ bike, 60 mm will be on the XC end of the scale with 120mm being on the downhill/bike park end of the scale.

Many air forks on kids bikes cannot achieve the amount of stated travel, especially if your child is very lightweight. The more high-end the fork, the more likely it will be responsive to a light weight child.

Fork Internals:

Suspension forks are either coil-sprung or air-sprung.  Coil-sprung are cheaper than air and are found on most lower to mid-range bikes.  The quality levels of coil-spring forks do vary greatly, however, as a high-end, coil-sprung fork can run circles around cheap, mass-produced forks.

Typically, the price of the bike is reflective of the bike’s overall components.  A cheap mountain bike is going to have a cheap fork and vice versa.  The more aggressive your child and the trails, the more aggressive the fork (and your budget) will need to be.

Although spring forks do work, an air sprung fork is much better as you can adjust the amount of pressure based on the weight of your kid. They also have more rebound and dampening adjustability and will usually have much more of a plush feel to them.

As a result, air suspension forks are a must for any downhill or really aggressive rider.  Coil sprung forks simply don’t have the rebound as well as the adjustability needed for the regular hits of a downhill ride.

Tires

Before heading out on the trails, you want to make sure the bike’s tires have plenty of tooth to them for the type of terrain you’ll be riding most often.  In most cases, the stock tires on 24″ kids mountain bikes are a versatile tread that will work well in most scenarios a child rider will find themselves in.

But for those riding rigid forks, and even for those who just want a little more cushion, consider adding a high-volume tire to the bike. These “mid-fat” tires are wider than traditional tires and are around 2.5″ wide. 

With more air between the tread and the rim, they offer more “squish” and help smooth out the ride.  Just be sure not to crank up the tire pressure!  Lightweight riders can ride at a much lower PSI.

If your trail of choice has you fighting off thorns and puncture weeds, mountain bikes with a tubeless or tubeless-ready option are ideal.  Many bikes come with tubeless-ready rims that you can easily convert to tubeless, while other bikes may require you to purchase a new rim and tire set.  In addition to preventing flats, a tubeless setup allows you to run at lower tire pressures without the risk of pinch flats.

Shifters

By the time a child is ready for a 24″ bike, they’re probably more than ready for gears. We highly recommend sticking to trigger shifters for true mountain biking.

Trigger shifters are ideal as they allows kids to shift without putting any addition torque on the handlebar to grip. Having watched a child crash on a trail as a result of twisting their grip shift too hard, we know all too well the benefits of triggers shifters for mountain biking.

Smoother and faster shifting is another benefit of trigger shifters, which will become essential as your child grows more confident and aggressive in their biking style. In recent years, triggers shifters have evolved in design to be much easier for kids to reach and active the buttons.

Brakes

If you’re going mountain biking, you have to be able to reliably stop. So what kind of brakes do you really need?

V-Pull: For beginning mountain bike trails, especially on 16″ and 20″ bikes, little ones will be fine with mini-V brakes. Most kids’ mountain bikes will come with good mini-V brakes with adjustable reach and small levers made for little fingers.

If they don’t, then look for a bike that does have smaller levers with adjustable reach. It’s no good if your kid has to use all 4 fingers fully extended just to reach the lever and pull them in. Mini v-brakes are going to be the least expensive.

Mechanical Disc Brakes: Mechanical disk brakes will be the next level in performance, offering a bit more stopping power and easier pull than the mini-V brakes.

Hydraulic Disc Brakes: The most expensive option, but the best performing, will be hydraulic disc brakes. They are the easiest to pull and have the most stopping power. They are becoming increasingly common on high-quality kids mountain bikes.

Kids that will be doing more aggressive downhill riding will love having hydraulic disc brakes. Their hands will get less tired and they’ll be able to ride longer. They will also be able to ride faster with more confidence knowing they will be able to slow down easier and faster.

Direct Sales Model or Bike Shop

There are some benefits to both sides of the coin when purchasing a mountain bike online or through a local bike shop. When you buy direct from brands like Prevelo or woom, you tend to get a lot of bike for your money. So there is a lot of value there. Especially if you are handy with a wrench and do most of the upkeep on your bikes.

When you buy a kids bike like Trek from a shop however, you can get included tune-ups, service, warranty, and in-house advice and help. However, just because you buy a bike from a direct sales brand, don’t think the shop will turn you away from tuning up and working on your bike.