12 Best Kids 20 Inch Bikes: 2020

While kids 20 inch bikes are generally the best fit for most kids who are 6 or 7 years old, they can vary greatly in size, price, and features. From gears, to brakes, to frame size, kids’ bikes can start getting a lot more complicated when your child is ready for a 20 inch bike.

But with kid-centric brands like woom, Guardian, Prevelo, Priority, and Pello, you can’t go wrong.  To help you wade through all the options, we’ve tested over twenty different 20 inch bikes, ranging from $50 to $900, to help you find the best bike for your child’s riding style and your budget.

Top Picks Summary – Bikes for 6 and 7-Year-Olds

While 20 inch bikes generally fit most kids who are 6 or 7- years -old, which bike is best for your child?  Use our handy lists below to check out our top picks for your child’s riding style, then scroll down for more detailed info on each bike.

Note: Due to manufacturing delays as a result of COVID, many of our top bike choices are not currently available.  As a result, we have updated our top list to reflect bikes that are currently in stock. Our full and accurate list can be found in the detailed descriptions further down the page.

Best on a Budget 20 Inch Bikes

1. Guardian Ethos – Best Safety Innovation, $279/$319
2. REI Co-Op REV 20 6-Speed – Best for Paved and Mild Trails, $339
3. REI Co-Op REV 20 Single Speed – Best for Adventurous Riders, $209
4. Schwinn Koen/Elm – Best Bang for Your Buck, $170

Neighborhood 20 Inch Bikes

1. Guardian Original – Best Safety Innovation, $379/$419 (pre-order)
2. Priority Start 20 – Best Intro to Gears, $369 (pre-order)
3. Ridgeback Dimension – Best for Longer Paved Rides, $449
4. Pello Reddi – Best for Longer Rides (single speed), $409 (pre-order)

Multi-Use – Paved and Mild Trails 20 Inch Bikes

1. Prevelo Alpha Three, Best for Adventurous Riders (geared), $479 (pre-order)
2. woom 4 – Best for Everyday Use & Timid Riders, $479 (pre-order)
3. Frog 52 & 55 – Most Versatile, $470
4. Pello Rover – Best for Frequent Trail Use, $529 (pre-order)
5. Saracen Mantra 2.0R – Adventurous Riders (geared) Honorable Mention, $499

BEST ON A BUDGET

What We Look for in a Budget Bike

For families on a budget, it can be difficult to find a bike that is easy to ride and easy on the pocket book. While not as high-end as other bikes on this list, our favorite budget bikes are significantly easier to ride than bikes you will find at a big box store. They are lighter, have better components, and have frames that are better sized for a child’s small body.

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Guardian Ethos 20

Best on a Budget: Best Safety Innovation

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MSRP: 20 inch Small (single speed) – $279, 20 inch Large (geared) – $319

SEAT HEIGHT: 20″ Small (single speed): 20.8″ – 26.8″, 20″ Large (geared): 22.5″ – 28.5″

WEIGHT: 20.7 lb. and 22.9 lb.

STANDOUT FEATURES: Guardian’s patented SureStop braking system allows kids to brake faster, safer, and with less effort!

FULL REVIEW:  Guardian 20″

From their low-center-of-gravity designs and lightweight frames to their amazing SureStop braking system, Guardian’s Ethos line offers premium features for a reasonable price.  Guardian offers two 20 inch bikes in their Ethos line. The 20 inch small is single-speed. The 20 inch large has a larger frame and is geared.  The 20 inch Large does have a higher minimum seat height than the 20 inch Small, so be sure to measure your child’s inseam before you order!

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REI Co-Op REV Single Speed

Best on a Budget: Best for Adventurous Riders, Paved

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MSRP: $209

SEAT HEIGHT: 22.5″ – 28″

WEIGHT: 21 lb.

GAIN RATIO:

STANDOUT FEATURES: Lightweight bike offering great quality for the price

FULL REVIEW: REI Co-Op REV Single Speed

The REI Co-Op REV single-speed is hands-down the best choice for neighborhood riders in the mid-range price point. Significantly lighter than other bikes in its price range and without the complexity of gears, the REV single speed is easy to handle for young riders.

Its aluminum frame is high quality and solidly built, finished with a modern matte paint job. With narrower street tires with minimal tread, the REV is not suitable for non-paved trails, and its leaned forward body position is better for confident vs timid riders. Be aware that like many $200 bikes, the REV does have a coaster brake, but it also has a go0d-quality rear Tektro handbrake that actually works.

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REI Co-Op REV Plus

Best on a Budget: Best for Paved and Mild Trails

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MSRP: $339

SEAT HEIGHT: 22″ – 28.5″

WEIGHT: 24.9 lb.

