Shyre Hopton 20 Review: A budget-friendly 20-inch hybrid
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In this review, we take a close look at the Shyre Hopton 20”, a budget-friendly geared bike designed to help children aged 5 to 8 take the next step in their cycling journey. With a sturdy frame and wide handlebars, it’s a bike that aims to bridge the gap between riding to school, pump tracks and off-road family rides at the weekend, and it won’t break the bank.
If you’re looking for more great bikes, be sure to check out our guide to the best 20 inch kids bikes for a full breakdown of our top picks.
Now, let’s get to the Shyre Hopton 20 review.
Disclosure: Cycle Sprog were sent the Shyre Hopton 20” to review. We were not paid to write this review, and all opinions are our own. We do use affiliate links, so may get a small commission if you choose to buy through the links on this page. This funds the website, and we thank you for your support.
Shyre Hopton 20" key data:
Price - £279.99
Weight - 9kg
Age range - 5-8 years
Colours - Blue and Pink - Green & Dark Grey coming Oct 25
Date of review - July 2025
Pros - An impressive spec at this price point, with branded components, offering great value for money.
Cons - Missing a bottle cage mount which seems a real oversight.
Shyre Hopton 20" scores
Quality - 4/5 - Good components for a budget-friendly bike/for the price tag.
Weight - 4/5 - 9kg is on the heavier end, but lighter than many similarly priced bikes.
Value for money - 4/5 - Branded components, a kickstand, impressive spec for this price point.
Customisability - 2.5/5 - While it comes with a good kickstand and is mudguard compatible, the guards need to be bought from a third party, and there’s no bottle cage mount, which seems an oversight for this age group.
Resale value - TBC, as Shyre is such a new brand on the market, we aren't sure of its resale value yet.
Final verdict - The Shyre Hopton 20” is a good quality and well-made bike that offers a decent spec for the price tag, ideal for a child looking to include more adventure in their riding.
Find out more about the Cycle Sprog review process
About our reviewers:
Nico is 7 years old and lives in Cumbria with his younger sister Mila (5) and their parents.
Both children are confident riders who grew up on hand-me-down Islabikes, and they enjoy a mix of road, track and pump track cycling across the Lake District. At an average height for his age, Nico recently transitioned from the Isla Beinn 20 to the Shyre Hopton 20", using it as an intermediate step before moving up to a 24” MTB.
Mila also tested the Hopton 20” briefly, though she normally rides an Islabike CNOC 20L. While she’s technically tall enough for the Hopton, her slighter frame made some aspects of the bike a bit more challenging for her.
Nico is 129cm tall with an inseam of 58cm, and Mila is 118cm tall with a 53cm inseam.
Who are Shyre Bikes?
Shyre Bikes is a newer UK-based brand offering affordable, well-specced children’s bikes with an emphasis on quality components and a slightly more rugged, MTB-style aesthetic than some of the more traditional hybrid bikes on the market.
This is our first hands-on review of a Shyre model, though we’ve previously featured the brand in our Shyre Bikes range overview and were keen to see how their Hopton 20” performed in real-world family cycling conditions.
First Impressions of the Shyre Hopton
The first thing Nico said when he saw the Hopton was: “This is definitely for me Mila, cos this is way bigger than yours!”
While both bikes were technically the same wheel size, the Hopton’s wider handlebars and chunkier frame gave it a noticeably more grown-up feel - something Nico loved. Mila, however, found the proportions a bit overwhelming and wobbled a little with the wider bar setup, even though she was within the recommended height range.
We appreciated the inclusion of trigger-style gearing, which gives kids the chance to learn a system more like adult bikes early on. The quick-release adjustable seatpost was another win, making it easy to tweak the height on the go.
Assembling the bike was simple - just attach the front wheel, straighten the handlebars, a quick pump of the tyres and it was ready to roll. We also appreciated the fact that it doesn’t come with any plastic packaging, and while there were no tools included in the box, this saves costs to the brand (which they pass onto the consumer), and most people will have a 4mm Allen key at home. If you don’t, however, you’ll need to source one.
Shyre Hopton Specifications
The Shyre Hopton 20” is designed for children aged 5 to 8 who are ready for more independence and adventure in their riding. Whether it’s cycling to school, zipping around the neighbourhood or tackling forest tracks, the Hopton is built to handle a range of everyday riding.
Weighing in at 9kg, it’s not too heavy even though it is heavier than the Isla bike. The kids haven’t mentioned this though, it’s only been noticeable when moving it about ourselves. It does feel chunkier and heavier than a more premium bike, like the Isla, which is more sleek, petite and lightweight for urban riding. The Shyre is quite different, and Mila needed some time to get used to it, but that’s to be expected from a bike half the price and that’s designed for more off-road use.
