Prevelo Alpha Four – 24″ Kids Bike Review

With all-terrain tires, a lightweight frame, and top-of-the-line components, the Prevelo Alpha Four is a wickedly 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 fun, durable, and responsive bike for everyday riding or a technical bike for basic trail 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: $549

BEST FOR: The adventurous rider looking for a quick, responsive, and versatile bike. Exceptionally capable on anything from road to basic trail riding and everything in between.

SEAT HEIGHT: 26.2″ – 31.4″

WEIGHT: 20.75 lb.

ADDITIONAL SPECS
GEARS: 8-speed Microshift with Trigger
BRAKES: Dual Hand Brakes
FRAME: Aluminum Alloy
GAIN RATIO: 1.97 to 6.8
TIRES: 1.5″ Kenda Small Block 8, can take up to 2.1″ wide
WHEELBASE: 968 mm

View on Prevelo

Prevelo Alpha Four Review – Results of our Test Rides

NOTE: The Prevelo Alpha Four was updated in February 2023. The red bike throughout this review is the most current model. The blue and silver are previous models that are very similar. We will point out the important differences below.

Prevelo bikes are designed specifically for kids. While some kids’ bikes are just scaled-down versions of an adult bike made with off-the-shelf components, Prevelo Bikes are meticulously crafted using kid-specific geometry and parts. From tire selection to shifters, we can confidently confirm that the Prevelo Alpha Four is well spec’ed and well loved by our test riders.

What type of rider is the Prevelo Alpha Four best for?

The Alpha Four is an exceptional, lightweight, all-terrain 24-inch bike that is best suited for the average to aggressive rider both on and off the pavement. Extremely versatile, this Prevelo is phenomenal straight out of the box for everything from playful rides around the neighborhood to extensive distance rides on paved or dirt trails.

So how does it compare to other all-purpose 24″ bikes in its price range (like the woom 5 and Pello Reyes), and when should you choose the Alpha Four?

If your child will be riding on both paved and dirt trails, we found the Alpha Four to be an exceptional choice for both timid and aggressive riders.

If your child is sticking mainly to pavement, due to its more aggressive positioning than the woom 5, the Prevelo is our favorite all-purpose bike for aggressive riders in this category.

Best Use Comparison of 24 Inch All-Terrain Bikes

Prevelo Alpha for Road Warriors (Mainly Paved Riders)

The lightweight and efficient frame of the Alpha Four allows young riders to efficiently pound out the miles. With 8 gears with a wide gear range, the Alpha’s drivetrain is ready for tackling long climbs or extended flat straightaways from the get-go.

For those road riders ready to take it up a notch, swapping out the Alpha’s all-terrain tires for the smooth-rolling Kenda Kwest 24×1.5s is a worthy upgrade. Narrower road tires will not fit on the Alpha’s rim.

Prevelo Alpha for Basic Trail Use (and its Limits for Mainly Dirt Riders)

With trigger shifters, 8 gears, as well a knobby Kenda Small Block 8 tires, the Alpha offers a fun and fast ride on basic single-track. For more traction and cushioning on really chattery trails, the Alpha can be upgraded to wider 2.1″ tires upon purchase for an additional $49.

For those who plan on riding mainly dirt or for those likely to embrace mountain biking to its fullest, we recommend the Pello Reyes over the Alpha due to its mechanical disc brakes as well as optional suspension air fork upgrade.

For more advanced riders (especially those focused on the downhill) the Prevelo Zulu Four hardtail with wide 2.1″ off-road tires, hydraulic disc brakes, and an air suspension fork is likely worth the upgrade.

What size rider fits on the 24″ Prevelo Alpha Four?

The Alpha Four has a seat height range of 26.2″ to 31.4″ and is a best fit for kids between 49″ and 55″ tall.

Here you can see how our two sister testers, ages 8 and 10, fit on the Alpha Four. The 8-year-old is 51″ and has the saddle set to 27.25″. The 10-year-old is 54″ and has the saddle set to 29.6″.

Being at the higher end of the bike’s seat height, the handlebars are positioned significantly lower on our 10-year-old rider’s body compared to her shorter sister, but she had no issues handling and maneuvering the bike.

In terms of size, the Prevelo Alpha Four is pretty spot on when compared to other high-end, all-terrain bikes. Such as woom 5, Pello Reyes, Polygon Ultralight.

Note: The 2023 Alpha Four has a higher minimum seat height than previous models. (26.2″ vs. 25.5″).