STANDOUT FEATURES: Disc brakes, plus size tires, good-quality components for great price

FULL REVIEW: REI Co-Op REV Plus

With plus size tires, mechanical disc brakes, and a design that oozes the cool-factor, REI’s Co-Op REV Plus line offers great performance for a reasonable price point. Whether your child simply wants the coolest bike to ride around the neighborhood, or if you’re looking for a budget-friendly entry level mountain bike for basic trails, the REV Plus is a great choice.

While its heavier weight and lower-end components keep it from being a true mountain bike, it’s easily our favorite mid-range bike for younger riders looking for a cool “mountain bike” that can actually ride in the mountains!

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Raleigh Rowdy 20/Lily 20

Best on a Budget: Best for Adventurous Riders

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MSRP: $240 (Rowdy), $240 (Lily)

SEAT HEIGHT: 25.25″ – 29.9″

WEIGHT: 21 lb.

STANDOUT FEATURES: Great quality for the price

FULL REVIEW: Raleigh Rowdy 20

The Rowdy and Lily pack a lot of punch into their sub-$250 price tag.  While built with lower-end components than our other top picks, they’re amazingly light for their price, are built with easy-to-use Shimano grip shifters, and have responsive, dual-hand brakes.

With an aggressive geometry (kids are more leaned forward as they ride), the Rowdy and Lily easily allow kids to shift their weight around to tackle jumps, hills, or every curb in the neighborhood.  With smoother tires, versus knobby all-terrain tires, the Rowdy and Lily roll smooth and steady on paved surfaces, but still have enough grip to tackle basic dirt.

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Raleigh MXR 20/Jazzi 20″

Best on a Budget: Best Bang for Your Buck

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MSRP: $190

SEAT HEIGHT: 23.5″ – 29.5″ (MXR and Jazzi)

WEIGHT: 21.8 lb

GAIN RATIO: 4 (both)

STANDOUT FEATURES: Lightweight bikes offering great quality for the price

FULL REVIEWS: MXR 20, Jazzi 20

An amazing build for the price, the Raleigh MXR and Jazzi provide comfortable rides and durable a build that are sure to last through several children. Unlike the others in the list, the Raleigh’s do have a coaster brake, but they also feature a rear v-pull brake.  While not the lightest bikes, they are well-made and are pretty much the best bike you’ll find for those looking to stay under $200.

 

BEST FOR NEIGHBORHOOD USE

What We Look for in a Neighborhood Bike

Bikes for kids who mainly ride around the neighborhood should be lightweight, easy-to-ride, and provide a comfortable riding position for the rider.  The average child rider doesn’t need a lot of gears or shocks or other extra add-ons that require maintenance and greatly increase the overall weight of the bike.

Keep it simple here – what your child needs is a dependable, durable, and fun bike to help them explore the neighborhood.

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Guardian Original 20″

Neighborhood Bikes: Best Safety Innovation

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MSRP: 20″ Small (single speed) – $379, 20″ Large (geared) – $419

SEAT HEIGHT: 20″ Small (single speed): 20.8″ – 26.8″, 20″ Large (geared): 22.5″ – 28.5″

WEIGHT: 19.5 lb and 20.2 lb

STANDOUT FEATURES: Proprietary braking systems help kids brake with more control

FULL REVIEW:  Guardian Original

Lightweight and well-designed, Shark-Tank-funded Guardian Bikes come with a proprietary braking system called SureStop that prevents unsafe braking. When braking with just the front hand brake while at high speeds, bikes can tilt forward and buck a child off the bike and over the handlebars.

SureStop on Guardian bikes prevents this by having only one brake lever engage the front and rear brakes. Not only it is the safest system on the market, but it’s also much easier to use than most traditional dual-hand brakes.

Available in a premium Original Line and a budget-friendly Ethos line, the Guardian Original is built with a lightweight aluminum frame and higher-end components, including an upgraded grip shifter that works great with small hands.

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Priority Start 20″

Neighborhood Bikes: Best Introduction to Gears

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MSRP: $369

SEAT HEIGHT: 22″ – 28.5″

WEIGHT: 19.5 lb.

STANDOUT FEATURES: 3 gears for an easy intro to shifting

FULL REVIEW:  Priority Start 20″

Staying true to their innovative beginnings, the Priority Start 20″ offers the simplicity and easy maintenance of a single-speed but with the gearing options of a traditional geared bike. With just three-gears housed in an innovative, internally-geared hub, the Priority Start 20 has gears, but without the traditional bulky and finicky derailleur.

Combined with a lightweight frame and grease-free belt drive, the Start 20 is the perfect “Goldilocks” bike for the average everyday rider – not too basic, not too complex, but just right.

