Kids 24 Inch Bikes: The 10 Best Bikes for 8 to 10 Year Olds (2024)

What’s the best 24 inch bike for kids? It depends on what type of riding you’ll be doing… Simple neighborhood adventures, jumping ramps in the front yard, long rides with the family, or tackling local dirt trails – there’s a 24 inch bike made for that!

Over the years we’ve tested over forty 24 inch bikes with our own kids. We’ll help you understand what features you need for the best riding experience and why investing in a nicer bike really does make a huge difference. From the cheapest bikes to the most expensive, we’ve tested all the major brands out there.

Best 24 inch Bikes for Kids Ages 8 to 10

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 about the best size bike for your child.

Best 24 Inch Bike Video Summary

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

24 INCH BIKES ON A BUDGET

What We Look for in a Budget-Friendly Bike

There’s a reason you don’t see a Schwinn or Huffy on this list. Kids bikes traditionally sold at Walmart or on Amazon are generally heavy, clunky, and a poor riding experience.

In the past few years, a select few budget-friendly brands have produced much needed change in the kids bike market. The Guardian, Decathlon, and Polygon bikes you see below are significantly better than any bike you will find at Walmart. They are lighter-weight, have better quality components, and are designed to make riding easier for kids.

Guardian Bikes 24

Innovative braking system, easy-to-use grip shifters

• MSRP: $339
• SEAT HEIGHT: 25″ – 33″
• WEIGHT: 25.5 lb.
• READ MORE:Guardian Bikes 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. For over 7 years, Guardian Bikes have been our favorite budget-friendly bikes for kids.

Retrospec Dart 24

Solid quality and design on a super budget

• PRICE: $219
• SEAT HEIGHT: 25.5″ – 29.8″
• WEIGHT:28.5 lb. (w/ kickstand and pedals)
• READ MORE: Retrospec Dart 20 and 24 Review

While the additional expense of upgrading to the Guardian 24 is worth it in our book, if your budget is limited, the Retrospec Dart 24 is our favorite super-budget kid’s bike.

If you’ve been considering heading to Walmart for a Schwinn or Huffy, we highly recommend that you choose a Retrospec kid’s bike instead – the overall quality and design is simply better.

Once the bike is properly tuned, the brakes offer good stopping power and the gearing system shifts smoothly. Overall, our kid testers found it fun to ride, and parents were pleased at the surprising quality for a very low price.

SIZING NOTE: While the seat height goes as low as 23.4″, that seat height is much too low for the overall size of a 24″ bike. We recommend using the seat height at 25.5″ and higher, or for kids about 50″ and taller.

Polygon Premier XC Disc 24

Knobby tires, coil suspension fork, and trigger shifters

• PRICE: $299
• SEAT HEIGHT: 26.7″ – 33.7″
• WEIGHT:29.7 lb. (w/ kickstand and pedals)

Whether your child simply loves the look of a suspension fork or if they are all about hitting small jumps and blasting over curbs, the Polygon Premier XC Disc is right up their alley. Coming equipped with 2.25″ wide all-terrain tires and a 50mm coil suspension fork, the Premier XC Disc provides plenty of grit for adventurous riders, a certainly looks the part of a true mountain bike.

With mechanical disc brakes, the XC Disc 24 has better stopping power than the standard v-brakes found on Polygon’s Urban bike. It also has a wider gearing range that will make gaining and maintaining speed on flat and downhill sections much easier.

Compared to other multi-use, trail-friendly bikes on this list, the Polygon MTB’s lower price point does result in a heavier bike. While it’s about as heavy as a Schwinn bike you might find at Walmart, its overall build and design are considerably better.

Polygon Premier Ultralight Urban

Great quality and performance with a budget-friendly price tag

• MSRP: $329
• SEAT HEIGHT: 25.5″ – 31.5″
• WEIGHT:23.1 lb. (w/ kickstand, pedals, and derailleur cage)
• READ MORE:Polygon Premier Ultralight Kids Bike

New to the US, but not to the biking world, Polygon Bikes offers top-notch bikes with quality components at an affordable price. Theirnew Premier Ultralight 24 inch bike is no exceptionand comes fully spec’ed with a Shimano drivetrain, Kenda tires, and Promax brake levers.

Paired with a lightweightaluminum frame with confidence-building geometry, the Premier is a great bike for young riders ready to tackle everything from cruising around the neighborhood to longer rides on compact dirt trails.

24 INCH BIKES FOR NEIGHBORHOOD RIDERS

What We Look for in a Neighborhood Bike

Whether riding to school or heading out on a long ride with the family, neighborhood bikes are designed for kids who mainly stick to paved surfaces. With smoother or narrower tires, and slightly more upright body positioning than multi-use bikes, these neighborhood bikes are comfortable and natural to ride.

