Best 24″ kids’ bikes for 7-10 year-olds

Buying a 24" wheel bike for the child in your life is an exciting task!  Get it right and it's going to be ridden further and faster than any other bike they've had before.

24" wheel kids bikes generally fit 7 through 10 years of age, but every child is different so measure carefully.

Buying a well made, correctly proportioned bike is SO important if they’re going to enjoy riding it.

This is where Cycle Sprog comes in. We've been riding, reviewing and writing about kids bikes since 2012, so know what a good 24" wheel bike looks like.

In this article we share our recommendations for the best 24" wheel hybrid bikes - these are multipurpose bikes that can be used for fun weekend riding and cycling to school in the week.

As well as new options we've included second hand and monthly rentals too to cover all budgets.

If you're looking for something a bit more specialist check out our guides to 24" wheel mountain bikes, and 24" wheel road bikes.

Before you start take a moment to grab your FREE kids bike buying checklist to help you record all the information you need to find the perfect bike for your child. 

Cycle Sprog is a reader-supported website. When you buy through links on this page we may earn an affiliate commission.

Quick picks - Best buys on 24" wheel kids bikes

If you're in a hurry and looking for a 24" wheel hybrid bike (with gears) then here's our quick picks on the three best buys at different price points to suit all budgets.

If you're trying to keep costs down (and who isn't at the moment?) then it's important to buy a bike that's a good price AND built to a decent quality.

Otherwise you're wasting your money on something that won't be safe or enjoyable for your child to ride.

The B'Twin range of 24" wheel bikes which is sold exclusively at Decathlon has options to meet all budgets and riding styles.

They're great value for money but do remember that lighter the bike the easier they will be to ride, so expect the cheaper end of the range to be on the heavier side.

Buy Now

Tredz currently have a huge sale on kids bikes, with between 6% and 42% off a large number of 24" wheeled bikes.

Big names being reduced include Frog, Cube, Norco, Specialized, Cannondale, Orbea and Scott.

Tredz offer interest free finance and free UK delivery, and have a high Trust Pilot Score as well.

A great time to stock up ready for some summer fun!

Save now

The Vitus 20 bike is a great choice if you’re looking for a quality bike with a slightly lower price than some of the other leading kids bike brands.

Discounted from £309.99 to £217.99 / $349.99

Discounted price: £217.99

Buy Now

The best 24" wheel kids bikes

Here's our selection of the best 24" wheel kids hybrid bikes for children aged about 7 or 8 years of age.

There are still some supply issues with kids bikes at the moment, so we're sorry if not all the bikes we feature are in stock new.

We've split our recommended bikes into three price categories, based on new RRP prices - obviously you can get a second hand bike much cheaper.

Value 24" wheel bikes: Under £350

Mid range 24" wheel bikes:  £350 - £450

Premium 24" wheel bikes: Over £450

We've given details of which bikes are available second hand and to lease via the Bike Club in order to keep costs and environmental impact down, so it's well worth checking more expensive bikes for these options.

The best 24" wheel kids bikes

Value 24" wheel kids bikes - under £350

You'll notice we've use the word "value" rather than "cheap" - if you're buying a bike for your child you want to know it's not going to fall apart after a few rides.

You want the brakes to work (yikes - imagine if they didn't!) and the gears to change smoothly.

There are some incredibly cheap bikes out there, but please read our article on Why you shouldn't buy a really cheap kids bike to find out why we don't recommend that!

For under £350 you can get a really decent 24" wheel kids bike with reasonably lightweight frame, components that work and an overall riding experience that's going to be fun rather than frustrating!

** We've listed the RRP here, but these bike brands are often heavily discounted, so it's worth taking a look to see if there's a sale on at the moment **

Within this budget it's also worth thinking about Bike Club membership.   For £14.99 per month your child gets use of a premium quality 24" wheel bike (that works out at £180 per year). Plus you have peace of mind that you can swap for the next size up when they've outgrown the bike (subject to a small exchange fee within the first 18 months).