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Pello Reddi

Neighborhood Bikes: Best for Longer Rides

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MSRP: $409

SEAT HEIGHT: 21.25″ – 26″

WEIGHT: 17 lb.

GAIN RATIO: 4.5

STANDOUT FEATURES: Comfortable, upright positioning, high gain ratios for higher speeds

FULL REVIEW:  Pello Reddi

Pello Bikes are the dream-child of a dad simply looking for a great bike at a great price.  He succeeded! Lightweight with a low center-of-gravity, the Pello Reddi is the perfect bike for everyday neighborhood riders looking for a fun, steady ride with a comfortable upright position.  With the highest gain ratio of the four, it takes slightly more effort than the others to get started but can reach faster speeds and travel farther with each pedal stroke. This makes it a fantastic choice for longer rides with the family.

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Vitus 20

Neighborhood Bikes: Best Bang for Your Buck

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MSRP: $339

WEIGHT: 20.9 lb.

STANDOUT FEATURES: Easy-to-use gears, great components at a low price, lightweight

For those who live near hills or simply want or need the flexibility of a geared bike when riding, the Vitus is a great basic geared bike.

While this is the only bike on our list we haven’t had a chance to test yet, it comes highly recommended. And at such a great price, we wanted to offer it as an option until we can get our hands on one ourselves! It’s incredibly rare to find a bike with such quality components at such a low price point. And lightweight to boot!

BEST FOR MULTI-USE

What We Look for in a Multi-Use Bike

Multi-use bikes are versatile enough to ride around the neighborhood, take on longer paved rides, and tackle compact dirt trails and basic single-track trails.  Most kids on 20 inch bikes are just beginning to explore what adventures they can really have on a bike, so having a bike equipped to handle various conditions is ideal for most young riders.

Gears are preferred for a multi-use bike, as are lightweight frames and high-quality, dual-hand brakes. Single speed bikes may be appropriate for children who would find shifting more confusing than helpful.

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woom 4

Multi-Use: Best for Everyday Use & Timid Riders

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MSRP: $479

SEAT HEIGHT: 22.1″ – 28″

WEIGHT: 16.3 lb.

STANDOUT FEATURE: Wide gain ratio range, very lightweight, comfortable rider position

FULL REVIEW: woom 4

With mid-range 1.5″ tires, grip shifters, and weighing in under 17 lb., the woom 4 is well-suited for anything from longer rides on paved bike trails to cruising dirt roads. Easy to ride and easy to handle, the woom 4 places kids in a comfortable rider position (not too leaned forward or straight up) that helps kids feel stable and confident as they ride.

As the lightest 20 inch bike we’ve ever tested, our timid testers have all raved about the woom 4. For those riders ready for more action, the woom features a wide gain ratio (gearing) range of 2.3 to 6.7 making it suitable for flying down flat paved trails or climb rolling hills.  Comes in five fun colors for particular kids.

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Pello Rover

Multi-Use: Best for Frequent Trail Use

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MSRP: $529

SEAT HEIGHT: 22.5″ – 27.5″

WEIGHT: 20.3 lb.

STANDOUT FEATURES: Mechanical disc brakes, wide tires with flat knobs suitable for both trail and pavement

FULL REVIEW:  Pello Rover

The Pello Rover is the ideal riding machine for young riders ready to tackle gears and trails (paved and dirt) for the first time.  Featuring wide high-end K-RAD Kenda tires, the Pello has the extra grip to tackle rough terrain, while still featuing flatter knobs to allows for smooth rolling on paved surfaces.

With superior stopping power from mechanical disc brakes, grip shifters to more easily master gears, and a lightweight quality build, the Rover stands ready to take on whatever your young ripper can throw at it.

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Prevelo Alpha Three

Multi-Use: Best for Adventurous Riders (Geared)

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MSRP: $499

SEAT HEIGHT: 20.7″ – 25.5″

WEIGHT: 18.9 lb.

STANDOUT FEATURES: Lightweight and nimble, trigger shifters for aggressive riders

FULL REVIEW:  Prevelo Alpha Three

For those young groms craving a lightweight, nimble bike that can easily take them from grand neighborhood adventures to basic trails, the Prevelo Alpha 3 is the ultimate ride.

While the tires and brakes on the Pello Rover make it better for frequent or intermediate trail riders, the 1.5 lb. lighter weight Prevelo is better for everyday aggressive riders who seek out any obstacles, such as jumps or ramps, as well as occasional trail riding.

Featuring trigger shifters, versus Pello’s grip shifters, the Prevelo offers faster and quicker shifting for those powering up hills or neighborhood jumps.

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Cleary Owl

Multi-Use: Best for Adventurous Riders (Single Speed)

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MSRP: $425

SEAT HEIGHT: 21″ – 26.4″

WEIGHT: 19.1 lb.