The geometry is well balanced and comfortable, with a junior saddle and child-sized rubber grips helping to create a fit that feels natural from the very first ride.
The Hopton is fitted with a 7-speed drivetrain, featuring a Shimano Tourney rear derailleur and trigger shifter - a welcome upgrade from the twist shifters often found on kids’ bikes. It’s still entry-level, but it’s good to see branded components on a bike at this price point.
The 14-28t Shimano freewheel gives a reasonable gear range for most everyday terrain, though it may feel slightly limited on steeper hills compared to bikes with a wider cassette.
Braking is handled by Tektro V-brakes front and rear, with alloy levers designed for smaller hands. While the reach was manageable for our older tester, it could be a stretch for lighter or younger children. The alloy crankset has a single 32T chainring with 152mm cranks, and the Neco sealed bearing bottom bracket keeps things running smoothly.
The 20” wheels are built on Shyre’s own double wall alloy rims with quick-release axles, fitted with Innova 24 x 1.75” knobbly tyres for extra grip on mixed surfaces. Other features include Shyre PVC platform pedals, a 540mm wide riser handlebar, a 40mm alloy stem, and a micro-adjust seatpost for easy height changes as your child grows.
A handy kickstand is included as standard — great for keeping the bike upright and reducing wear and tear — and at the time of writing, there’s also a free helmet offer available when you purchase direct from Shyre (just add both the helmet and bike to your basket while stocks last).
Unfortunately, an oversight with the Shyre Hopton is the lack of bottle cage mounts. At this age group, we’d expect the kids to be carrying their own water bottle, and while it's a small detail, many other 20" bikes come with mounts on the downtube. However there are still ways around it: they can carry a bottle in a backpack, or in a bag attached to their handlebar, like the Decathlon Kids Handlebar Bag.
Riding the Shyre Hopton
We tested the Shyre Hopton 20” on a mix of tarmac, gravel tracks, muddy forest trails and two local pump tracks. Nico found the knobbly tyres gave good grip on muddier sections and slippy surfaces - particularly useful on some of the steeper trails near Windermere.
While it doesn’t have suspension, the frame shape and handlebar position give the Hopton a more MTB-like stance. Nico liked this upright but slightly aggressive feel, though for Mila it felt “a bit scary” at first.
The bike’s gearing performed well, with smooth shifting and no skipping or noise. That said, the largest cog on the rear cassette is a 28T, which meant steeper hills were more of a challenge compared to the 34T on their Isla bikes.
Braking was reliable in both dry and wet conditions, though the reach on the levers was a stretch for Mila’s smaller hands. Nico had no issues here, and there is some reach adjustment.
Thoughts from the Sprogs
“It’s blue! My favourite colour!” - Mila, age 5
“These pedals are stabby but fun!” - Nico, age 7
Nico loved the chunkier, grippier pedals, even though he did take a knock or two when riding over bumpy ground. Mila struggled more with the wider bars and the overall heft of the bike, despite being tall enough - it highlighted how important frame shape and weight distribution can be, not just height.
Overall verdict: Is the Shyre Hopton a good bike?
The Shyre Hopton 20” is a well-built and good-value bike that will suit confident young riders looking for something a little more grown-up and trail-ready than a traditional hybrid.
It’s a fun bike to ride in a mixture of places, including parks, tarmac or light gravel paths. It’s rugged enough to handle a bit of off-road, though it’s essentially a slightly chunkier hybrid bike. For kids only wanting to ride to school on tarmac, it might be better to opt for a lighter bike with slick tyres, but the Shyre Hoptopn is a good choice for the majority of kids cycling.
However, it may not be the best choice for smaller or less confident riders at the lower end of the age range. The wider bars, larger-feeling frame and heavier overall setup can feel like a lot to handle for lighter children - even if they’re tall enough. If you want a bike you can pass down to siblings and feel disappointed by the current colour choices, you'll be pleased to know more colours are coming for all Shyre models in October.
If your child is strong, confident and ready to take on more challenging rides, the Shyre Hopton 20” is a compelling and more affordable alternative to bigger-name brands.
Where to buy the Shyre Hopton
The Hopton 20” is available directly from the Shyre Bikes website. At the time of writing, there’s a free helmet offer available: just add the helmet and the bike to your basket to claim the discount (while stocks last).
Shyre offers a growing range of kids bikes across different sizes, so if your child is ready to size up or you're shopping for siblings, you may also want to browse the full range.
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