Kids 24 Inch Bikes: The 10 Best Bikes for 8 to 10 Year Olds

We’ve tested over 15 different 24 inch kids bikes with our own kids and have narrowed down our all-time favorites! From everyday neighborhood riding to single-track beginning mountain bikes, we’ve put these bikes to the test to help you find the best.

24 inch bikes are typically the best fit for kids ages 8, 9 and 10, but be sure to check out our kids bike sizing guide if you are unsure what is the best size bike for your child.

Like adult bikes, kids 24 inch bikes can vary greatly in form and function. To help narrow your search, we have broken down our top picks into three categories.

Neighborhood bikes are best for kids sticking mainly to pavement riding, multi-use bikes are best for kids who transition from paved to basic dirt and beginning mountain bikes are for those who plan on tackling some single-track.

For those looking for a true off-road rig, be sure to check out our Best Mountain Bikes for Kids page.

Prefer watching over reading? Watch all of our favorite 24 inch bikes in action in the video below!

BEST 24 INCH NEIGHBORHOOD BIKES

What We Look for in a Neighborhood Bike

Whether you are riding down to a friends house or going to mile long rides on a bike path, neighborhood bikes are designed for kids who mainly stick to paved surfaces. With smoother street tires and slightly more upright positioning than multi-use bikes, these bikes are the perfect companion to any city cruiser.

Guardian Original

Innovative braking system, easy-to-use grip shifters

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MSRP: $439

SEAT HEIGHT: 25″ – 33″

WEIGHT: 23 lbs.

READ MORE: Guardian 24 inch Review

You wouldn’t think that brakes on a kid’s bike would be a big deal, but Guardian Bikes prove otherwise. Their proprietary SureStop braking system helps kids of all riding abilities feel more confident and less anxious, whether they’re riding to their friend’s house or across town. With just one brake lever that sequentially engages the rear brake followed by the front brake, timid kids feel more secure, and aggressive kids have the added stopping power they need.

Priority Start 24

Simplified and very-low maintenance gearing system

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MSRP: $399

WEIGHT: 23.3 lbs.

READ MORE: Priority Start 24 Review

Intelligently designed with just three simple gears and a grease-free belt drive, the Priority Start 24 makes kids’ biking adventures simpler and easier (and more maintenance-free for parents!). The Start boasts beautiful lines and an impressive paint job along with multi-terrain tires that accommodate everyone from timid to aggressive riders. The Priority Start is truly the full package for your neighborhood rider.

Guardian Ethos

Innovative braking system, great bang for your buck

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MSRP: $339

SEAT HEIGHT: 25″ – 33″

WEIGHT: 25.5 lbs.

READ MORE: Guardian 24 inch Review

A more budget-friendly version of the Guardian Original, the Ethos line still features Guardian’s unique SureStop braking system and kid-specific fit, but keeps costs down with a steel frame, simpler graphics, and a basic grip shifter.

BEST 24 INCH MULTI-USE BIKES

What We Look for in a Multi-Use Bike

For those riding on paved trails one day and dirt trails the next, multi-use bikes are the perfect fit. The versatile tires on these bikes are knobby enough to grip dirt and rocks but also feature a flat centerline to allow for smooth rides along paved surfaces. With more aggressive positioning and gears, these bikes are also the perfect stepping stone to helping kids get more aggressive in their riding.

woom 5

Super lightweight, confidence-building bike

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MSRP: $499

SEAT HEIGHT: 26.4″ – 32.3″

WEIGHT: 18.1 lbs.

READ MORE: woom 5 Review

The woom 5’s combination of a more upright position, a wider gearing range, and slightly wider tires makes it ideal for beginning to intermediate riders on various surfaces. Because it’s so versatile in use, it’s especially great for young riders who have a love for bike riding, but haven’t seriously committed to road or aggressive trail riding. The woom 5 is a solid, does-it-all bike for your budding bike enthusiast.

Pello Reyes

Mechanical disc brakes, can upgrade to suspension fork

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MSRP: $599

WEIGHT: 21.9 lbs.

