The Raleigh Jazzi 20 is a well-made budget bike for kids ages 6 to 8. With a comfortable, upright body position and a coaster brake, the Jazzi is best suited for basic neighborhood riders. We cover everything from sizes to performance in our review.
Raleigh Jazzi 20 Overview
RATING: Recommended
MSRP: $190
BEST FOR: Neighborhood riders looking for a fun, durable, and reliable basic bike.
SEAT HEIGHT: 23″ – 29.5″
WEIGHT: 21.8 lb.
BRAKES: Coaster with Hand Brake
FRAME: Aluminum Alloy
GAIN RATIO: 4
PROS:
- Lightweight for the price and size
- Comfortable upright body position for neighborhood riders
- Durable and essentially maintenance-free
- Little girls love the ice cream sprinkles design!
CONS:
- Coaster brake (back pedal brake)
Raleigh Jazzi 20 Review – Results of Our Test Rides
While Raleigh is not a kid-specific bike brand, every time we test a Raleigh bike we’re surprised and impressed with the quality and design you get for the price. While they don’t offer high-end components or super lightweight frames, they do offer great bikes at a great price. The Jazzi 20 is an adorable and affordable bike that is hands down better than anything you’ll find at Walmart.
Performance
Like its little sister the Jazzi 16, the Raleigh Jazzi 20 rides fast and smooth for fun rides through the neighborhood. Lightweight for its price (with an aluminum frame!) and designed with plenty of room in the cockpit for riders to maneuver the bike, the Jazzi will be an easier transition from training wheels than heavier, poorly-designed bikes at the big-box stores.
While the Jazzi 12 and 16 come with training wheels, the Jazzi 20 does not. Both of our testers were transitioning from a 16″ or 20″ bike with training wheels and were somewhat timid at first to balance and pedal all on their own. But the Jazzi performed like a champ for them!
With both girls, we were surprised how quickly they were able to ride fast and comfortably after having struggled to get off their training wheels for quite some time.
Raleigh Jazzi 16 in Action
Frame Design and Handlebars
The frame and handlebars of the Jazzi 20 are designed to keep the rider in a comfortable, upright (but not too upright!) position. Most kids, especially beginning riders, find this to feel the most natural and helps put them at ease. Depending on the size and preference of the rider, the handlebars can be lowered about two inches.
An upright body position is very typical for neighborhood bikes, but at the 20 inch wheel size range, you’ll find an increasing number of bikes on the market that put a child in a more aggressive position for adventurous or off-road riding. If your child is aggressive or ambitious, a leaned forward stance helps them maneuver the bike more adeptly into turns, up and down hills, or on dirt trails. But for your average neighborhood rider, the Jazzi’s less aggressive position is preferred.
Raleigh Jazzi 20″ Upright Body Position
You can see below how an aggressive position translates into the riding experience in a side-by-side comparison of the Raleigh Jazzi 16 and the Raleigh Lily 16 (both models are also available in 20″). You can see how our 5-year-old rider looks like she’s happily cruising the neighborhood on the Jazzi, while she looks ready for adventure or a serious race on the Lily.
Not that you couldn’t go fast on the Jazzi – all of our testers raced down the street at high speeds – high enough that I had to ask them to slow down to get some pictures! It’s more a question of what will your child be doing most of the time. The Jazzi and the Lily are both fantastic, affordable 20″ bikes, but they are best for different types of riders.
Upright Body Position of Jazzi vs. Leaned Forward Lily
Size
The Jazzi 20 has a seat height range of 23″ – 29.5″.
First Pedal Bike without Training Wheels: For kids advancing from a 16″ bike with training wheels, the bike seat should be set at or near a child’s inseam so their feet can rest flat on the ground to help them regain balance and safely stop. A rider of this type would need a 23″ inseam to ride the Jazzi 20.
Experienced Pedal Bike Riders: An experienced rider shouldn’t need to use their feet to regain balance or stop. As a result, the seat height can be raised so that they are standing comfortably on their tip toes when seated. This position is better from a pedaling efficiency standpoint than feet flat on the ground.
In this case you would set the seat height at 1″ to 2″ above a child’s inseam. So for the Jazzi 20, experienced riders with inseams of 21″ or 22″ can ride the Jazzi.
For more bike sizing tips, our guide to kids bike sizing has all the information you’ll ever need!
Brakes
The Jazzi 20 has a coaster brake (back pedal brake) and a single hand brake. While we’re not fans of coaster brakes, unfortunately, that’s still pretty common for 20″ bikes under $200.
In general, we don’t like coaster brakes because they prevent a rider from pedaling backwards to regain balance, and they also make it much more difficult for kids to reposition their pedals into “start” position. For confident kid riders or adult riders, this isn’t really a big deal. But for kids learning to ride, coaster brakes can be really frustrating.
While our 7-year-old tester would fly down the street once she got started, each time she started riding it took her 30 – 60 seconds just to get her pedals aligned to be able to pedal forward. This is partly due to the fact that she was transitioning from training wheels and didn’t have a ton of riding experience.
However, we see 7 and 8-year-olds all the time who haven’t yet mastered a pedal bike. If your child is transitioning from training wheels to the Jazzi 20, just be aware of this issue so you give extra support where needed.
But like we said, at this price point, you’re likely to get a coaster brake. If you’re interested in a slightly more expensive option that doesn’t have a coaster brake, the Guardian Ethos 20 is a good option.
Regarding the wheels, while the tread of the tire on the Jazzi 20 isn’t exactly mountain-trail ready, the mild tread combined with the wider tire does make it suitable for paved trails or packed dirt.
Seat and Handlebar Height Adjustments
Both the seat and the handlebars can be adjusted up and down to dial in the most comfortable fit for your rider as they grow. Unfortunately, the seat does not have a quick-release clamp and its height requires a tool to adjust. The saddle on the Jazzi 20 is soft, cushioned, quality, and cute!
All the Cute Details
Besides being a quality bike that’s easy to ride, the Jazzi 20 is also adorable! From the ice cream cone and sprinkles chain guard to the sprinkles seat, white pedals, and blue grips, little girls loooooove this bike! 🙂
Assembly
A quick note on assembly. Our Jazzi did not come with the seat post pre-greased and the seat got stuck in its lowest position. It took us hours to get it out. Please grease the seat post before inserting it into the bike!
Bottom Line
Adorable, affordable, and great quality and design for the price, the Raleigh Jazzi 20 is the best girls’ bike you’re going to find for under $200.
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.