With a focus more on simplicity for the average kid rider, these 24 inch bikes feature easy-to-use grip shifters, fewer gearing options, and v-brakes. They also boast exceptional quality that will allow you to pass these bikes down to several kids, or resell them for a good price.

Specialized Jett 24

Growth Spurt Proof! Fits kids longer than other bikes.

• MSRP: $550
• SEAT HEIGHT: 26.5″ – 35.5″
• WEIGHT:22.3 lbs.
• READ MORE:Specialized Jett Review

An exceptional bike all-around, the Specialized Jett is a quality bike with top-notch components that is not only build to last, but is also built to fit much longer than other 24″ bikes!

After years of study and research, the Jett was uniquely designed to provide about 3″ of additional room for growth compared to other bikes. After testing the 24″ Jett out on 8 different kids, we found it to properly fit for heights ranging from 51″ to 62″ (many 24″ bikes max out around 59″).

In addition to being a great fit, the Jett is a blast to ride. All of our testers loved the fun, smooth, and nimble ride of the Jett and preferred it over many other bikes in our test fleet. Both our timid and aggressive riders loved the Jett’s 2.0″ wide tires that help to cushion the ride, as well as the quick and responsive trigger shifters.

Lastly, while the Jett is available online, you can also order it through your local bike shop and then pick it up already assembled!

Priority Start 24

Grease-free belt drive, simplified shifting

• MSRP: $449
• SEAT HEIGHT:27″ – 34.5″
• 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.

woom 5

Super lightweight, confidence-building bike

• MSRP: $649
• SEAT HEIGHT: 26.4″ – 32.3″
• WEIGHT:18.1 lbs.
• READ MORE:woom 5 Review

The woom 5’s combination of a super lightweight frame, a more upright body position, and a wide gearing range make this bike the most natural and easy ride of any 24 inch bike we’ve tested. Its uniquely-designed handlebar allows for height adjustments to make the woom 5 a better fit for a longer period of time.

Its slightly knobbier tires also make the woom ideal for riding 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.

24 INCH BIKES FOR ADVENTUROUS RIDERS

What We Look for in a Multi-Use Bike for Aggressive Riders on Paved and Dirt Trails

For adventurous kids who need a bike suitable for occasionally (or frequently!) hitting dirt trails, these multi-use bikes are the perfect choice.

These kids bikes feature wider and/or knobby tires for better traction on various surfaces, and generally a more aggressive positioning on the bike. This positioning allows kids to more easily shift their weight around while speeding up a jump or going through a tight turn – whether on pavement or dirt.

These 24 inch bikes also feature one or more of the following features: rapid fire trigger shifters for faster gear changes, disc brakes for top-notch stopping power, or a basic coil suspension fork to make neighborhood tricks like bunny hops a bit easier.

REI Co-Op REV

Great quality and build for the price

• MSRP: $439
• SEAT HEIGHT: 25.25″ – 31.5″
• WEIGHT: 28.2 lbs.
• READ MORE:REI Co-Op REV Plus Review

REI offers solid-quality kids’ bikes at a very decent price. Built on a durable frame equipped with mechanical disc brakes and 2.6″ wide cushioning tires, the REI Co-Op Cycles REV 24 Plus is a great entry-level trail bike that also excels around the neighborhood.

This bike is also an affordable option for families who want a good “base bike” for upgrading to make it more trail-worthy.

Prevelo Alpha Four

Best for Aggressive Riders & Basic Trail Riders

• MSRP: $599
• SEAT HEIGHT: 26.2″ – 31.4″
• WEIGHT:20.75 lbs.
• READ MORE:Prevelo Alpha Four Review

Lightweight, quick, and ridiculously nimble, the Prevelo Alpha Four is the ultimate ride for young riders regularly riding on paved and non-paved surfaces. From pounding out the mileage on long rides with the family or hitting up the local DIY dirt jumps, the Alpha delivers an exceptional, confidence-building ride.

Specced with trigger shifters as well as 8 gears with a wide gain ratio range, the Prevelo is easy to shift on the fly and even easier to power up hills or lay down the speed on long straightaways. When it comes time to slow down, the Alpha’s Tektro v-brakes offer quick and responsive stopping power.

Trek Precaliber 24

Mountain bike look and feel with optional casual-use suspension

• MSRP: $439/$469 (with suspension)
• SEAT HEIGHT: 26″ – 30.5″
• WEIGHT:25.5 lb., 26.5 lb. (with suspension)
• READ MORE: Trek Precaliber 24

Featuring the look and feel of a real mountain bike, but without the costly components of a true mountain bike, the Trek Precaliber 24 is a win-win for parents and kids. With 2.25″ wide tires and an optional front suspension fork, the Precaliber is the perfect ride for the adventurous neighborhood rider who is eager to tackle both paved and dirt trails.

With its lower-end components and “casual-use only” fork, the Precaliber is not designed for hitting true single track trails, but it excels at neighborhood dirt trails as well as jumping curbs and small jumps.