FULL REVIEW: Pello Reyes Review

From paved bike trails to smooth rolling single-track, the Reyes is the ultimate multi-trick pony for the adventurous 8 to 10-year old.  Built with a lightweight and nimble frame, Tektro mechanical-disc brakes, a responsive Cane Creek headset and topped with 9-speeds controlled by a SRAM X9 grip shift, the Reyes is built ready.  Taking it one step further, the Reyes comes equipped with 24 x 1.95″ Kenda Krad tires that are not only the widest tires in this group, they provide a ton of bite for adventurers on packed dirt trails, yet are low profile enough to provide a smooth ride on pavement.

Have a true grom on your hands?  Convert the Reyes into the ultimate mountain bike by going tubeless (rims are tubeless compatible) and for $140 add on a Spinner Grind Air fork at purchase (geometry is suspension corrected).  At $740 total, it’s a super affordable and legit mountain bike option.

REI Co-Op REV Plus

Great quality and build for the price

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MSRP: $379

WEIGHT: 28.2 lbs.

READ MORE: REI Co-Op REV Plus Review

As your child gets older, there are fewer bikes to choose from, and they get considerably more expensive. So what do you do if the high-end bikes are beyond your budget? Fortunately, you’re not completely out of luck! REI offers well-designed, solid-quality kids’ bikes at a very decent price. With lower handlebars, the REI Co-Op REV Plus is a more leaned-forward bike best suited for confident, adventurous, and aggressive riders.

Prevelo Alpha Four

Best for Aggressive Riders & Basic Trail Riders

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MSRP: $539

SEAT HEIGHT: 25.8″ – 31.2″

WEIGHT: 21.2 lbs.

READ MORE: Prevelo Alpha Four Review

With a Shimano ALTUS 8-speed drivetrain, trigger shifters, an aggressive body position, and wider tires, the Prevelo Alpha Four is the best of the lot for really aggressive riders and those just getting started on single-track. With 24 x 1.5″ Kenda Small Block Eight tires, the Alpha offers great traction for basic trail riding as well for adventerous riders who eagerly scout out every dirt jump in the neighborhood. For true mountain biking, Prevelo’s Zulu Four has an air fork, hydraulic disc brakes, and 10 speeds.

Frog 62

Highly adjustable fit and comes with 2 sets of tires

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MSRP: $550

WEIGHT: 20.3 lbs.

READ MORE: Frog 62 Review

Hailing from bike enthusiast parents in the UK, Frog Bikes are another kid-focused bike brand that designs their bikes top-to-bottom for kids. Built on a lightweight, yet strong aluminum frame paired with top-of-the-line components, the Frog 62 provides a unique blend of performance, price, and precise fit.

Coming standard with both street and extra knobby all-terrain tires, the Frog 62 can handle everything from long distance paved riding to beginning mountain bike trails. And as one of the most lightweight trail-worthy bikes on this list, it makes those climbs just a bit easier. Frog Bikes offer more color options that any other bike manufacturer we know of, which makes finding the perfect bike for your young rider that much easier.

Vitus Kids 24

Best Quality and Value Combo

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MSRP: $359 + shipping from UK

WEIGHT: 21.8 lbs.

READ MORE: Vitus Kids 24 Review

Lightweight and spec’d with high-quality components, the Vitus Kids Bikes are an impressive combo of quality and value. With Kenda Small Block 8 tires, these bikes move effortlessly from paved neighborhoods to basic dirt trails. The trigger shifters make the Vitus especially suited to more aggressive kids who seek after aggressive terrain and local adventures.