Another option in this price range is to buy a secondhand version of the bikes in the next two categories.

Price:  From £139.99 to £399.99

Rider height: 135 to 150cm

Decathlon's B'Twin range are a great budget range of kids bikes.

They have different types of bike to choose from, including a continental style city bike (the Elops), a mountain bike (Rockrider) and an all purpose hybrid (Riverside) so there really is something to suit all tastes and styles of cycling.

The number after each model determines the quality and weight, with the 100 being the basic entry model with a heavier steel frame.

The 500 is similar, but with a better quality of components, whilst the 900 is a lighter weight aluminium frame and enhanced components.

You can arrange home delivery or pick up in store.

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Wild 24

The Wild 24 is certainly a lot of bike for the price, with the all-important Tektro short-reach brake levers sized for children’s hands.

The gears on the Wild 24 are 8-speed (11-32T) with a single 32T chainset, which means they avoid the complications of lots of gears and a left-hand shifter you often get with cheaper kids bikes. The Wild 24 uses a thumb shifter to change through the 8-gears. It is available in 2 two-toned colours. 

This bike will be a significantly better riding experience than the hunks of steel that are sold in some of the cheaper stores.

Pinnacle Aspen 24

The Pinnacle Aspen 24 is one of Evans Cycles best selling 24″ wheel children’s bikes, and the customer reviews of the bike speak for themselves. Parents have often upgraded to this bike from a much cheaper and heavier one, and are surprised and overjoyed at how much their child suddenly loves riding their bike.
 

Vitus 24

The Vitus 24 is a great choice for cycling to school and on gentle off road rides.  It has all the qualities you’d expect to see on a lightweight kids bike, but they’ve managed to keep the price point below some of the other brands.

We’ve reviewed two of their other kids bikes and were really impressed. We’ve also seen the rest of their range up close and were pleased to see the effort put into the design, including the geometry, child sized components and overall style of the bikes.

The best mid range 24" wheel kids bikes (£350 - £450)

Within this price range, you can get a really well specified 24" wheel kids bike, with a light weight frame and decent components.   Theses bike will ride equally well on city streets or off road trails and so long as you keep them maintained they'll last several kids and still be good for selling on when you're done with them.

Brands within this price bracket are sometimes discounted, and it's well worth looking for well maintained second hand options to keep costs down.

If you don't enjoy the bike buying process then it's also well worth considering Bike Club membership. It's £14.99 per month for a premium quality 24" wheel bike. You have peace of mind that they only stock quality bikes and you can easily swap for the next size up when they've outgrown the bike (subject to a small exchange fee within the first 18 months).

Squish 24

The Squish 24 is a good choice for a child who is doing a mix of riding on and off road, and wants a reliable bike they can ride all year around.

It has good quality components, easy to use gears and brakes plus tyres which are suited to all round general riding.

We’ve reviewed two different sized Squish Bikes in their range and our testers found them to be reliable and fun to ride.

Specialized Jett 24

The low standover height of the Specialized Jett 24 means your child can get onto this bike sooner than many other 24″ bikes and there’s an extra hole for the pedals on the crank meaning you can extend the use of this bike as your child’s legs grow.

It also has handy markings on the seat post and handlebars making adjusting the bike easy as your child grows.  To help, Specialized also provide an online Bike Fit tool – you simply input your child’s measurements and they will tell you how to adjust the bike to fit.

The best premium 24" wheel kids bikes (Over £450)

Once you're paying more than £450 for a 24" wheel bike for your child you really are looking at the very best attention to detail in the design and build quality. These bikes are built to last, so are ideal for daily commuting and riding in all weathers.

If you look after the bike well, then it will outlast however many kids you have, and still get a decent second hand price.

