9 best kids’ trail bikes for riding on off-road terrains

The brainchild of a British dad who decided to build a kids bike that wouldn’t become redundant as soon as the rider hit a growth spurt, the Hutto is built around a patented frame design, which can be adjusted to the rider height and evolves into a larger pedal bike as and when it’s needed. 

It’s not only the frame, but the handlebars (or cockpit) too, which has room to bloom, allowing an extra 3cm in horizontal movement and 2cm on the vertical. On top of these unique selling points comes real rideability with seven smooth changing gears on a twisting handle, dependable braking and an adventurous 20in off-road wheelset.

This is a great transition bike for when it’s time to put the balance bike away and get a ride with some pedal power. The 16in tyres allow for easy rolling over roots and rocks and combine well with the lightweight frame, which comes in a range of colours that kids will love. The single speed gearing also means that your rookie ripper can concentrate on what’s in front of them rather than being distracted with a gear paddle. It’s currently available on pre-order for December.

This full suspension ride is ideal for those looking to take on even more aggressive terrain and technical trails. The German mail order brand has looked at the XXS version of its adult Canyon neuron AL and adapted it superbly. The single chainring keeps the weight off and allows for a good range of gears on the 12-speed chainring to make going up easier and coming down even more fun. Longer brake levers makes this bike particularly suited to teenage riders and the fact that Canyon’s operation is mail order only also means that it has kept the sting out of the price tag, producing a bike that’s superb value for money. You can sign up for an email notification when the bikes are back in stock.

Taking its design cues from the adult bike of the same name, this is a real confidence boosting machine because it runs on 2.8in “mid-fat” tyres, which means there’s plenty of rubber to hit the rough stuff and keep the rider in the saddle and focussed on having fun. The 1x drivetrain and a wide-range cassette means that it’s easy to manoeuvre up and down hills with mechanical disk brakes to provide all the stopping power they’ll need to stay safe and get out of trouble. Available to pre-order from your local retailer now.

This UK manufacturer has quite recently added trail bikes to its line-up and the 69 is a hard tail that took on technical trails and rock-strewn ground well. The cockpit, saddle and pedals are all designed with younger riders in mind and our tester found the bike comfortable to ride and lightweight to move around, which can come in handy if they’ve dismounted and are pushing uphill when energy reserves are running low. You can sign up for email notifications when the bike is back in stock.

Kona has made a full-sus junior version of its very popular adult bike and it hasn’t lost anything in translation. Our rider had a smile on their face all the time they were in the saddle because the bike is engineered for speed and performance with trail-friendly tyres and a larger 46 tooth sprocket which lowers the gearing and makes it so much easier to spin your way uphill.

Another full suspension bike with top of the range componentry and build quality. From the air suspension at the front and the back to the Shimano brakes and Maxxis tyres, which combine to give a ride with fabulous control downhill and in and out of the corners. The bike comes in just one size with the manufacturer stating that it’s the right choice for kids between 3’8in and 5in, which makes it good value for money as kids won’t outgrow it after a couple of outings. 

A well-designed hardtail that has clearly been put together with younger riders in mind and offers a fantastic introduction to off-road action. Wide, aggressive tyres provide lots of grip in the corners and loose conditions with the suspension providing plenty of comfort and doing a bang up job of sponging roots and rocks without taking away momentum. Effective disc brakes add to the overall control that the rider has over the bike. We particularly liked the “get-a-grip” seat clamp which has been designed with smaller hands in mind and makes it really easy to adjust riding position with a brief pit stop.