Pello Reyes

Mechanical disc brakes, can upgrade to suspension fork

• MSRP: $639
• SEAT HEIGHT: 25.25″ – 31″
• WEIGHT: 21.9 lbs., 24 lbs. with air fork
• 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 Shimano trigger shifter, the Reyes is a phenomenally versatile bike.

Taking it one step further, the Reyes comes equipped with 24 x 1.95″ Kenda Small Block 8 tires that offer plenty of bite for dirt trails, but are low profile enough to provide a smooth ride on pavement.

Have a true grom on your hands? Convert the Reyes into the ultimate trail bike by going tubeless (rims are tubeless compatible) and for $249 add on an RST F1RST air fork at purchase (geometry is suspension corrected). At $888 total, it’s a super affordable and legit trail bike option.

MORE BIKES TO KEEP ON YOUR RADAR

Cleary Meerkat 24

Ultimate Durability with Top-notch Performance

• MSRP: $580
• SEAT HEIGHT: 25″ – 32″
• WEIGHT: 28.3 lb. (with pedals)
• READ MORE: Cleary Meerkat 24 Review

With a 5-speed internally geared hub, hydraulic disc brakes, and a durable steel frame, the Meerkat is a uniquely rugged bike that has a lot to offer kids riding on various terrains. The Meerkat is derailleur-free, which allows for more time for riding and a lot less time doing maintenance.

With top-notch Tektro hydraulic disc brakes that are usually reserved for true mountain bikes, the Meerkat offers plenty of stopping power for added confidence and safety. To smooth the ride, the Meerkat is the only bike on this list to feature a steel frame that helps to absorb vibrations and chatter from the trail. The heavier steel frame, however, makes it less suitable for really timid riders.

Frog 62

Highly adjustable fit

• MSRP: $625
• SEAT HEIGHT: 26″ – 32.5″
• WEIGHT: 20.3 lbs.
• READ MORE: Frog 62 Review

Hailing from bike enthusiast parents in the UK, Frog Bikes is another kid-focused bike brand that designs their bikes top-to-bottom for kids.

The components on the Frog are top notch – like Tektro v-brakes and Shimano trigger shifters. To top it off, the Frog is one of the few 24 inch bikes that is compatible with a rear rack for bike commuting. It also comes in 7 different colors and patterns!

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.

Boys vs Girls 24 inch Bikes

It’s important to note that a boys 24 inch bike and a girls 24 inch bike are the same thing. All of the bikes on this list are for boys or girls, with the same frames and components. They do offer different color options, which are in an array of typical girl colors and gender neutral colors.

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.

Kids this age are generally confident enough riders to set their seat about 3″ above the child’s inseam. At this seat 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. Always check the bike’s minimum seat height against your child’s inseam.

The height adjustability of 24 inch bikes range from 5″ – 8″, which allows kids to ride 24 inch bikes much longer than other sizes.

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.

In regards to weight, be cautious about purchasing a 24 inch bike with a suspension fork as they can add a lot of unnecessary weight to a bike. In most cases, the weight a suspension fork adds to the bike quickly negates the benefits of having suspension.

Best Frame Design – depends on riding style

This 10 Best list is mainly comprised of bikes we would classify as neighborhood bikes or for light trail use. The geometry of these bikes, however, can vary greatly. Some bikes place kids in a more upright position, which is better suited for more timid and casual 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, they will have either dual v-pull brakes, disc brakes (mechanical and hydraulic), or Guardian Bikes’ unique SureStop braking system.

V-Pull Brakes

Standard V-pull brakes work great 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 the child’s hand, only requiring kids to barely extend their fingers to activate the brake.

V-Pull vs. Disc Brake

Disc Brakes

High-quality disc brakes offer more stopping power than V-brakes and perform better in wet conditions. Disc brakes are more expensive and found only on higher-end bikes.

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 pulling 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 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, those gears will eventually become second nature.

24 inch bikes are typically available with 7 or 8 gears, but the gearing on each bike can be very different, even if they have the same number of gears. The gearing range (difference between the highest and lowest gears) is usually wider on more expensive bikes, allowing kids greater flexibility to tackle longer climbs and gain greater speeds.

Most 24 inch bikes are available with grip shifters, which kids activate by twisting the grip with the palm of their hand. Some more aggressive bikes have trigger shifters, which are activated by pulling or pushing on levers with the 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 typically 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!

Related Articles

Best Kids Bikes: The Authoritative Buying Guide: Everything you need to know to choose the perfect bike for your child

The Best Kids Recreational Mountain Bikes: Bikes that provide the look of a mountain bike, without the high-end performance and price

10 Best Girls Bikes: Looking for a high-performance bike in pink, purple, or cute designs? Check out our list!

22 Fun Kids Bike Accessories: Fun add-ons for boys and girls bikes of all sizes.