In this price range also come the more specialist bikes - if you're looking for those check out our articles:

Cube Acid 240 AllRoad

The Cube Acid 240 AllRoad is Cube’s entry level mountain bike (the Cube Acid 240) with additional accessories (mudguards, LED lights and kickstand) for riding on road.

The result will be suited to children who are riding gentle off road routes at the weekend (and therefore appreciate the suspension) and who are also riding to school in the week. 

If they’re only riding on road, then a hybrid bike without suspension will be lighter and possibly quicker to ride, without the hassle of maintaining the suspension fork. 

Islabikes Beinn 24

Sadly Islabikes stopped selling new bikes in 2023, so this bike is now only available to buy second hand.

The gearing on the Islabikes Beinn 24 is very simple and easy to use with a Sram twist grip shifter. The Beinn comes with the usual spread of 8 gears from the  Sram 12 – 32 cassette which means it will get up all but the steepest of hills.

With the ability to fit mudguards, pannier rack and bottle cage it’s not surprising the Beinn is a popular choice for both the daily school commute and long distance bikepacking adventures.

Still looking for the perfect 24" wheel kids bike?

Use our unique Kids Bike Search (which you can find from the top of every page) to narrow down your options.   You can even choose favourite colour, or search for secondhand only models.

There are some decent 24" wheel brands which were sadly discontinued a while ago which aren't in our database - these can make great second hand purchases if you can find them.

What age child is a 24" wheel bike for?

The majority of 7 and 8 year olds will be getting ready to move onto a kids bike with 24″ wheels - although there is such a range of different sizes of 24" wheel bikes and different size children there's no one bike that will fit every child.

There are bikes on this page that have a minimum inside leg of 57cm and other bikes that go up to a maximum inside leg of 75cm - and loads inbetween!

Do make sure that you measure very carefully, or even better, test out a bike before you buy.

Please don’t be tempted to buy big so your child can grow into it. They will struggle to control the bike, feel unsafe and not want to ride it. A total waste of money!

You’re much better buying a bike that fits them and then selling it on to fund the purchase of the next, correctly sized bike, as they get older.

These articles will help you:

How much should I spend on a 24" wheel bike for my child?

If you're wondering how much to spend on a bike for your child, remember that a bike at this age is something that is going to keep them fit, active and can provide a cheap and environmentally friendly way of getting around.

The bike you buy them now will help give them independence as they grow, plus you're giving them a tool to support their mental and physical health.

Think how much you pay for their phone or games console, or other big ticket items, and remember that you want to buy a bike that's reliable and safe to ride (which is all the bikes listed in this article - and why we don't suggest buying a really cheap new bike).

We've recommended second hand classics and Bike Club subscriptions which are both great ways of keeping costs lower.

Further reading:

What type of bike does a 7 or 8 year old need?

As kids bikes get bigger, so do the different options. So you need to decide whether you’re buying a specialist bike such as a mountain bike, road bike or BMX, or whether you’re keeping your options open with a more versatile flat handlebar bike, known as a hybrid.

We recommend a 24″ wheel hybrid bike if your child is going to be doing a mix of cycling – this type of bike will allow them to cycle to school, ride bridleways and off-road trails and are great for riding green and blue graded routes at trail centres.

They are also suitable for riding in U10’s cyclocross races without having to invest in a cyclocross bike, and are great fun for beginners to ride around a pump track.

Need more help on buying a kids bike?

We know that sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming trying to find that perfect bike for your child - especially when stocks are low or timescales are tight.

Please don't get too stressed!  We've got lots of articles to help you through the process to ensure you find the best bike for your child, plus our FREE kids buying guide will help you record everything you need.

Comments

Charlie

@Paul the Bonaly deliberately doesn’t have QR skewers to avoid little people loosening stuff that they shouldn’t!

If they’re required then they can be bought for peanuts and fitted with ease.

(most people find it useful to carry a multi-tool with hex keys – when you buy a Bonaly from Evans they include one for free!)

