With all-terrain tires, a lightweight frame, and top-of-the-line components, the Prevelo Alpha Four is a wicked and versatile kids bike that will enable your adventurous rider to grow their skills on various terrain. Long paved family rides? No problem! Pump track? Also no problem. Beginner single track? Absolutely!
Whether your rider needs a technical bike for basic trail riding or aggressive neighborhood riding, the Alpha Four makes riding natural and effortless! Built with trigger shifters and a wide gear range, the Alpha’s quick and smooth shifting allows kids to dominate elevation changes big and small. Read our full review below for all the reasons we love this 24 inch kids bike!
Prevelo Alpha Four Overview
RATING: Exceptional
MSRP: $539
BEST FOR: From aggressive day-to-day riders to those just getting started on single-track, the Alpha Four is a high-quality bike with a wide range of uses.
SEAT HEIGHT: 25.8″ – 31.2″
WEIGHT: 21.2 lb.
GEARS: 9-speed Microshift with Trigger
BRAKES: Tektro Dual Hand Brakes
PROS:
- Lightweight, low step-through frame
- Low center-of-gravity for better balance
- Top quality components
- Narrow Q-factor for maximum leverage on pedals
- Smooth shifting trigger shifters for quick shifting
- All-terrain tires perform great on a wide variety of terrains
- Short cage derailleur and derailleur hanger help limit potential damage
CONS:
- Double thumb trigger shifters challenging for some kids
Prevelo Alpha Four Review – Results of our Test Rides
Following in the footsteps of Islabikes, WOOM and others, Prevelo bikes are designed specifically for kids. Far from a mere scaled down version of an adult bike made with off-the-shelf components, Prevelo Bikes are designed for kids using kid-specific geometry and parts. Built on lightweight frames, with a lower bottom bracket for a low center of gravity, in the words of our tester, the Prevelo Alpha Four truly offers a “smooth” and comfortable ride.
Weight and Geometry
With his first ride on the Prevelo Alpha Four, our 8-year-old tester in size 10 clothes was in love. From paved bike paths to compact dirt trails, he felt at home on the Prevelo.
The lightweight frame helped him easily cruise up and down hills. Weighing 75 lbs. and with the Prevelo weighing in at only 21.2 lbs., the bike is just under 30% of his body weight. This is the ideal percentage often hard to achieve for kids’ bikes. As a comparison, the similarly sized, equipped, and priced Trek Kids’ Neko is 3.5 lb. heavier, weighing 33% of his body weight.
The low bottom bracket height of 9.9 inches provided a lower center-of-gravity, helping our ambitious tester to maintain his balance when shifting his weight around corners.
In addition, child-specific components provide for a narrow Q-factor (essentially width between pedals) of 6.5″, preventing leg splay and allowing our tester to get maximum power on each pedal stroke. The custom made crank arms are absolutely straight, with no bend, to maintain the low Q-factor.
More in-depth explanations of the importance of a low bottom bracket and a narrow Q-factor can be found in our article Best Kids Bikes: The Authoritative Buying Guide.
Size
With a minimum seat height of 25.8″, the Prevelo Alpha Four is sized very similarly to our other favorite 24 inch bikes. It’s a great fit for kids with at least a 23″ inseam, while kids with inseams less than 23″ would be better off on the 20-inch Prevelo Alpha Three. If you’re unsure which size is best for your child, refer to our bike sizing chart.
Gearing Range – Wider than Most
The Alpha Four has a 9-speed MicroShift drivetrain with a wide gain ratio ranging from 1.9 to 6.8. On the low end, the 1.9 granny gear is one of the lowest we know of on a kids bike. This will come in particularly handy on steep and tricky terrain. (Prior to 2021, the Alpha Four’s lowest gearing was 2.2.) By comparison, the Pello Reyes lowest gain ratio is 2.05, while the woom 5‘s is 2.1.
Double Thumb Triggers
While most kids bikes feature grip shifters, Prevelo’s geared bikes have double thumb trigger shifters. While there are pros and cons to each system, for kids old enough to ride a 24″ bike, it really comes down to personal preference.
Grip shifters require kids to twist the shifter forward or back to shift. Trigger shifters require kids to use their thumb to press one lever to shift up and another lever to shift down.
Trigger shifters require less effort to engage than grip shifters, and also allow you to shift through your gears much faster. For any child that will be doing technical riding, trigger shifters are a huge benefit.
The only downside of trigger shifters is that they are not as intuitive to use as grip shifters. Kids need either a lot of practice or good hand-eye coordination to comfortably shift with a trigger shifter. But the benefits are worth the effort!
Dual Hand Brakes
Tektro front and rear v-brakes smoothly bring the Alpha Four to a stop. With a small reach, they were easy to pull and activate for young hands.
Lower Handlebars for Adventurous Riders
While there are multiple factors that determine the geometry of a bike, the height of the handlebars plays an important role. The Alpha’s handlebars are set slightly slower on the frame of the bike, which requires the rider to lean forward more to reach the handlebars. While we wouldn’t classify the Prevelo as an aggressive bike, the rider’s position on the bike will make it ideal for ambitious riders, but less comfortable for timid riders.
Prevelo Alpha Four vs. Prevelo Zulu Four
Prevelo Bikes offers two lines – the classic Alpha, for everyday riding and light cross-country, and the Zulu, for advanced trail riding. We’ve also reviewed the Prevelo Zulu Four.
| Feature | Prevelo Alpha Four | Prevelo Zulu Four |
|---|---|---|
| Prevelo Alpha Four | Prevelo Zulu Four | |
| 24" MSRP | $529 | $939 |
| Best For | Everyday riding, light trail riding | Advanced trail riding |
| Sizes Available | Balance bike, 14", 16", 20", 24" | 14", 16", 20", 24" |
Prevelo Alpha Four Bottom Line
The Prevelo Alpha Four is an exceptional 24 inch bike for eager young riders. Lightweight with a low-center-of-gravity, the Alpha Four is fun and easy to ride. With trigger shifters and a lower handlebar, the Alpha Four is best suited for eager riders, aged 7 to 10, ready to tackle whatever trail lies in front of them.
FTC Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this review. No monetary compensation was provided for this review, however, the reviewed product was supplied by the manufacturer or distributor to help facilitate this review. All opinions and images are that of Two Wheeling Tots LLC. All content and images are copyrighted and should not be used or replicated in any way. View our Terms of Use.