BEST 24 INCH BEGINNING MOUNTAIN BIKES

What We Look for in a Beginning Mountain Bike

While many of the multi-use bikes we mentioned above can be used for basic trail riding, their tires and braking system prevent them from being true dedicated mountain bikes. With knobby tires, hydraulic disc brakes and an optional front air fork, the woom OFF series is an amazing bike for young riders ready to tackle the trails ahead.

woom OFF and woom OFF AIR

Best Lightweight Mountain Bike

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MSRP: $679 (OFF), $879 (OFF AIR)

WEIGHT: 18.9 lbs. (OFF), 22.3 lbs. (OFF AIR)

READ MORE: woom OFF Review or woom OFF AIR review

The woom OFF bikes are woom’s line of lightweight mountain bikes, available with a rigid front fork (woom OFF) or front suspension fork (woom OFF AIR). These bikes are seriously impressive and lightweight rides suitable for any young trail or mountain bike rider. 

Whether your child is just getting started on flowy trails or ready to tackle more challenging terrain, the woom OFF’s light weight keeps kiddos from getting tired quickly. It also allows them to climb hills more easily, and when it comes to getting a bit of air time… the bike is easy to pop off jumps, roots, and rocks or just send it off the curb in the local streets.

The woom OFF comes fully stocked with a carbon fork, Promax hydraulic disc brakes, SRAM trigger shifters as well as 2.25” wide aggressive tires.  For those kids ready to up their aggressive terrain game, the woom OFF Air features a lightweight Air suspension fork with lockout and rebound damping.

Comparison Chart: 24 inch Bikes for Kids

How to Choose the Best 24 inch Bike for your 8 to 10-Year-Old

Here’s a quick summary of what to look for when selecting the best bike for your 8 to 10-year-old. For more detailed information on the topics below, check out our buying guide at the bottom of the article about the best kids bike brands on the market.

Sizing for 24 Inch Bikes

24 inch kids’ bikes are generally the best fit for 8, 9, and 10-year-olds or any child between 49″ and 59″ tall. If your child is already 11 or is a very tall 10-year-old, also consider 26″ bikes as they would offer more room for growth (although very few kids’ bikes come in 26″ tires). If a child starts on a 24 inch bike when they are 8 to 10, they can likely continue to ride it while they are 11 or even 12 years old.

Kids on 24 inch bikes are generally confident enough riders to set their seat about 2 – 3″ above the child’s inseam. At this height, a child can touch the ground with their tiptoes, which produces the best knee bend angle for pedaling with maximum efficiency.

As with all kids’ bikes, within a given wheel size category, the minimum and maximum seat heights of 24 inch bikes can vary.  The average minimum seat height of a 24 inch bike is around 25″ while the maximum average is about 31″.

The height adjustability of 24 inch bike range from 5″ – 8″, which allows kids to ride 24 inch bikes much longer than other sizes. For example, the average 8-year-old should have plenty of room to grow with the bike until he turns 10 or even 11.

To ensure as much longevity as possible, be sure to compare your child’s inseam to the bike’s minimum seat height before your purchase.  The Pello Reyes on the left has a minimum seat height of a little over 25″ while the woom 5 on the right has a 26.4″ minimum seat height. Make sure that you choose a bike that not only fits well now, but allows for plenty of room for growth.

Weight – light is better, but more expensive

Ideally, your child’s bike will be less than 40% of their body weight. This ratio is more important when a child is younger and just learning to ride, but is still applicable for your 8 and 9-year-olds!   In most cases, the lighter the bike, the easier the bike is to ride.  The more aggressive and longer your child rides, the more important weight becomes as well.  If trail riding or any type of riding with varied elevation is in your child’s future, aim for a bike that is less than 30% of their weight.

In regards to weight, be cautious about purchasing a 24 inch bike with a shock as they can add a lot of unnecessary weight to a bike.  In most cases, the weight a shock adds to the bike quickly negates the benefits of having a shock.  Unless your child is an experienced all-terrain rider ready for the Zulu or Scout recommended above, we advise staying away from a shock on 24 inch bikes.  In fact, we take this advice to heart –  until our own kids have the basic skills of mountain biking down, they ride without a shock (even in their mountain biking classes!).