Prevelo Alpha Four – Geometry and Components

Weight

The Prevelo Alpha Four is one of the lightest 24″ bikes on the market. With less weight to manage, lighter weight bikes are tremendously helpful in enabling kids to quickly build confidence in climbing and maneuvering.

Coming in at 20.75 lb., the Alpha Four felt quick and nimble for our smallest 60 lb. tester, while still being robust enough for our taller 75 lb. tester.

Compared to other all-terrain 24″ bikes, the Prevelo is hands down the lightest bike designed for more aggressive riders. The woom 5 is (very slightly) lighter, but its more upright geometry (see more below) makes it less desirable for aggressive riders who really want to lean into turns, jumps, and obstacles.

Weight Comparisons of 24″ All Terrain Bikes (lb.)

Geometry

The Prevelo Alpha Four places the rider in a semi-upright position that allows aggressive riders to easily lean into the bike, without being too leaned forward to make more timid riders uncomfortable. The Alpha Four has a similar geometry to the Pello Reyes, but is slightly more aggressive than the woom 5.

As is typical with many kids bikes, as kids grow, their body position will become more aggressive on the Alpha Four as they have to lean down farther to reach the handlebars. Bikes with higher handlebars, or handlebars that can be raised, will be less aggressive over the life of the bike.

In the side-by-side comparison below, you can see how the adjustable-height handlebars of the woom 5 (set at their high point) will offer a more upright seating position for kids on the tall end of the fit spectrum.

That said, the wide and low handlebar set-up of the Prevelo Alpha Four is a better option for truly adventurous kids. Just keep in mind that they will outgrow the “best fit” range of the bike more quickly.

Gearing and Shifting

The Alpha Four has an 8-speed MicroShift Acolyte drivetrain with a wide gain ratio ranging from 1.97 to 6.8 which is the widest range available on an all-terrain bike. Other bikes offer a similar low gear (lower number – used for climbing hills), but their high gear (used for quickly gaining and maintaining speed on flats) is slightly less.

If you are unfamiliar with gain ratios, how they work, and why they are important, be sure to check out Prevelo’s blog article that gives a great explanation.

Microshift Thumb/Forefinger Shifters

The 2023 Alpha Four is specced with a kid-specific Microshift Acolyte thumb/forefinger trigger shifter. This is the only trigger shifter we know of to be specifically designed to work with kids’ smaller size hands and finger strength.

To shift to a harder gear, the child simply pulls the upper smaller button with their forefinger on their right hand. To shift to a lower, easier gear, the larger lower button needs to be pushed with the thumb.

For younger riders, learning to use trigger shifters can be less intuitive than grip shifters. However, we’ve found that kids generally grasp the thumb/forefinger style of shifters on the 2023 Alpha Four easier than the double thumb shifters found on previous models.

Additionally, we have found that by the time kids are on a 24″ bike, most are able to figure out the Alpha’s trigger shifters within a couple of minutes. For several of our testers, they loved the trigger shifters so much that they essentially demanded that we find them a bike with shifters just like the Prevelo!

If your child is struggling to “get it”, we’ve found putting different colored tape or stickers on the trigger shifter button to help.

As you ride along with them, shout out a color or shape and have them push the button while pedaling to see how the bike “feels” different. With time they will pick up which button to use to make the bike feel faster and which button will help the bike feel slower.

Dual Hand Brakes

Front and rear v-brakes smoothly bring the Prevelo Alpha Four to a stop. With a small reach, they were easy to pull and activate for young hands, and offered plenty of braking power for all of our adventures on and off road.

While the v-brakes on the Alpha Four don’t have the stopping power of disc brakes, don’t mistake them for the standard v-brakes found on lower-end bikes. These brakes are easy to activate and offer MUCH more stopping power than the hand brakes found on bikes when you were a child!

Prevelo Alpha Four Competitors

The Prevelo Alpha Four is our favorite 24″ bike for kids riding on mixed terrains. With more technical brawn than the woom 5, but not as trail-focused as the Pello Reyes, the Prevelo hits that sweet spot in between.

For those on a tighter budget, the Polygon Ultralight is a great deal, but is heavier and has a much narrower gear range.

Prevelo Alpha Four Bottom Line

The Prevelo Alpha Four is an exceptional 24 inch bike for eager young kids riding both on and off the pavement. Lightweight with a low-center-of-gravity, the Alpha Four offers a fun and playful ride paired with ample technical ability.

The Alpha’s knobby all-terrain tires, trigger shifters, and 8 gears make the Alpha Four a must-have for the adventurous child ready to take on wild adventures on both paved and basic dirt trails.

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