Bea

I’m planning to buy second hand, and trying to decide between frog 62 and Beinn 26 small for my long-legged 7 and a half year old. He’s currently WAY too big for his 20” ridgeback. I’m looking forward to him having a lighter bike, and don’t want to put him off with a bike that is too big. Anyone got any advice?

Penny Millar

Hi Bea
Thank you for your comment. We’d always recommend getting a bike that is the right size for them to ride now, as you say, you don’t want to put him off with a bike that is too big. With regards to advice on a specific bike (both the Frog 62 & Beinn 26 are brilliant, we love both!), it is definitely worth you asking the question on the Family Cycling UK page on Facebook. They have a huge community of cycling families and someone will be able to advise from first hand experience, we’re sure! Hope this helps. Kind regards, Penny

Paul

I just wanted to inform your followers about one of the bikes on this list.
I currently have 3 kids on 24’s, 2 are Marin’s and 1 is a Hoy Bonaly 24.
The Bonaly in my opinion is sized very small compared to most 24’s, it’s a very nice bike in many ways but it has a few shortfalls that folk need to consider.
Firstly, it’s a small 24 and a lot of kids will be half way through its size range when they outgrow a 20″.
My son’s 24 had still got room for growth but the Bonaly is too small for him, this is something others find when we compare their bikes too.
The cockpit is too compact and the bars are too narrow meaning the handling is squirrelly and the front tucks under itself too readily. (There’s been more handling related falls on this bike compared to all the others we’ve had).
It also doesn’t come with QR skewers and seatpost clamp which are essential on kids bikes. These are easily sorted but should be included at this price point.
My Daughter has had this bike for 8 months and is now getting too big for it, My son is 12cm taller than her and his bike still fits and is 18months old.
So be careful about buying it, perhaps it’s a better upgrade when your child is still well inside a 20″ bike, not a good bike if they’re outgrowing it though.

Karen

Hi Paul, Thanks so much for sharing this information. It goes to highlight the differences with sizing between brands – it certainly sounds as if the Hoys are sized for smaller kids than the Marins. Much appreciated, Karen

Robin Moore

Just found your website and this article was really useful. Many are the bikes I’m considering. Currently several friends families have loved the islabikes up to 20” size but are going towards Orbea. Have you seen or tried any of these? How do you rate them against Islabikes as a known benchmark? My eldest is on a Beinn 20 with mtb tyres.
Many thanks

Karen

Hi Robin, Thanks for getting in touch, and glad you’ve found the website useful. In the past two years there have been some great deals on Orbea kids bikes – particularly their mountain bikes – which made them a lot more affordable than Islabikes. It really does come down to your budget, the amount and type of cycling you’re planning to do (plus which bike you can find in stock at the current time). In general Orbea are a reputable brand, and parents I’ve spoken to have been happy with their choice. Hope this helps. Karen

Mary

My son has had Isla bikes to date, but I’m not sure I can stomach the cost of the beinn 24. My local bike shop is recommending a forme kinder 24 but I can’t find mention of it on your site. Should I consider the others above?

Karen

Hi Mary, Thanks for getting in touch. We’ve not had a chance to review the new Forme kids bike range yet, but they are a reputable brand and I can see no reason why it shouldn’t be a reliable bike. Given the low stock of kids bikes everywhere at the moment, if your bike shop has one available you’re lucky! Hope this helps, Karen

Mary Stillman

1st choice 24″ Giant ARX unavailable
2nd Cannondale Quick
3rd Frog red which I bought from Cambridge Cycles.
I bought it for nephew in Newmarket and mother collected it two days later. Brilliant Boy loves it.
Saracen 16 6.24kg for little brother and little big bike coming for 2 1/2 sister

Karen

Hi Mary – great that you’ve been able to find a bike and that your nephew is enjoying riding it. There’s a real shortage of bikes at the moment so you did well to find one. Kind regards Karen

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