Best Frame Design – depends on riding style

The frames of all kids 24 inch bikes are designed for a specific type of riding.  Whether they are designed for the average neighborhood rider (most are), for long distances (road bike), or for intense mountain biking, be sure to know HOW you plan on using the bike before you purchase one.  Don’t expect your child’s neighborhood bike to perform well on single-track mountain bike trails, or a mountain bike with front suspension to be a good fit for a 30-mile+ ride on paved surfaces.

Our “Best Of” list is mainly comprised of bikes we would classify as neighborhood bikes or light trail use, for which the vast majority of kids use a bike.  The geometry of these bikes, however, also vary greatly. Some place kids in a more upright position, which is better suited for more timid riders, while others place riders in a more aggressive, leaned forward position, which is better for more adventurous riders.

Brake Types are more varied on 24 inch bikes

Dual-hand brakes are the standard braking system on most 24 inch bikes.  A few will have coaster brakes, but for the most part, differences will be between what type of hand brake a bike has.  Braking systems include V-pull brakes, disc brakes (mechanical and hydraulic), and Guardian Bikes’ unique SureStop braking system.

V-Pull Brakes

Standard V-pull brakes work just fine for the mass majority of 8 to 11-year-olds, but the quality and performance of V-brakes varies from bike to bike.  High-quality, high-performing brakes are easy for kids to activate and don’t require them to exert a lot of pressure on the lever.

The brakes on higher-end bikes such as woom, Priority, Pello and Cleary are far superior to any handbrake found on a bike at a big box store.  These brands also feature short-reach levers that place the brake lever closer to their hand, only requiring kids to barely extend their fingers to activate the brake.

V-Pull vs. Disc Brake

Disc Brakes

For those riding fast or on really aggressive downhills, consider a step-up to disc brakes.  Mechanical disc-brakes are cheaper and lower-performing than hydraulic disc brakes, but still typically offer more stopping power than v-brakes.

Hydraulic disc brakes are the cream-of-the-crop in brakes, but they are expensive, require maintenance, and are a bit of overkill for lightweight kids who have only a fraction of the inertia of adults.  For any serious mountain bike rider, however, hydraulic disc brakes are a huge benefit.

Guardian’s SureStop Brakes

Guardian’s unique patented braking system allows kids to activate both the rear and front brake with ONE brake lever.  Upon activating the single brake lever, the rear brake is activated, which is turn activates the front wheel’s brake.  As a result, it’s impossible for kids to “endo”, or be bucked off the bike by braking with only the front brake because the SureStop system prevents the front brake from being activated until after the rear brake has.

Gears – Common and more necessary on 24 inch bikes

Gears are not only fun to use, they’re essential to tackle long flat roads, hilly neighborhoods, dirt trails, and single track. By the time a child is 8 or 9-years-old, they’re probably tackling these terrains that make it beneficial to shift gears. They’re also at an age when they should be able to manage the complexity of shifting without too much trouble. And as they grow with the bike at 10 and 11-years-old, those gears will eventually become second nature.

24 inch bikes are typically available with 7 or 8 gears that are shifted with one shifter.  Unlike most adult bikes that have two shifters, one for each derailleur, kids’ bikes typically have fewer gears and just one derailleur.  Having to only worry about one shifter is much easier for kids as they can simply shift up or down without having to worry about which hand and which shifter to use.

Most 24 inch bikes are available with grip shifters, which kids activate by twisting the grip with the palm of their hand, or trigger shifters, which are activated by pulling or pushing on levers with their fingers.  In general, grip shifters are preferred by more timid or beginning riders as they are often easier and more intuitive to use.  Aggressive riders, especially mountain bikers, prefer trigger shifters.

Trigger vs Grip Shifter

Price

Parents sometimes get a little sticker shock when they start shopping for a 24 inch bike. A larger bike is just going to cost more in general, and as kids get older, components often get more advanced to keep up with a child’s more advanced riding. Every bike on this list is pretty incredible and significantly better than a bike you’ll find at Walmart. But of course, they cost more! If your child truly loves riding, try to stick to the bikes on this list. If they are beyond your budget, try to find one used! But in the end, any bike is better than no bike at all, so do whatever it takes to keep your kid riding!

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