GAIN RATIO: 3.37

STANDOUT FEATURES: Aggressive geometry for adventurous riders

FULL REVIEW:  Cleary Owl

Designed with a more leaned-forward body position and a low gain ratio, the Cleary Owl is an amazing, fun-to-ride bike for those ambitious kids ready to tackle any jump or curb the neighborhood can throw at them, and who don’t want the extra hassle of shifting gears.  Well-equipped for basic trail riding as well, the Cleary allows kids to easily shift their weight around, but its single speed does limit its use to basic trails.

How to Choose the Best 20 inch Bike for your 6 or 7-Year-Old

Here’s a quick summary of what to look for when selecting the best bike for your 6 or 7-year-old. For more detailed information on the topics below, check out our article Best Kids Bikes: The Authoritative Buying Guide.

Size

A 20 inch bike is generally the best fit to buy for 6 and 7-year-olds. If your child is already 8 or is a very tall 7-year-old, also consider 24-inch bikes as they would offer more room for growth. If a child starts on a 20 inch bike when they are 6 or 7, they can likely continue to ride it while they are 8 years old.

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In addition to wheel size, pay close attention to the minimum and maximum seat height as they can vary widely. The two bikes shown above both have 20 inch wheels but fit different size kids. The Priority Start on the left has a 22″ minimum seat height while the Raleigh Rowdy on the right has a minimum seat height of 25.25″!  Make sure that you choose a bike that not only fits well now, but allows for plenty of room for growth.

Don’t know how tall your child’s bike seat should be? If your child is a confident rider, it’s best to set the bike’s seat about 2 – 3″ above the child’s inseam. This will allow them to touch the ground with their tiptoes and achieve maximum efficiency while pedaling. If your child is very timid, you can set the seat lower to allow them to more easily touch the ground with their feet.

Weight

Ideally, your child’s bike will be less than 30% of their body weight.  In most cases, the lighter the bike, the easier the bike is to ride. This is especially true with lightweight or petite children.
Many 20 inch bikes also come with gears, which can increase the weight of the bike, although it is minimal.  Shocks on a 20 inch bike, however, can add A LOT of unnecessary weight to a bike.  Shocks on a 20 inch bike should be avoided unless the child is riding really aggressive single-track trails.

Frame Design

The frame design on 20 inch bikes can vary greatly as these bikes are often designed for a specific type of rider.  A bike built for neighborhood use will place its rider in a more comfortable upright position while a bike built for more aggressive riding will place the rider in a much more aggressive leaned forward position.

As a result, there isn’t one best bike for kids who are 6 or 7-years-old. There are bikes that are best for different types of riders and different types of terrains.

Brakes

Generally, 6-year-olds are coordinated enough to properly use a handbrake.  Handbrakes are much more efficient and have much more stopping power than coaster brakes. As a result, we give strong preference to bikes with dual hand brakes and NO coaster brake.  Coaster brakes aren’t necessary and prevent kids from pedaling backward to help them regain their balance.

Gearing

A 20 inch bike is the first time you have an option to purchase a bike with gears. For some kids at age 6 or 7 gears might still be too much to handle! For less coordinated or timid kids, it’s just one more thing to worry about.  Many great 20 inch single-speed bikes are available that might be worth considering.

For many kids, gears are a welcomed addition to their bike!  Some kids quickly and easily take to gears, while others take time. Learning when and how to shift can be confusing and challenging.  Often times age makes a difference in how a child responds to gears. 6-year-olds generally love playing with gears (i.e. shifting whenever they feel like it), but by 7 years old, their coordination has increased and they begin to use the gears more intentionally.

When choosing a single-speed, be sure to take note of the gain ratio of the bike.

Low gain ratio (2 to 3.5): Easier to pedal from the start, but reaches a lower maximum speed.  Best for ambitious riders who want to power up hills or obstacles. Not ideal for use on long, flat rides.

High gain ratio (3.5 to 5): Harder to pedal from the start, but can reach a higher maximum speed.  Ideal for longer rides as the bike gains more distance with every pedal stroke.

Price

Good bikes are not cheap, and as bikes get larger, they get more expensive. Every bike on this list is significantly better than a bike you’ll find at Walmart, but also costs more. The more expensive bikes on this list are more lightweight, have higher end components, and frame designs that make them easier to ride. Adding gears also contributes significantly to the price.

Why trust us? The kids riding bikes in the pictures below are our kids (as well as some neighborhood kids).  We put bikes to the test – we don’t just rate them based on what others have said about them.  Plus, with 9 years of bike testing under our belt, we’ve personally met and consulted with many top brands in the industry including woom, Strider, Prevelo and Cleary.

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Best Kids Bikes: The Authoritative Buying Guide – Detailed information on what to look for when choosing a bike.

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